Siskel & Ebert - Best of 1997

1) LA Confidential
2) Boogie Nights
3) Jackie Brown
4) Waiting for Guffman
5)The Fifth Element
6) Hard Eight
7) The Game
8) Event Horizon
9) Lost Highway
10) Con Air

No Lost World here or on their worst list - didn’t they review it?

Did Gene Siskel even watch Boogie Nights or just assume he knew what it was going to be about? He did understand the purpose of the movie at all. More often than not he’s just an arrogant ass that believes he’s important. Both of them wouldn’t be able to make good more if they had a blank check. They. We’re. Assholes. First and foremost.

I’m more inclined to agree with Siskel’s list more than Ebert’s

rip Anne Heche

Jesus, I didn’t realise how many great movies that were made in 1997. The Full Monty is very underrated. I haven’t seen “Wag The Dog” it’s now in my watchlist. De Niro and Hoffman… why haven’t I seen it! Such a good year:

Boogie Nights, Men In Black, L.A Confidential, Full Monty, Titanic, Gattaca, Life Is Beautiful, The Game, Devils Advocate, The Borrowers, Donnie Brasco, As Good As It Gets, Good Will Hunting, Contact, Fifth Element, Seven Years In Tibet, Devils Own, Breakdown, Chasing Amy, Liar Liar, Jackie Brown, Starship Troopers, Disney’s Hercules, Cube, Con Air, Face/Off, Grosse Point Blank, Conspiracy Theory, Insomnia, Princess Mononkee, The Saint, Relic, The Lost Highway, Mouse Hunt, Simple Wish, Bean, Scream 2, Austin Powers, Flubber Jurassic Park: The Lost World, The Jackal, Air Force One, Anaconda…

So many good movies!!

Top 10
1. Good Will Hunting
2. Gattaca
3. The Game
4. Donnie Brasco
5. Ice Storm
6. LA Confidential
7. As Good as it Gets
8. Lost Highway
9. The 5th Element
10.Event Horizon

Wag the Dog - life imitating art, holy cow. Clinton sex scandal broke a month after

Wag the dog is not only possible, it's done often.

Lol Ebert liked Spawn.

My favorite character is the taxi driver giving the thumbs up

It's funny that the Actor's featured in "Wag the Dog," would support the Clintons, later O'Bama, now Biden.

Agree with Gene on Boogie Nights. It's overrated.

In 1997, unlike other years, I was lucky to live in walking distance to some movie theaters, so I saw quite a lot of these. I loved the Full Monty and LA Confidential and went to see both twice. Russell Crowe was just a little known actor at the time, and the latter film made me an instant fan. I think I saw Titanic only once in the theater, but I enjoyed that as well and immediately went out to get the soundtrack. Other films I saw in the theater and liked that year were In and Out, Air Force One, Men In Black, GI Jane, and Tomorrow Never Dies.

“A president accused of gross sexual misconduct…” Nowadays is almost a Republican prerequisite.

My Top Ten Favorite Movies of 1997 (and the movie companies) is,



10. Beverly Hills Ninja. (TriStar Pictures).
9. Zeus and Roxanne. (Metro-Goldwyn-Meyers/Rysher Entertainment).
8. The Beautician and the Beast. (Paramount Pictures).
7. Dante's Peak. (Universal Pictures).
6. That Darn Cat. (Walt Disney Pictures).
5. Leprechaun 4 In Space. (Trimark Pictures/Vidmark Entertainment/Blue Rider Productions).
4. Jungle 2 Jungle. (Walt Disney Pictures/TF1 International).
3. Honey We Shrunk Ourselves. (Walt Disney Home Video).
2. Liar Liar. (Universal Pictures/Imagine Entertainment).
1. Selena. (Warner Bros Pictures).


Here's my Honorable Mentions.

