Siskel & Ebert (TV Series)

The Beverly Hillbillies/Ruby in Paradise/The Nightmare Before Christmas/Fearless/Mr. Wonderful (1993)

Gene Siskel: Self - Host

Quotes 

• Gene Siskel - Host : Scene after scene in "The Beverly Hillbillies" just lays there, without any laughs. I was actually stunned while watching this film. I don't know why we needed the long, tedious set-up of the Clampetts striking oil at the beginning of the film, it could've been handled just like in the credits, like they did on the TV show. Then, no, I would've picked one character and really told a great story about him or her, maybe something we wouldn't have guessed from the TV show. This version always takes the most obvious approach. The result is pure boredom. All they've done, if you think about it, is remake the big pilot, remake the TV pilot for the big screen.

  Roger Ebert - Host : I sat there appalled.

  Gene Siskel - Host : Yes.

  Roger Ebert - Host : I hated this film.

  Gene Siskel - Host : Yes.

  Roger Ebert - Host : And what I was disappointed about more than anything was that Penelope Spheeris, who is a hip young director...

  Gene Siskel - Host : You bet.

  Roger Ebert - Host : ...Who can make "Wayne's World"...

  Gene Siskel - Host : You got it.

  Roger Ebert - Host : ...Would then totally throw in the towel and make this movie, which is essentially just a remake of a dumb TV sitcom, with no, uh, taking advantage...

  Gene Siskel - Host : No attitude.

  Roger Ebert - Host : ...Of any opportunities to satirize Hollywood, to satirize the Clampetts, uh, to bring something new, y'know, this could've been a made-for-TV movie.

  Gene Siskel - Host : Okay, why not take the Clampetts to new places, to the new Hollywood? Take 'em to movie studios, take 'em to faith healers, take 'em to a phone sex operation in Hollywood, take 'em ANYWHERE, to Muscle Beach! To Venice!

  Roger Ebert - Host : And put Granny, put Granny through the whole remake business. She's gonna get a facelift, she's gonna get rolfing...

  Gene Siskel - Host : Plastic surgery.

  Roger Ebert - Host : ...She's gonna get everything, y'know, Rodeo Drive, millions of dollars, and have some fun with the lifestyle out there.

  Gene Siskel - Host : This is probably one of the worst movies made about Hollywood, 'cause that's what it should be about, is these... out-of-fish characters, or...

  Roger Ebert - Host : Out-of-water fish.

  Gene Siskel - Host : You got it.

  Roger Ebert - Host : Or out-of-fish water. Okay, next movie.

  Gene Siskel - Host : Anything!

  Roger Ebert - Host : Our next movie is a wonderful adventure in everyday life named "Ruby in Paradise". And this movie is just SO much better, it's a whole different category.

  Gene Siskel - Host : It's a MOVIE, for one thing!

  Roger Ebert - Host : Okay, calm down.