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Richard Roeper

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Richard Roeper
Roeper at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival
Roeper at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival
BornRichard E. Roeper
(1959-10-17) October 17, 1959 (age 64)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
OccupationColumnist
Alma materIllinois State University
SubjectFilm criticism
Website
chicago.suntimes.com/authors/richard-roeper

Richard E. Roeper (born October 17, 1959)[1] is an American columnist and film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times. He co-hosted the television series At the Movies with Roger Ebert from 2000 to 2008, serving as the late Gene Siskel's successor.[2][3] From 2010 to 2014, he co-hosted The Roe and Roeper Show with Roe Conn on WLS-AM.[4] From October 2015 to October 2017, Roeper served as the host of the FOX 32 morning show Good Day Chicago.[5]

Early life

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Roeper was born in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in south suburban Dolton, Illinois and attended Thornridge High School before graduating from Illinois State University in 1982 with a bachelor's degree in journalism. While still a student at the university, he auditioned for the movie review program Sneak Previews when Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert (his future co-host on At the Movies) left the program, for which he was turned down.[6]

Career

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Roeper began working as a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1986.[7] The topics of his columns ranged from politics to media to entertainment. He has been voted the best columnist in Illinois by the Associated Press on numerous occasions.

He has also written seven books on topics ranging from movies to urban legends to conspiracy theories to the Chicago White Sox. In 2009, Roeper appeared on Howard Stern's show and said he had written a book on gambling, entitled Bet the House,[8] which was released in the first quarter of 2010.

Roeper was a radio host on WLS AM 890 in Chicago. He also hosted shows on WLUP-FM, WLS-FM, and WMVP-AM in Chicago.In the early 2000s, he was the film critic for CBS in Chicago for three years.

His columns have been syndicated by The New York Times to worldwide publications. Roeper has written for a number of magazines, including Esquire, Spy, TV Guide, Playboy, Maxim, and Entertainment Weekly. In 2001, he was named one of People magazine's most eligible bachelors.[9]

Roeper was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show, Live with Regis and Kelly, The O'Reilly Factor, and countless other national programs. He also hosted Starz Inside, a monthly documentary series that aired on the Starz network. Roeper appeared on the first episode of the fifth season of Entourage, where he reviewed a fake movie titled Medellin with Michael Phillips on At the Movies.[10] In April 2008, Roeper was the central figure on an episode of Top Chef, where contestants served up movie-themed dishes to Roeper and his friends (including Aisha Tyler).[11]

In February 2009, Roeper launched his website, which features movie reviews, blog entries, photos, and Twitter posts. In December 2009, he launched a video section that featured on-camera reviews of movies.[12] The video segments were originally produced in partnership with the Starz premium cable channel.[12] Roeper announced that the reviews would appear first on his site, then on the Starz channel.[12]

In December 2009, it was reported that Roeper had signed with ReelzChannel to be a regular contributor.[13] Beginning in December 2010, Roeper began producing video reviews for ReelzChannel. He stopped reviewing movies for ReelzChannel in February 2015; his final review was for the Jude Law disaster film Black Sea.

From April 12, 2010, to October 7, 2014, he co-hosted The Roe & Roeper Show with Roe Conn on Chicago's WLS 890 radio station from 2-6 pm CST.[4]

In October 2015, Roeper joined the cast of the Fox Chicago morning TV show Good Day Chicago.[14] He signed off from that morning TV show on October 18, 2017.[5]

Roeper was suspended from the Sun-Times on January 29, 2018, pending an investigation into allegations that he had purchased Twitter followers.[15] On February 2, the Sun-Times released a statement stating that their investigation did find that Roeper purchased over 25,000 fake followers. The paper later reinstated him, though he was required to begin using a new account on which he was explicitly disallowed from buying followers.[1]

Film critic

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After Gene Siskel of Siskel & Ebert died on Saturday, February 20, 1999,[16][17] Roger Ebert co-hosted the show with nearly 30 guest critics.[18] After ten appearances on the program,[19] Roeper was offered the opportunity to co-host the popular film review show with Ebert permanently.[20] The series was renamed Ebert & Roeper and the Movies in 2000.[20] The title was shortened to Ebert & Roeper in 2001. Before this, he conducted an interview in 1995 with Siskel and Ebert to commemorate the 20th anniversary of their partnership.[7][21][22]

