Thursday, January 27, 2000

Film Center Folly

Letter-to-the-editor published by The Reader Film Center Folly By George Christensen 

 Thanks to Patrick McGavin and the Reader for at least raising an eyebrow over the folly of attaching Gene Siskel's name to the Film Center [July 14]. Aghast would have been a more appropriate response, especially from the paper and the very Hot Type column McGavin was writing for that once maintained a "Siskel Watch" exposing the blunders and buffooneries that regularly peppered Siskel's Chicago Tribune reviews until he was demoted and replaced by the Reader's David Kehr. It was a shame that McGavin didn't resurrect any of those columns. Siskel was no cinephile as any cinephile knows. Memorializing him as such is a travesty and an insult to those who seek out and truly care for films that attempt to do more than entertain. I won't be able to attend the Film Center again without a sour taste in my mouth. Sincerely, George Christensen