After admitting that he cribbed most of the plot details of the film Tru Loved from its IMDB page, Ebert defended himself by saying: "The handwriting was on the wall. The returns were in. The case was closed. You know I'm right.'' We like that Ebert's willing to take risks, and he does the same in describing rules for critics, including some venomous shots at others in the field. As EW noted, much of the article is directed at the work of his tragically bad replacement on the syndicated At the Movies show, Ben Lyons.

With that said, Ebert's just as good at breaking his rules as Lyons is. When he tells other critics to never review a film they've participated in, he somehow neglects to mention the 800 essays he's written about his only screenwriting credit for Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. Then there's this piece of useful advice: "But in hard times like these, do not say, "Reason enough to get it!" Of course in his 2006 review of Take the Lead, he says: "That said, Antonio Banderas is reason enough to see the movie."

That's all part of Ebert's charm, and most of his rules, like "Keep track of your praise" and "Provide a sense of the experience" are well taken. And when he is wrong, he's better than most in his field at issuing corrections:

Do not make challenges you are cannot to back up. [sic] For example, never say in your "Hamlet 2" review, "I challenge anyone who goes to see the movie not to sing the words to 'Rock Me, Sexy Jesus' for years to come." When Gene Siskel predicted that "Hakuna Matata" from "The Lion King" would become a national catch-phrase, he later gracefully acknowledged he was wrong, after only a little prodding from me. [Note: A reader informs me that Gene was right. I believe the jury is still out on "Rock Me, Sexy Jesus."]

Hey, the guy's the most prolific reviewer ever, it's bound to happen. Hakuna Matata. (It means no worries for the rest of your days.)

As a less painful alternative to the new At The Movies I took a plastic knife to my eyeballs and poked then until they bleed a little. Next time I just won't watch at all. — Dirty Harry

It's almost insulting. The producers want to beef up the ratings so they hire two youngish guys and stick some "neato" graphics around the screen and viola! Now the hipsters will come! -donner- said it best. It hasn't been the same since Gene died. And Roger, God love him, has been doing his best, but the thrill's been gone. — wh

They should get rid of the "Rent It" verdict. It's a lazy way to judge a movie. Either see it or you don't; this will force their reviews to be more focused. — Rob Grizzly

The only thing I feel good about with this "new direction" is at least they didn't hire Billy Bush (I'm never gonna forgive that ***hat for defecating on the Golden Globes earlier this year, am I? Maybe I should see somebody about that...) — Meier

I'll never have an opinion because I'm never going to watch the show. I prefer to read the comments and reviews of Roger Ebert, Richard Roeper and Michael Phillips on the Internet. — Jakeem

Don't you worry, "Jakeem": As evidenced by their appearance Sunday on Entourage's season premiere, Roeper and Phillips still have a bright TV future in ironic fake-review cameos:

• At the Movies [Buena Vista TV]
• Does 'At the Movies' work.. [PopWatch]

"Although I am pleased with District Attorney Morgenthau's decision to
dismiss the charges against cyclist, Christopher Long, the D.A. now needs
to bring perjury & assault charges against this police officer," says
civil rights lawyer Norman Siegel. "This will send a strong message to
prevent future police misconduct and bring more accountability for police
behavior."

Time to get your union guy on the phone, Officer Pogan.

AL SHARPTON WILL JOIN CRITICAL MASS CYCLISTS IN AN EFFORT TO STOP NYPD CIVIL RIGHTS ABUSES

WHAT: Rally followed by Critical Mass Ride
WHEN: Friday, May 30, 2008 at 7:00 PM
WHERE: Union Square Park South at 14th Street

New York, NY (May 30, 2008) - Tonight (5/30), cyclists will come together with Reverend Al Sharpton, Nicole Paultre-Bell, civil rights attorney Norman Siegel and others in the community outraged over the NYPD's attack on civil rights, for a pre-Critical Mass rally. The rally, organized by Freewheels, will draw attention to the common pattern of NYPD harassment experienced by diverse groups of law-abiding citizens. Mr. Sharpton and Ms. Paultre-Bell are expected to join the Critical Mass ride in a pedicab following the rally.

