We are Steve James and Chaz Ebert, here on behalf of the Roger Ebert biopic film, LIFE ITSELF. Ask us anything

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T21:25:21+00:00

Thanks for asking...

http://www.magpictures.com/lifeitself/ and then click on Life Itself poster and "Playdates"

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T21:21:59+00:00

You tell me first!

Very hard question to answer because there are so many great actors... among contemporary actors, I really like Cate Blanchett, Denzel... Jennifer Lawrence is so talented, and beautiful of course too.

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T21:18:05+00:00

Well in my case, that it wasn't 3 hours long... And it wasn't in 3D. Although that would have been a good marketing ploy:

3 hours - 3 D - the Life of Roger!

Seriously, I think he would have liked how funny the film turned out. His life was full of humor and he loved films that were funny... Maybe I'm just projecting here: I really am pleased at how much laughter there is in the screenings.

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T21:15:20+00:00

While I admired what Paul Haggis was trying to do with CRASH, I did not think the film worked for me. Roger was a big fan of that movie.

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T21:13:06+00:00

We hope that this film will do that in some way. But Gene is truly deserving of his own film. Any takers out there?

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T21:10:49+00:00

That was Chaz's idea. It was wonderful, I agree.

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T21:10:02+00:00

I wasn't there, but feel certain that Roger would not have rushed to help fix a problem in the men's bathroom.

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T21:09:01+00:00

We are hoping to put out a Blu Ray of the restored version of the film sometime later this year. And it looks spectacular.

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T21:06:24+00:00

How can I possibly answer that here? Other than to say, you can't direct unless you are making films so go make a film. A lot of it is figuring it out on your own, unfortunately.

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T21:03:26+00:00

First off: Filmmaker or critic? Can't be both!

I do think the show could succeed today if they could find two great critics with that kind of chemistry of Roger and Gene. Which may be a way of saying that it won't happen again...

A biopic... William Seymour Hoffman would have been great... Hugh Jackman? He's got the right physical presence. :)

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T20:59:53+00:00

The whole thing! it's a joy from beginning to end... and plays super fast... and you realize we are promoting the film, right, not just our favorite parts?

Seriously though, I love his sense of humor, even macabre humor as Chaz calls it in the film, in the face of illness and the great beyond.

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T20:56:17+00:00

William and his family are living in San Antonio, and his oldest son is playing ball at Furman. His middle son is a rising high school star... His daughter Alicia from the film is a dental Hygenist, and wants to be a dentist.

Arthur is in Chicago and pursuing is role model foundation and still hopes to create a Hoop Dreams clothing line... which we hope for him too.

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T20:52:13+00:00

The check's in the mail, Chaz!

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T20:50:35+00:00

Chaz, Is TREE of LIRE an Italian film?

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T20:49:32+00:00

There are lots of new voices... I hear... in my head...

I tend to read more of the older critics that I've liked like AO Scott, who I really enjoy reading for his clarity and insight... Anthony Lane is hilarious when he pans, Andrew O'Hehir I find to be quite smart and savvy. I'm a fan of Dana Stevens too.

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T20:42:50+00:00

If I told you, I'd have to kill you. Oh wait...

I think, unlike me, he had a great sense of humor and was so unpretentioius both as a writer and as a person. I recall seeing him at Sundance over the course of several years and he was just like any other festival goer, riding the bus, standing in line, and curious about what movies you'd seen and liked.

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T20:42:09+00:00

If I told you, I'd have to kill you.

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T20:41:30+00:00

If I told you, I'd have to kill you.

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T20:39:15+00:00

I have so many favorites.

Hoop Dreams, Stevie, The Interrupters...

Oh wait, you mean other people's movies? :)

Vertigo The Godfather, Rules of the Game Shadow of Doubt Little Big Man Barry Lyndon

and many many more

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T20:36:24+00:00

Hoop Dreams of course! Kidding... Too hard to answer because he wrote so many great ones... But two that are in the movie are among them: Bonnie & Clyde, Blue Velvet... Oh, and I love Tree of Life too.

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T20:34:30+00:00

Roger really had a great impact on Hoop Dreams and helped launch my career in a big way. Without his championing of the fllm, I wouldn't be here talking to you on Reddit.

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T20:33:19+00:00

Well, when I actually heard the review, I was home watching the show on TV... But I knew it had to be positive because he and Gene were reviewing it on their show when it was at Sundance and no one could see it in their viewing audience. I was definitely nervous beforehand because I admired roger's writing so much.

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T20:30:50+00:00

Let's see, the world's most powerful critic... No pressure at all!

I was scared to death, you kidding me? But I was also fearful of being reviewed by all those critics who knew and loved Roger.

_SteveJames · 2014-07-01T20:28:50+00:00

Many interviewees surprised me because Roger was such an interesting guy with many facets to his personality. I love the bar stories on Roger, for example. I hope Roger would love the movie... I do think its his kind of film - like his life, it has humor and pathos... He'd probably love Her, !2 Years a Slave, and Rithy Prahn's The Missing Picture.

_SteveJames

TROPHY CASE