Exciting news from Roger Ebert

Although At The Movies has officially been canceled it seems as though Roger Ebert still has faith in movie review programming. He has announced plans to produce a new show along with his wife Chaz which will not only feature new Hollywood blockbusters but New Cinema as well which Ebert describes as "indie films, foreign films, documentaries, restored classics, the new Herzog, the new Bahrani, the new Almodovar."

For the full story go to his blog here.

ebert in esquire

i don't know how i've managed to miss this, but finding out that roger ebert has, over the past four years, lost his lower jaw and ability to speak due to thyroid cancer and related conditions came as a huge shock to me.

there's an astounding article that ran in esquire a week or so ago that is absolutely worth your time, and does a great service to the man who was more than happy to validate the four star video heaven name.

"I believe that if, at the end of it all, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. We must try to contribute joy to the world. That is true no matter what our problems, our health, our circumstances. We must try. I didn't always know this, and am happy I lived long enough to find it out."

i advocate following ebert's journal on the sun-times site, as well as his official twitter feed if that's your thing.