Roger Ebert, “The Great Movies II,” 2005

KPFA - Radio Wolinsky

Roger Ebert (1942-2013) in conversation with Richard Wolinsky, recorded while on tour for “The Great Movies II,” conducted in the KPFA studios on March 3, 2005.

Roger Ebert, who died of cancer on April 4, 2013, was probably America’s best known film critic. Film critic for the Chicago Sun Times from 1967 until his death, his television career began on PBS in 1975, co-hosted with Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune. Through several iterations, Ebert and Siskel worked together until Siskel’s death in 1999. Roger Ebert continued on TV with several co-hosts until he paired with Richard Roeper until retiring from television in 2007.

Along the way, Roger Ebert wrote several books, including his four book Great movies series, a best selling memoir, Life Itself, various yearly guides, and several collections of his reviews. His website, rogerebert.com, is still a leading compendium of new and old reviews.

In this interview, he talks about his latest book, about new restorations, and about his sojourn into political commentary. He also talks about the Republican Party and its supporters, which indicate that there’s not much difference in thought between the followers of George W. Bush and the MAGA cult behind Donald Trump.

If his voice sounds a bit slurred, it’s because he was diagnosed with the cancer that would eventually kill him three years earlier, and he’d already had a series of operations, making clear speech difficult.

This complete interview is posted for the first time.

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