Siskel & Ebert (TV Series)

Bird on a Wire/Last Exit to Brooklyn/Back to the Future Part III/Cadillac Man/Longtime Companion (1990)

Gene Siskel: Self - Host

Quotes 

• Gene Siskel - Host : "Back to the Future Part III" looks great, it's obvious that they have spent tens of the millions of dollars they made with this series. Gorgeous western settings, I love a nostalgic shot of Mary Steenburgen, remember, in a beautiful purple dress, standing next to that green train, green railroad car. Top flight writing and fine performances all around.

  Roger Ebert - Host : I don't know, Gene, I didn't like it as much as you did. And one of the problems is, as a western movie, this didn't work very well. Now, if you add all of the time travel onto the top of it and your memory of the previous two movies, I suppose that would help. But the problem is, this western town is a MOVIE western town, it's straight out of cliches. There's even Pat Buttram drinking in the bar.

  Gene Siskel - Host : I loved seeing him.

  Roger Ebert - Host : Along with a couple other guys. Dub Taylor was in the bar too, I think.

  Gene Siskel - Host : That's right. I loved seeing those guys.

  Roger Ebert - Host : And so, wouldn't it have been more interesting if Michael J. Fox had gone back to the REAL old west, instead of the movie old west, and gone back to a REAL time in the past, rather than a fictional time in the past?

  Gene Siskel - Host : Well, he's going to a fictional time in the future...

  [chuckles] 

  Gene Siskel - Host : in part two, and you enjoyed that picture. So, uh... y'know, the question is: Was it entertaining?

  Roger Ebert - Host : Yeah, but you see, the problem here is, there isn't as much time travel or paradox in this movie. Basically, once they get back there, it becomes a western.

  Gene Siskel - Host : Yeah, and I liked it.

  Roger Ebert - Host : And it wasn't a very good- if this were ONLY a western, you wouldn't say it was a very good western.

  Gene Siskel - Host : It's NOT only a western, but the stuff...

  Roger Ebert - Host : Ah, but you WOULDN'T say it was a good western if it WERE only a western.

  Gene Siskel - Host : But it ISN'T only a...

  Roger Ebert - Host : But it isn't, but the western part isn't so good.

  Gene Siskel - Host : Here, I don't, no no, that's where I differ with you. The part that is a western was very entertaining for me, I just reviewed the parts of it.

  Roger Ebert - Host : Oh, come on.

  Gene Siskel - Host : The Steenburgen and Christopher Lloyd are a lot of fun together. He has a lot of fun with western conventions. It worked for me.