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Rating: 
Summary: A nightly read for me
Review: I once saw Siskel and Ebert speak in Cleveland, Ohio. After they tossed opinions back and forth about the great and not-so-great films of that year, a person in the audience asked them how they differed as critics. Without hesitation, Gene said he was repeatedly outdone by Roger's ability to write beautiful essays. Beautiful, he said. And in this book, you are continuously hit with just that. Roger Ebert has the ability to distill the essence of a film in words that often leave me amazed. He is able to pinpoint the exact moment in a film that doesn't leave you, the moment that stays with you for days, and is able to describe the human dimensions beneath that moment with insightful detail and accuracy. As an avid fan of film, I repeatedly turn to Roger Ebert's Video Companion, not because I want to know whether or not I should watch a movie. But because I learn a little bit more about life from his reviews.
Rating: 
Summary: More essay collection than standard review book...
Review: I use this book like a Bible. I love the in-depth reviews that cover everything Mr. Ebert needs to say. Plus it's handy because we agree on films almost always.
Rating:
Summary: Very Handy
Review: I use this book like a Bible. I love the in-depth reviews that cover everything Mr. Ebert needs to say. Plus it's handy because we agree on films almost always.
Rating:
Summary: A nightly read for me
Review: On one level, I like this book. Ebert's witty and insightful reviews truly are enjoyable to read. I enjoy reading about films I know I'll never see.I also enjoy the added features, such as the Film Clip interviews, essays, and obituaries as appendices at the end of the book. On the other hand, I dislike the fact that many of the movies I want to read about are not in the book. I'm surprised at how many times I have turned to the book looking for a review only to come up empty handed. There can be nothing more disappointing. Granted, the book is thick enough as it is, but perhaps Roger could shorten his reviews and pack more into a volume.
Rating: 
Summary: To like or dislike that is the question...
Review: On one level, I like this book. Ebert's witty and insightful reviews truly are enjoyable to read. I enjoy reading about films I know I'll never see. I also enjoy the added features, such as the Film Clip interviews, essays, and obituaries as appendices at the end of the book. On the other hand, I dislike the fact that many of the movies I want to read about are not in the book. I'm surprised at how many times I have turned to the book looking for a review only to come up empty handed. There can be nothing more disappointing. Granted, the book is thick enough as it is, but perhaps Roger could shorten his reviews and pack more into a volume.
Rating:
Summary: Informative
Review: Roger Ebert, by my opinion, is the greatest living film critic out there writing today. He brings a touch of intellectuality to his reviews. They are really informative and interesting. Those who say they are too long must not enjoy reading or being well-informed on a film's intellectual issues. Of course, like a good film critic, I don't always agree with his ratings (I totally disagree with his arguement on giving four stars to "The Last Temptation Of Christ"). But mostly I do, and his video guide is the best out there. I also enjoyed the fact that he keeps old reviews in print. It's interesting to read his comments on films such as "Scarface," "JFK," "Natural Born Killers," and "Apollo 13." Ebert embodies in his books how film criticsm should be approached. He makes Leonard Maltin look like a momma's boy or boy scout (he obviously didn't understand the message in "Natural Born Killers" and obviously coulden't reach the peak of intelligence Ebert shows here). In the area of video guides, Ebert's continues to be the best. I hope he keeps them coming!
Rating:
Summary: More essay collection than standard review book...
Review: This is a great book. Ebert's writing style is solid and his reviews are in depth and on the mark. The only slight problem, or maybe misconception, I had with the book was that it isn't the review book you've come to expect. Instead of a quick blurb on if the film is good and worth watching,this book contains full length reviews which are a lot more comphrehensive than most review books (sometimes a little too much info is given,spoiling things if you haven't seen the film).If you're in the market for a book to give you brief good/bad reviews of films, try the Leonard Maltin book, but if you want more essay-like reviews this is for you. It does come with a small booklet with star ratings only for most films.
Rating:
Summary: Informative
Review: When I say that Gene Siskel was the better critic (and writer), it's not just sentiment talking. How in the heck does one give **** to so many perfectly average movies (like "L.A. Story") as Ebert does in his book? The biggest fault with this annual collection is that it completely fails in its intention. Ebert seems to think of this as a more in-depth version of Leonard Maltin's guide but who needs to read a full-length review of a movie to determine if it's worth a rental or watching on the late show? A better idea for Ebert would be to just issue a complete volume of his work through the years instead of dumping the same reviews (with some additional material to make it "new") on the market year after year.
Rating:
Summary: Fails to serve its purpose
Review: When I say that Gene Siskel was the better critic (and writer), it's not just sentiment talking. How in the heck does one give **** to so many perfectly average movies (like "L.A. Story") as Ebert does in his book? The biggest fault with this annual collection is that it completely fails in its intention. Ebert seems to think of this as a more in-depth version of Leonard Maltin's guide but who needs to read a full-length review of a movie to determine if it's worth a rental or watching on the late show? A better idea for Ebert would be to just issue a complete volume of his work through the years instead of dumping the same reviews (with some additional material to make it "new") on the market year after year.
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