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Quentin Tarantino, Roger Ebert, and Gene Siskel All Agree on This '80s Horror Movie

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Bring up the name Tobe Hooper and two movies come to mind. In 1974, the director changed horror forever when he made The Texas Chain Saw Massacre . With this terrifying take on the life and crimes of Ed Gein , Hooper proved you could make a gut-wrenchingly terrifying film without that much gore. In 1982, Hooper directed Poltergeist , but as great as that film was, it was mired in controversy over the conflicting reports that Steven Spielberg might be its true director , which diminishes what Hooper did. Those aren't the only movies he ever made though. Tobe Hooper was a master of horror who directed many great films during his career , and one of the best came in 1981 with The Funhouse . It might not be as popular as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre or Poltergeist , but another famous director named Quentin Tarantino loves it! It was also a guilty pleasure for Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert .

'The Funhouse' Pairs Well With 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'

1981 was a huge year for slasher movies. Not only did we get heavyweights like Halloween II and the first showcase of Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th Part 2 , but we also got classics such as The Burning , The Prowler , My Bloody Valentine , and many others. Then there was The Funhouse . Tobe Hooper's follow-up to Eaten Alive (another underrated horror movie) didn't set the box office on fire, making only $7.8 million in theaters , but although it got lost in a crowded year, it has lived on. Understandably, Tobe Hooper will always best be known for The Texas Chain Saw Massacre . The director died in 2017, but no matter what he did, that film followed him. While The Funhouse can't compare to an all-time classic, it's in the same league as this legendary film thanks to a similar plot. In both films, clueless teenagers are going where they shouldn't. In The Texas Chain Saw Massacre , they go into a rundown home on the side of a country road without being invited in. What waits inside is a man in a mask and rooms so shocking that it's like a funhouse come to life. In The Funhouse , our unfortunate heroes discover similar horrors, just in a different setting.

There have been other horror movies set at a carnival , and for good reason. They're terrifying because they're these odd little events that seem to pop up out of nowhere, run by oddball people with strange shows, and lots of mystery. Who are these people, where do they come from, and what lurks inside those dark buildings? The Funhouse explores that, using admittedly paper-thin teenage characters, led by our customary soon-to-be final girl, Amy ( Elizabeth Berridge ), and her horny friends who visit the local carnival at night, when they decide to hide inside the funhouse so they can get high and make out. Nothing is even happening, and we're scared because of the mysterious characters and the look of the funhouse, complete with horrific animatronics, which play into our fear of dolls and faces that our minds can't comprehend. The animatronic of the laughing woman above the funhouse will give you chills alone.

Quentin Tarantino and Siskel & Ebert Are Fans of 'The Funhouse'

The Funhouse was a popular video store rental thanks to that cover with a creepy-looking ax-wielding clown who seemed to be coming out of the picture. That poster might have been misleading, as there is no creepy killer clown in The Funhouse , but no matter, several Hollywood icons have spoken out about their love for it. In 1987, during an episode of Siskel & Ebert at the Movies titled "Guilty Pleasures," critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert included The Funhouse on their list. This was a shock because the two were known for hating any slasher not named Halloween . Siskel loathed the first Friday the 13th so much that he actually spoiled the killer reveal in his written review . They weren't the only famous names who have declared their fandom for The Funhouse . In November 2022, Quentin Tarantino released Cinema Speculation , a book made up of a collection of film essays, with each chapter looking at a different film. One of the films Tarantino fondly writes about is The Funhouse .

Tobe Hooper and Robert Englund Came Together for This Wacky Stephen King Adaptation

This '90s creature feature saw three horror legends come together.

In Cinema Speculation , Tarantino writes about a new horror movie coming out every two weeks in 1981. An 18-year-old Tarantino went to see The Funhouse , but he wasn't overly impressed. He wrote, "I enjoyed it well enough but considered it a touch on the mediocre side." However, in 2011, Tarantino decided to do a rewatch of older slashers . When he got to The Funhouse , he was surprised to discover that he enjoyed it much more on a second watch . The director touted "Hooper's direction, staging of scenes, his dynamic coverage, cinematographer Andrew Laszlo 's photography, his towering crane shots, production designer Mort Rabinowitz 's creepy carnival, and his immensely effective funhouse set." The carnival setting is what Gene Siskel highlighted as well during "Guilty Pleasures," saying, "They always seem so creepy, carnivals do, around the edges... the terror is really inherent in Funhouse , in its beautiful setting."

'The Funhouse' Has the Rare Sympathetic Villain

In Quentin Tarantino's opinion, the biggest surprise of The Funhouse was the script itself, which was written by Larry Block . Tarantino thought everything about it was simple and obvious the first time he watched it, "but on the second go-round it revealed a level of depth and sophistication that forced me to reconsider that whole film." You're not going to find much depth in the cookie-cutter protagonists, but where The Funhouse stands out is with its villain . When our leads decide to stay the night in the funhouse, they witness a man wearing a mask of Frankenstein's monster paying for sex with a fortune teller at the carnival. We don't know who this man named Gunther ( Wayne Doba ) is outside of seeing him earlier helping out with the ride, but whoever he is, he isn't your normal guy . He doesn't speak, but communicates in grunts, and is unsure of how to touch the woman. That doesn't make him scary, but sympathetic. He doesn't come across as an aggressive, stereotypical bad guy but a stunted man who doesn't know what he's doing.

When he gets overly excited, ending the moment prematurely, the fortune teller refuses to give him his money back and makes fun of him, so he kills her. It's not necessarily done out of hate but from frustration at the whole situation. Gunther is trying to show love, to touch someone, to feel good, but he gets mocked for his efforts. It's the woman he's with who's the horrible one... well, at least until Gunther kills her. Even then, we don't feel so sorry for her. Making matters much worse is the fact that Gunther's adopted father, Conrad Straker ( Kevin Conway ), bullies him relentlessly. This leads to Gunther's mask coming off to show us his true screaming face underneath. What we see are the features of a slasher baddie like we've never witnessed before , with Gunther's greyish-green skin pulled apart in distorting angles, giving Gunther wide-set yellow eyes, a misshapen nose, and sharp, jagged teeth. His face is frightening to behold, for sure, and Gunther's personality then begins to make sense. With his looks, he has probably always been hidden away and made to feel like he isn't really human. When you're not treated like a human, you're not going to know how to act like one either.

