Rex Reed (born October 2, 1938 in Fort Worth, Texas) is an American movie critic and was 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.
Dismissed as lightweight by some critics, others consider him an important writer in the style of New Journalism. He is the author of a number of books, including the novel Personal Effects, Do You Sleep in the Nude? (1968), People are Crazy Here (1970), and Rex Reed's Guide to Movies on TV and Video (1992).
He has also acted occasionally, such as in the movie version of Gore Vidal's Myra Breckinridge. During its filming he was a frequent talk-show guest, often making fun of the production, leaving it unclear whether he was trying to help or hurt its box-office performance. He 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.
In February 2000, Reed was arrested for shoplifting after leaving a Tower Records in Manhattan with CDs by Mel Torme, 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.
