Rex Reed

Rex Reed
Born	Rex Taylor Reed October 2, 1938 (1938-10-02) (age 71) Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Film critic
Years active	1967–present

Rex Taylor Reed (born October 2, 1938) is an American film critic and former co-host of the syndicated television show At the Movies. He currently writes the column "On the Town with Rex Reed" for The New York Observer.

Life & work

Reed was born in Fort Worth, Texas, to Jimmie M. Reed and Jewell Smith. His work is dismissed by some critics, while others consider him an important writer in the style of New Journalism.^[1]

He has also acted occasionally, as in the movie version of Gore Vidal's Myra Breckinridge. Reed has also appeared in the films Inchon! and Superman. Reed was also a regular on the TV show The Gong Show in the late '70s. Reed also served on the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1971.^[2] He has also guest voiced as himself on the animated series The Critic.

Reed is also good friends with gossip columnist Liz Smith.^[3] He is a member of New York Film Critics Circle and, because his reviews appear on the 'net, he is a member of New York Film Critics Online.

He lives at the famed Dakota apartment building, in New York City.

Controversies

Marisa Tomei Academy Awards rumor

After Jack Palance presented the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress to Marisa Tomei in 1993, Reed started a rumour that Palance had erroneously called out the wrong name because he was unable to read the printing on the card inside the envelope, became confused or was too "drunk" or "stoned" to announce the winner properly. By 1997 Reed was espousing on television his claim that a "massive cover-up" was underway to prevent the public from finding out about the mistake.^[4]

Critic Roger Ebert commented on his website that "Not only is the rumor untrue, it is unfair to Marisa Tomei, and Rex Reed owes her an apology."^[5] The Academy has stated that if such a mistake was to occur, Academy officials would step out onto stage to rectify the error. Tomei has refused to comment on the rumor.

Arrest

In February 2000, Reed was arrested for shoplifting after leaving a Tower Records, in Manhattan, with CDs by Mel Tormé, Peggy Lee, and Carmen McRae in his jacket pockets. Reed, who had just purchased two other CDs, says he forgot about the other 3 CDs and his offer to pay for them was refused. The charges were later dropped.^[6] According to Reed, several days after the arrest Peggy Lee sent him her entire catalog of CDs, because "she was so thrilled I wanted one of her CDs enough to put myself through so much hell."^[7]

Oldboy review

In a 2005 review of the South Korean movie Oldboy, Reed wrote: "What else can you expect from a nation weaned on kimchi, a mixture of raw garlic and cabbage buried underground until it rots, dug up from the grave and then served in earthenware pots sold at the Seoul airport as souvenirs?" The review was mocked by the Village Voice.^[8]

Bibliography

• Reed, Rex (1969). Do you sleep in the nude?. London: Allen. ISBN 0-491-00043-X. 
• Reed, Rex (1974). People are crazy here. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 0-440-07365-0. 
• Reed, Rex (1977). Valentines & vitriol. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 0-440-09336-8. 
• Reed, Rex (1987). Personal Effects. New York: Jove Books. ISBN 0-441-66220-X. 
• Reed, Rex (1992). Rex Reed's Guide to Movies on TV and Video, 1992-1993. Warner Books. ISBN 0446362069. 

References

1. ^ "Rex Reed". Contemporary Authors Online, Gale, 2006. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale. 2006
2. ^ Berlin International Film Festival 1971
3. ^ Tribune Media Services via Buffalo News, June 9, 2006
4. ^ Truth and rumors: the reality behind TV's most famous myths
5. ^ http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080306/ANSWERMAN/803060302/
6. ^ "Rex Reed blames his arrest on fever of forgetfulness", USA Today, February 17, 2000
7. ^ St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 26, 2000
8. ^ "Rex is Comedy",Village Voice, April 19, 2005

External links

• Rex Reed's New York Observer movie review archive
• New York Film Critics Circle biography
• Rex Reed at the Internet Movie Database