Yo, Philly in the News

- Rick Mariano is back on the streets. No word yet on whether he'll be back to the office before his sentencing.

- The biggest drama in this year's Philadelphia Film Festival may be about a movie, rather than in it. Quentin Perkins' fifteen minute short, The Messenger, has been pulled by investor Pat Croce. Croce invested $100,000 in the film, purportedly a true story, and said he felt "deceived" upon discovering an actor was surreptitiously employed in lieu of the man who is actually the topic of this film. Whereas we're not all that shocked to discover a cinematic "true story" might not be entirely true - we are surprised that anyone would invest $100,000 in a fifteen minute short. After all, the 86 minute (also allegedly true) The Blair Witch Project was made on a budget of $35,000. Perhaps Croce should stick to sports and pirates and leave movies alone.

- Director Kevin Smith is also feeling the heat; his rattling on about Jason Mewes sexual shenanigans at his recent UPenn appearance has garnered him all sorts of attention. He's been blogging the rest of his story about Mewes and his struggles for those of us who only got to hear the Nicole Ritchie part.

Image via Movie Maker