Conrad begins to kill the teens trapped inside, all while belittling his son, who kills with him as the rage of the torment consumes him. One pivotal moment has Gunther trapped with one of Amy's friends, Liz ( Largo Woodruff ). He doesn't attack her, but walks slowly toward Liz, with her telling Gunther how she could love him . The knife hidden behind her back lets us know she's lying, and when Gunther leans in, not to sexually assault her, but to hug Liz, she stabs him in the back. It's a literal stab in the back, but also emotionally, because Gunther was trusting Liz and just wanted to be paid attention to in his own way. Gunther is the rare villain we feel sorry for . He just wants to be loved and to show love, but he doesn't know how because he's always been hidden away. In "Guilty Pleasures," Gene Siskel said, "He also has a tragic killer at the end, that poor disfigured boy under the Frankenstein mask, I mean we feel for the guy." The choice of mask is fitting because, just like Frankenstein's monster, Gunther is misunderstood and treated like a freak. It's the normal-looking humans around him who are the real monsters.

The Funhouse

The Funhouse is available to watch on Shudder in the U.S.

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17 wonderful robin williams movies.

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Robin Williams in a scene from the film "Insomnia."

Robin Williams feels like a larger-than-life figure to many comedy fans. While he started his career in stand-up comedy and TV (especially the ABC sitcom Mork & Mindy ), many fans will be most familiar with Robin Williams’ filmography. Robin Williams appeared in over 70 movies in his nearly 40-year career. While he appeared in many different genres, his most remembered films are his inventive and out-of-the-box comedies, animated movies and fantastic family films . For many ‘90s kids, Williams’ movies will feel especially nostalgic. He may be best known for voicing the Genie in Disney’s Aladdin ; however, many of his films are strange, risky and unique, and often garnered mixed reviews. While he passed away in 2014 at the age of 63, his legacy and impact on American comedy and cinema lives on.

Top Robin Williams Movies

Robin Williams is probably best remembered for family and comedy classics like Mrs. Doubtfire, Good Morning, Vietnam and Jumanji. Williams was also nominated for four Oscars, winning one for Good Will Hunting (he was also nominated for Good Morning, Vietnam , Dead Poets Society and The Fisher King .) He also won multiple Emmy, Golden Globe, Grammy and Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2005, he was given the Cecil B. DeMille Award. However, not all of his performances were as iconic. He also appeared in less celebrated films like License to Wed, The Angriest Man in Brooklyn and Old Dogs (his lowest-rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes with only a 5% rating.)

This list, however, focuses on his best movies. In some ways, it is hard to define Williams’ best films. He was a fabulous actor but also one who took risks in the form of boundary-pushing, strange and unique movies. This leads to a filmography that will largely not be everyone’s cup of tea. However, he was consistently a great performer. Thus, this list considers two factors: the film's overall quality and Williams’ specific performance in the film.

17 . Hamlet (1996)

Kenneth Branagh on the set of "Hamlet" saying “to be or to to be” while filmed by cameraoperator ... [+] Martin Kenzie.

Hamlet isn’t “A Robin Williams Movie”; it is more of a movie in which Robin Williams is in. He plays the very minor character of Osric in Kenneth Branagh’s 1996 take on the famous William Shakespeare play. However, this movie is beautiful, and Williams' inclusion is a fun addition, given that he often used Shakespearean references in his comedy. (Just don’t go into it waiting for Williams because it will be a long wait, especially because this is the first unabridged theatrical film version of the play and clocks in at over four hours.)

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The film stars Branagh, Kate Winslet, Derek Jacobi, Billy Crystal, Charlton Heston, Jack Lemmon and Williams. The film follows the plot of the original play but is set in the 19th century. The film was nominated for four Oscars. It wasn’t the first Branagh film that Williams appeared in; he is also in (a larger role) in Branagh’s 1991 thriller, Dead Again. Hamlet is available to stream with a premium subscription on The Roku Channel .

16 . Moscow on the Hudson (1984)

Robin Williams talks to Maria Conchita Alonso in a scene from the film 'Moscow On The Hudson', 1984. ... [+]

Moscow on the Hudson is far from a perfect film, but there is something incredibly special about Robin Williams’ performance in it that feels needed when discussing his filmography. While it doesn’t age perfectly, it’s a sweet and often funny film about a Russian saxophonist who defects to become a New Yorker.

Directed by Paul Mazursky, the film stars Williams, María Conchita Alonso and Cleavant Derricks. Alonso especially also shines in the film. Williams even learned Russian and how to play the saxophone for this role. It is available to rent on YouTube, Apple TV, Google Play and Amazon Prime .

15 . What Dreams May Come (1998)

Robin Williams is covered in paint in a scene from the film "What Dreams May Come," 1998.

What Dreams May Come isn’t a perfect film, but there is something wholly arresting about it. Roger Ebert summed up the feeling of the film well, saying, “I walked out of the theater sensing that I should have felt more, that an opportunity had been lost. ‘What Dreams May Come’ takes us too far and risks too much to turn conventional at the end. It could have been better. It could perhaps have been the best film of the year. Whatever its shortcomings, it is a film to treasure.”

What Dreams May Come is a surrealist love story that deals with the nature of the afterlife. Many things about this film are weird in a good way, and several are weird in a bad way. The film follows a man who goes to heaven and, without giving too much away, has to contend with hell, suicide and the loss of loved ones. The film was directed by Vincent Ward and stars Robin Williams, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Annabella Sciorra. The plot is a little weak in this film, but it makes up for it with visuals (it even won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects) and its pure uniqueness. It is available to rent on YouTube , Amazon Prime, Google Play and Apple TV .

14 . Cadillac Man (1990)

Robin Williams and Tim Robbins in a scene from the film "Cadillac Man."

Cadillac Man will not be for everyone. It received mixed to negative reviews upon its release and hasn’t really taken on a cult status in the 30+ years since, but it should. Directed by Roger Donaldson, Cadillac Man is a black comedy about a philandering car salesman who has to talk down a hostage situation at the dealership.

The film is goofy, weird and impossibly 1990s (in both a complimentary and derogatory way). It stars Williams, Tim Robbins, Pamela Reed, Fran Drescher and Lori Petty. Williams spent time at Queens ’ car dealerships to prepare for the role, which paid off since he’s extremely believable in this film. His chemistry with Robbins and Drescher makes this film. It is currently streaming n Tubi , Pluto TV and The Roku Channel .

13 . Awakenings (1990)

Director Penny Marshall, Robin Williams and Robert De Niro during filming of "Awakenings."

Set in the late 1960s, Awakenings is based on Oliver Sacks's memoir of the same name. It follows a doctor who finds that an experimental use of a Parkinson’s drug helps patients who were left in catatonic states from the 1919–1930 encephalitis lethargica epidemic. The film focuses on one man who awakens after 30 years in a catatonic state.

