At the Movies (TV Series)

Red Sonja/Back to the Future/Silverado/Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome (1985)

Gene Siskel: Self - Host

Quotes 

• Roger Ebert : [reviewing "Red Sonja"]  There were times during this whole movie when I really did think it might be a satire of sword and sorcery movies, just like "Airplane!" took on "Airport". I love that line that they have in the movie: "If you want to be a great swordsman, you must have a great sword." Very thoughtful. Also, the way the movie respects the single greatest unwritten law of sword and sorcery movies, which is that when the hero is surrounded by three dozen enemies, they always come at him one at a time. They get in line, once at a time, so he can pick 'em off, instead of, they all just jump on him and kill him, which of course, they never do, because then the movie would be over, which would be too much to hope for.

  Gene Siskel : [chuckles]  Okay. And my favorite moment, I guess, but see, I didn't, for a minute, believe this was unintentionally funny, I thought this was just mad movie-making, to be clear about that.

  Roger Ebert : Well, it's a thin line.

  Gene Siskel : No no, I say that when you take a figure, a religious figure like a Buddha, and you place him, I mean, this was, I don't mean any disrespect...

  Roger Ebert : I love how you're gonna be able to describe this.

  Gene Siskel : Well let's put it this way: The Buddha in this film, that they have, and here the camp, looks like...

  Roger Ebert : [chuckles]  How does he look, Gene?

  Gene Siskel : The Buddha looks like...

  Roger Ebert : Now we know why he looks so contented, right?

  Gene Siskel : [chuckles]  Oh, I guess you gotta see the movie- no, I don't want to say that because, don't see the movie! The Buddha looks like he's going to the bathroom.