COURTESY FLUSH: THE LAST WORD ON REX REED

It's time for a courtesy flush on the whole Rex Reed business, but not before I direct you to Alison Willmore at The IFC Blog. She's sussed out an apology of sorts, or at least a direct mention by Reed in print, of the controversy surrounding comments made in his review of Oldboy, and then goes on to astutely read between Reed's arrogant lines. Alison, thanks for the heads-up. I salute your rooting this one out, and your conclusions about what to do with further Reed columns: not read 'em. Call me insensitive, but I read a news item the other day that made me imagine Reed as a toad. Mr. Reed, I've seen you on TV since I was a pre-teen in the early '70s on the Johnny Carson and Mike Douglas shows, straight on through the awful Siskel & Ebert rip-off At The Movies, your brush with the law for shoplifting, and now this. Here is your courtesy flush. It's been a long time coming.

(Thanks to the good folks at GreenCine Daily for pointing me toward the IFC Blog, and many other wonderful links and blogs every day...)