Foppish Critic Rex Reed Dies at 87

[Mark Jeffries]

 Known for his stint spanning 40 years as the caustic film critic of the NY Observer and his many gossipy appearances on talk shows, Mr. Reed also took over Tribune Entertainment's "At the Movies" (with Showtime and "ET'''s Bill Harris) after Siskel and Ebert left for Disney--he also made many appearances on the syndicated version of "The Gong Show" as the judge who seemed not to like anything--at his home in Manhattan after a short illness:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/rex-reed-dead-caustic-film-critic-1236593262/

[Tom Wolper]

He seemed to be all over TV as a film critic in the seventies, but looking back, I have no sense of what his tastes were or what kind of movies he championed.

And he appeared in Myra Breckinridge, one of those contenders for worst movie ever. It was loosely based on Gore Vidal’s novel about gender transition and it was supposed to be a spoof of sixties culture.

On Tue, May 12, 2026 at 2:02 PM Mark Jeffries <spotl...@gmail.com> wrote:

 Known for his stint spanning 40 years as the caustic film critic of the NY Observer and his many gossipy appearances on talk shows, Mr. Reed also took over Tribune Entertainment's "At the Movies" (with Showtime and "ET'''s Bill Harris) after Siskel and Ebert left for Disney--he also made many appearances on the syndicated version of "The Gong Show" as the judge who seemed not to like anything--at his home in Manhattan after a short illness:

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/rex-reed-dead-caustic-film-critic-1236593262/

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[Mark Jeffries]

And he happened to pan "Myra Breckinridge."

Mark Jeffries

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[Tom Wolper]

As well he should. Actors never know at the end of shooting how the picture will turn out. They know that they have to see what the director does in editing, post-production, and scoring. Reed chose to be honest about the failure of the film even though he is in it. That’s to his credit.

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[Marti Lawrence]

I remember seeing him a lot on TV way, way back, I guess as Tom mentioned,  it must have been in the 1970s. 

I found him slightly  amusing, but did think many of his comments were overly cruel. 

~Marti, recovering from ankle surgery, confined to bed or recliner, but still interested in all things TV

[Joe Hass]

My sympathies on the surgery, Marti, and best wishes for a speedy recovery!

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