None of these auteurs are “unknown,” all have asserted themselves in the horror genre to wide appeal, have broke into the mainstream, and they all still show a bright future and tremendous promise. None of them are “unknowns.” Just like calling McCarthy a “hippo,” Reed displays yet again he’s only interested in ruffling feathers and stroking his own ego these days, not being a reputable film critic.
Such a “review” makes a mockery of film criticism, is an embarrassment to the New York Observer, gives people one more reason not to trust Reed’s writing, unjustly knocked V/H/S/2‘s rating down on Rotten Tomatoes, unfairly attacks all the directors in another misguided attempt at cyber bullying, and just makes me think all the more that Reed is only interested in seeing his name being talked about. Maybe this is all he wants really, to be discussed by other writers around the internet, in which case I might only be making the problem worse. If that’s the sad truth, I’d like to apologize for keeping the Rex Reed boat afloat, but even if I can convince only one or two people to stop promoting Reed’s attempts at knocking film journalism down a peg or two, then I’ll be a happy man.
To me, Rex Reed is nothing but a dinosaur trying to remain relevant, not caring if his content is worthwhile, and only focuses on keeping himself in the limelight. How does he do that? Not through truth, research, and hard work, but insults, attention grabbers, and bullying – poking as many bears as he can. Are people sharing his increasingly spiteful reviews and name-calling more than they’re reading other people’s work? Yup, sadly, which is why the New York Observer doesn’t seem to care much that they’re employing a man who currently stands for everything a film critic shouldn’t be. You know, there are plenty of critics out there who watch the movies, respect their profession, produce well-written content, and have enough Hollywood knowhow to understand when a title says “Presented by Guillermo Del Toro,” that doesn’t mean he directed it. So go ahead, keep employing a man whose reputation is sinking faster than the Titanic if you watched it on fast forward, but when the hits stop coming on Reed’s reviews because the masses are finally understanding what a pariah he’s become, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
If you want petty gossip, unwarranted opinions, and reviews written by a narrow-minded, grumpy man, then by all means, frequent the New York Observer, which is home to a film critic who lives in this fantasy world where he’s been established as a God. If you want an actual review by writers who care about giving a proper analysis, fair judgements, and who base their comments on factual evidence – go anywhere else (but mainly here at We Got This Covered!).
To the New York Observer, I would love for you to just come out and admit you’ve simply been trolling the internet with Reed’s reviews, but sadly I don’t think this is the case. You’re giving a man a voice he doesn’t deserve, and I hope you come to your senses soon. So many of us writers work too damn hard only to watch Reed undermine our efforts with his own brazen foolishness, selfishly exploiting his position at the New York Observer for his own agenda. You’ve missed your opportunity to ride off proudly into the sunset Mr. Reed, but I think it’s time to call it quits. The least you can do is slink away quietly.
My intentions aren’t to start a fight, a feud, or anything else, but just assess a situation. There’s a reason Rex ascended to the level he’s at and I respect that completely – I just want people to understand that the actions of one person aren’t echoed through an entire professional collective. That is all.