Fun around town, for $10 or less: Nobody’s Fool: Camp Bette continues with an outdoor screening of All About Eve at the International House (3701 Chestnut), 8PM. Free Jazzy: The Friends of Malcolm X Memorial Park present Barbara Walker at the Summer Heritage Jazz Series in the Park (52nd and Pine), 7-9PM. Free Transform Your Mind: Introduction to Buddhist psychology presented by the Menlha Buddhist Center at the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia (1906 S......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Open Up: Open Mic at Wooden Shoe Books (508 S 5th), 7-10PM. Free Hush Up: Outdoor screening of Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte at the International House (3701 Chestnut), 8PM. Free Quiet Down: Intro to Buddhist meditation presented by the Menlha Buddhist Center at the Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia (1906 S Rittenhouse Sq), 7-8:30PM. $10 Got a frugal tip? Don't be stingy! Send it here and share the......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY: Wrecked: Say goodbye to uncomfortable seating at The Wrecking Ball, celebrating the impending renovations of Hopkinson Hall with a dance party, films from Secret Cinema, food and raffles at the International House (3701 Chestnut), 8PM. Free They’re Just a Bunch of Pansies: Pansy Division in concert, post-documentary screening and pre-Sex Dwarf, at the Troc (1003 Arch), 9PM. $10 SATURDAY: Go Global: Global Fusion Festival at Great Plaza......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY: They Most Certainly Do: Screening of Girls Rock! The Movie, following girls enrolled in The Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls in Oregon, to benefit Girls Rock Philly (coming August 4-9) at 941 Theater (941 N Front), 7PM reception, 8PM screening. $7 Music on the River: Sounds of R&B Series featuring Fertile Ground at the Great Plaza on Penn's Landing (Chestnut and Columbus Blvd), 7:30PM. Free From......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Gather ‘Em Up: The Gathering, a monthly collection of emcees, graffiti artists, and pop-lockers tearing it up at the Rotunda (4014 Walnut), 10PM-2AM. Free (donations appreciated) Moving Pictures: Tango of Slaves and Zygosis as part of the Moving Pictures series at the International House (3701 Chestnut), 7PM. $7 Boogaloo!: The Dirty Boogaloo from NYC gives Philly some love with a side of Souljazz at The Fire (412 W......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Nymphs Welcome: Marathon reading of Nabokov’s Lolita, marking the 50th anniversary of its American publication, at the Kelly Writers House (3805 Locust Walk), Noon. Free Another Film Festival: Nextframe International Film Festival is giving a sneak peek at short films from around the world at the International House (3701 Chestnut), 7PM. $7 Count Von Count: Count Von Count, The Murderkill 100, Fall of Man, and Backwoods Payback at......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend Witnesses or Svjedoci Set in a small town in Croatia during the civil war of the early '90s, this film adaptation of the novel Plaster Sheep tells the story of the investigation into the murder of a Serbian smuggler and loan shark. The story is told from multiple perspectives and only slowly does the reason for the murder become clear. Sounds interesting, and the majority of......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: The Music of Regret: Artist Laurie Simmons introduces her The Music of Regret, a mini-musical in three acts, as part of the ICA Puppet Show, at the International House (3701 Chestnut), 7PM. $6 Thinking Is Hard: "Critical Thinking," a panel discussion of Philly’s One Film The Emperor of the Sun, at World Café Live (3025 Walnut), 7PM. Free Drinking Is Not: Test your knowledge of The Emperor of......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY Famous Films II: The Secret Cinema presents a second installment of their Famous Films series, including A Trip to the Moon (you've seen clips, trust us), at the Moore College of Art and Design (20th and Race), 8PM. $7 Jeannie Gagne: Jeannie Gagne at the Unitarian Society of Germantown (6511 Lincoln Drive—West Mt. Airy), 8PM. $10 Cold: Absolute Zeros, Parsnip Revolt, and Dylan McGuire at Fergie’s Pub......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. Most Likely to Rule: Be Kind Rewind Expect our review of this Michel Gondry comedy, starring Jack Black, Mos Def, and Danny Glover, later on this morning. Trailer - Freshness Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse The Band's Visit A fish-out-of-water comedy about the Ceremonial Police Band of Alexandria, Egypt arriving for a gig in Israel, only to find that their hosts and transportation have failed......

