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I vaguely recall John Simon writing a piece titled "Why Reed Can't Write".

Did Rex Reed actually write reviews? Growing up I always assumed he was just one of those tv personalities with multiple gigs who because he wasn't as funny or as clever as Paul Lynde or Charles Nelson Reilly played at being a film critic to boost his raison d'etre for being on tv.

Oh yes, he wrote reviews...

Source of a classic Simpsons line

Homer - "I have every right to be on that jury even though I got there by sleeping with the head of the festival."
Jay Sherman - "How many times have I heard Rex Reed say that?"

JSC wrote: Tue May 12, 2026 6:33 pm Oh yes, he wrote reviews...

Complete reviews or just pull quotes he sold to the studios? Because I can't recall ever reading a complete film review by him but I do remember his name being cited more than any other in ads.

The most recent thing anyone remembers from him is him calling Melissa McCarthy fat in a review

The reaper seems to have it in for actors and film people today. I don't mean that trivially; it's pretty striking. I never see this happen to politicians on any given day, for example. These are the announcement I know of:

Barry W. Blaustein, 71, American screenwriter (Coming to America, The Nutty Professor) and film director (Beyond the Mat)

Stanisława Celińska, 79, Polish actor (Mamuśki, The Maids of Wilko, Landscape After the Battle)

Alexx Ekubo, 40, Nigerian actor (Weekend Getaway, Lagos Cougars, The Bling Lagosians)

Bassek Ba Kobhio, 69, Cameroonian writer and filmmaker (The Great White Man of Lambaréné, Le silence de la forêt)

Ataur Rahman, 84, Bangladeshi actor

Jack Taylor, 99, American actor (Succubus, Conan the Barbarian, The Ninth Gate)

Jack Douglas, producer for John Lennon’s final recordings (Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey), Aerosmith’s classic run of albums, the Patti Smith Group’s Radio Ethiopia and Cheap Trick’s debut album.

hearthesilence wrote: Wed May 13, 2026 1:16 am Jack Douglas, producer for John Lennon’s final recordings (Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey), Aerosmith’s classic run of albums, the Patti Smith Group’s Radio Ethiopia and Cheap Trick’s debut album.

Radio Ethiopia is phenomenal. Probably better than Horses

Donald Gibb from Bloodsport and Revenge of the Nerds.

hearthesilence wrote: Wed May 13, 2026 1:16 am Jack Douglas, producer for John Lennon’s final recordings (Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey), Aerosmith’s classic run of albums, the Patti Smith Group’s Radio Ethiopia and Cheap Trick’s debut album.

As well as my favorite band, Local H, on Here Comes the Zoo. Some good stories (in old-fashioned slideshow format) here.

Jason Collins became a cultural figure as the first US pro team sport male to come out as gay. Although he did wait until his career was nearly ended. He wore #98 to remember Matthew Shepard killed in '98 for being gay.
Attended Stanford along with his twin bro Jarron, who also had a short NBA run. Jason Collins was a key role player on those early 2000 Jason Kidd led Nets, who made it to two Finals. Brain cancer ended him before 50.

Rex Reed is justly being remembered for all the lazy and obnoxious stuff he perpetrated during his career. Still, it's also nice that some people are posting remembrances of him that make him look a little less of a cartoon. He was a strong proponent of the Vietnam doc Hearts and Minds, and got into hot water for defending Bert Schneider's Oscar acceptance speech, which included a direct message from the Viet Cong. Also, the editor of In the Bedroom talked about being at a festival where they were doing screenings of the film. He was in the lobby when Reed walked out and proclaimed loudly, "I've just seen the best film of the year." (He was introduced to the editor a few minutes later and he was incredibly effusive.)

Everything people have been saying about him is, of course, valid. He was who was. But it's nice to know he could occasionally be a movie fan and generous with praise.

I never heard of her until I saw that famous SNL sketch mentioned in the obituary - the context was completely lost due time and generational difference, but it was still bizarrely funny in a surreal way.

And that Rolling Stones song is one of their most enjoyable outtakes.

I have a sizable record collection and people almost never ask me, "Do you have x?" But years ago my mother-in-law asked me, Do you have anything by Claudine Longet?
Yes, I have her first album, WHY? (I didn't even know why I had it. I got it for free somewhere.)
Turns out that this came up because on a season 1 episode of Gilmore Girls Rory plays something by her and Lorelei asks, "the chick who shot the skier?"

Clarence Carter, the great Southern soul singer, songwriter and producer, at the age of 90.

Also the inspiration for this classic.

hearthesilence wrote: Thu May 14, 2026 6:31 pm Also the inspiration for this classic.

Satire indistinguishable from real life - this was a New Orleans wedding classic, with accompanying white folk line dance. Evidence here.

hearthesilence wrote: Thu May 14, 2026 6:31 pm Clarence Carter, the great Southern soul singer, songwriter and producer, at the age of 90.

Also the inspiration for this classic.

Had no idea he was still alive. Discovered his first three albums during the pandemic and love them dearly.

Gregory wrote: Tue May 12, 2026 7:43 pm
Barry W. Blaustein, 71, American screenwriter (Coming to America, The Nutty Professor) and film director (Beyond the Mat)

Beyond the Mat came out at the peak of the Attitude Era and Monday Night Wars in wrestling, and showed how much of a carny circus the industry was holding onto. Blaustein exposed once Vince McMahon once again as a big piece of shit, but showed a more vulnerable and probably the most realistic side of what wrestlers went through in the industry. Probably the best pro-wrestling documentary ever.