Beginning in August 2006, while his co-host Roger Ebert was recovering from cancer surgery,[23] Roeper was joined by numerous guest critics, including Clerks director Kevin Smith, The Tonight Show host Jay Leno, and singer-songwriter John Mellencamp. On Sunday, July 20, 2008, Roeper announced that he was leaving the show in mid-August and would return with a new show later in the year.[24] However, plans for a new program starring Roeper failed to materialize.[25]

Between 2009 and late 2010, Roeper contributed video reviews to Starz.[12] In December 2010, he moved to ReelzChannel, where he contributed a segment titled Richard Roeper's Reviews every weekday at 5:00 pm ET.[13] Roeper remained with the network until early 2015. In early 2013, Roeper began contributing film reviews to RogerEbert.com. On September 12, 2013, it was announced that Roeper will replace Roger Ebert as the main movie critic for the Chicago Sun-Times after his death on April 4, 2013 at the age of 70.[26] In August 2014, Roeper became first-string film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, where he made his debut reviewing Guardians of the Galaxy.[27] He is a member of Chicago Film Critics Association.[28]

Preferences

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Favorites

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Roeper has cited The Maltese Falcon, The Godfather trilogy, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off as among his favorite films.[7][29] On Ferris Bueller's Day Off he stated that, "It has one of the highest 'repeatability' factors of any film I've ever seen...I can watch it again and again. There's also this, and I say in all sincerity: Ferris Bueller's Day Off is something of a suicide prevention film or, at the very least, a story about a young man trying to help his friend gain some measure of self-worth...Ferris has made it his mission to show Cameron that the whole world in front of him is passing him by and that life can be pretty sweet if you wake up and embrace it. That's the lasting message of Ferris Bueller's Day Off."[30] Roeper pays homage to the film with a license plate that says "SVFRRIS".[31]

In a 2000 interview, he cited Woody Allen as a hero of filmmaking.[7] Among his favorite films from the 1990s are Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction, Heat, Good Will Hunting, and Notting Hill.[32] In November 2004, on a special segment of Ebert & Roeper, Roeper stated that his all-time favorite film about Thanksgiving is Planes, Trains and Automobiles.[citation needed]

Best films of the year

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Since 2000, Roeper has compiled "best of the year" film lists which helped to provide an overview of his critical preferences.[33][34] His top choices were:

Best films of the decade

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Since the 2000s, Roeper complied "best of the decade" movie lists, thereby helping provide an overview of his critical preferences. Only one film for this listing was named by Roeper as the best film of the year, The Departed (2006).

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
2000-2008 At the Movies Host/Guest Host 411 episodes
2000; 2006 Chicago Tonight Himself 2 episodes
2000 Late Night with Conan O'Brien Guest Episode: "Roger Ebert & Richard Roeper/Bernie Mac/Tara MacLean"
Charlie Rose Guest 1 episode
2001-2013 The Tonight Show with Jay Leno Guest 23 episodes
2001 The Daily Show Himself 1 episode
2003-2008 E! True Hollywood Story Himself 4 episodes
2003 Sex at 24 Frames Per Second Interviewee
2004 101 Biggest Celebrity Oops Himself
101 Most Unforgettable SNL Moments Himself
Retrosexual: The 80's Himself
Non-Denominational All-Star Celebrity Holiday Special Himself
Jimmy Kimmel Live! Himself 1 episode
2005 Dennis Miller Himself 1 episode
The Factor Himself 1 episode
The Tony Danza Show Himself 3 episodes
2006 Supertwink Himself Uncredited
The Top 5 Reasons You Can't Blame... Himself Episode: "Bob Knight for his repeated outbursts"
2006 Independent Spirit Awards Audience Member
Howard Stern On Demand Judge Episode: "The Howard Stern Film Festival"
2007-2008 Live with Regis and Kelly Himself 2 episodes
2007 Heckler Himself
2008 An Evening at the Academy Awards Co-Host
Top Chef Guest Judge Episode: "Film Food"
Entourage Himself Episode: "Fantasy Island"
2009-2010 Richard Roeper & the Movies Himself 85 episodes
2009 This Is Our Moment: Election Night 2008 Commentator
The Hour Himself 1 episode
Don't You Forget Me Himself
The Jay Leno Show Himself 1 episode
Clarkworld Himself
2010-2011 ReelzChannel Spotlight Host 5 episodes
Hollywood's Top Ten Reelz Channel Movie Reviewer 9 episodes
2010 Richard Roeper's Reviews Himself 5 episodes
Prime 9 Himself 2 episodes
2011-2013 ReelzChannel Specials Himself 3 episodes
2014 Madzilla! Himself
2015-2017 Poker Night in America Himself 17 episodes
2015-2018 Roeper's Reviews Himself 162 episodes
2016 The Timeline Himself Episode: "The Fog Bowl"
2020 Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies Himself