Awakenings is a melodrama, but one that is done correctly. Those looking for Robin Williams’ comedic work should skip this film as it is solidly a tear-jerker. It only feels more tragic after Williams’ 2014 Parkinson’s diagnosis and subsequent suicide tied to Lewd Body Dementia (a side effect of Parkinson’s disease). Directed by Penny Marshall, Awakenings stars Robert De Niro, Williams, John Heard, Julie Kavner, Penelope Ann Miller and Max von Sydow. The film was nominated for three Oscars and De Niro and Williams tied for a National Board of Review Award for Best Actor. It is available to rent on Amazon Prime , YouTube , Google Play and Apple TV .

12. Hook (1991)

Actors Dante Basco and Robin Williams on the set of the film "Hook," directed by Steven Spielberg.

Critics hated Hook. Currently, it only has a 29% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it has become a cult classic and has a dedicated following. Directed by Steven Spielberg , it is a sequel ​​to J. M. Barrie's 1911 novel Peter and Wendy. The film follows a grown-up Peter Pan who has forgotten his past life but must return to Neverland to defeat an old nemesis and save his children.

Hook stars Williams, Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins, Maggie Smith and Dante Basco. The film features an iconic musical score from John Williams, larger-than-life practical sets, and fun (if not over-the-top) performances. Even after poor reviews, it was nominated for five Oscars. It is available to rent on Amazon Prime, YouTube , Google Play and Apple TV .

11 . Jumanji (1995)

Bonnie Hunt, Bradley Pierce, Kirsten Dunst and Robin Williams in a scene from the film 'Jumanji', ... [+] 1995.

Jumanji follows two kids who play a magical board game and free a man who has been stuck in the game for decades… along with a terrifying hunter, giant bugs and stampeding rhinos. Jumanji is a highly nostalgic film, especially for older millennials who would have seen it as children; however, it may be slightly too scary for very young viewers today.

The film stars Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, David Alan Grier, Bonnie Hunt and Bebe Neuwirth. While Jumanji was met with mixed reviews, it has become a family movie classic. It has spawned board games, video games, a TV show, a spiritual successor ( Zathura: A Space Adventure) and a rebooted series ( Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: the Next Level .) The original Jumanji is currently streaming on Netflix .

10 . Popeye (1980)

Popeye Village, also known as Sweethaven Villag, film set from the 1980s.

Popeye is a cult classic directed by Robert Altman. It originally received fairly negative reviews but has largely been reassessed. The film is still fairly messy, but that only really adds to its charm. Popeye follows the titular sailor man on a musical adventure as he comes to town and falls for Olive Oyl.

The film stars Robin Williams (in his first major theatrical role) and Shelley Duvall. Duvall does somewhat overshadow Williams in this film as she almost feels tailor-made to play Olive Oyl, and she performs the best song, “He needs me.” The film is also iconic for its practical sets, which give it a charming cartoon feel. The set is actually still standing and has become a tourist attraction and wedding venue in Malta . Roger Ebert wrote in a contemporary review of the film, “[Altman] takes one of the most artificial and limiting art forms — the comic strip — and raises it to the level of high comedy and high spirits.” It is currently streaming on YouTube TV .

9 . Dead Poets Society (1989)

Robin Williams teaching a class in a scene from the film 'Dead Poets Society', 1989.

Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society is a coming-of-age story set in the late 1950s at an all-male boarding school. The film follows a new teacher, played by Robin Williams, and the boys who learn more than just English from his unconventional teaching style. The movie stars Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke and Williams.

The film received mixed reviews upon its release. Roger Ebert panned the film, saying, “I was so moved, I wanted to throw up.” However, it went on to be nominated for four Academy Awards, winning for Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen. While Dead Poets Society is saccharine, it is part of its charm. Williams delivers an iconic and understated (at least for him) performance, but in some ways, he is overshadowed by the performances of the young cast which feels right in this film. It is currently streaming on Hulu and Disney+ .

8 . Aladdin (1992)

Disney’s Aladdin has a complicated legacy. Loosely based on a folktale from One Thousand and One Nights, Aladdin exotifies, barbarizes and sexualizes Arab culture. Upon its release, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) listed several complaints about the film and its opening song. Disney+ even added a disclaimer on the movie in 2020, saying, “This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. These stereotypes were wrong then and are wrong now.”

However, when discussing Robin Williams' filmography, it feels wrong not to mention his performance as the Genie. This performance changed the history of the animation genre and the rise of Hollywood voice actors. Aladdin is one of the films to usher in the Disney Renaissance and features songs from the legendary pairing of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. The movie follows a poor boy as he finds a magic lamp and tries to woo a princess. The history behind the film and the fallout between Williams and Disney is another interesting piece of Aladdin’s legacy. While the film has issues, it also is beloved by Disney fans. The film won two Academy Awards and currently holds a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes . It is currently available on Disney+ .

7 . FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992)

While Robin Williams’ other 1992 animated film, Aladdin, is far more remembered, FernGully: The Last Rainforest ages better and is a bit of an underrated gem. Directed by Bill Kroyer, FernGully is the rare independent animated film. The film follows a fairy who lives in the Australian rainforest as she has to stop an evil force that feeds off human pollution and figure out how to deal with a human that she accidentally shrunk down to fairy size.

The film stars Tim Curry, Samantha Mathis, Christian Slater and Williams (who plays a zany bat character aptly named “Batty”). Some have claimed that James Cameron’s Avatar plagiarized FernGully , and the films share surprising similarities. The film has a good message about environmentalism and is fiercely nostalgic for ‘90s kids. It is currently streaming for free on Tubi , Pluto TV , T he Roku Channel and Plex and with a subscription on Hulu, Amazon Prime and Disney+ .

6 . The Fisher King (1991)

Robin Williams shouting in the street as Jeff Bridges watches in a scene from the film "The Fisher ... [+] King."

Robin Williams made a couple of dramedies that tackled philosophy and social issues, notably Good Morning Vietnam, The World According to Garp and The Fisher King . Arguably, The Fisher King works the best to make its points. The film is hyper-stylized and reads almost as a modern-day fable with a touch of magical realism . If that sounds odd, it is because it kind of is. The film follows a shock jock who tries to make up for his past sins by helping a homeless man who has been failed by the U.S. mental health system.

Not everything works perfectly in this movie, but because of the stylization, it doesn’t feel like everything should be taken directly. Rather, it is a parable about how society treats success, failure and madness. Directed by Terry Gilliam, the film stars Williams, Jeff Bridges, Amanda Plummer and Mercedes Ruehl. The movie was nominated for five Oscars including a Best Actor nom for Williams. Gilliam and Williams had previously collaborated on The Adventures of Baron Munchausen — another strangely beautiful film that was, unfortunately, a noted nightmare to work on. The Fisher King is available to rent on YouTube, Google Play, Amazon Prime and Apple TV .

5 . Insomnia (2002)

Robin Williams watches as Al Pacino sits on the side of the road in a scene from the film ... [+] "Insomnia."

