Every weekday of December (except for December 25, that is), Phillyist will be counting down to 2009 with our highlights from the past year and our predictions for the next. If you have a list you'd like to submit, let us know! 10. Wanted Sorry, but I like Angelina Jolie. Maybe watching her on screen in this type of film satisfies my own personal bad ass needs. I read the script for Wanted a while... [continue]

Photograph of Kermit the Frog in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade by Jen Chung Gothamist was horrified when an out-of-control crowd fatally trampled a Wal-Mart worker on Black Friday.Shanghaiist looks at media reports of the supposed ban of Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy.Bostonist saw a lot of hats and a lot of legs while drinking a lot of booze at a pretend USO Show.LAist joined Weezer's Rivers Cuomo for his latest hootenanny in Long Beach.... [continue]

I often catch heat for disliking the whole inbred cluster of Apatow-related films, but I assure you that my dislike has nothing to do with snobbishness against broad, no-brainer comedies. I do own a copy of Joe Dirt. Sometimes, ridiculous comedy can be good, as in Four Christmases. At times, this holiday comedy is rude and cringe-inducing, but for this film, it works. Being over-blitzed by promos for the movie before viewing it, I was... [continue]

Special Thanksgiving Eve edition of what's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. Australia This movie has got a little bit of a lot of varied movie themes: romance between different classes, sweeping landscapes, the backdrop of war... we could go on here, but let's just say there's a reason Baz Lurhmann has taken years to make this movie—it took that long just to figure out how to cram all those pieces into one... [continue]

One of the perks of writing for a website like Phillyist is that you are able to view movies ahead of time, sometimes by way of a DVD screener sent by a publicist. In anticipation of my recent interview with actor/director Robert Davi, I was sent an advance copy of his new movie, The Dukes, which I watched on my (admittedly very small) home television set last Friday night. I enjoyed the film just fine... [continue]

Credit: AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite Chicagoist took umbrage with a New York Times article, explored the Korean food Disneyland, examined Rahm Emanuel's Charades game-face, and checked out a cookbook that focuses on an, er, unorthodox ingredient.Phillyist covered Philadelphia's Prop. 8 protests and continued to debate Eagles fandom.Gothamist bemoaned plans for a fare hike and service cuts as public transit agency MTA unveiled a grim proposal to address a looming, billion-dollar deficit.LAist found a hipster... [continue]

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. A ton of new stuff this week, to make up for last week's drought. The Dukes Starring and directed by Robert Davi, The Dukes is a story of faded Doo Wop stars who, never giving up on their dreams of making the big time, get themselves embroiled in a burglary. The film is a little bit heist comedy, a little bit buddy movie, and a little... [continue]

This Monday, November 24 at 7:30 p.m., the fantastic chef and author Thomas Keller will speak at the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Parkway Central Library. Keller is the James Beard Foundation award winning restauranteur of French Laundry fame. (French Laundry is high up on our must-visit-in-this-lifetime list.) At the event, Chef Keller will be interviewed on-stage by fellow author, and French Laundry Cookbook co-author, Michael Ruhlman. The talk will be followed by a Q &... [continue]

This Saturday night head on down to Tritone for the release party of Matthue Roth's new novel Losers. The book is about growing up in Northeast Philadelphia—a subject near and dear to many of our readers' hearts. As the author describes it, the book is "about Russian Jewish immigrant geeks in Philly (although it's kind of a cover version of Ferris Bueller's Day Off)." Any mention of Ferris Bueller is enough to get us intrigued!... [continue]

Photo by Leanne Maxwell, SFist SFist saw Prop 8 protests continue since election day, including a disturbing anti-LDS one involving a home emblazoned with a "F--- Mormons" banner.Phillyist and its readers debated the merits of keeping Eagles coach Andy Reid around.Torontoist took a look at the newly-renovated Art Gallery of Ontario, designed by hometown hero Frank Gehry.Chicagoist hit up the Prop 8 Protest Rally, looked back at a previous Illinois-centric Presidential inauguration as they... [continue]

Tomorrow, Saturday November 15th, from 1:30-4PM, Philadelphians will be protesting to join in the solidarity for marriage equality. Appropriately, the rally will be held across from LOVE Park (Broad & Market Streets at Dilworth Plaza), because that's what this issue is ultimately about: Love. And if you don't know why this mattters to everyone, watch this:... [continue]

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. With all of the film distrubutors storing up for the holiday film season and end of the year Oscar push, there is only one movie opening in the Philadelphia area this weekend. Luckily in this case, one is all you need. Quantum of Solace Bond. Daniel Craig. Need we say more? Trailer - Freshness Showing at: UA Riverview, The Bridge, UA Main Street 6 Manayunk, AMC... [continue]

Every Tuesday and Thursday, we'll be posting events that are going on sale during the current week. This Tuesday post only collects the early announcements, so definitely check back on Thursday for the latest ticket news. Katy Perry Theater of the Living Arts Sun, 11/5/09, 8PM No price listed On sale: Today, no time of sale listed, Live Nation Valentine Doo-Wop Spectacular The Keswick Theater Sat, 2/7/09, 8PM $45.50-$65.50 On sale: Today, 11AM, Ticketmaster Soilwork... [continue]

This past Saturday the first ever BarCamp Philly was held at the University of the Arts in Center City. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of BarCamp, it is a worldwide network of individually organized user generated conferences, with participating cities spanning the globe. The conference schedule is never prearranged—BarCamp attendees simply show up, and in a very low tech (but functional) organizational system, scribble their presentation topics on a grid of index cards... [continue]

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. Not a whole lot of films opening this weekend, but here's what's happening. Most Likely To Rule: Madagascar 2: Escape To Africa Even movie snobs have to acknowledge the appeal of a well done kid flick, and this one even seems poised to surpass the popularity of the first Madagascar movie. An all star cast including Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Sacha Baron Cohen, Bernie Mac (R.I.P.),... [continue]

As mentioned earlier, Mayor Nutter is speaking today to the City of Philadelphia regarding some major budget cuts that will be taking place. According to the text in the draft of his speech as posted on 6ABC.com, some of the major changes will include: reducing police department overtime and leaving 200 vacant positions unfilled; reducing fire department overtime and cutting 5 engine companies and 2 ladder companies; closing 11 libraries and eliminating Sunday hours at... [continue]

Not only a police drama, Pride and Glory is also an intense family drama, intermixing the lives of the police chief father (Jon Voight), police officer brothers (Noah Emmerich and Edward Norton), and their brother-in-law who is also an officer (Colin Farrell). When a drug bust goes wrong, it touches the lives of all four men. Unfortunately there is not a whole lot that is original to this story involving corrupt cops, one officer investigating... [continue]

If you are looking for a fun (and free!) attraction in the historic section of the city, be sure to check out the recently opened museum at the Chemical Heritage Foundation. Does anything with the word "chemical" in it scare you away as being a bit too brainy? Well don't let it, because CHF has done a marvelous job of creating its permanent exhibition Making Modernity, which includes "scientific instruments and apparatus, rare books,... [continue]

Often times movies require suspension of disbelief, and Eagle Eye is no exception to that requirement. In this action thriller, there are certainly some far-fetched concepts, but nothing that ultimately takes the audience out of the movie, shaking heads in disbelief. It's more of a situation where, over coffee later, one might mention how such-and-such was a little ridiculous, but man that was effing cool when that huge crane smashed through the building. Directed by... [continue]