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It became an iconic element of their show , so what are the source of Siskel & Ebert ’s famous " Two Thumbs Up " rating system?Roger Ebertand Gene Siskel need no introduction among film fans as they , alongside other notable critic like Pauline Kael , helped define the art of motion-picture show unfavorable judgment . Siskel and Ebert were actually professional competitor when they first came together to host a Chicago PBS movie review show that was finally titledSneak trailer .
Siskel wrote for the Chicago Tribune while Ebert write for the Chicago Sun - Times , so the tension they feel as rivals often spilled over on camera . The two critics would often completely disagree with each over about the merits of a special picture show , which would precede to amusing verbal sparring . After seven class hostingSneak Previews , they would pull up stakes the show for their own seriesAt The Moviesin 1982 ; the yoke would after move the show to Disney in 1986 .
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While Siskel and Ebert would frequently clash verbally over movies , off the air they became close friends . They often refuse to make cameos as themselves in movies or TV shows , though they broke this dominion for a guest spot on animated showThe Critic , fromThe Simpsonswriter Al Jean . Aside from their semi - regular disagreements , easily one of the most famous elements of their show was the thumb up / thumb down system to rate a motion picture .
It did n’t happen all that often , but once in a while they would both give a pic two thumbs up to point they both wish it . The origin of this organization had its cornerstone in Ebert ’s dislike of paygrade in general , and on their old show , they used to employ a uncomplicated yes or no vote to indicate if they recommended a plastic film . Ebert once explainedthat when they moved from the original version ofAt The Moviesover to the Disney produced edition , they had to leave behind certain things like the yes / no vote .
Ebert instead intimate they just use a thumbs up or down system , which quickly became their trademark . In fact , Ebert and Siskel eventually trademarked the " Two Thumbs Up " phrase to stop it being misused elsewhere . If a movie placard had " Two Thumbs Up " by Siskel and Ebert on the poster , this was see as a mark of quality by moviegoer . It went the other direction , of course , with two pollex down being a chump against a movie . Roland Emmerich parodied both the critic and their thumbs system of rules in 1998’sGodzilla , and when they both gave thumbs down to David Lynch’sLost Highway , Lynch would quip that was two more great reasons to see his movie .
With the passage of Siskel and Ebert , the " Two Thumbs Up " organisation has been recede . It ’s still a major part of their ethnic bequest because even while they often disagreed , their love of celluloid itself always shone through .
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