1. Cat's Don't Dance. (Warner Bros Pictures/Turner Feature Animation).
2. Turbo: a Power Rangers Movie. (20th Century Fox/Saban Entertainment).
3. Anaconda. (Columbia Pictures).
4. Shiloh. (Legacy Releasing/Zeta Entertainment/Utopia Pictures/Good Dog Productions/Carl Borack Productions).
5. Volcano. (20th Century Fox/Fox 2000 Pictures).
6. Warriors of Virtue. (Metro-Goldwyn-Meyers).
7. The Second Jungle Book Mowgli and Baloo. (TriStar Pictures).
8. The Lost World Jurassic Park. (Universal Pictures/Amblin Entertainment).
9. Buddy. (Columbia Pictures/The Jim Henson Company/American Zoetrope).
10. Con Air. (Touchstone Pictures/Jerry Bruckheimer Films).
11. Batman & Robin. (Warner Bros Pictures).
12. My Best Friend's Wedding. (TriStar Pictures/Zucker Brothers Productions).
13. Hercules. (Walt Disney Pictures).
15. Men In Black. (Columbia Pictures/Amblin Entertainment).
16. Wild America. (Warner Bros Pictures/Morgan Creek Productions).
17. 4 Little Girls. (a Documentary).
18. Contact. (Warner Bros Pictures).
19. A Simple Wish. (Universal Pictures/The Bubble Factory).
20. George of the Jungle. (Walt Disney Pictures/Mandeville Films).
21. The Swan Princess Escape from Castle Mountain. (Nest Family Entertainment/Crest Animation Productions). Animated Movie.
22. Air Force One. (Columbia Pictures/Beacon Pictures).
23. Good Burger. (Paramount Pictures/Nickelodeon Pictures).
24. Air Bud. (Walt Disney Pictures/Keystone Entertainment).
25. Spawn. (New Line Cinema/Pull Down Your Pants Pictures).
26. Pooh's Grand Adventure the search for Christopher Robin. (Walt Disney Home Video). Animated Movie.
27. Free Willy 3 the Rescue. (Warner Bros Pictures/Regency Enterprises).
28. G.I Jane. (Hollywood Pictures/Caravan Pictures/Roger Brinbaum Productions).
29. Leave it to Beaver. (Universal Pictures).
30. Masterminds. (Columbia Pictures).
31. The Brave Little Toaster goes to Mars. (Hyperion Pictures).
32. Rocketman. (Walt Disney Pictures).
33. FairyTale a true story. (Paramount Pictures/Warner Bros Pictures/Icon Productions).
34. Starship Troopers. (TriStar Pictures/Paramount Pictures).
35. Beauty and the Beast the Enchanted Christmas. (Walt Disney Home Video). Animated Movie.
36. Anastasia. (20th Century Fox). Animated Movie.
37. Good Will Hunting. (Miramax Films).
38. For Richer or Poorer. (Universal Pictures/The Bubble Factory).
39. Mousehunt. (Dreamworks).
40. Titanic. (20th Century Fox/Paramount Pictures).
41. Mr. Magoo. (Walt Disney Pictures).
42. The Boxer. (Universal Pictures).

Ebert liked Spawn lol

I was in jr high ..all the girls were obsessed with Leo and I had his haircut and a date that made out with me in the theater

My senior year in high school 1997

Donnie Brasco. Criminally underrated.

How homosexual was Ebert for not including The Full Monty in the top 10

Eve's Bayou and The Ice Storm? Sorry guys but you bombed with those picks.

This was a banner year for me: I was 16 and I really got into renting movies that year. And I saw a number of films because of their recommendations. LA Confidential was my favorite film for years and Good Will Hunting wasn’t far behind. I saw In The Company of Men and The Sweet Hereafter and they are some of the most gut-wrenching films one will ever see (and on my all-time list). Wag The Dog is has fallen into obscurity sadly despite how much of a distracted reality we live in. The Ice Storm isn’t well known outside of the time of its release but it’s a stunning bit of period drama that needs wider recognition. Wag and Ice deserve rewatches as I’ve only seen them once.

