I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie

by Roger Ebert

Book Overview

I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie is a collection of more than 200 of Ebert's most biting and entertaining reviews of films receiving a mere star or less from the only film critic to win the Pulitzer... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0740706721
• ISBN13: 9780740706721
• Release Date: April 2000
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
• Length: 389 Pages
• Weight: 1.14 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

I Loved, Loved, Loved This Book

This is Roger Ebert's greatest book. Everything about it is absolutely splendid, from the cover photograph, to the last word of the index. I have always been a fan of bad movies, and I enjoy seeing what doesn't work cinematically as much as what does. This is a collection of Ebert's best reviews on the subject of what decidedly does not work. Ebert is always a quick wit, and though I don't always agree with him, I always find his writing insightful to illuminating his point of view. In this book, though, I believe that I am in complete agreement on all the movies that I have seen. Indeed, some of these reviews are so well written and intriguing, I had to see the film in question just to know if it could be that bad. For instance after reading about the silly character names, the telepathic parrots and the man eating vegetables, I just HAD to see "At The Earth's Core". It is unquestionably as wretched as Ebert says, and I delighted in its badness. I have now set my sights on "North", but that is allegedly much harder to watch.If you want an accounting of mostly big budget cinematic fiascoes, this is the book for you. I hope Ebert writes another book soon called 'More Movies I Hated, Hated, Hated.'

Hours of Sinful Entertainment

He HATED those movies. HATED them. AHH! It would be easy perhaps to portray this book as a useless rant from a self-indulgent critic, but here's the catch: Ebert is a thoughtful, insightful, and absolutely hilarious critic. And he knows how to write. Honestly, I havn't seen many of the movies in this book, but have sat down and read for many hours of entertainment, pure and sinful. Ebert is insulted by these movies, they're a waste of his and our time, and so isn't reading the book also a waste? No! Well, it can be a guilty pleasure if you're used to reading Tolstoy and other great authors in western literature (like me? umm, no), but this book is worth while for the pure entertainment value of his humorous and throughly intelligent wrath. This is a guy who respects--and has built a life around--movies, and he really, REALLY resents an awful one.Allow me to quote: "I hated this movie. Hated hated hated hated hated this movie. 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." What movie? Well you'll have to get the book. (Hint: p. 262) And it's on TV a lot. In the late morning.Anyway, the reviews, believe it or not, are all quite distinctive (many are more in-depth than the above quote). Ebert is a great critic with a great sense of humor that seldom comes through as it does in this book. For movie lovers and casual fans alike, anyone will be seriously (ha, ha!)entertained by the razor-sharp commentary of this book.Allow me to leave you with a parting thought:"[This] is the first movie I have seen that does not improve the sight of a blank screen viewed for the same amount of time..."

Ebert scores again

Roger Ebert is perhaps the best writer working in newspapers today. Most people, I realize, will scoff at such a statement: He's just a movie reviewer, after all. But if Ebert were on the op-ed page of the New York Times he would be regarded as the finest political mind of America; he chooses to write about film, so he is known as the finest film critic of America. Ebert is at his best when he is reviewing movies he detests; he himself has acknowledged (in Questions for the Movie Answer Man, another book I highly recommend) that reviews of great films are sometimes sleep-inducing. Unlike most movie reviewers, he couldn't care less what is popular with the general public; he realizes that we don't need someone telling us what we like, we need someone expressing a clear opinion of what he likes. The reviews appear as they were written when Ebert first saw the film, though I at times wished he would have included some comments with the benefit of 20-20 hindsight. For example: When he bashed "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective," no one knew what a huge star Jim Carrey would become. A note from Ebert following that review about his opinions of Carrey today would have been interesting. Still, this book has provided me with more laughs than anything I've read since High Fidelity, and it is full of little gems, like the notes Ebert took during his viewing of "Exit to Eden." Movie fans already know they can count on Ebert for expert analysis of the latest films, but everyone should read this collection of his work. You can find reviews of the great films anywhere, but Roger Ebert is one of the few people who can make his reviews of bad movies much more entertaining than the movies themselves.

Funny, funny, funny.

Halfway through this book I decided to come back here and give this review. This is the funniest and most entertaining book I've read in a long, long time, and I read a *lot* of books that claim to be funny and entertaining. Almost every single one of the reviews has had something that's made me laugh out loud, which is rare nowadays. I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's also quite interesting to see how Ebert's style has evolved from back in the late 1960's through 1999. A fine book from a man on the side of all that is good and intelligent.

Fantastic collection of Ebert's harshest reviews.....

It could be argued that Ebert is truly at his best when he is savagely attacking the worst films ever made. While his criticism is always sharp and insightful, his negative reviews are much more entertaining, employing sarcasm, bitterness, and outright hatred for the drivel he must endure. The book provides a diverse selection, ranging from the early 1970s to more recent disasters. Although he attacks small, obscure works, he is much more satisfied attacking the giants; the "sacred cows" of cinema that, by virtue of their budgets, are believed to be above criticism. Ebert is dedicated to his craft and would probably prefer to spend his time in the company of classics, but few individuals display such giddiness when given the "privilege" of witnessing true cinematic chaos. His humor is to our benefit.