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The Philadelphia Film Festival presents SpringFest 2021 at the Bourse
A film festival’s return to the theater
Movie theaters are back, and with them film festivals. The recent PFF SpringFest screened seven films including ‘Summer of Soul,’ ‘The Meaning of Hitler,’ and ‘Swan Song.’ Stephen Silver reviews.
Reviews
5 minute read
‘Norman Jewison: A Director’s Life’ by Ira Wells
Jewison finally gets his due
Norman Jewison, director of ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ and
‘Moonstruck,’ is one of the most prolific filmmakers of the second half of the 20th century. A new biography by Ira Wells finally gives him his due. Stephen Silver reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
As Bryn Mawr Film Institute and others reopen, what’s the future of movie theaters?
Will we stick to streaming?
Movie fans have been waiting a year to get back to movie theaters. Stephen Silver visited Bryn Mawr Film Institute on its reopening day, contemplating the future of in-person moviegoing.
Features
5 minute read
Netflix presents ‘Concrete Cowboy’
The horsemen of North Philadelphia
‘Concrete Cowboy,’ Ricky Staub’s directorial debut, provides a compelling and beautifully rendered look at the subculture of Black horsemanship in North Philadelphia. Stephen Silver reviews.
Reviews
3 minute read
Grasshopper Film presents Ephraim Asili’s ‘The Inheritance’
Cinematic magic in a West Philly collective
Ephraim Asili’s ‘The Inheritance,’ a thought-provoking new film about a Black socialist collective in West Philadelphia, combines fictional characters with real-life appearances by veterans of MOVE. Stephen Silver reviews.
Reviews
3 minute read
‘True Believer: The Rise and Fall of Stan Lee’ by Abraham Riesman
Knocking down Marvel myths
Journalist Abraham Riesman has authored a definitive biography of the famed Marvel creator Stan Lee, uncovering truths that may make Lee's fans uncomfortable. Stephen Silver reviews.
Reviews
3 minute read
Sundance Film Festival presents ‘Philly D.A.’
The Krasner wars come to PBS
‘Philly D.A.,' a new docuseries about Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, debuted at the Sundance Film Festival February 3. It’s a multifaceted look at the controversial civil-rights attorney turned prosecutor. Stephen Silver reviews.
Reviews
4 minute read
Goodbye to Riverview, Philadelphia's movie theater for everyone
It isn't just the screens
Like the city itself, the Riverview movie theater in South Philly was far from perfect. But it formed lasting memories for generations of Philadelphian moviegoers from all walks of life. Stephen Silver remembers.
Essays
5 minute read
‘Culture Warlords: My Journey Into the Dark Web of White Supremacy’ by Talia Lavin
Exposing hate groups, in her own voice
Talia Lavin, one of the current political moment’s most incisive journalists, details her confrontations with the world’s worst trolls in ‘Culture Warlords.’ Stephen Silver reviews.
Articles
3 minute read
Philadelphia Film Festival 2020: Chloé Zhao’s ‘Nomadland’
Surviving America
‘Nomadland’ launched the 29th annual Philadelphia Film Festival's hybrid presentation, with a showing at the PFS Drive-in at the Navy Yard on October 23. Stephen Silver reviews.
Articles
4 minute read
Movie theaters are reopening, but I'm not ready to go back
The popcorn problem
Film critic Stephen Silver misses movie theaters, and can't wait to see Christopher Nolan's upcoming ‘Tenet.’ But he still won’t risk attending an indoor theater.
Articles
4 minute read
As the Rizzo statue goes down, ‘40 Years of Rocky’ reflects on Philly’s past
A tale of two statues
A new short documentary, ‘40 Years of Rocky: The Birth of a Classic,’ examines a movie that tells one story of Philadelphia. Are we writing a new history this month? Stephen Silver considers.
Articles
4 minute read
‘Doc: The Life of Roy Halladay,’ by Todd Zolecki
What fans didn’t see
In his new biography of late Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay, longtime local baseball writer Todd Zolecki shows how even the best athletes are facing more struggles than you know. Stephen Silver reviews.
Articles
4 minute read
What I miss most about going to movie theaters
Streaming isn’t the same
Film critic Stephen Silver has been arguing for years that Philadelphia's movie theaters are insufficient. What he wouldn't give to get back to them.
Articles
4 minute read
‘Dispatches from Elsewhere’: Seeing Philadelphia while you’re stuck inside
Philly gets its TV due
The locally shot 'Dispatches from Elsewhere' has established itself as a first-rate mystery, making better use of Philadelphia locations than any movie or show in memory. Stephen Silver reviews.
Articles
4 minute read