Robin Williams starred in two psychological thrillers as a villain in 2002: One Hour Photo and Insomnia . He shines in both films and really excels at playing a twisted killer. However, while One Hour Photo is good, Insomnia is better. A hidden gem in Christopher Nolan’s filmography , Insomnia, follows L.A. detectives sent to Alaska to investigate a murder as one of them is plagued by guilt, insomnia and perpetual daylight in the small town of Nightmute.

The film stars Al Pacino, Williams, Hilary Swank and Maura Tierney. It is a remake of a 1997 Norwegian film of the same name and is the only film directed by Nolan that he did not write/co-write. While it's a remake, it feels very fresh, and Nolan even once said of it, “I think, of all my films, it’s probably the most underrated.” It is available to rent on YouTube , Amazon Prime and Apple TV .

4 . Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)

Robin Williams in the kitchen in a scene from the film "Mrs. Doubtfire."

Mrs. Doubtfire is a truly bizarre film that has become a family film classic through the sheer star power of Robin Williams. This film shouldn’t work as well as it does, but it's zany fun. Directed by Chris Columbus, it follows a divorced actor who dresses up like an aging nanny/housekeeper to spend more time with his children.

The film stars Williams, Sally Field​​, Pierce Brosnan and Harvey Fierstein. ​​While Mrs. Doubtfire received mixed reviews upon its release, it won an Oscar for ​​Best Makeup and a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy. While the premise is over the top, the film is a surprisingly thoughtful take on divorce and parenthood. It is available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ .

3 . World’s Greatest Dad (2009)

World’s Greatest Dad is a pitch-black comedy that comes with a pretty big trigger warning for suicide, especially given Robin Williams’ own tragic death five years later. The film follows a struggling writer/teacher after his terrible son dies in an autoerotic asphyxiation accident, and he forges a suicide note.

It is very dark but also has a whip-smart script by writer-director Bobcat Goldthwait and a hilariously understated performance by Williams. The film stars Williams, Daryl Sabara and Alexie Gilmore. It deals with celebrity, tragedy and public personas in an almost prescient way. The film still feels risky and fresh 15 years later. World’s Greatest Dad features Williams in arguably his least likable role, and his performance is much more restrained than many of the films on this list. It is currently available on Max .

2 . The Bird Cage (1996)

Robin Williams and Nathan Lane in a scene from the film "The Birdcage."

“I made you short?” The Bird Cage is an extremely quotable queer cinema classic. The movie is based on the 1978 French film La Cage aux Folle s (which is an adaptation of a play by the same name). The Bird Cage follows a South Beach drag club owner and his long-time partner who have to play it straight when his son comes home with a fiance from a conservative political family. The film stars Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, Hank Azaria, Christine Baranski and Calista Flockhart.

The film doesn’t age perfectly (for example, Azaria plays a gay Guatemalan maid.) However, The Birdcage feels partially like a time capsule in the history of queer parenting and, is surprisingly timely in an era for queer families and conservative baby boomer parents. Maybe, more importantly for the casual viewer, The Bird Cage is immensely funny, and Williams and Lane especially deliver perfect performances. The film was groundbreaking as one of the first major studio films to star gay characters. The Bird Cage isn’t the only iconic ‘90s gay film that Williams appears in. He also made a brief cameo in 1995’s Too Wong Fu, Thanks for Everything Julia Newmar (in which he completely steals the scene.) The Bird Cage won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast and was nominated for an Oscar for Best Art Direction. It is currently streaming for free on Pluto TV .

1 . Good Will Hunting (1997)

Matt Damon, Robin Williams and Ben Affleck pose with their Oscars for "Good Will Hunting."

Directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, Good Will Hunting is almost impossible not to like. While it is a little schmaltzy and predictable, it is carried by its big heart, interesting choices and powerhouse performances. The film follows a brilliant MIT janitor as a therapist works with him through his aggression so that he can pursue an education in mathematics.

The film stars Damon, Robin Williams, Stellan Skarsgård, Affleck and Minnie Driver. It was nominated for nine Oscars; Williams won for Best Supporting Actor, and “Matt and Ben” took home another for Best Screenplay. So how do you like them apples? It is currently streaming on Max .

Bottom Line

Robin Williams left behind a varied, zany, strange and often highly nostalgic filmography. While his films won’t be for everyone, the risks he took as a performer, along with a penchant for improv and impression, have made a mark on cinema history.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What was robin williams’ last film.

While Williams passed in 2014, three of his films were released posthumously: A Merry Friggin’ Christmas and Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb in 2014 and Absolutely Anything in 2015. In Absolutely Anything , Williams voiced a talking dog. The film was directed by Terry Jones and stars Simon Pegg. 

Interestingly, Absolutely Anything was the first movie since  Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life in 1983 to feature all living members of the iconic sketch group. Unfortunately, it is not very good. While there are some funny moments, it feels a little like how Orson Welles’ last role is sometimes listed as The Transformers: The Movie or Raul Julia’s being Street Fighter : a disappointing last role for an American icon. 

What Are The Funniest Robin Williams Movies?

Comedy is subject; however, arguably, Williams’ funniest film is 1994’s The Bird Cage. It has a highly quotable script that is intensely witty and sharp. Williams is also pitch-perfect as a gay Florida club owner. He sells the role in a believable and grounded way that feels ahead of its time. Others would likely argue that his funniest role is in 1993’s Mrs. Doubtfire.  

Collider ranked his funniest film as Good Morning, Vietnam . While the film has funny moments, it also tackles tragedy and war. Williams’ performance in the Barry Levenson-directed film is outstanding; however, many of the jokes might not work for a modern audience. There are many referencial jokes that may be lost on younger audiences, but more importantly, many other jokes will likely feel in poor taste for modern audiences. In the film, Williams impersonates black and gay soldiers and Asian accents. These jokes make the comedy feel dated, which is a shame because there are also genuine moments of comedy genius. 

What Are Great Animated Films With Robin Williams?

Robin Williams lent his voice to several great animated films. While his most famous animated role is the Genie in 1992’s Aladdin , he also voiced an animated bat the same year in FernGully: The Last Rain Forest . Williams also voiced a robot in the 2005 movie Robots. Directed by Chris Wedge, the film also starred Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, Mel Brooks, Greg Kinnear and Amanda Bynes. The film follows a young robot who rebels against their capitalist system. 

