I don't always agree with Roger Ebert's opinion about movies (far from it). However, when he writes a bad review, I do pretty consistently find it funny. If you agree, Your Movie Sucks--a compilation of reviews of films that recieved a maximum of 1.5 stars on Ebert's four- (or is it five-?) star scale--is entertaining even if you haven't seen most of the movies (as, if you're interested in reading the book, you probably haven't). The selection is heavy on gross-out comedies and third-rate action flicks, but just about every genre is represented--even Oscar-aspiring historical dramas (Pearl Harbor), foreign films (Baise-Moi) and hoighty-toighty auteur offerings (Full Frontal).

The book does include one review of a film that recieved more than 1.5 stars: The Brown Bunny, which Ebert famously derided at Cannes, before granting a tentative 3 stars to the re-edited theatrical release. The book's prologue chronicles Ebert's "friendly" exchange of insults, and ultimate reconciliation, with Brown Bunny director Vincent Gallo. The summary of the Brown Bunny "saga" is interesting, if somewhat cheapened by Ebert's arrogant suggestion (in the pre-prologue introduction) that if the other directors lambasted in the book work real hard, they might ultimately earn his paternalistic approval just like Gallo did. ( )