Engaging ... Leaves us with the open question of their legacy ... Everybody’s a critic now, and if that’s what Singer means by 'changing movies forever,' I wonder if it’s the legacy that Siskel and Ebert had in mind.
Singer is an unabashed fan, and...he lovingly chronicles their serendipitous, long-running partnership ... Their behind-the-scenes story is, to be honest, not all that compelling. Singer works hard to make the most of backstage anecdotes...that have the whiff of embellishment over years of retelling ... Still, Opposable Thumbs is a welcome reminder of an era when film criticism actually mattered.
inger interviews producers and those who were close to the men, providing an expansive portrait of how two movie critics became unlikely stars themselves. The book ends with a rundown of some of the films that Siskel and Ebert gave glowing reviews to that have now entered relative obscurity. Recommended for wide purchase with, what else, an enthusiastic thumbs up.
The author’s fulsome praise aside, there’s no questioning that Siskel and Ebert were a cultural phenomenon, and while it’s debatable that they 'invented an entirely new kind of film criticism,' they certainly had an impact. Since both critics were dead at the writing of this book, Singer relies on copious previously published accounts—and YouTube–archived episodes of their shows—for their voices. Interviews with both men’s widows and with former production staff help flesh out the history. Readers who recall Siskel and Ebert will be delighted by this opportunity to reminisce.