He also went on to voice a penguin in 2006’s Happy Feet . Directed by George Miller, the film also stars Elijah Wood, Brittany Murphy, Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving and Steve Irwin. Notably, Happy Feet was the fourth non-Disney/Pixar film to win an Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

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Roger Ebert

Highest Rated: 98% Life Itself (2014)

Lowest Rated: 76% Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)

Birthday: Jun 18, 1942

Birthplace: Urbana, Illinois, USA

America's most influential and widely recognized film critic, Roger Ebert transported the movie review from the back of the newspaper into the living room, making film criticism a component of modern social intercourse for the masses. Hailing from central Illinois, he parlayed a love for film and journalism into a career as a staff critic at The Chicago Sun-Times in the late 1960s, a position he would maintain throughout his illustrious career. Adding to his growing reputation was a screenplay for the Russ Meyer exploitation classic "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" (1970), a Pulitzer Prize in 1975, and a little movie review show on local Chicago television alongside competing film critic Gene Siskel of The Chicago Tribune. That program would soon morph into the nationally syndicated "Siskel & Ebert" (1986-1999) on which Ebert and his apparent arch-nemesis influenced cinematic tastes as they bickered and bantered, ultimately giving movies their iconic votes of "thumbs up" or "thumbs down." Although devastated by Siskel's death from a brain tumor in 1999, Ebert soldiered on with new review partners on further iterations of the show until a debilitating battle with cancer that began in 2002 eventually led to the reviewer's departure from television. Though physically impaired, Ebert continued his criticism in the paper and online with renewed vigor, proving that while the disease had robbed him of his voice, his incisive wit and intelligence remained intact. He continued his ongoing fight with cancer until his death at age 70 in April of 2013.

Filmography

Roger Ebert’s 20 Most Scathing Movie Reviews

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If there's ever been a film critic who has achieved near-universal respect, it was Roger Ebert . The man loved movies like life itself and not once ever allowed his writing to become lazy or cliché. He wrote from the heart, and it was palpable.

But, the Chicago Sun-Times (from '67 to 2013) critic wasn't enamored with every film to come down the pipeline. After all, the more solid movies one watches, the more they're able to pick up on the flaws of the poor ones. Ebert saw an awful lot of movies, and he wrote an awful lot of words about them. It's just that not all of them were positive, even if, sometimes, the films weren't actually that bad .

20 Alligator (1980)

Roger's rating - 1/4 stars.

When a little girl's parents buy her a pet baby alligator, it's only so long before that thing gets flushed down a toilet. And, for the characters of John Sayles' (who went on to direct excellent indies such as Lone Star ) Alligator , that's far from a good thing. Jackie Brown 's Robert Forster plays the cop on its scaled tail, unless it gobbles him up first.

What Did He Want Out of Alligator?

Well, the man couldn't always be on the money. He gave Alligator just a single star, citing its supposedly poor special effects. He even mentions the alligator emerging from the sewer, which, to this day, actually looks pretty terrific. Plenty of creature features (including Anaconda ) earned outright adoration from Ebert, but what he saw in them, he didn't see in this 1980 film, even if it was very much present. Stream Alligator for free with ads on Tubi.

19 Baby Geniuses (1999)

Roger's rating - 1.5/4 stars.

Baby Geniuses isn't just one of Hollywood's most bizarre movies, it's outright Hollywood's most bizarre franchise . Yet, Kathleen Turner and Christopher Lloyd wisely bowed out of the one theatrical sequel, as they should have with this. The plot follows the test subjects of Babyco, a company which has just learned that, up until the age of two, babies can communicate with one another in extremely eloquent and detailed fashion.

He Described it as Horrifying

Ebert starts his review with, "Bad films are easy to make, but a film as unpleasant as Baby Geniuses achieves a kind of grandeur." Never has the word 'grandeur' carried more bizarre weight. But Baby Geniuses is nothing if not bizarre.

Or, as Ebert concludes the opening paragraph of his review, it's the type of movie where "there is something so fundamentally wrong that our human instincts cry out in protest." Ouch. Rent Baby Geniuses on Prime Video.

18 Bad Boys II (2003)

Everything that many people dislike about Michael Bay was brought to the forefront in his Bad Boys II . Infinitely more mean-spirited, unpleasant, and sometimes outright ignorant than his solid first film , many decisions in this (financially successful) film's construction are somewhat baffling. The plot, what little of it there is, follows Will Smith's Mike Lowrey and Martin Lawrence's Marcus Burnett as they take down a drug kingpin, often in slow motion.

Fortunately, things improved drastically with Bad Boys for Life , which lost Bay as director. Unfortunately, Ebert had already passed away at the time of release. So, his last adventure with the pair of humorous but competent cops was this, a film which he called "cruel" and "distasteful." He wasn't wrong. Stream Bad Boys II on Hulu.

17 Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (2002)

Roger's rating - .5/4 stars.

Ebert gave Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever just half of one star. So, there wasn't really much of anything about it he found merit in. This includes the mouthful of a title, which is not only difficult for ticket buyers to spout, but makes absolutely no sense.

Aren't We Cool

Ecks and Sever are allies in the film, the whole time, even before either one of them fully realizes it. There's no versus between them. The level of thought that went into the title went into the remainder of the film. As Ebert states , it's not so much a narrative as much as it's a series of explosions book ended by opening and closing credits.

16 Battle: Los Angeles (2011)

Battle: Los Angeles

Not available

It's pretty easy to pinpoint what Battle: Los Angeles wanted to be, even if it's harder to pinpoint just why it fails in every regard. It wants to be Black Hawk Down with aliens, pure and simple. Just look at its whole boots-on-the-ground vibe.

What a Missed Opportunity

But, like audiences at large quickly realized, as did Ebert, not even Aaron Eckhart's main character is as believable or fleshed-out as the side players in Black Hawk Down. By act two, the audience realizes the human characters have as much personality as the unintentionally ugly CGI aliens. So, why would they feel invested in the greater conflict? Rent on AppleTV.

15 Battlefield Earth (2000)

The plot of Battlefield Earth is irrelevant in comparison to the mentality that fueled its construction. It's the Scientology movie, plain and simple. Equipped with Psychlos, horrid dialogue, and devout follower John Travolta (who really hams it up here), that's all it ever really wanted to be. But, instead of spreading whatever Scientology's core message is, it made it a bigger laughingstock than its detractors already found it to be.

Did Ebert See an Upside?

He starts his review with, " Battlefield Earth is like taking a bus trip with someone who has needed a bath for a long time." So, suffice it to say, he didn't find the viewing a pleasant experience. Which is fair, considering it seems every extra dollar funneled into this thing to make it look more impressive actually just served to make it hideous. Rent Battlefield Earth on Prime Video.

14 The Bucket List (2007)

The Bucket List

The Bucket List really hasn't gotten enough credit for being as rotten as it is. Not even Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, two of the most likable and talented performers ever to grace the silver screen, can elevate it from unpleasant to watchable. The narrative follows two twilight-aged men with very different lives who find themselves facing the same thing: The Big C. Now, it's adventure time before time's no more.

