Glen here...
...with some horribly, terribly sad news.
Film critic Gene Siskel - half of television's perpetually quarreling Ebert & Siskel film review duo - has passed away at the age of 53.
Mr. Siskel had recently undergone brain surgery, then returned to the show - only to announce he was taking more time off to facilitate his recovery.
He never returned to the show.
No news on what will become of the review show now that Siskel is gone - it has pretty much been a one man monologue by Ebert since Siskel took his most recent leave of absence.
While Siskel and Ebert's affectionate bickering and stand-offishness has become something of a charicature, their contribution to the field of film criticism is invaluable: they brought film criticism fully into the spotlight of the public mainstream, and frequently promoted thoughtful water cooler discourse about the reviews voiced on their weekly show.
To read to Yahoo / Variety's announcement of Siskel's death, CLICK HERE.
Thanks, Gene...