Bibliography

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  • He Rents, She Rents: The Ultimate Guide to the Best Women's Films and Guy Movies, with Laurie Viera (1999)
  • Hollywood Urban Legends: The Truth Behind All Those Delightfully Persistent Myths of Films, Television, and Music (2001)
  • Urban Legends: The Truth Behind All Those Deliciously Entertaining Myths That Are Absolutely, Positively, 100% Not True (2001)
  • Ten Sure Signs a Movie Character Is Doomed, and Other Surprising Movie Lists (2003)
  • Schlock Value: Hollywood At Its Worst (2005)
  • Sox and the City: A Fan's Love Affair with the White Sox from the Heartbreak of '67 to the Wizards of Oz (2006)
  • Debunked!: Conspiracy Theories, Urban Legends, and Evil Plots of the 21st Century (2008)
  • Bet the House: How I Gambled Over a Grand a Day for 30 Days on Sports, Poker, and Games of Chance (2010)[8]

Accolades

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In 1992, he was awarded the National Headliner Award as the top newspaper columnist in the country. He won two Chicago / Midwest Emmy Awards awards for his news commentaries on Fox.[5] On April 11, 2020, Roeper was awarded the Roger Ebert Award at the 2020 AAFCA Special Achievement Award Luncheon.[49]

References

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  1. ^ a b Feder, Robert (February 2, 2018). "Sun-Times reinstates Richard Roeper after Twitter investigation". Robert Feder.
  2. ^ Rosenthal, Phil (January 23, 2011). "'Ebert Presents At the Movies' a work in progress". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on January 25, 2011.
  3. ^ "Ebert and Roeper leaving 'Ebert & Roeper'". CNN. July 21, 2008. Archived from the original on July 24, 2008. Retrieved July 21, 2008.
  4. ^ a b Feder, Robert (March 11, 2010). "It's 'Roe & Roeper': WLS adds new afternoon star". Vocalo.org. Archived from the original on March 13, 2010. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Feder, Robert (October 18, 2017). "Richard Roeper says goodbye to 'Good Day Chicago'". Robert Feder.
  6. ^ Raftery, Brian (August 25, 2021). "Gene and Roger: 8. Something Wonderful Is Coming to an End". The Big Picture (Podcast). The Ringer – via Podbay.
  7. ^ a b c d "A Q&A WITH RICHARD ROEPER CO-CRITIC, 'EBERT & ROEPER AND THE MOVIES'". Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Roeper, Richard (February 15, 2010). "Almost time to Bet the House". blog.richardroeper.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  9. ^ "Cover Story: America's Top 50 Bachelors – Vol. 56 No. 1". People.com. July 2, 2001. Archived from the original on April 23, 2008. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  10. ^ "Fantasy Island". Entourage. Season 5. Episode 1. September 7, 2008.
  11. ^ "Film Food". Top Chef. Season 4. Episode 4. April 2, 2008.
  12. ^ a b c d Feder, Robert (November 24, 2009). "Rich gets richer: Roeper to review movies again". Vocalo.org. Archived from the original on November 27, 2009. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Belloni, Matthew (February 1, 2011). "Kennedy's Miniseries Lands Home, Will Air on ReelzChannel". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  14. ^ Feder, Robert (October 19, 2015). "Richard Roeper set to join Fox 32's 'Good Day Chicago'". Robert Feder.
  15. ^ Janssen, Kim (January 29, 2018). "Sun-Times halts Richard Roeper column to investigate allegation he bought Twitter followers". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on January 29, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  16. ^ McG Thomas, Robert Jr. (February 21, 1999). "Gene Siskel, Half of a Famed Movie-Review Team, Dies at 53". The New York Times. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  17. ^ "In Tribute: Legendary film reviewer leaves thumbprint on a nation of moviegoers". The Star Press. March 27, 1999. Retrieved June 15, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Perrone, Pierre (February 23, 1999). "Obituary: Gene Siskel". The Independent. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
  19. ^ "AWARD-WINNING CHICAGO SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST RICHARD ROEPER STEPS INTO CRITIC'S CHAIR OPPOSITE ROGER EBERT". Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved June 23, 2022.
  20. ^ a b "Columnist to become foil to Roger Ebert". Tampa Bay Times. July 14, 2000. Retrieved May 18, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ Roeper, Richard (October 15, 1995). "Thumbs Up! 20 Years in the Balcony". Chicago Sun-Times.