Hollow as Can be

But, unlike fellow Nicholson film Terms of Endearment , The Bucket List doesn't even seem to take cancer seriously. It certainly doesn't bother to make its characters seem like actual humans going through one of the toughest times imaginable. Instead, it wants to be pleasant diversionary fare, but it's hard to be pleasant when that factor is looming large. Rent on AppleTV.

13 Cop Out (2010)

Cop Out follows Bruce Willis' Detective Jimmy Monroe (and never had the actor looked more miserable throughout his storied career) and his partner, Paul (Tracy Morgan) as they try and locate a rare baseball card. The thing is, it's Monroe's card, which he hoped to sell to help pay for his daughter's wedding. They get an opportunity to receive the card, but first, they have to carry out a mission for a scummy gangster.

Insert Pun About the Title Here

Cop Out is the only film Kevin Smith has helmed that he himself did not write, and that shows. Even if someone doesn't find themselves on Smith's wavelength, a specific wavelength is preferable to a big bag of nothing. Like audiences in general, Ebert found Cop Out to be nothing more than a deeply unfunny series of poop jokes. For a film about two grown men trying to solve a crime, there are a ton of juvenile jokes. Rightly so, Ebert considered juvenile to be a decent adjective for the movie as a whole. Rent on AppleTV.

12 Dungeons & Dragons (2000)

Since the game was blowing up in the late '90s, why not craft a film for the early aughts? Too bad Dungeons & Dragons appealed to neither fans nor general audiences. Not everyone has the taste for ham...and the 2000 D&D film is a full pig roast.

It Seemed Like an Okay Idea at the Time

Ebert compared the movie to a junior high school play. When a studio funnels a ton of money into a film with the hopes it will succeed, that's basically the last thing higher-ups want to read from America's most famous film critic. That said, at least he notes that Jeremy Irons has a ton of fun hamming it up. Stream Dungeons & Dragons for free with ads on YouTube.

11 Freddy Got Fingered (2001)

Freddy Got Fingered

Roger's rating - 0/4 stars.

There isn't much of a plot in Freddy Got Fingered . Really, it's one of the hardest movies to explain, especially in terms of why someone would like it (they are out there, it's an understandable cult favorite oddity). Basically, the meat is that a ridiculously immature 28-year-old man has issues with his daddy ("Would you like some sausage? Daddy, would you like some sau-sa-ges?").

A Crass Culmination

Freddy Got Fingered made a profit, but Ebert certainly couldn't see how that might come to fruition. He saw the film as the crass culmination of other late '90s and early aughts' films such as See Spot Run (which might just get a mention soon), Monkeybone , Joe Dirt , and Tomcats . In other words, he thought less of it than he did those films, and he most certainly did not like those films. Rent on AppleTV.

10 Godzilla (1998)

Admittedly, and it may be a controversial take, but Roland Emmerich's Godzilla has aged extraordinarily well. If one looks at films like entities trying to accomplish a mission, Godzilla 's was simple: entertain . It does an amazing job of that, with underappreciated pacing, a terrific first attack on Manhattan, and a fun performance from Jean Reno.

Are there elements that still don't work? Absolutely. But, with the MonsterVerse in full swing, giving G-Fans the Big-G they're accustomed to, the sting of disappointment that surrounded Emmerich's film has all but disappeared, allowing it to serve on its own as both a rollercoaster ride and a late '90s timepiece.

Ebert's Thoughts?

Basically, he made a fair comparison to Jurassic Park . Godzilla (1998) isn't so much Godzilla as it is an attempt to replicate the success of that Steven Spielberg masterpiece. It doesn't quite succeed in that goal, and Ebert was quick to cite the film's special effects, especially how they're shrouded in darkness and rain and, far more often than not, Zilla rushes off the screen.

But, in fairness to the film, that helps seal the effect of a big lizard being able to conceal itself below ground in one of the most populated cities on Earth. Stream Godzilla on Max.

RELATED: Godzilla Minus One Director Reveals His Thoughts On Panned 1998 Godzilla Film

9 The Hot Chick (2002)

The Hot Chick (2002)

For a little while there, Hollywood was trying its best to make Rob Schneider a leading man. And, considering The Hot Chick is the best of his few leading man movies, it's not very surprising things didn't pan out. Yet, just because The Hot Chick is slightly more intelligent than Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo and the baffling The Animal doesn't mean it really possesses merit. That is, besides giving Anna Faris a major role outside Scary Movie and doing a little more to increase Rachel McAdams' exposure.

Switch-a-Ooh, This Is Forgettable

It wasn't a distaste for the body swap movie that turned Ebert off on The Hot Chick , it was this particular one's treatment of female characters. Basically, the women characters in The Hot Chick have very little to do other than openly fantasize about a phallus. In other words, he saw it as the nadir of an already pretty weak sub-genre. Stream on Hulu.

8 Jason X (2001)

If Ebert seemed to have a distaste for any one genre in particular, it was absolutely horror. More often than not, when writing about the genre, he was either harsh or dismissive. But, in the case of Friday the 13th , he made the irresponsible decision of posting performer Betsy Palmer's address just so they could harass her about staring in it. It wasn't a great look, and Ebert never warmed up to the franchise (which, with 12 movies combined, is less harmful than posting someone's, fortunately inaccurate, address).

The Nadir of His Least-Favorite Franchise

So, basically, Jason X was decidedly not the critic's favorite of the year. And, considering even die-hard Friday the 13th fans hate the thing, maybe it can't all be chalked up to franchise bias. That said, he did give some praise to the liquid nitrogen kill.

7 Kick-Ass (2010)

Roger Ebert wasn't alone in his repulse to Matthew Vaughn's Kick-Ass . Heck, there are some people out there, like those who went to see the midnight showing (because those were a thing at the time) during their senior year of high school, that left questioning the film's core ethical code. After all, hearing a little girl drop the "C Word" is... a lot.

What Didn't He Like?

Yet, unpleasant as it can be at first, it doesn't take long to gravitate to Kick-Ass ' level. Not to mention, with her immediate subsequent roles, Chloë Grace Moretz continued to show herself to be both an incredible talent and an old soul, so the sour taste of her language and actions in Kick-Ass is, or has become, diluted. But, even still, the character of Hit Girl rubbed Ebert the wrong way . Rent on AppleTV.

6 The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)

The twilight saga: new moon.

The Twilight Saga never received Ebert's love, but there was only one he outright hated. And fair enough, because his main criticism was that it was stagnant more often than not. And, considering The Twilight Saga: New Moon is the only one that truly feels like a placeholder (okay, maybe Breaking Dawn Part 1 , as well), it's a criticism shared by many others. In Ebert's words, the characters in New Moon "should be arrested for loitering with intent to moan." A film without momentum is just money on a screen.

How Did He Feel About the Others?

