Phillyist Weekly Favorites

Whiz of the Web: Tuesday Torpedoes

The shapeless dough of the internet, formed into tasty pellets and baked to perfection, just for you.

As we all know, everything is better with bacon. And now you can add bacon to all your favorite websites! Try Phillyist with bacon! It's crunchy and salty and tasty and Philly. (Via Stephanie)

More year-end lists! Wired picks the top 10 games and gadgets of 2008. Meanwhile, Shiny Shiny also picked the best gadgets of 2008.

Check out a hilarious tour of PS3's Home, courtesy The Slackerz.

A blogger wonderfully illustrates an awesome dream he had about being one of a team of Batmen sent to stop Darth Vader from turning people into zombies at the mall. (Via)

Do you love Optimus Prime, but always figured you'd love him more if he was a hot chick? Well, first of all, you're sick. And second of all, here you go. (Via)

Super Punch presents more Christmas and Hanukkah links.

I Can Has Cheezburger wishes you a happy holiday the only way they know how: with a video of painfully cute kitties doing painfully cute things, accompanied by poorly spelled captions. Enjoy!

Dude Twittered his plane crash.

This is pretty great: a YouTube user has applied old MST3K gags to a modern commercial.

Wired's latest how-to wiki finally teaches us how to do something important: how to fold an origami Millenium Falcon!

Wired presents a gallery of 10 outrageous gifts for gearheads, and a list of 10 cool cars.

Another list from Wired: 8 signs that Apple customers are no longer special.

The Linux Foundation is asking Linux users to submit videos demonstrating the "I'm Linux" theme, to counter the popular "I'm a PC" and "I'm a Mac" ads. The creator of the best video will win a free trip to Tokyo to participate in the Linux Foundation Japan Linux Symposium next October. (Via)

Cinematical selects seven cult and campy holiday movies.

MTV finally sat down David Fincher and got him to explain what in hell's name is the deal with him making a chef comedy starring Keanu Reeves. Nope, we still don't get it.

A YouTube user has thrown together an amusing trailer for a live-action Thundercats movie, using clips from other films which have been altered in sometimes pretty impressive ways.

A poster for Land of the Lost has hit the web.

Windows XP has had its life extended again. Microsoft had planned to tell computer makers to stop preloading the software on new notebook and desktop systems on January 31, 2009, but now computer makers are allowed to continue shipping machines with Windows XP through 2009.

Google has added the ability to search by a particular style or type of image to its already pretty handy image search feature.

A super-geeky Christmas tree.

Santa is upgrading his tech. Now you can chat with him online.

Sci Fi Wire looks at six sci-fi shows that are on the ratings ropes and analyzes their chances of being back next season.

J.J. Abrams posted an update on the progress of Star Trek to the movie's Facebook page; he says the film is getting some final tweaks, but should be totally locked next week.

It's nice that they're having a charity auction of autographed posters and memorabilia from The Spirit. But all those who purchase the items should do so for charity purposes only—and then maybe burn them all in a bonfire. Also for charity! And speaking of The Spirit, the Movie Blog takes a close look at the desperate, sad, and misleading marketing for the film.

Download some 8-bit Christmas music for free! And while we're talking free downloads, here's one of a video wherein American comedy luminaries talk about the influence of Monty Python.

A vaguely amusing video of Darth Vader getting the shoe treatment during a press conference.

More downloadable Mega Man titles could be on the way.

The theme of Wii Fanboy's latest top 5 is Christmastime in gaming.

Super Punch continues to post about the interesting marketing for Coraline.

You can download Credit Crunch, the board game, from The Economist website. (Via)

Cute little Planet of the Apes figures. That's just creepy.

From the priceless headlines department: "Mice suspected in deadly cat fire." They're getting their revenge! (Via)

Sounds like the "open world" in No More Heroes 2 might be a little more open than it was in No More Heroes.

Microsoft just might be planning to make it possible for the Zune and the Xbox to interface with each other.

