Stephen Silver

It was going on one, two in the morning, and we were shooting what I felt was an important scene for me, when he makes an attempt to be quote-unquote straight, in a suit, and at the end of it he gets emotional and locks himself in the other room. And I felt like, I’m not getting what I want—I’m not happy with it. Mike was happy with it. He called me the next day and said, “I know you weren’t happy with the scene last night. Believe me, we wouldn’t have gone home if I had felt we weren’t getting it.” And then he sort of became my psychiatrist and said, “You find it difficult to be happy, don’t you? You find it difficult to enjoy things.” And I said, “Well, sometimes. Last night was about feeling too tired and not feeling I was reaching what I needed to reach for the scene.” He talked to me then about when he was making, I don’t know whether it was Virginia Woolf or The Graduate. He said, “I didn’t enjoy it for a second. I was worried about so many things.” And then he said, “You know, this is never going to happen again quite this way. You should try to allow yourself to enjoy this more. Take a minute a day, and then add a minute the next day, and another minute. Pretty soon, you’ll have hours of happiness.”

The Birdcage opened thirty years ago today, so in its honor, I want to share one of my favorite stories about Mike Nichols that didn't make it into my biography. This is from an interview I did with Nathan Lane.

The Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks will play five games as the Woodchippers, a tribute to the 30th anniversary of Carl Showalter’s grizzly death. Read about it on @sportslogos.net at news.sportslogos.net/2026/03/08/f...

Part of Trump’s mass appeal (and of why he’s so dangerous) is that he really seems to share Joe Barstool’s worldview that there are no complex problems: Everything has a simple brute solution, which previous leaders were somehow too stupid or weak to deploy.

White House Video Leaves People Stunned — Viewers Can’t Believe This Came From The Official Account The White House posted a video of Iran war footage interspersed with movie and TV clips.

I wrote for Political Tribune about that stupid White House video polinews.org/white-house-...

Fin: The long, long Oscar season Plus: That really was Jim Carrey, Quentin Tarantino is not dead, a not-so-fond farewell to Kristi Noem, and more in this week's notes column.

This week’s notes column on the long Oscar season, the need for many tributes, Jim Carrey not being a clone, Quentin Tarantino not being dead, Kristi Noem’s sorry cabinet and tenure and much more stephensilver.substack.com/p/fin-the-lo...

Do you know why Terrence Mann stopped writing books? BECAUSE HE MASTURBATES

BREAKING: The Trump-Tucker Alliance Is Officially OVER— Trump Ousts Carlson From The MAGA Movement After A Heated Clash Over Iran Tucker Carlson has been ejected from the MAGA movement.

I wrote for Political Tribune about the end of the Trump/Tucker alliance polinews.org/breaking-the...

Machine Men War Machine isn’t bad, but Alan Ritchson will be in a better movie someday. || Stephen Silver

I reviewed WAR MACHINE for Splice Today www.splicetoday.com/moving-pictu...

Political Whiplash: Kristi Noem Delivers A Pro-Trump Speech In Nashville While The Rest Of The World Is Reading Her 'Termination' Post On Truth Social Kristi Noem was on stage at the moment she learned she was no longer part of the cabinet.

I wrote for Political Tribune about the Comey-esque firing of ICE Barbie polinews.org/political-wh...

Secretary Noem's new job will be on a hill. Overlooking a little river. With pine cones all around.

John Hamburger, Franchise Times/Restaurant Finance Monitor President, Franchise Times/Restaurant Finance Monitor

I assume you're aware of restaurant franchise expert John Hamburger? www.franchisetimes.com/john-hamburg...

'The Bride!' is a truly odd mix of styles and ideas Maggie Gyllenhaal's feminist take on 'Bride of Frankenstein' scores some style points, but its ideas are truly all over the place.

I reviewed THE BRIDE!, which doesn’t work in the slightest, although I respected its audacity. stephensilver.substack.com/p/the-bride-...

Critics Pounce After White House Post Appears Confused About When the Revolutionary War Started The White House social media accounts misstated the start of the American Revolution.

As I wrote for Political Tribune, the White House doesn't know what year the American Revolution started polinews.org/critics-poun...

It's a stealth remake of DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE. Jabba's abusive parenting leads to years of repressed trauma for Rotta, who is uncomfortable with fame, channeling that depression into a series of moody lo-fi acoustic songs about serial killers in Mos Eisley and desperate strivers on Tatooine.

The BSR March 2026 repertory movie roundup Forty years of The Goonies , a classick Stanley Kubrick screens with seminar treatment, and a 90s cult classic in March. Stephen Silver rounds up.

Here's this month's Broad Street Review repertory film roundup, featuring BARRY LYNDON, JUST ANOTHER GIRL ON THE IRT, and WINGSFEST. www.broadstreetreview.com/previews/the...