Ebert gave the first film two-and-a-half stars out of four. His biggest gripe was that the acting wasn't always believable, but he seemed to admire the film's spirit. He was a little harsher on The Twilight Saga: Eclipse , which followed New Moon , but not as harsh as he was on that second film. He just felt that, while seeing Bella quiver and shiver in front of Edward has its appeal for fans, it was running out of steam (and there were two more flicks to go).

RELATED: New Moon Director Says Taylor Swift Tried to Get a Role in the Film

5 Pearl Harbor (2001)

War films tend to receive accolades. Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor , however, was seen as merely an excuse to put pretty people on a poster. Of course, Bay's film is a cinematic retelling of the attack on Pearl Harbor. But, even more than that (way more than that), it's desperately trying to be the love triangle version of Titanic (Rose wasn't exactly conflicted, so not a triangle).

At Least it Led to a Great Team America Joke

Ebert found Bay's film, like a few other Bay films, bloated as can be. He also figured it to be hackneyed, awkwardly-written, and "directed without grace."

In other words, he saw it as the intended moneymaker it is, not the accurate retelling of American history it should have been. What a waste of Josh Hartnett's considerable talent (and, frankly, this should have damaged Ben Affleck's career, not Hartnett's, but it absolutely did to the latter). Stream Pearl Harbor on Max.

4 See Spot Run (2001)

See Spot Run follows David Arquette's Gordon Smith, a mailman always going toe to toe with pups. When his cute neighbor's kid needs a babysitter, he leaps at the opportunity, but he's really babysitting two. The boy, and a constantly-pooping police pup who has just scurried from his witness protection situation (WITSEC for a dog? Alright).

See Ticket Buyers Run

In his one-and-a-half star review, Ebert called the unfunny comedy "desperate," "excruciating," and filled with farts. Well, fart jokes... if the term joke can actually be used for that kind of thing. Suffice it to say, Ebert felt he was too old for this, and he felt everyone else with their age in the double digits would feel much the same.

3 Thir13en Ghosts (2001)

Thirteen Ghosts

Thir13en Ghosts follows Arthur, the widowed nephew of a seemingly-deceased famous ghost hunter who is left the latter's massive mansion. A mansion that, in a way, functions as a clock...with moving pieces and all. But, not all is as it appears, and if the ghost-filled house doesn't kill Arthur Kriticos (Tony Shalhoub, looking absolutely miserable) and his family, his bloodline will.

There Are More Than Thir13en Reasons to Never Watch This

Okay, it's not that awful, it just takes a lot of big swings and doesn't really land them. But, without a doubt, there are at least two death scenes in this film that are legitimately well-crafted, unique, and memorable. But Ebert didn't even see merit in that brand of creativity, as he was more focused on just how loud and empty this ghost house actually is. To that point, he called Thir13en Ghosts "literally painful." Rent on AppleTV.

2 Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

The issues Ebert had with Bad Boys II he had with Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen . A film laced with so much bombast it's overwhelming by the end of the first act, Revenge of the Fallen is essentially a plotless film. It just wants to entertain and, frankly, it doesn't even do that.

A Soulless Endeavor

Really, the same thing, that it seeks to entertain, could be said of the first film. And, there, the mission was accomplished. But Revenge of the Fallen , when it isn't suffering from slow stretches, is steamrolled by some seriously ignorant characterizations (e.g. Mudflap). The vast majority of the film did nothing for Ebert, which couldn't have been more accurately summarized than with his calling it "of unbearable length."

1 Wild Wild West (1999)

Wild Wild West

Will Smith was on the top of the world when Wild Wild West was released. That much is obvious, even just looking at the fact this movie didn't kill his career . But, really, this is the exact type of movie that kills careers, to the letter. Bloated, poorly written, it makes Kenneth Branagh look like a weak actor, and it was clearly built by committee. After all, the whole mechanical spider thing was supposed to be in Tim Burton's Superman Lives . It's as if the studio needed a tent pole and hoped this would be it.

"A Comedy Dead Zone"

It's astonishing Smith passed on The Matrix in favor of Wild Wild West . Even if just analyzing the scripts, one works and one (even on the page) clearly does not. Ebert gave it ( Wild Wild West , not The Matrix ) a single star, citing in particular its ineffective comedic beats and the uncomfortable gelling of cyberpunk elements with the Western genre.

• Movie Lists
• Roger Ebert

“2001: A Space Odyssey”

Roger Ebert called Stanley Kubrick 's 2001: A Space Odyssey , "a great visionary leap, unsurpassed in its vision of man and the universe. It was a statement that came at a time which now looks something like the peak of humanity's technological optimism."

“An Alan Smithee Film”

"In taking his name off the film, Arthur Hiller has wisely distanced himself from the disaster, but on the basis of what's on the screen I cannot, frankly, imagine any version of this film that I would want to see. The only way to save this film would be to trim 86 minutes," wrote Ebert.

“Apocalypse Now”

Of Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 war epic, Ebert said: " Apocalypse Now is a film which still causes real, not figurative, chills to run along my spine, and it is certainly the bravest and most ambitious fruit of Coppola's genius"

“Aguirre, Wrath of God”

Werner Herzog was among Ebert's most celebrated filmmakers. In his review of Herzog's Aguirre, Wrath of God , he described the film as "one of the great haunting visions of the cinema"

“Baby Geniuses”

"This is an old idea, beautifully expressed by Wordsworth, who said, 'Heaven lies about us in our infancy,'" wrote Ebert. "If I could quote the whole poem instead of completing this review, believe me, we'd all we happier. But I press on."

“Citizen Kane”

While recounting his favorite films of all time, Ebert had but a simplistic comment for the Orson Welles drama: " Citizen Kane speaks for itself."

“Dukes of Hazzard”

"It's a retread of a sitcom that ran from about 1979 to 1985, years during which I was able to find better ways to pass my time. Yes, it is still another TV program I have never ever seen. As this list grows, it provides more and more clues about why I am so smart and cheerful…. Bo and Luke are involved in a mishap that causes their faces to be blackened with soot, and then, wouldn't you know, they drive into an African-American neighborhood, where their car is surrounded by ominous young men who are not amused by blackface, or by the Confederate flag painted on the car. I was hoping maybe the boyz n the hood would carjack the General, which would provide a fresh twist to the story, but no, the scene sinks into the mire of its own despond."

“La Dolce Vita”

" La Dolce Vita has become a touchstone in my life: A film about a kind of life I dreamed of living, then a film about the life I was living, the about my escape from that life. Now, half a century after its release, it is about the arc of my life, and its closing scene is an eerie reflection of my wordlessness and difficulty in communicating. I still yearn and dream, but it is so hard for me to communicate that–not literally, but figuratively. So the Fellini stays," he wrote.