GameDaily has a two-part persons of the year list. (Via)

Game designer Warren Spector is apparently working an epic Mickey Mouse project with folks from Disney Feature Animation and Pixar.

New screenshots from Batman: Arkham Asylum.

The match-up you were all waiting for: Mario vs. Spartan.

How about a Chanel handbag made out of beef jerky? Mmm mmm! (Via Jill)

Photo of a bacon pie shell by Flickr user spitecho

Running of the Santas

Running of the Santas raises funds for pediatric cancer research, but that doesn't stop the participants from ruining Christmas for dozens of little kids every year. We were out on Third Street the afternoon of the event and saw a group of drunken "Santas" surround a toddler and start "ho ho ho"ing. The intended effect was laughter. That wasn't the result.

Whiz of the Web: Monday Meat Slices

The best of the internet, chopped into tiny bits and grilled for your enjoyment.

We've got more fun Christmas comic scans for you, including a surprisingly moving (and funny) story about the Marvel heroes' Christmas party, and a silly story about the Marvel villains' holiday party.

Cinematical picks the seven most obnoxious Christmas comedies.

A new 30-minute Wallace and Gromit short will premiere on BBC1 on Christmas Day. Hopefully it'll hit the internet shortly thereafter!

Fox is developing Bitches, a dramedy about a quartet of female friends in New York who are werewolves, from Superman Returns co-writer Michael Dougherty. We can imagine exactly how Dougherty pitched it, too: "It's like Sex and the City, but they're all werewolves!"

What if Uwe Boll made a film adaptation of Contra? Answer: it would be hilarious.

NPR totally copied us and made a list of the best superhero graphic novels of 2008 (via). Also, Metro is picking the ten best things on the internet for 2008 (via), and Warren Ellis is on there. We put him on one of our best of 2008 lists, too!

We doubt the veracity of Alt Text's story of the origin of Santa Claus. But it sure is funny!

The New York Times picks some of its favorite video games of the year. (Via)

A new Judge Dredd movie is on the way. That's not really a sentence we ever thought we'd write. It sounds like it'll be a reboot rather than a sequel. Should be interesting!

The Vault of Horror picks the top 25 horror films of the modern era, and Cinematical picks the top 30.

Wow, a Barbie inspired by The Birds? That's... odd.

James Cameron is supposedly interested in making that new Forbidden Planet movie, based on JMS' script. Movie news sites are reporting that the script tells the story of the Bellerophon, the first ship to arrive at the titular planet, and that if the first film works out, they have the ingredients for a trilogy. In said trilogy, they'd eventually make their way back to the events of the original Forbidden Planet.

Paramount is moving forward with a new Jack Ryan film, and to that end has hired a writer: Hossein Amini.

Keanu Reeves says of the live-action film adaptation of Cowboy Bebop: "We've got the rights, we've got a writer." So, sounds like that's moving along.

Christopher McQuarrie is reportedly writing three different projects for Tom Cruise to star in. They include a remake of a French thriller called The Tourist, a movie about WWII fighter pilots called Flying Tigers, and an adaptation of a British television series called The Champions.

Rumors about the Android G2 are already flying.

A company called Infinity Storage Media has succeeded in creating a hybrid disc with both DVD and Blu-ray data layers, capable of playing on a DVD player, and in high definition on your Blu-ray player.

In the near future, GE hopes to challenge the light bulb's dominance of home illumination with its process of printing OLED material onto metal foil. But in the meantime, they made a snazzy Christmas tree with it.

Sci Fi Wire had a fun conversation with NPH wherein he said he'd love to do a sequel to Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and/or appear in Joss Whedon's new show, Dollhouse, but he has no idea what the chances are of either of those things actually happening.

Jennifer's Body has a release date! It's September 18, 2009.

Frank Miller and Odd Lot Entertainment, the creator and production company behind The Spirit, may be teaming up again on Buck Rogers. After you read our review of The Spirit, coming later on this week, you'll know why this is really terrible news.

Game|Life takes a look back on how it did on its predictions for this year.