I disliked Boogie Nights because of how nihilistic and pointless it felt on first release, but I think I might need to rewatch it as I’ve become of a fan of PTAs work after seeing Hard Eight and Punch Drunk Love. Other films I need to see are Jackie Brown, The Full Monty and Eve’s Bayou.

Titanic is overrated and one of the worst films I’ve ever seen.

Other favorites from 1997 were Chasing Amy, Starship Troopers, Contact, Private Parts, Open Your Eyes (Abra Los Ojos) and Breakdown.

Where is face off, starship troopers, tomorrow never dies, Air Force one, and con air? They hate action films 🥴🥴🥸. Half of their films they pick no one has ever heard of them. 🥴

Boogie night has characters siskel has seen before, but not LA confidential?

The Ice Storm was a bore, didn't deserve such a high rank that year. Easily name a dozen better films that year.

Too bad that leanardo never really took off 😊

they dressed up in tuxedos and everything😭

Wag the dog was such a great film.

Selena The Movie my number 1 best flim of the year 1997

This was when I was going to the movies every other week. More good movies than bad.

Omg.
'Eve's Bayou' was one of the WORST film ive seen in a long time. Like a really bad episode of the TV show 'in the heat of the night' imo.

I was bowled over how awful it was. The plastic overdramatic acting
the hamfisted editing
the characatures of everybody involved
Wow.

My 1997 list - great year!
1. LA Confidential
2. Jackie Brown
3. Titanic
4. The Sweet Hereafter
5. Austin Powers (funniest movie of the year)
6. Hard Eight
7. Good Will Hunting
8. Boogie Nights
9. Donnie Brasco
10. Private Parts (narrowly over The Game)

Ebert: I didn't choose Good Will Hunting because the plot was so predictable.

Also Ebert: I choose Titanic!

This show man, whew!
Goes from Koreeda's Maborosi to friggin Spawn in 5 flat seconds.....It's movie whiplash! Slow down! !!

LA confidential is one of Devito's best works - Along with The Big Kahuna and Tin Men.

I just LOVE that guy, funny AND powerful!

All I can say is that Hollywood doesn’t make these movies anymore!!!😢

1997 was a fantastic year for films and I clearly recall watching this Siskel and Ebert episode when it first aired. My personal top 10:

1. LA Confidential
2. Princess Mononoke
3. Boogie Nights
4. Children of Heaven
5. Jackie Brown
6. Kundun
7. Gattaca
8. The Sweet Hereafter
9. Taste of Cherry
10. Amistad

Today, in 2024, I'm just glad if a year produces 5 movies I can call Genuinely Good.

I wonder what they would've thought of the Iconic anime films from that year, End of evangelion, Perfect blue (one of my favs) and Princess Mononoke

Here's my top ten list for 1997:
1. LA Confidential
2. The Apostle
3. Wag the Dog
4. Good Will Hunting
5. Titanic
6. Fifth Element
7. U-Turn
8. As Good As It Gets
9. Donnie Brasco
10. The Full Monty

Great films in 1997.

My Favorite and Best Flim of the Year 1997
1. Selena
2. Vegas Vacation
3. Volcano
4. Ice Storm
5. Dante's Peak
6. Asteroids
7. Titanic

1. LA Confidential
2. Deconstructing Harry
3. The Spanish Prisoner
4. Jackie Brown
5. Gattaca
6. The Apostle
7. Donnie Brasco
8. Affliction
9. The Wings of the Dove
10.The Butcher Boy

Fast Cheap and Out of Control is elegiac, you’re right, Roger.

2024 and Wag the Dog is all to real. Ukraine anyone????

Why do they not talk about all of their picks?

Good Will Hunting and As Good As It Gets are a tie for 1997. Titanic made all the money in the world, but it's pure spectacle.