The sweet scent of Friday is in the air, and as those without significant others recover from their hangovers and push their anti-couples bitterness back into the depths of their souls, let us all unite in giving thanks for another weekend. To whom shall we offer this thanks? Well, how about Mayor Michael "Here's My Budget" Nutter? A WALK INTO THE SEA: DANNY WILLIAMS & THE WARHOL FACTORY (2007) If you're an Andy Warhol......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. Academy Award Nominated Animated Shorts Academy Award Nominated Live-Action Shorts Wow, this is totally cool: the Ritz at the Bourse is actually screening all the animated and live-action short films that have been nominated for Oscars this year. These films are usually quite difficult to see, so this is a really neat opportunity. Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse George Romero's Diary of the Dead It's......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days Two friends and roommates in Communist Romania in the late '80s find themselves with a problem: one of them is pregnant and needs an abortion, but abortions are illegal. They find a man who will perform one anyway, but he won't accept money, and demands an "alternate" commodity instead. Eeww. This is getting great reviews, but it also sounds......

Strange and amusing stories are already pouring out of Milton Street's trial. Yesterday Philadelphia Airport Services official Gregory Taylor testified that Milt's "financial problems and apparent affinity for debt had led Street to bounce three checks for $133,000 each - part of an alleged kickback - that he had written to PAS. And that Street had asked for personal loans and demanded that PAS hire a politically connected minister for a no-show job." Today,......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Small Changes: Smells Like Teen Spirit and Building a Broken Mousetrap, two films by Jem Cohen, presented by the Small Changes film screening series at the International House (3701 Chestnut), 7PM. $7 Solstice Film Series 07: Third installment of the Solstice Film Series, a showcase for short independent films, at National Mechanics (22 S. 3rd), 8PM. Free Single Mingle: Perfect Pairings Tasting Event, benefiting Philly PAWS (the Philadelphia......

To say we like puppets is probably an understatement. What’s there not to like about talking pieces of wood? Or, for that matter, watching humans channel their emotions and desires through a manipulate-able avatar? Twilight Zone aside, it sounds like a surefire recipe for fun. The Institute for Contemporary Art obviously agrees: their new exhibit The Puppet Show, which looks at the imagery of puppets in contemporary art, opens tonight at ICA’s Winter Opening Reception......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. Juno - Another of this year's big pregnancy comedies! We'll have a review coming up later today. Trailer Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse The Red Balloon - A remake of the 1956 French classic about the evil red balloon that stalks and kills people! Well, okay, it's not a mean and deadly balloon. But it does stalk people! Juliette Binoche stars as a single mother......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Savoring the Salt: Scribe Video Center, Film at International House, and Temple University Press present “A Celebration of the Film Work of Toni Cade Bambara,” including a panel discussion and screening of The Bombing of Osage Avenue at the International House (3701 Chestnut), 7PM. $10 The Martha Graham Cracker Cabaret: Our favorite Martha brings her fabulous cabaret to L'Etage (634 S. 6th), on the 2nd floor of Creperie......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Reelblack: Wu: The Story of the Wu-Tang Clan and Chief Rocker Busy Bee: The Architect Vol. 1 at the International House (3701 Chestnut), 7PM. $7 Armed America: Author Kyle Cassidy speaks about his book Armed America: Portraits of Gun Owners in Their Homes at Germ Books and Gallery (2005 Frankford Ave), 7PM. Free Margot & The Nuclear So and So's: Margot & The Nuclear So and So's, Le......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. Most Likely to Rule: The Rape of Europa - Joan Allen narrates a documentary about the art destroyed and displaced by the Nazis during WWII, and the attempts - which began then and are still going on today - by museum officials and art historians to rescue and return said art. Sounds totally fascinating, and the reviews are very good. And given the slim pickings this......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. Finishing the Game - We posted the preview for this one a ways back. It's a mockumentary about director Robert Clouse's attempt to finish the film Game of Death after the untimely death of its star, Bruce Lee. In Finishing the Game, Clouse starts a frantic search for an impersonator to replace Lee, and much wackiness and Hollywood satire ensue. Sounds like fun, but keep in......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Hey, we’re bad Catholics: Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, To Bad Catholics, and Trtl Soup, courtesy of the folks at R5, at Johnny Brenda’s (1201 N. Frankford), 9 PM. $10 (21+) Foreskin’s Lament: Shalom Auslander, author of Foreskin’s Lament: A Memoir, will be reading from the book at the Free Library (1901 Vine), 7PM. Free. (P.S. Our friends in Boston can give you the skinny.) Trolleyvox: The Trolleyvox,......