Another company feeling the economic pinch is Electronic Arts. It'll cut 1,000 jobs—10% of its workforce—by March.

Gore Verbinski of Pirates fame will direct a film about Second Life for Universal.

Check out the R2 chorus line.

Stephen Chow was going to direct The Green Hornet and star in it as Kato. Now he's stepped down as director due to creative differences, although it sounds like he might be staying on as Kato.

The Movie Blog hands out awards for 2008.

The BBC says David Tennant should be able to resume filming on Doctor Who on time next month, despite his recent back surgery.

EW.com says John Cho (Sulu in the new Star Trek) has been cast as the Mandarin in Iron Man 2.

Star Trek: Phase II has brought back a homosexual storyline deemed too risky for The Next Generation. The story by former Trek TV writer David Gerrold has been adapted to the original series timeline, and "features the nephew of James T. Kirk in a gay relationship with an Enterprise crewman as the ship faces an AIDS-like contagion and a threat from the Klingon empire." Kirk agrees to perform a same-sex wedding ceremony for his nephew, if the Enterprise survives. Download the episode here. (Via)

We have to admit, even though we found the Clone Wars movie pretty mediocre, we've really been enjoying the TV series. Underwire has the skinny on an upcoming online marathon of the show, and when we can expect to see the next episode.

Exciting news from Cinematic Titanic! The next two films they plan to tackle are Blood of the Vampires and Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks, with the first due in January.

Underwire collects some pretty cool items for the rare person on your gift list who's both a sports fan and a Star Wars fan.

Gingerbread houses are so last century. Why not make a gingerbread NES?

We Rock: Drum King appears to be an attempt to capture the popularity of the drumming experience from Rock Band, minus the giant peripheral. You just use Wii Remotes as your drum sticks.

Super Punch has yet more Christmas links, as well as some Hanukkah links... sort of.

Steven Seagal versus an army of vampires. Ha!

The film adaptation of Castlevania could be put on hold yet again if the SAG strikes. Meanwhile, the film adaptation of Spy Hunter might not happen, as Paul W.S. Anderson stepped away from the project because the screenplay is terrible. And if it's not even good enough for him, it must be pretty bad!

We're very glad that companies are seeing the light and are going to stop using that horrible clamshell packaging. Sony is the latest company to announce they're dropping the stuff.

Image Credit: Flickr user kevindooley

Wolgin Art Prize Announced

The largest art prize of its kind in the world was announced by Temple University a few days ago.

The Jack Wolgin International Competition in the Arts at the Tyler School of Art at Temple University has been established by the real estate developer, banker and philanthropist Jack Wolgin of Philadelphia.

According to Tyler, "the winner of the Jack Wolgin International Competition in the Arts will be selected by a jury of internationally renowned professionals in the arts. The largest Prize of it's [sic] kind, the Jack Wolgin Competition in the Arts is open to artists around the world. Complete eligibility rules and the nomination process will be announced by February 1, 2008."

The $150,000 annual prize will be awarded to "a professional artist of international stature" and "intended to support an artist at a critical professional juncture."We applaud the spectacular generosity behind this new visual art prize, especially in these times of financial austerity and this is great news for visual artists all over the world and even greater good news for the Philadelphia art scene.

We also sincerely hope that the new prize's selection panel will have the cojones to look deeply to nominate artists that are truly at "a critical professional juncture" and not just xerox out a bunch of names of the usual suspects.

The days when museum curators and major art prizes would look to "discover" new artists and provide them with a catapult to rise to the next level are long gone, as one has to go back to the 80s to find major museums giving an artist their first ever museum solo show, or a major art prize delivering the opportunity to shine a focus light on an artist truly at a "critical professional juncture."

Sadly the same lack of cojones seems to have infected the major art prizes of the world, and we hope that Tyler and its yet to be named international selection jury get some brass into their system and make a statement with this new and generous prize.

