A Critical Loss

By Chris Kavan - 03/26/10 at 09:46 AM CT

For film critics and would-be critics alike it's a on a sad note that after 24 seasons, At the Movies is coming to a close.

The hit review show, started by popular duo Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert and later Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper is a victim of changing times. There is no doubt that Siskel and Ebert had a definite impact on the landscape of cinema. Whether glowing praise or scathing criticism, the pair shaped the way the audience viewed movies.

The Death of Siskel in February of 1999 - just weeks after his final show - was a huge loss. Though a replacement was found, that spark the two had together could not be replaced. Ebert himself has gone through cancer treatment, losing his lower jaw in the process, but has not given up his reviews through it all.

It's true that the idea of a television-only film review is quaint, some might say archaic, in this day in age. With the rise of the Internet, it's much easier to get a hold of national reviews or, in the case of this very website, peer reviews - so why bother with a weekly television show?

Yet despite its nature, if you say you give a film two thumbs up, most adults will know what, and who, you're referring to. That's the indelible mark left by a simple show that had far-reaching effect.