Sun-Times movie critic Roger Ebert attacked at film screening

September 11, 2008

The New York Daily News is reporting that famed Sun-Times movie critic Roger Ebert was attacked Saturday at a screening of "Slumdog Millionaire" at the Toronto Film Festival.



"Soon after the lights went down, a source tells us, "a man in the audience started yelling, 'Don't touch me!' People looked around and shrugged. Ten minutes later, the voice yells again, 'I said don't touch me!'"

Again, people shrugged off the disturbance. But a few minutes later, says our source, "the guy stands up in the darkness and thwacks the guy behind him with a big festival binder. He hit him so hard everybody could hear it. Everyone freaked out and turned around."

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Critic goes Post-al on ill Roger Ebert
Thursday, September 11th 2008, 4:00 AM


Corkery/News

Roger Ebert with his wife, Chaz Hammelsmith
The audience at the Toronto Film Festival press screening of "Slumdog Millionaire" didn't know they were also going to get live entertainment Saturday.

There'd been lots of Oscar buzz about Danny ("Trainspotting") Boyle's flick, about a poor Mumbai guy who wins a girl and becomes a national hero by going on a game show. So the screening room was packed.

Soon after the lights went down, a source tells us, "a man in the audience started yelling, 'Don't touch me!' People looked around and shrugged. Ten minutes later, the voice yells again, 'I said don't touch me!'"

Again, people shrugged off the disturbance. But a few minutes later, says our source, "the guy stands up in the darkness and thwacks the guy behind him with a big festival binder. He hit him so hard everybody could hear it. Everyone freaked out and turned around."

The thwacker? New York Post film critic Lou Lumenick.

The thwackee? Esteemed Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert.

After battling thyroid and salivary gland cancer for years, Ebert, 66, can no longer speak.

"Apparently, Roger was just trying to tap Lumenick on the shoulder to signal him that he couldn't see the movie," surmises our source. "He was trying to ask him to move over a bit."

Though Lumenick seemed surprised to see whom he had struck, he offered no apology, according to another source.

Lumenick didn't return a call and e-mail by deadline. Ebert's agent declined to comment.

Lumenick's lashing didn't prevent Ebert from enjoying the film. The critic walked out of the screening with two thumbs up — and handed Boyle a note saying he's bound to get an Oscar nod.
[Edited 9/11/08 11:35am]

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[Edited 9/11/08 11:38am]

The Daily News must have loved the fact that a reporter from the Post was involved.

DAMN! touchy?

What a fuckin' jackass.

MuthaFunka said:

that dude needs two thumbs up, and i'm not gonna say where.

that's just terrible

That's got to be one of the first time someone lost it because someone else was NOT talking during the film.

Anxiety said:

Like these:

Anxiety said:

TOO Muckin Futch!!

What a fucking asshole.

i'm reading stories where ebert is saying the whole incident was blown way out of proportion. still, that lumenick guy's a schmuck.

I see the unemployment numbers teetering up one in the near future.

What a tool.

Lammastide said:

Dang shame, too. Newspapers have been giving critics of all stripes the axe, too...