Sitemap - 2023 - The SS Ben Hecht, by Stephen Silver

My favorite things I wrote in 2023

'Time Bomb Y2K' is a cinematic essay about the apocalypse that didn’t happen

Reviews: 'All of Us Strangers,' 'Ferrari,' 'The Boys in the Boat' and 'Rebel Moon: Part I'

‘Tombstone,’ at 30, is still your huckleberry

‘The Sweet East’ is an American fantasia on the Eastern seaboard- written by a critic

Fin: The Philly critics vote, the meaning of awards voting, Jonathan Majors vs. Ezra Miller and don’t arrest The Grinch

HBO's 'Great Photo, Lovely Life' is a shattering documentary about abuse

‘The Iron Claw’ is a superlative depiction of pro wrestling’s saddest saga

'The Wolf of Wall Street' marks ten years of debauchery- and depiction/endorsement disagreement

After 30 years, 'Schindler’s List' still stands tall

Fin: The Globes don’t blow it, Spielberg speaks, Taylor Swift and Soros, and reflecting on Reggie White

Money ruins everything: 'A Simple Plan' turns 25

Surprise: ‘Wonka’ is wonderful

808 lines about 404 movies (Part 2)

808 lines about 404 movies (Part 1)

Fin: Go Go 'Godzilla,' The Internet dies a little more, liberal uncle humor takes a hit, and RIP Norman Lear

‘We Live Here: The Midwest' poignantly explores the queer experience in Middle America today

New book on ‘Siskel and Ebert’ goes inside the balcony

‘Inside Llewyn Davis,’ the Coens’ brilliant 1960s folk meditation, turns 10

‘Poor Things’ is the best film of 2023

Fin: Bradley Cooper's Sophie’s choice, remaking ‘Juwanna Mann,’ and is ‘Wish’ woke?

‘Silent Night’ marks John Woo's triumphant, wordless return

Hating Emerald: ‘Saltburn’ and why its loudest detractors are wrong

10 years ago: ‘Frozen’ was Disney at its best

'The Fall of Minneapolis' is Orwellian nonsense

Fin: The FYC deluge, a 'Scream' firing, and Hall vs. Oates

‘Wish,’ ‘Leo,’ and ‘Trolls Band Together’: Three new animated musicals

‘Out in the Ring’ offers a much-needed queer history of pro wrestling

Sex is back at the movies!

Fin: Real and fake reasons why 'The Marvels' tanked

Five selections from the 2023 DOC NYC Festival

‘Napoleon’ a fascinating misfire from Ridley Scott

20 years ago today, 'Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World' brought violence and violins

Hamas doesn’t care what Steven Spielberg thinks

Fin: SBF: The book and movie, the Swift reporter, and political ads about dirty jokes

HBO’s ‘Albert Brooks: Defending My Life’ is a probing look at a multifaceted comedy legend

In 'The Marvels', chemistry overcomes a shaky plot

‘Role Models,’ one of the funniest comedies of the Aughts, turns 15

Tales from the screener pile

Fin: Marvel is in trouble, the president fears The Entity, and the many Tommy DeVitos

'The War Room' at 30, and 'Shattered Glass' at 20

PFF32: 'Sly' tells us little about Sylvester Stallone that we didn't already know

PFF32 documentaries: Reviewing 'American Symphony,' 'Silver Dollar Road,' 'Copa 71,' and 'Break the Game'

PFF 32: ‘Saltburn’ is absolutely insane, in the best way

Fin: Remembering Jerry Cohen, dueling Hollywood Israel petitions, and the non-toxic Philadelphia Phillies

'The Killer' is fun but forgettable fare from David Fincher

'Velvet Goldmine' — Shudder to Think! — turns 25

PFF 2023: 'Dream Scenario,' Bucky F*cking Dent' and 'Rustin'

Why the digital release of ‘Sound of Freedom’ should be called off

Fin: Armond White vs. the Swifties, the secret lives of Philly T-shirt vendors, and why you don't have to post about Israel

‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is another great American epic from Martin Scorsese

Previewing the 2023 Philadelphia Film Festival

'The Mission' shows all sides of a missionary’s tragic end

‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ is a great concert film- and helps me understand the Swiftie thing

Fin: Phillies of the Flower Moon, the imaginary persecution of Oliver Stone, and low-stakes fake news

'Dicks: The Musical' has the audacity, but not the delivery

Revisiting Steven Spielberg’s ‘Munich,’ after the attack in Israel

Reviews of four new documentaries, on two music legends and two strange dudes

NYFF 2023: ‘Maestro’ is a masterful exploration of Leonard Bernstein

Fin: Film festivals in two cities, 'Astroball' and 'Moneyball,' and remembering a fallen Philly journalist

NYFF 2023: 'Hit Man' is a crowd-pleasing triumph from Richard Linklater

’72 Seconds in Rittenhouse Square’ explores all sides of a high-profile Philly killing

Of romance, and Fluffy: ‘Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist' at 15

After 'The Last Dance': Where sports documentaries have gone wrong

Fin: I'll never meet Martin Scorsese, the end of the strike, and looking forward to October

'Dumb Money' comes up short

30 years ago, 'True Romance' gave us the unfiltered Quentin Tarantino

The Last Red Envelope, Or: Netflix DVDs' long goodbye

Fin: The fall of Russell Brand, "but he's a comedian," and declaring podcast bankruptcy

John Carney's 'Flora and Son' sings a familiar song

'The Saint of Second Chances' is a moving tale of Mike Veeck's baseball redemption

After 30 years, 'Dazed and Confused' is still all right, all right, all right

Interview: 'Kelce' director and producer Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce

Fin: 'Stop Making Sense', start writing about Taylor Swift, and remembering a Philadelphia movie gone wrong

'A Haunting in Venice' is fine but flawed

With 'Burn After Reading', the Coen brothers went to Washington

'Kelce' and the twilight of the NFL's renaissance man

50 things I believe about movies

Fin: Festival FOMO, Taylor at the movies, Rotten Tomatoes bribery, and woke James Bond

'Hello Dankness' mashes up the Trump years

Eight Men Out at 35: Getting "Shoeless Joe" right

Introducing The SS Ben Hecht

Coming soon