Stephen Silver

Stephen Silver is a journalist, podcaster and film critic who co-founded the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle and has written extensively about sports, politics, and technology, in addition to culture. In 2009, he became the first journalist in history to interview the chairman of the FCC and the host of Jeopardy! on the same day. He lives in Delaware County with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.

July 16, 2019

Theater

John Leguizamo on his one-man show, Latin history, and running into Trump at the club

by Stephen Silver

John Leguizamo has been active performer since the early 1980s, splitting his prolific career between movie and TV acting and a series of one-man shows. Leguizamo's six stage shows have all been personal to different degrees, but his latest one, "Latin History for Morons," is especially of the moment.

July 15, 2019

2020 Presidential Race

At Netroots Nation, presidential candidates talk immigration, climate change and beating Trump

by Stephen Silver

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington all appeared separately at Netroots Nation, an annual conference of online-oriented political liberals, which throughout its history has sought to cultivate presidential candidates.

July 11, 2019

Film

'The Lion King' remake asks, 'Can You Feel The Slog Tonight?'

by Stephen Silver

{EMBARGO LIFTS AT NOON ON THURSDAY!!!}

June 26, 2019

Movie

Movie Review: Beatles fantasia 'Yesterday' is flawed but fun

by Stephen Silver

If you can get past its unbelievably silly conceit, some flaws in the execution, and the nearly infinite amount of questions its premise opens up, "Yesterday" is actually quite enjoyable. This is one of those movies that I had dozens of objections to in my head, but I really liked in my heart in spite of them.

June 25, 2019

Interview

Jim Gaffigan on opening for the Pope on the Parkway and his new movie

by Stephen Silver

Jim Gaffigan is mostly known for his prolific stand-up comedy career, which has included nearly a dozen specials over the course of 30 years. But Gaffigan, who has also been a sitcom star and an author, is leaning in big time this year to movie acting. He's in six movies in 2019, and one of them, Being Frank, opens this Friday at the Ritz East.

June 19, 2019

Q&A

John Cusack on 'Say Anything…', its anniversary, and boombox serenades

by Stephen Silver

John Cusack has been acting for nearly 40 years, starring in such notable films as "Better Off Dead," "Eight Men Out," "Grosse Point Blank," "Con Air," "High Fidelity," and "Being John Malkovich."

June 18, 2019

Education

Area schools receive millions in security grants

by Stephen Silver

A batch of $40 million in school security and safety grants were handed out on April 30, and several districts in the Philadelphia area received funds.

June 11, 2019

Movies

Jim Jarmusch on his new zombie movie and calling on Bill Murray

by Stephen Silver

For 35 years, writer/director Jim Jarmusch has been one of the leading voices in American independent cinema. His films include "Stranger Than Paradise," "Down by Law," "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai," "Coffee and Cigarettes," and "Paterson."

May 29, 2019

Stage

The '90s are back in the Kimmel's 'Cruel Intentions' musical

by Stephen Silver

When it comes to multi-century examples of the strange forms art can take, it's hard to beat Les Liaisons Dangereuses for source material. It's gone from a 1782 French novel to a 1985 British play to a 1987 Broadway adaptation to a 1988 movie. Then came a 1999 teen adaptation of that movie, which itself was adapted in 2015 into an unauthorized tribute musical that later became very much authorized.

May 22, 2019

Review

Movie review: 'Aladdin' remake mostly succeeds- except for Will Smith

by Stephen Silver

The latest in Disney's seemingly endless series of remakes of its animated classics is a live-action re-imagining of Aladdin, the beloved film from 1992 that won two Oscars and cemented the studio's return to animation glory.