Although the degree of abuse is clearly different, the message of the groups is clear; The NYPD's actions must be addressed and dealt with by Mayor Bloomberg.

"Considering the efforts from other parts of the administration to increase non-polluting transportation, we are asking the NYPD to work with the cyclists instead of using unconstitutional tactics to stop the ride", says Barbara Ross, Time's Up! bicycle advocacy volunteer.

Critical Mass is a monthly celebration of non-polluting transportation, which takes place in hundreds of cities around the world. Critical Mass and other group rides have contributed to the increase in cycling and safer streets.

Video evidence of NYPD civil rights abuses from past critical mass rides can be seen at: http://blip.tv/file/784711/

Additional video evidence of the NYPD's harassment campaign against the Critical Mass can be made available to the press.

New York Times

Some things sound simply awful: a family reunion holiday cruise, an all-you-can-eat haggis buffet, a television series set entirely in a psychotherapist's office. In Treatment, however, is hypnotic, mostly because it withholds information as intelligently as it reveals it. Each night a new half-hour episode follows a different patient's session. In every session the patients' words are veined with allusions and elusions, clues to problems or patterns that are invisible to them but absorbing for the viewer.

The series aims for a rawness that depicts the troubled aspects of people in crisis written with intelligence and deft emotional shading. Where In Treatment actually ends up, however, is quite different. The writing is forced and thin, some of the acting stagey, most of the characters unlikable and - the show-killer quality that HBO execs apparently failed to see - profoundly boring... At its worst, In Treatment feels like an Oprah show without the commercials.

It all makes for lots of great soapy intrigue, and Byrne makes you believe he can solve everyone's problems. Except his own.

In Treatment's intensity does build as the weeks progress, but it's never completely absorbing, and you wonder how many viewers will commit to such a demanding regimen even with multiple plays to catch up on missed half-hours..."Don't assume that everybody who comes to see me is miserable," Paul protests at one point. But they are, as well as a bit too nutty to make HBO's latest merit a regular appointment.

At times the construct of two or three people sitting in a room talking for half an hour becomes stagey, and the level of antagonism each patient aims at Paul in almost every episode strains not only believability (surely grown-ups would not waste their money talking about their therapist's failings when they could be talking about themselves) but also the dramatic pitch.

It's hard to imagine anyone sitting through this show in anything close to its entirety outside of Byrne's immediate family, and even some of them would lie about it...Unfortunately, even at its sporadic best, In Treatment comes across as no more than an actor's exercise, one likely to be best remembered for providing future acting students with a large supply of two-character scenes for class projects.

Truth be told, it's a little addictive to hear these deeply intimate secrets revealed. And as the patients tell their stories - or edit their emotional lives to make them appear a certain way - Byrne is asked to do a lot of reacting, which he makes endlessly interesting. He does an impressive job of appearing to be the impassive therapist while indicating Paul's complicated inner life. It's worth seeing the program just for his nuanced, truthful performance, but the other actors are generally quite strong. Wasikowska, in particular, is quite a find.

The series may prove irresistible to a viewer in its fullness. In Treatment has the allure of smart drama spiked with juicy eavesdropping. And as further reward for the devoted viewer, the seemingly distinct daily narratives begin to seep from one to another — collecting in Weston's agitated psyche, where the real story resides.

Four Days, A Therapist; Fifth Day, A Patient [New York Times]
HBO's 'In Treatment' Painfully Boring [San Francisco Chronicle]
In Treatment [Entertainment Weekly]
In Treatment [Variety]
In Treatment [Los Angeles Times]
'In Treatment' Has Some Issues [USA Today]
'In Treatment' 5 Nights A Week? Here's Why That May Not Be A Bad Idea [Chicago Tribune]
HBO Drama Has Interesting Format [Houston Chronicle]