Joseph L. Williams (November 9, 1958 – July 26, 2015) was an American film critic for theSt. Louis Post-Dispatch and STLtoday.com inSt. Louis, Missouri. He was also the author of the booksEntertainment on the Net,Hollywood Myths andThe Grassy Knoll Report. Williams had been a staff writer for the newspaper since 1996. From 2003 to 2006, he was the on-camera movie reviewer for St. Louis TV stationKMOV. He was a frequent guest on radio and television broadcasts in the region.
Born on November 9, 1958, Williams attended public schools in St. Louis County, graduating in 1976 fromParkway West High School.[1] He was a 1982 graduate of theUniversity of Southern California, where his mentor was the novelistT.C. Boyle. He received a bachelor's degree in English from the school.[1] Williams received his master's degree from theMissouri School of Journalism at theUniversity of Missouri in 1987.
From 1988 to 1990, Williams was a staff writer for the music industry trade magazineCashbox inLos Angeles, California. He is credited with being the first national critic to write about the bandThe Posies, who were signed toGeffen Records after Williams' review of the albumFailure.[2]
In 2012, Williams completed his second book,Hollywood Myths (Voyageur Press), an anthology of movie legends and lore.
In 2013, Williams publishedThe Grassy Knoll Report, culminating his 30 years of research into the assassination of PresidentJohn F. Kennedy.
Williams' reviews, columns and interviews with celebrities are syndicated to newspapers across the U.S. His reviews are excerpted on the popular Web sitesRotten Tomatoes,[3] where he is listed as a "Top Critic," andMetacritic.[4] Williams served as a juror, panelist and adjunct host for the annualSt. Louis International Film Festival. On November 22, 2013, Williams and the festival hosted directorOliver Stone for a 50th anniversary discussion of the Kennedy assassination.[5]
Williams was killed in a single-car accident on July 26, 2015, aged 56, in Jefferson County, Missouri. He was traveling southbound on Highway 67, when he veered too far to the left, over-corrected and drove into a ditch on the right side of the highway.[1]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