According to the highly respected Fallon & Rosof artblog,"Wolgin... has a history with art that pushes limits and breaks through boundaries," and thus we suspect that a radical departure from cookie-cutter prizegiving would be attractive to Mr. Wolgin. Done correctly, the Wolgin Prize can be a real catapult for an artist who needs a critical push, rather than a re-affirmation for an already well-known name.

Our nomination for the 2009 Wolgin Prize goes to Philly's own Zoe Strauss!

Photo of Jack Wolgin by Kim Sargent via Temple University.

Yo, Philly in the News

A verdict has been reached in the Fort Dix terrorism trial: the five men were found guilty of conspiracy. They were aquitted of the attempted murder charge since there was no evidence of a final plan and no attack was carried out. Emotional family members of the convicted men denounced the verdict, claiming that the men were convicted because they are Muslims.

At the memorial service for police Sgt. Timothy Simpson yesterday, Mayor Nutter used that opportunity to vow that he will not rest until the city is safer.

At a frigid noon-time rally yesterday at LOVE Park, Philadelphia citizens mourned the deaths of the 85 homeless men and women who passed away on the streets or in city shelters in the last year. Participants held placards with the names of each person, ringing a cowbell as the person's name was individually called.

With a record of 9-6, the Chicago Bears passed the Eagles in the Wild Card race.

The company behind the Good Luck Troll has sued Philadelphia-based retailer Urban Outfitters for alleged copyright infringement, claiming UO has knocked off their troll's image by selling the "Turf Troll," a Chia Pet-like figure that sports a happy troll face and sprouts plants for its hair when watered. Really, this is what we need to be concerning ourselves with these days?

Image credit: Flickr user lastrandy

CinePhillyist

The Reader
The Reader is based on the German novel of the same name and set in post WWII Germany. It tells the story of a law student who as a young adult had an affair with an older woman and now watches as she is tried for war crimes. Given the subject matter, it sounds like a pretty depressing way to spend your holiday movie viewing, and critical acclaim has been mixed, but would someone please give Kate Winslet a damn Oscar already? If she doesn't get one for this, she might get one for Revolutionary Road (not out in Philly area theaters yet this week).
Trailer - Freshness
Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse, Ritz Sixteen

Marley & Me
Here is your sugary sweet and sappy date movie of the holidays. Hot Hollywood stars in the leading romantic roles? Check. Based on a New York Times bestselling book? Check. Life lessons learned from experiences with a cute doggy? Check. The formula is there for a hit, and it will surely do well at the box office, but it seems like the substance might not be there. This is not high quality, Demerara sugar sweetness, it's more like a packet of artificial sweetener that's been shoved underneath the leg of a restaurant table to keep it from wobbling.
Trailer - Freshness
Showing at: UA Riverview, AMC Loews Cherry Hill, Ritz Sixteen

Gran Torino
Later today we will have a review of this drama directed by and starring Clint Eastwood.
Trailer - Freshness
Showing at: Ritz Five, AMC Loews Cherry Hill, Ritz Sixteen, UA King of Prussia

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
We will also be reviewing this gorgeous film, starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.
Trailer - Freshness
Showing at: UA Riverview, The Bridge, UA Main Street Manayunk, AMC Loews Cherry Hill, Ritz Sixteen

The Spirit
Tomorrow we will have a review of this gloriously awful movie. Per mandate, the review cannot be published until Christmas day. We are running it at 12:01 am, so if at some point your are sick of your family festivities and need an escape, check out Phillyist to read Jim's awesome ripping of this film.
Trailer - Freshness
Showing at: UA Riverview, AMC Loews Cherry Hill, Ritz Sixteen

Bedtime Stories
A Disney movie like this reminds me of the good old days of youth, before CGI, before Pixar, when they made simple, yet fantastical stories meant to expand the imagination of children with the inventive tale. Not that this movie looks like a quality one, because it doesn't. But often childrens' movies don't have to be the best in order to become a favorite memory.
Trailer - Freshness
Showing at: UA Riverview, The Bridge, AMC Loews Cherry Hill, Ritz Sixteen