Yes, it's that time of year again: gift-getting time! Will Santa bring you that video game console you're hoping for? Or is this finally the year when Satan will give you eternal life and help you take over the world? Perhaps in honor of this wonderful time of year, the International House has quite a treat for us tonight: not only are they screening famous German filmmaker F.W. Murnau's silent film Faust (adapted from......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend My Kid Could Paint That - A documentary about child painter Marla Olmstead, and the questions about aesthetics that her story brings to the forefront. She and her family went on a rollercoaster ride of fame and infamy. Her paintings were hailed as great works of abstract expressionism by some, and started selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars. She appeared on many national news programs.......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: At the Church: Avail, Smoke Or Fire, Let Down, and Bridge & Tunnel at the First Unitarian Church (22nd and Chestnut Streets), 7:30PM via the fine folks at R5. $10 Rocky Roads: Showing of Rocky Road to Dublin (a portrait of Ireland in the Sixties) with The Making of Rocky Road to Dublin at the International House (3701 Chestnut), 7PM. $5-$7 Venezuelan Serenade: Serenata Guayanesa, world-renowned vocal......

What's new and/or interesting at Philly theaters this weekend. Control - A biopic about Ian Curtis, the frontman of Joy Division, who hanged himself at a young age on the eve of the band's first U.S. tour. The film is based on a book by Curtis' wife Deborah. Newcomer Sam Riley stars as Curtis opposite Samantha Morton. Obviously it doesn't have a particularly happy ending, but the reviews are generally quite good, and it's a......

What's new and/or interesting in theaters this weekend. For the Bible Tells Me So - This is a documentary looking at Christianity and homosexuality, and whether the two can possibly get along. It includes interviews with people on both sides of the debate, and looks at whether the parts of the Bible that are supposedly anti-gay haven't perhaps been taken out of context and used to serve a political agenda. Sounds like a very interesting......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With - Jeff Garlin plays a rather pathetic Chicago actor who lives with his mother, and who, in the opening scenes of the film, gets dumped by his girlfriend, loses a part to Aaron Carter, and leaves an Overeaters Anonymous meeting to go to an ice cream parlor. When he falls for a girl there (Sarah Silverman), it could mean......

Yes, it's back! Classical music concerts have returned to Philadelphia after a much-deserved break. Get excited for the upcoming year. Monday The Momenta String Quartet presents a free lunchtime concert, mixing some of its new season with some old favorites. Swarthmore College; 12:30 PM; FREE Tuesday Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra Sextet combines jazz sensibilities with unexpected sound clips and visuals. Catch them on tour as they stop at Philadelphia's International House. International House Philadelphia......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. Rocket Science - When a film is described as "inspirational," we immediately approach it with suspicion, but this one at least has an interesting premise: a 15-year-old high school student (Reece Thompson) with an uncontrollable stutter decides to work through his disability by joining the debate team at school. The film is directed by Jeffrey Blitz, who overcame a speech impediment of his own as a......