Film critic Roger Ebert has died at the age of 70 of complications from cancer.
The Pultizer Prize winning film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times had recently posted on his journal that he was taking a leave of absence due to treatment from a hip fracture. Subsequent evaluations revealed that the pain was a result from a return of cancer.
Ebert's battle with thyroid cancer began in 2002. In 2006, he lost part of his lower jaw and ability to verbally speak.
A true fan of movies, Ebert became the Sun-Times' film critic in 1967 and later launched a popular TV show with Gene Siskel called Sneak Previews at Chicago's public broadcasting station WTTW. The pair moved on to a syndicated show called At the Movies with Siskel & Ebert in 1982 and then created Siskel & Ebert & the Movies in 1986.
In 1975 he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for criticism, the first such prize to be awarded for film criticism by the Pulitzers.
Despite his on-going battle with cancer, he remained active and kept writing. Ebert was planning on hosting the 15th annual Roger Ebert Film Festival later this month in his hometown of Champaign-Urbana.
In his most recent blog post, Ebert wrote, "It really stinks that the cancer has returned and that I have spent too many days in the hospital. So on bad days I may write about the vulnerability that accompanies illness. On good days, I may wax ecstatic about a movie so good it transports me beyond illness."