  22. ^ Roeper, Richard (January 16, 2009). "From the archives: When I interviewed Siskel & Ebert". blog.richardroeper.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  23. ^ Ebert, Roger (August 17, 2006). "E-mail from Roger". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on August 20, 2006. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  24. ^ "Roeper to part ways with 'At the Movies' after 8 years'". Chicago Sun-Times. July 21, 2008. Archived from the original on July 22, 2008. Retrieved July 21, 2008.
  25. ^ Ebert, Roger (November 25, 2009). "Time keeps on slip, slip, slippin' away". Roger Ebert's Journal. Archived from the original on November 30, 2009. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  26. ^ "Richard Roeper Replacing Roger Ebert at Sun-Times". Associated Press. September 12, 2013. Archived from the original on September 15, 2013. Retrieved June 22, 2022 – via ABC News.
  27. ^ Roeper, Richard (July 30, 2014). "'Guardians of the Galaxy': A giddy space oddity makes the summer sunnier". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on August 4, 2014. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  28. ^ "Members". Chicago Film Critics Association. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  29. ^ Ponce, Phil (April 4, 2013). "Web Extra: Roger Ebert (July 19, 2000)". Chicago Tonight. Retrieved July 9, 2022 – via PBS.org.
  30. ^ Roeper, Richard (August 7, 2009). "Ferris, Kevin, Samantha and Uncle Buck are in mourning. Saying goodbye to John Hughes". blog.richardroeper.com. Archived from the original on June 14, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  31. ^ Roeper, Richard (August 7, 2009). "Save Ferris". blog.richardroeper.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  32. ^ Best 90s movies | Chicago film critic Richard Roeper picks 5 decade-defining films
  33. ^ "Ebert and Roeper Top Ten Lists (2000-2005)". Innermid.com. May 3, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  34. ^ "Roeper and Scott Top Ten Lists (2006-2007)". Innermind.com. May 3, 2012. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  35. ^ Roeper, Richard (December 22, 2008). "The Best and Worst of 2008". blog.richardroeper.com. Retrieved July 11, 2022.[dead link]
  36. ^ Roeper, Richard (December 27, 2009). "The best (and worst) of 2009". blog.richardroeper.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2013. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  37. ^ Roeper, Richard (December 18, 2014). "BEST OF 2014: The 10 movies that moved me". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  38. ^ Roeper, Richard (December 23, 2015). "The Year in Review: Richard Roeper's Best Movies of 2015". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on December 25, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  39. ^ Roeper, Richard (December 23, 2016). "Richard Roeper picks the 10 best movies of 2016". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  40. ^ Roeper, Richard (December 27, 2017). "Roeper: The 10 surprising best movies of 2017". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  41. ^ Roeper, Richard (December 26, 2018). "Richard Roeper's best movies of 2018: an instant Chicago classic tops them all". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  42. ^ Roeper, Richard (December 24, 2019). "Richard Roeper: The best movies of 2019". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  43. ^ Roeper, Richard (December 24, 2020). "Richard Roeper: The best movies of 2020". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  44. ^ Roeper, Richard (December 23, 2021). "Richard Roeper: The best movies of 2021". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  45. ^ Roeper, Richard (December 23, 2022). "Richard Roeper's best movies of 2022". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  46. ^ Roeper, Richard (December 21, 2023). "The 10 best movies of 2023: 'Oppenheimer' made with detailed care that no film can match". Chicago Sun Times. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  47. ^ Roeper, Richard (December 31, 2009). "The 100 best movies of the decade". blog.richardroeper.com. Archived from the original on May 17, 2013. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  48. ^ Roeper, Richard (December 30, 2019). "5 movements in the 2010s that changed where movies come from and who's in them". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved July 9, 2022.
  49. ^ "Richard Roeper to Receive the Roger Ebert Award at AAFCA's Special Achievement Awards Luncheon". RogerEbert.com. October 30, 2019. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
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