9. Richard LaGravenese vs Gene Siskel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_26ROmuSyTQ For almost 25 years, Gene Siskel represented one half of the most famous criticism duo the world has ever known. He and his partner - Roger Ebert - began their television show in 1975, which went under a variety of names including Sneak Previews, and At The Movies, until eventually settling on Siskel & Ebert. The pair were, for many years, the two most powerful film critics in America. Their reviews could make or break a film. So when Gene Siskel called Richard LaGravenese's screenplay for The Fisher King as being unworthy of Oscar nomination, LaGravenese understandably felt deflated. In revenge, he decided to name one of the more ornery and unlikable characters in the script for his next film - 1994 black comedy The Ref - after the famous film critic, hiring JK Simmons to compensate for likeness. Siskel gave The Ref an unfavourable review, and called LaGrevense's response a "strange" form of revenge. "I only wish Jack Nicholson had played my character" was the critic's contrite reply. JK Simmons has actually since gone on to become one of America's most competent character-actors, so in reality Siskel got off pretty lightly.