In today's Chicago Sun-Times there appeared a full-page open letter to Roger Ebert from the producer and director of the movie Chaos, which received a zero stars review from Roger. Moreover, Roger urged people to not see this movie. He even said the movie made him feel miserable.

Ebert followed up with his response to the producer and director with a lengthy article you can read here.

I haven't seen the movie (and probably won't anyway), nor had I ever heard about it. Has anyone here heard about it or seen it?

Even after reading the open letter and Ebert's article/reply, I still am not completely clear on just what this movie's about. However, considering that every movie critic save one has ripped it to shreds, it's probably a good thing that I won't go see it.

FYI, here is Ebert's review of the movie itself.

Yeah, I read Ebert zero-star review of the movie, and the whole back-and-forth with the movie's director and producer. The movie sounds absolutely horrid - comparable to I Spit on Your Grave, the worst movie I've ever seen and one that Siskel & Ebert vehemently trashed.

I love Roger Ebert's opinions. There are a few of his reviews I disagree with (one-and-a-half stars for Raising Arizona?), but his way of evaluating a movie is refreshingly frank. (What other critic has rightfully praised such extraordinarily underrated movies like Touching the Void and Ravenous?)

And he has my eternal affection for scripting Beyond the Valley of the Dolls.

I never heard of it, and never will see it after reading about it. Sounds like little more than a snuff film.

I wonder how many people might actually go see it because of the so-called controversy.

Ebert's response was a masterpiece. His response to the directors made their criticism of his criticism seem puerile and, well, stupid. I think this is the first time a movie review has made me say, "Yeah, I won't be seeing this movie."

If anyone here does bother to see it, I hope they pop in and let us know just how it was.