Sigourney Weaver is 59 today, but a hot chick in a mech killing a monster alien remains a timeless image in the minds of sci-fi geeks everywhere. What? You prefer her as Zuul? Either way, it's unofficially movie night, more specifically documentary night, so read on and go get some popcorn. Just don't make a mess. CINEMATHEQUE: ELECTILE DYSFUNCTION In an election year as dysfunctional as this one, this documentary on the 2006 State Senate......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Ars Nova Workshop: Evans-Halvorson-Walter Trio presented by Ars Nova Workshop at the Rotunda (4014 Walnut), 8PM. Free Further Afield: Screening of 2001: A Space Odyssey at Bryn Mawr Film Institute (824 W Lancaster Ave), 6PM. $10 Closer Afield: Selections from the Newark Black Film Festival at Rutgers Camden Gordon Theater (N 3rd and Pearl Streets, Camden), 7PM. Free (Also tomorrow, 9/25, and 9/26) Got a frugal tip? Don't......

We like dance. We like film. Put ‘em together and you got a series preview. Bryn Mawr Film Institute will be screening two offerings from the Bolshoi Theatre: The Pharaoh’s Daughter tomorrow night and Bolt next Thursday, both at 7:30PM. The screenings serve as a preview of the BMFI fall series of ballet and film, which we await in a pool of anticipatory drool. Pharaoh’s Daughter is unique in that it was originally mounted with......

Editor's note: updated with Thom Cardwell's corrected title. We mentioned the other day that the Philadelphia Film Festival would be continuing its tradition this year of having a series of Evening with the Curators events running up to the launch of the fest. We also mentioned that we'd be attending one, and indeed we did so, last night at the Philadelphia Art Alliance in Center City. Speaking at the event were the executive Development Director......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Puppets!: Doug and Mike’s Adult Entertainment at the Institute of Contemporary Art (118 S. 36th), 6PM. $6 Further Afield—But Worth It: The Best of Black Lily Film and Music Festival 2007 at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute (824 W. Lancaster), 7PM. $9.25 It’s Just a Flesh Wound: Fred Is Dead and Joe Jordan’s Experiment at Tritone (1508 South), 10PM. $5 Quizzo Mania: Get your Quizzo on at 12......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: If the Opera’s Not Your Thing: Cyrano de Bergerac with Gerard Depardieu at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute (824 W. Lancaster Ave), 7PM. $9.25 Jeff Kessler: Jeff Kessler, Kyle Herring, and Sarah Marie White at Upstairs at World Cafe Live (3025 Walnut), 7PM. $8 Feel Bad About Your Shoes: Fashion’s Environmental Footprint, a talk about the real cost of cheap clothing by Heather Iwanow at Ruth Auditorium/Nesbitt Hall......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Talking About Dancing: Shen Wei, artistic director of Shen Wei Dance Arts, will appear with Philadelphia artist Sebastienne Mundheim to discuss the creative process in dance and visual arts, sponsored by Dance/USA and the Kimmel Center (260 S. Broad, Rendell Room on the First Tier), 6:30-8PM. Free (You can check out the non-Frugal Shen Wei Dance Arts performance at the Kimmel February 15-17) Further Afield: Jersey Justice, a......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: No Really, West: The only remaining original print of West Side Story will be shown at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute (824 W. Lancaster Avenue), 7PM. $9.25 Grubstake: Grubstake and A.K.A.C.O.D. at Tritone http://www.tritonebar.com/ (1508 South), 9PM. $5 Girl With Harp: Gillian Grassie and The Coal Men at World Café Live (3025 Walnut), 8PM. $9 ($7 if using cash) Quizzo Mania: Get your Quizzo on at 12 Steps......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Temple University Jazz Ensemble: Presented by Temple University - Boyer College of Music and Dance and directed by Dick Oatts at Klein Recital Hall (13th and Norris), 7:30 PM. Free Jon Regen: Singer, songwriter and pianist Jon Regen plays Upstairs at World Cafe Live (3025 Walnut), 8PM. $10 Further Afield: The Killer Within at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute (824 W. Lancaster Avenue), 7PM. $9.25 Say Word Wednesday:......

Time to gear up, people: the 16th Philadelphia Film Festival starts tomorrow! As we did last year, Phillyist is planning plenty of coverage, mostly taking the form of film festival diary entries from various staff members (including, of course, yours truly, whose schedule can be seen here, in case you're interested). But what's going on this year, and what should you look forward to? Well, we're glad you asked. Let's pick through the overview press......

Wow! Did this creep up on anybody else? We were thinking this was still a ways off, and then all of the sudden the website is live, the schedule is up, and tickets go on sale TODAY (although as of this writing, the links for purchasing don't seem to be live yet online)! (UPDATE: Online ticketing now appears to be up and running.) We haven't had a chance to look over this year's list of......

The Bryn Mawr Film Institute will screen Scene Not Heard: Women in Philadelphia Hip-Hop this Wednesday night at 7:30. A documentary brought to life by Maori Karmael Holmes of Black Lily fame, the film examines the unique place of women in the local hip-hop scene and the special challenges they face in a culture that doesn't always appreciate a strong female voice. The "cast" includes favorites Floetry, Bahamadia, and Lady B; there's also some rare......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: An Evening with Garrett Brown: Philadelphia native and 3-time Academy Award winner, Garrett Brown, invented the Steadicam. He'll be speaking at The Bryn Mawr Film Institute (824 W. Lancaster Avenue) prior to a screening of Rocky - the first film to implement this technology. The talk begins at 7PM, and tickets are $8.75. Music at The Church: Tapes N Tapes, Figurines and The Cold War Kids are at......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Pennypack Musical Festival: This week in Pennypack Park, Elvis Impersonator Tony Liguori. Free from 7PM - 9:30PM. Elevator to the Gallows: Louis Malle's Elevator to the Gallows is screening at the Bryn Mawr Film Institute (824 West Lancaster Avenue ) at 7PM. $8.75 Harry and the Potters: Lit-pop duo Harry and the Potters play with Jason Anderson 7PM at the World Cafe (3025 Walnut Street). $8 Got a......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Bioethics Symposium: In conjunction with their production of A Number (part of the Caryl Churchill Festival), The Wilma Theater is presenting a free symposium on Bioethics. In attendance will be Dr. Arthur Caplan (Chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and the Director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania), Dr. Paul Root Wolpe (Senior Fellow of the Center for Bioethics and both Chief of......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY Heartbreak Beat: It's Sex Dwarf time again, and this month's theme is the Psychedelic Furs. In honor of this theme, dancers are encouraged to wear their "most bitchin' DAYGLO." At last month's event, DJ Robert Drake said they were "serious" about this. We can't imagine how they might punish offenders...unless it's by dressing them up in extra bright Dayglo? Ah well, no matter. Sex Dwarf always feels......

Are you as excited about the upcoming 15th Philadelphia Film Festival as Phillyist is?! We don't really see how you could be, but okay. Anyway, if you just can't wait to know this year's line-up (we mean besides the Danger After Dark program; you already know that, thanks to us), and/or you're desperate to know more about how the films were selected and which of them are going to be really good, you should show......

Mike Judge once gave the world Beavis and Butthead; now, along with Don Hertzfeldt, he's presenting The Animation Show; a collection of animated short films from all over the world. The Animation Show has 3 stops in the Philadelphia area this week: Wednesday in Bryn Mawr, Thrusday in Ambler, and tonight in Doylestown. Our experience as that shorts in these festivals can range anywhere from hysterically funny to heartbreakingly moving to just plain weird. (Check......