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to the table of brainsChildhood's End:
The Death of Gene Siskel
Written by: Alex Sandell
A few weeks ago, my brothers and I were watching what turned out to be the last "Siskel & Ebert" episode ever to feature both Siskel and Ebert. "Is Gene doing drugs, or something?" I asked my brothers. He just didn't seem right. I had been watching "Siskel & Ebert" weekly since 1980, and, after 19 years, you get to know a person, even if it is only through the TV.
A week or two later I sat down for my dose of "Siskel & Ebert" and noticed something odd. There was no Siskel. Roger Ebert announced that Gene was sick and told him to hurry back. It was an awkward experience to watch. The show seemed rushed, and a little sad.
Then, on February 22nd, my youngest brother, "the other brother," called me up and asked if I had heard the news. I could tell by his voice that what ever news I was about to hear was going to bad. "No," I said. He didn't believe me. "About 'Siskel & Ebert'?" he asked. "I haven't heard anything", I replied. The phone went silent for a few seconds before my brother told me that Gene Siskel had died, two days earlier. I sat silent for a minute or two and then hung up the phone.
Gene Siskel is gone, and with him "Siskel & Ebert". No more watching a couple of film fanatics, who got their start 24 years ago on public TV, arguing the finer points of a movie back and forth to one another. No more late night talk show appearances, or celebrity specials. This was it. The death of a legend. The death of my childhood.
When you're a lonely kid growing up with no friends, movies are a great way to sort of forget you're "alone". I would see every film my parents would take me to, and then tell anyone who would listen about what I just saw. I drove relatives crazy as I rambled on about one movie after another. My parents would just roll their eyes. I started thinking that no one shared my enthusiasm for film. Then, one lucky day I turned on the TV and ended up finding two guys that talked about movies just as much as I did, and saw even more; Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert. Suddenly I had something to look forward to every week. I finally found two people I could identify with, and, more importantly, two people I was sure would identify with me.
Time went on and I ended up growing up, making friends, and even finding other people who shared my celluloid obsession. Still, old habits die hard, and I kept looking forward to "Siskel & Ebert" every week. They had gotten me through "the lonely years," and, in the process, formed a lot of my happiest childhood memories.
I can remember waiting impatiently for their reviews of "Clash of the Titans" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark". As a child, "Clash of the Titans" was what I wanted to see. As an adult, my dad was all for "Raiders of the Lost Ark". "Raiders" turned out to be the definite favorite in the eyes of the almighty Siskel & Ebert, and that's what my dad and I ended up watching. Seeing "Clash of the Titans", a couple of weeks later, taught me a valuable lesson: when in doubt, always go with Siskel & Ebert.
Another fond memory I have of watching "Siskel & Ebert" was back in '82 or '83, when they were going to review the 3-D film "Treasure of the Four Crowns". My brother and I had already seen the movie, and still had our 3-D glasses. We couldn't wait for the review because we were convinced they would play it in three dimensions, just like they did in the theater. Of course we were let down by the lack of junk flying out of the TV screen, but the negative review of the film couldn't have been more accurate. I don't have those glasses anymore, and I can only remember bits and pieces of the movie, but I clearly recall that episode of "Siskel & Ebert".
The most vivid memory I have, in regards to "Siskel & Ebert", took place on a warm Spring day in 1983. I remember my heart pounding as the review for "Return of the Jedi" came on. Was it going to live up to the first two? Both critics agreed the film was good, and I still remember one of the two saying that, unlike most sequels, "Return of the Jedi" was a necessary sequel. A part of the story which needed to be told. They showed the scene on Endor with the speeder bikes, and every day I had to wait to see the movie, after seeing that scene, was torture. When I finally saw "Return of the Jedi", Siskel and Ebert once again proved themselves right. It was a movie that needed to be made, and a fitting conclusion to an excellent saga.
The final moment I have to share happened just recently when Gene Siskel gave his top ten list for 1998. For months before watching the episode, I had defended the movie, "Babe: Pig in the City" to anyone that would listen. It wasn't too violent, it wasn't too scary for kids, and it was an excellent sequel that dared to be original. Parents disagreed. Critics disagreed. I was the only person writing reviews that seemed to like the damn thing. Then Gene Siskel placed it as his number 1 movie of 1998. One last time, Gene Siskel made me feel like I wasn't alone.
Thanks for the memories, Gene. Life just won't be the same with only one thumb.
©1999 Alex Sandell [All Rights Reserved].