ROGER EBERT DEAD

NationalEnquirer.com

Thumbs down! Fan fave movie critic ROGER EBERT dead from cancer at age 70.

The sad news was announced via Chicago Sun Times where Ebert toiled watching movies lo these many year.

It seems like just yesterday (it was!) that Ebert announced he was taking a break from work due to his cancer striking back only now to be silenced forever.

Those chess games last only so long as anyone who’s seen Ingmar Bergmann’s “The Seventh Seal” can attest before Prince Sirki – Death – takes no holiday but claims one and all.

A fan of the all things great and celluloid – Ebert truly loved going to movies, kibitizing and battling with long time pal Gene Siskel on their syndie TV show.

Not only did Roger thrive on reviewing flicks he also got to collaborate with idol Russ (“Faster Pussycat – Kill KILL!”) Meyer on “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls” – a campy sequel to the Jacqueline Susan original potboiler and "The Ultra Vixens".

Like Hal 9000, Ebert was born in Urbana, Ill. And unlike the ill-tempered "2001: A Space Odyssey" star Ebert began writing sports for the local paper and articles for SF ‘zines while still in high school.

He graduated the U. of Ill. at Urbana-Champaign where he was editor of the school paper and contributed reviews for films including “La Dolce Vita” and “Bonnie and Clyde”.

Rog had been battling throat cancer for years and resurfaced with a weird new larynx and synthetic robo-voice.

Bad news – dead.  

Good news – can now hang out with Stanley Kubrick, Orson Welles, Max Ophuls, Francois Truffaut, Howard Hawks, John Ford, King Vidor and all those masters of pandemonium shadow shows long gone in the dying filament of a flickering nickeleodeon.

The balcony is NOW closed — forever.

Adios, amigo.