NEW YORK (AP) - Joel Siegel, a longtime movie critic for "Good Morning America" who was famous for his weekly, often humorous reviews, died Friday, ABC officials said. He was 63.
Siegel, who got his start at the network by working for New York affiliate WABC-TV, had battled colon cancer, the station said.
"Joel was an important part of ABC News and we will miss him," ABC News President David Westin said in a statement. "He was a brilliant reviewer and a great reporter. But much more, he was our dear friend and colleague. Our thoughts and prayers are with Joel's family."
Siegel was known for his sense of humor, movie acumen and sharp judgment. He never let an actor off the hook if the performance was lackluster.
"The appeal of Matthew McConaughey has long evaded me both as a pinup and as an actor," Siegel said in his review of 2006's "We Are Marshall." "His constant ticks, bad hair and strained syntax as a coach fumble what should have been the tragic and inspirational story of the rebuilding of Marshall University's football team after a devastating plane crash."
Dave Davis, president and general manager of WABC-TV, said Siegel loved to poke fun at uninspiring movies.
"No one had more fun writing about a bad movie than Joel," Davis said.
ABC anchor Charles Gibson said Siegel knew how to tell a story.
"He had an inexhaustible supply of stories - most funny, many poignant, all with a point or a punch line," Gibson said.
Born in Los Angeles on July 7, 1943, Siegel graduated cum laude from the University of California, Los Angeles. After college, he started writing for The Los Angeles Times, where he reviewed books.
He landed in New York City in 1972 and worked as a reporter for WCBS-TV. He also hosted "Joel Siegel's New York" on WCBS Radio. Four years later he jumped to WABC, cementing his reputation as a film critic over the next three decades.
In 1981, he joined "Good Morning America" and became a regular as the network's entertainment editor, easily recognizable by his thick mustache and glasses.
In addition to five New York Emmy Awards, he received a public-service award from the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, and was honored by the New York State Associated Press Broadcasters Association for general excellence in individual reporting.
Survivors include his son, Dylan, and wife, Ena Swansea.
...*snff*
Ow.
Dude was a hack. He was a Shalit ripoff and he never met a horrible pun he didn't abuse like a red-headed stepchild. As director Paul Thomas Anderson once said, "getting a bad review from Joel Siegel is like a badge of honor."
Good riddance. Now I can completely ignore him without even trying. With any luck, Peter Travers, Pete Hammond or Shawn Edwards will be next.
...Dude, is that the sort of thing to post in a thread about a death?
Especially a death that sounds quite unpleasant? Seriously, he's not Hitler or something. You can respect a man for being a human without liking the guy.
I must say that Siegel lost my respect when he showed both ego and disrespect to the preview screening of Clerks 2 by not just simply walking out (which would've been fair enough), but shouting about the fact in the middle of the cinema as he went, and refusing to concede afterwards that this wasn't only poor etiquette but compromised his review of the whole movie by not having actually seen it before he mauled it.
He was human. He had flaws.
But he leaves grieving relatives and a pair of big shoes to fill in terms of his place as a critic, from what I've seen from all the way over here.
