Roger Ebert Writes Up Andy's Youtube Videos!

[AndyDursin]

Well I can't take credit for producing these old specials, but I'm thrilled to pieces that he actually saw them...and he mentioned me as well!

Nice way to start off 2011!!!

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/cest-mo ... -guid.html

[mkaroly]

Congrats on the good press! The Sega boxing match is hilarious!

[AndyDursin]

Congrats on the good press! The Sega boxing match is hilarious!

Roger is a good guy, I respect the heck out of him as a writer and feel awful about all the things he's been through. If me putting those up there made him the least bit happy I'm thrilled.

[Paul MacLean]

That's awesome Andy!

[Eric W.]

Wow!

[AndyDursin]

Buried in my mailbag email address, I just came across this from a few days ago...

Hello;

My name is Marie Haws. I work for Roger Ebert; I'm the secretary for The
Ebert Club Newsletter.

Recently, I came upon your wonderful collection of videos - those Siskel &
Ebert's Holiday Gift Guides - and when I told Roger, he asked me to make a
special page for them on his blog; he was thrilled to see them...

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/cest-mo ... -guid.html

Thanks again for sharing these old clips. You made Roger very happy.

Cheers,

Marie Haws

[Eric Paddon]

That's nice to know you were able to give him some happiness over seeing that, Andy. I've run into similar things in the hobby when the sports collectors are able to give telecasts of games to players who took part in them. And recently I ended up through an intermediary providing to former big league pitcher Sam McDowell, his appearance on "To Tell The Truth" from 1960 when just out of high school, he was the #1 pitching prospect in the nation.

It's interesting to see him speak of these specials as "thought lost". Chilling comment on how the process of preservation continues to be limited in some respects even into the age when supposedly it was no longer a problem!

[AndyDursin]

Eric - I agree. I know Disney had given him a very difficult time even when he put his Gene Siskel tributes up on his website. Last year, Buena Vista put up every individual Siskel & Ebert review on their website, only to take them down when they canceled At the Movies -- so now there's nowhere to see them.

It never ceases to amaze me why a studio like that wouldn't do a limited run of DVDs, priced to sell, to fans and collectors of Siskel & Ebert. There are enough viewers of that show that would (at least I would anyway lol) pay $100 for every review they ever ran. Isn't that a business model that would sell? I don't know why they don't do it...kind of like why ABC doesn't sell their 1980 Olympic hockey games. Never understood that either.

[Jedbu]

I know why-because it makes sense...

Kudos to you Andy, for what you did and the great response from Ebert, one of the greatest film critics ever.

[AndyDursin]

Thanks Jeff.

I actually received a personal email from Roger last week, he was thrilled I put them up there and wanted copies of my personal discs. He said he'd be happy to return the favor.

It was very exciting, really made the effort worth it.

[Paul MacLean]

I actually received a personal email from Roger last week, he was thrilled I put them up there and wanted copies of my personal discs. He said he'd be happy to return the favor.

Time to nudge him about recommending your skills as a reviewer to various news outlets!

[mkaroly]

Siskel and Ebert were the best team out there. I have yet to see a team of reviewers even come close to matching them in their honesty and dynamic.