When I woke up, I did not expect to read the news that I did. I jumped on Facebook as I usually do, and I saw a post from my beautiful friend Deborah Reed that said Roger Ebert had passed away. My heart sank, it did not seem real. I did what everyone probably did and searched around online, and yes it was real. He fought hard to battle, and I was sure he was going to keep going. His strength was inspiring, despite what he had been through, he was powering through and he kept going.
Roger Ebert is my hero, if it weren’t for him this website would not exist and I wouldn’t be writing. He was such a big inspiration for me, his words really lit something inside of me and it really set me on my journey. Reading his film reviews and watching videos of his reviews are some of my fondest memories, he really opened my eyes a lot. It was through his words that I started to view films a lot differently, and I eventually began to actually write down my own feelings.
I owe a lot to this man, despite never having met him, what he did hit me hard. For many years, not a week has gone by without me reading his reviews, whether they be new or old. He was my go to source, and each review I got something out of, whether I agreed with him or not. Ebert’s talent was great, he really put his feelings and thoughts across. That was what I wanted to do, and through his work I found that inspiration.
He will be missed, he was a great man. Things will certainly not be the same without him, he has left an amazing legacy and with the power of the internet I can go back and read his words and continue to feel inspired.
One of my favourite reviews, and one of the early ones I found inspiring his what he wrote about Wes Craven’s Last House On The Left. That review convinced me to seek out the film, and I haven’t looked back since. Two thumbs up Sir.
Rest In Peace Mr Ebert
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