My favorite things I wrote in 2023
From Reggie White to Steve Guttenberg, from Phish to film festivals
At the end of the year, I have traditionally done a thread on Twitter of my favorite published writings from the previous 12 months. This year, for obvious reasons, I’m doing that here instead.
As always, I am greatly thankful and appreciative that I can still work as a journalist and film critic, so a big thanks to everyone who has read me, both here and elsewhere.
I was thankful to have another year contributing regularly to the Philadelphia Inquirer's arts and entertainment section, both online and in print. Some highlights included a preview of the Philadelphia Film Festival’s Sight and Sound 100 series, the 25th anniversary of The Big Lebowski and the 20th of The Room, an interview with the author of a book about The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and another about Vince McMahon and a piece about the ESPN Reggie White documentary.
I was happy to contribute again to Broad Street Review, the valuable arts and culture publication here in Philadelphia. I wrote the monthly repertory film roundup, covered the Philadelphia Film Festival, Philadelphia Jewish Film and Media Fall Fest, and PFS SpringFest, and also some book events, including Stephen A. Smith’s, and things of that nature.
I have reviewed a new movie (or more than one) for Splice Today every week since 2016 — including during the COVID year of no open theaters or press screenings — and was happy to continue that this year. My reviews of Oppenheimer, Beau is Afraid, and Sound of Freedom.
I spent another year with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, which placed my work in newspapers in the U.S., Israel, and around the world. I interviewed Steve Guttenberg, talked to Adam Goldberg about both Saving Private Ryan and The Equalizer, and wrote about that book on Judaism and Phish and the “Jewish Lightning” scene on The Bear.
I also expanded further into the Jewish press, contributing pieces for both The Jewish Exponent and the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle. For the Exponent, I interviewed Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker, a survivor of the synagogue hostage situation, and also covered the Jewish Priorities Conference. For the WJC, I wrote about a book talk on the Nazis’ drinking culture and interviewed a lawyer who represented some of Jeffrey Dahmer’s victims.
I spent much of the year as a senior editor with 19FortyFive, where I wrote mostly about politics. I interviewed an expert about Trump’s trials, covered the Tuxit, and why Biden is not going to be “switched out at the last minute.”
I continued for another year with Living Life Fearless, Dario Hunt’s outstanding arts and culture site, where I wrote about a bunch of movie anniversaries — like the 50th of American Graffiti — and wrote some op-eds. Also, I interviewed Michael Hann, the author of The Hold Steady 20th anniversary coffee table book.
I was happy to return to The Smart Set in the spring, writing about Maggie Haberman’s Trump book, and why the resistance consensus about “the Trump whisperer” is wrong.
- Tilt Magazine and Goomba Stomp closed this summer, but I got some pieces in before it went away, including a review of Barbie and one of the special January screening of The People’s Joker, which is finally coming out in 2024.
For AppleInsider, I continued the Apple crime blotter column for a fifth year, as concerns about “organized retail crime” suddenly emerged as a mainstream topic.
I wrote a bit for Dealerscope as well, including an interview with a man who wrote a book about the metaverse.
And of course, in September I started this Substack, and it’s been quite a ride so far, one I’ve enjoyed immensely. My favorite pieces include the “Things I Believe About Movies” manifesto, the “808 Lines About 404 Movies” list, and the pieces about Munich and why Hamas doesn’t care what Steven Spielberg thinks.
As always, you can find my movie reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and view my final 2023. Letterboxd list here.
Happy New Year, and thank you for your support. New posts will resume on Tuesday, January 2.
Happy New Year, Stephen. While I haven't watched The Bear, I followed your link to the article and admit I'd never heard the term, but, perhaps amusingly, in my much younger days, I spent 3 years cooking in a kosher-style deli in Indianapolis, the sadly long-defunct Fox Deli, in the Broad Ripple area. The version of the term that was repeatedly joked and mused about there and then was "Greek Lightning." Same meaning, of course. I assumed that was the common term. Perhaps a generic would be "somebody else's lightning."