LIFE ITSELF (dvd) insightful look at life of and similar items

Pre-viewed for quality and played fine on my deck and a friends despite having a lot of light scratches on the disc. Label side has a store branded donut sticker in the center. Case has some endentations in the plastic on the right hand backside. Acclaimed director Steve James and executive producer Martin Scorsese (who also appears briefly) present LIFE ITSELF a documentary that recounts the inspiring and entertaining life of world-renowned film critic Roger Ebert - a story that is by turns personal, funny, painful and transcendent. I liked the parts where friends and himself recount the times Roger would visit the local pub every night after work at the Chicago Times where he would drink, smoke, swear and get into heated arguments with the patrons. He eventually would have to quit drinking as he was an alcoholic. His first claim to fame was writing the screenplay for 'Beyond the Valley of the Dolls' and then everything would change when he hooked up with rival newspaper film critic Gene Siskel. They would go on Chicago public TV and then syndicate the hit film critic show 'At the Movies'. Sometimes agreeing and sometimes having opposing views on current releases with film clips they would give a movie either a "Thumbs Up" or "Thumbs Down". After that show would have its run Roger hooked up "with the only woman that would ever have me" as he states. And tragically he would get some kind of cancer that removes most of his jaw and tongue. These scenes are pretty hard to watch as Roger's only form of communication is a talking laptop computer for responses. I often disagreed with Roger more than Siskel but this film gave me a new respect for the man.