“North”

In one of his most infamous reviews, Ebert said of North : "I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it."

“One Woman or Two”

In another blistering review, he commented: "Add it all up, and what you've got here is a waste of good electricity. I'm not talking about the electricity between the actors. I'm talking about the current to the projector."

“Raging Bull”

"Many would choose Taxi Driver as [Martin] Scorsese 's greatest film, but I believe Raging Bull is his best and most personal, a film he says in some ways saved his life," Ebert wrote. "It is the greatest cinematic expression of the torture of jealousy–his Othello ."

“Sour Grapes”

Larry David 's 1998 comedy did not sit well with Ebert. "How to account for the fact that Larry David is one of the creators of Seinfeld ? Maybe he works well with others. I can't easily remember a film I've enjoyed less. North , a comedy I hated, was at least able to inflame me with dislike. Sour Grapes is a movie that deserves its title: It's puckered, deflated and vinegary. It's a dead zone."

“The General”

Selecting his favorite silent film, Ebert chose Buster Keaton 's The General , calling it "his best."

“The Hot Chick”

Of Rob Schneider 's teen comedy — which introduced many to a young Rachel McAdams — Ebert said: "The movie resolutely avoids all the comic possibilities of its situation, and becomes one more dumb high school comedy about sex gags and prom dates…. Through superhuman effort of the will, I did not walk out of The Hot Chick , but reader, I confess I could not sit through the credits. The MPAA rates this PG-13. It is too vulgar for anyone under 13, and too dumb for anyone over 13."

“The Village”

"To call it an anticlimax would be an insult not only to climaxes but to prefixes," he lamented of M. Night Shamalan 's 2004 psychological horror film. "It's a crummy secret, about one step up the ladder of narrative originality from It Was All a Dream. It's so witless, in fact, that when we do discover the secret, we want to rewind the film so we don't know the secret anymore."

“Tim and Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie”

"As faithful readers will know, I have a few cult followers who enjoy my reviews of bad movies," he began. "These have been collected in the books I Hated, Hated, Hated, HATED This Movie ; Your Movie Sucks , and A Horrible Experience of Unendurable Length . This movie is so bad, it couldn't even inspire a review worthy of one of those books. I have my standards."

“Tokyo Story”

"The older I grow and the more I observe how age affects our relationships, the more I think Tokyo Story has to teach us," he claimed. "Kurosawa's Ikiru has as much to say, but in the rigid economy of the Sight & Sound limitations, impossible choices are forced."

“Tommy Boy”

" Tommy Boy is one of those movies that plays like an explosion down at the screenplay factory," he said. "You can almost picture a bewildered office boy, his face smudged with soot, wandering through the ruins and rescuing pages at random. Too bad they didn't mail them to the insurance company instead of filming them."

“Tree of Life”

Ebert called Terrence Malick 's Brad Pitt starrer, "affirmative and hopeful." "In The Tree of Life ," he said, "Malick boldly begins with the Big Bang and ends in an unspecified state of attenuated consciousness after death. The central section is the story of birth and raising a family."

“Vertigo”

Ebert also named Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo among his 10 favorite films of all time. " Vertigo (1958), which is one of the two or three best films Hitchcock ever made, is the most confessional, dealing directly with the themes that controlled his art. It is *about* how Hitchcock used, feared and tried to control women."

• Entertainment

7 of Roger Ebert’s Most Brutal Movie Reviews

T he long Fourth of July weekend is another kind of holiday for film lovers: The documentary about beloved film critic Roger Ebert, Life Itself , hits theaters and on-demand services Friday. Directed by Steve James ( Hoop Dreams ), the film began as a loose adaptation of Ebert’s 2011 memoir of the same name, but as Ebert’s health declined — he was diagnosed with cancer in 2002 — the documentary became a frank, revealing and sometimes hard-to-watch look at his final days before his death in 2013. “I think it’s so poetic that a man like Roger, who spent his whole life reviewing movies, ends up ending his life on the big screen,” Ebert’s wife, Chaz Ebert, told Flavorwire in a recent interview.

Some of those movies he reviewed over the years were great — others, not so much. Reading Ebert’s passionate praise of exemplary filmmaking was a treat for readers, but his take-downs of the very worst of box offices provided another kind of joy. Here are seven of his most entertaining negative reviews.

Valentine’s Day Giving it two stars, Ebert didn’t totally trash this star-studded rom-com from 2010, but he also concluded his review with some sage dating advice: “ Valentine’s Day is being marketed as a Date Movie. I think it’s more of a First-Date Movie. If your date likes it, do not date that person again. And if you like it, there may not be a second date.”

North Ebert disliked North so much, one of the collections of his most negative reviews, I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie , gets its name from his 1994 take: “I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it.”

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Nobody really watches Michael Bay films expecting critically acclaimed works of art, but Ebert’s review of the 2009 blockbuster is just as fun, if not more: “[The movie] is a horrible experience of unbearable length, briefly punctuated by three or four amusing moments. One of these involves a dog-like robot humping the leg of the heroine. Such are the meager joys.”

Caligula Ebert admitted he couldn’t even make it all the way through the film in his 1980 review: “ Caligula is sickening, utterly worthless, shameful trash. If it is not the worst film I have ever seen, that makes it all the more shameful: People with talent allowed themselves to participate in this travesty. Disgusted and unspeakably depressed, I walked out of the film after two hours of its 170-minute length … Caligula is not good art, it is not good cinema, and it is not good porn.”

Police Academy This 1984 attempt at poking fun at cop movies failed miserably: “It’s so bad, maybe you should pool your money and draw straws and send one of the guys off to rent it so that in the future, whenever you think you’re sitting through a bad comedy, he could shake his head, and chuckle tolerantly, and explain that you don’t know what bad is.”

Deuce Bigalo: European Gigalo This 2005 piece also inspired the title of Ebert’s second collection of reviews about the worst movies: “[ Deuce star Rob] Schneider retaliated by attacking [ex-Los Angeles Times columnist Patrick] Goldstein in full-page ads … ‘Maybe you didn’t win a Pulitzer Prize because they haven’t invented a category for Best Third-Rate, Unfunny Pompous Reporter Who’s Never Been Acknowledged by His Peers.’ … As chance would have it, I have won the Pulitzer Prize, and so I am qualified. Speaking in my official capacity as a Pulitzer Prize winner, Mr. Schneider, your movie sucks.”

Mad Dog Time The first line of this 1996 review doesn’t hold back: “ Mad Dog Time is the first movie I have seen that does not improve on the sight of a blank screen viewed for the same length of time. Oh, I’ve seen bad movies before. But they usually made me care about how bad they were. Watching Mad Dog Time is like waiting for the bus in a city where you’re not sure they have a bus line.”

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Write to Nolan Feeney at [email protected]