The legendary movie critic, Roger Ebert, passed away today. He was 70 years old.
Ebert recently reported he’d be taking a “leave of presence” while receiving cancer treatment. As seen on Deadline.com, he also announced on his blog that he “must slow down.”
Despite thyroid cancer and subsequent complications, Ebert still managed to excel at his work. The critic wrote movie reviews for a whopping 306 movies last year, calling it his “busiest year ever.” At times there could be as many as NINE movie reviews from the prolific critic in the Weekend section of the Sun-Times. Ebert wrote fifteen books over the course of his career. His most recent book, Life Itself, was released in 2012. Ebert reportedly planned to write a follow up to this book about his own health challenges, sadly now will never get the chance.
Roger Ebert was described by Forbes magazine as “the most powerful pundit in America.” Ebert was also the first film critic to ever receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and win a Pulitzer Prize.
The world of movie reviews won’t ever be the same without him. Two thumbs up for you Roger Ebert, may you rest in peace.