Director Jason Sterman on Documentary 'Homecoming: The Tokyo Series', Japan, and Baseball » LIVING LIFE FEARLESS We got a chance to speak with director Jason Serman about his upcoming MLB documentary 'Homecoming: The Tokyo Series.'

For Living Life Fearless, I talked to Jason Sterman, director of the new documentary HOMECOMING: THE TOKYO SERIES, coming soon to @cnn.com livinglifefearless.co/2026/film-tv...

This is what weak and insecure people think confidence looks like: buffoonish bluster and swagger, like a 12-year-old bully. It doesn‘t inspire trust or security. It inspires grave concern for the lives of the people serving our nation whose fate is in the hands of these overcompensating oafs.

Netflix Bosses Call Out Trump’s 'Unusual' Behavior In Heated Corporate Clash Trump acted strangely around the Netflix bidding, per a new report.

I wrote for Political Tribune about Trump's "unusual behavior" in the Netflix negotiations polinews.org/netflix-boss...

Military Quote of the Day by Albert Einstein: 'I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with...' Sticks and stones vs. the A-bomb. Stephen Silver breaks down Einstein’s evolution from Manhattan Project catalyst to the world’s most famous pacifist.

I wrote for 19FortyFive about Einstein and Oppenheimer www.19fortyfive.com/2026/03/mili...

‘Paris is Burning,’ a groundbreaking look at queer New York, turns 35 Jennie Livingston’s film, shot over several years in the ‘80s, examinated ballroom culture.

I wrote about PARIS IS BURNING stephensilver.substack.com/p/paris-is-b...

Report: U.S. Troops Allegedly Were Told Iran Conflict Is Tied To “Armageddon,” Second Coming Of Christ The U.S. war in Iran is being presented as a Christian war in some parts of the military, a new report says.

I wrote for Political Tribune about Trump's holy war polinews.org/report-u-s-t...

The March 2026 documentary review 10-pack: 'An American Pastoral,' 'The Librarians,' 'Murder in Glitterball City,' ' The Investigation of Lucy Letby,' 'Queen of Chess', and more Reviewing ten recent documentary features

Here’s my monthly documentary review 10-pack, including reviews of AN AMERICAN PASTORAL, THE LIBRARIANS, MURDER IN GLITTERBALL CITY, WE’VE LOST DALE EARNHARDT, QUEEN OF CHESS, and more. stephensilver.substack.com/p/the-march-...

Trump Threatens U.S. Ground Invasion Of Iran —Warns “Big Wave” Of Military Action Is Coming Next Could ground troops be used in the Iran war?

I wrote for Political Tribune about Trump talking about ground troops in Iran polinews.org/trump-threat...

The unearned return of Max Landis If it’s a principle thing, from Paramount as an institution, that Max Landis deserves another chance, then I just couldn’t possibly disagree more.

I wrote about the totally unearned Max Landis comeback, and why "#MeToo has gone too far" is for some reason a key tenet of Bari Weissism, Bill Maherism, and David Ellisonism stephensilver.substack.com/p/the-unearn...

Fin: Paramount gets WBD! Five reasons to worry, and five reasons not to Plus, Riverbend returns, Roman Polanski’s greatest crime, the BAFTA Tourette’s incident and more in this week’s notes column.

In this week’s notes column, I wrote about the Paramount/WBD endgame, the revival of RIVERBEND, Roman Polanski’s greatest crime, the BAFTA/Tourettes thing, and more stephensilver.substack.com/p/fin-paramo...

Three reviews: ‘In the Blink of an Eye,’ ‘Midwinter Break’ and ‘Dreams’ Reviewing three new feature films, out this week.

I reviewed three new movies: IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE, MIDWINTER BREAK and DREAMS stephensilver.substack.com/p/three-revi...

White House Staffer Exposed As The Face Behind—Trump's Old Video Resurface A new report says a major pro-MAGA X account actually works for the White House.

I wrote for Political Tribune about a MAGA account that it turns out works for the White House polinews.org/white-house-...

Why You Should Be Skeptical About that “Kurt Cobain was Murdered” Story » LIVING LIFE FEARLESS The Daily Mail published a bombshell story reportedly revealing the Kurt Cobain was murdered... but we have doubts.

I wrote for Living Life Fearless about why I don't buy the Kurt Cobain "murder" report livinglifefearless.co/2026/music/w...

Tacos and Tinfoil Operation Taco Gary's avoids realism about conspiracy culture without finding a way to let them be wrong. || Stephen Silver

I reviewed OPERATION TACO GARY'S for Splice Today www.splicetoday.com/moving-pictu...

‘Paul McCartney: Man on the Run’ and “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert’ expertly archive the rock of the ‘70s Two new documentaries about elite rockers who entered a new era after the ‘60s

I reviewed both of this week’s two archival music docs, PAUL McCARTNEY: MAN ON THE RUN, and EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT stephensilver.substack.com/p/paul-mccar...