Changing Ebert

[Der Germ]

Okay, is it just me or has Ebert become ... different in the past year or so? I remember back in the day he was a fun guy who would give creative insight to movies and what went into them. But recently, I think, he's become more cynical and bitter or something. Maybe even pretentious, you can say. Anyone else notice this, or is it just me?

[bladestarr]

Pretentious? Ebert??? Naw, could never happen. ;D

[Lissa]

I don't watch, but it wouldn't utterly shock me if the loss of Siskel has something to do with it. I think if I worked that closely with someone, and then lost them, it would really affect my work on a personal level. Plus, the addition of Roper forms an entirely new dynamic.

Thus concludes Lissa's armchair psychology session for this morning

[Der Germ]

That's what I was thinking too. Makes sense.

[Al]

I definitely agree that, if nothing else, his writing style has changed in the last few years.

And not to highjack the thread, but as long as someone brought up good ol' Roge, I figure I'll ask you folks something I think I noticed. E&R's 'Worst of ther Year' episode was on a day or two ago, and I noticed that Ebert looked a little... different. His face seemed thinner, even a little sallow. Actually, it looked a bit like he had Bell's Palsy. Has he been in bad health recently? Or am I imagining things?

Al

[DocD83]

What's Bell's Palsy?

[Al]

From Highbeam.com:
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Byline: Paul Donohue / North America Syndicate

Dear Dr. Donohue: I live in a small town that has its own TV station. One day, they announced the weatherman had had a stroke. The next day, he returned to work with one eye patched and his mouth and face out of shape. If this wasn't a stroke, what was it?

... --K.V.

The most likely diagnosis is Bell's palsy, a common occurrence and one commonly mistaken as a stroke.

It is a malfunction of one of the two nerves that serve face muscles. The muscles on that nerve's side of the face go limp, and the face flattens out.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Reading the rest of the article requires a subscription, but the gist of it is paralysis of half of your face. I assume this wasn't the case in Ebert's situation or it would have been all over the news, but that's what it looked like to me.

Al

[Al]

Sorry to bring this thread all the way back up top, but I was surfing around the net a few days back when I stumbled across someone else saying Roger Ebert had been looking unhealthy. While I skimmed the ensuing discussion, it was mentioned that he recently recovered from thyroid cancer, and, if that's true, goes a long way to explain to his slightly disconcerting color and manner. I'm sure no one had been losing sleep over this Unsolved Mystery (tm), but I just thought I'd mention it.

Al

[Der Germ]

Ooh, I had no idea he had to undergo any surgery. Kind of explains it a bit. Thanks for bringing that up.

[Vorlina]

On topic but sideways (like there's another kind), did anyone else see the Empire Film Awards last month?

John Hurt, who presented an achievement award to Sigorney Weaver, seems quite amazingly out of it. I couldn't make up my mind whether he was completely slaughtered (it was towards the end of the night, after all!), or whether something really was wrong - Parkinson's, or something.

Anybody know/ See it too and wonder?