Valkyrie
People are being too hard on this one. Tom Cruise is a freak of nature, for sure, but often the best and most engaging actors are. This is also a movie that isn't exactly light holiday subject matter, but the topic is a fascinating one: the 1944 plot by German officers to kill Adolf Hitler. Cruise's Scientology ties are causing controversy around the film, but perhaps movie-goers will be able to see past his issues and appreciate this intense historical thriller.
Trailer - Freshness
Showing at: UA Riverview, The Bridge, AMC Loews Cherry Hill, Ritz Sixteen

Image via About.com

Photoist

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Photographer: missdanika
Location: Penn Treaty Park, Fishtown
Camera: Nikon

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Week Around the Ists

Torontoist exposed infamous local fiend Dimitri the Lover's new protégé, Pavel the Lover—a man who approaches underage girls, calls them "elegant," and passes them business cards asking them if they'd like to "swing on a star."
SFist was disheartened to hear that Equality California's executive director refused to attend next month's inauguration due to Barack Obama's regrettable decision to have anti-gay and pro-Prop 8 pastor Rick Warren deliver the invocation, but perked up when attorney general and former (and future?) CA Governor Jerry Brown said that same-sex marriage ban Prop 8 was invalid.
Bostonist interviewed Jamie Sneider, a comedian who likes to be naked and checked out the action at Fenway's Cask'n Flagon, where fists flew at a charity ball.
Phillyist revealed the ten names rejected by the Campbell family before they settled on naming their son for the Fuhrer.
Chicagoist watched Governor Rod Blagojevich's quick speech and marveled at a local artist's interpretation of Blago in the nude, toasted Drew Peterson for getting engaged while his fourth wife remains missing and his third wife remains murdered, and talked about not much plowing and calling dibs on parking during a snowy week.
DCist commenters had a lot to say about whether MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski was really mugged outside the Georgetown Ritz Carlton or just fell prey to an aggressive panhandler.
Seattlest's coverage of Snowmageddon 2008 started off fun, with visiting reindeer and snowbound drink suggestions, but then two charter buses nearly took a 30-foot header off Capitol Hill onto I-5.
Houstonist started scheming to turn a Space Shuttle into a taco truck, a teaching lab or an arts center if they could get their hands on $42M to buy one when they are decommissioned in 2010.
LAist wondered if Obama choosing evangelical minster Rick Warren to speak at the inauguration would pick at the Prop 8 wound; to prove Prop 8 was still a priority, protests were organized this weekend, as supporters of the Prop filed a lawsuit to nullify the 18,000 gay marriages that took place in California this year.
Shanghaiist was amused by this video of a Canadian guy singing The Star Spangled Banner in Chinese.
Londonist salivated over space shuttles and skating Santas.
Gothamist got to see Governor Paterson (1) get spoofed on Saturday Night Live, (2) express his anger about it, and then (3) refer it the spoof again when he introduced a bevy of new taxes, including an "iPod tax" and "non-diet soda tax."

Yo, Philly in the News

The Eagles prove once again that Philly teams really know how to choke in clutch situations with their 10-3 loss last night to the Redskins.

Bundle up out there, kiddies. Today's going to be a cold one, with temperatures only reaching the 20s.

A local businessman was the first person to cross Antarctica to the South Pole. If he's back in the area now, at least he will be prepared for today's frigid weather. Our favorite part of this story is that he did the trek without support, "according to his support team."

PA state officials have closed a Lancaster County dog kennel that had been previously cited for filthy conditions and animal neglect. Ninety-six dogs, some with bite wounds and infected body parts, were seized.

Police believe that the assailant who bound, gagged, sexually assaulted, and held hostage two University of Pennsylvania women on Friday night might be the same person who committed an attack in Center City on October 22nd. In both instances, the victims were held in their apartments and terrorized for hours. Scary

Image credit: Flickr user D.G. Oakill

Frugal Fun Alert: Monday

Fun around town, for $10 or less:

Movie Monday: The Monday movie at the Trocadero (1003 Arch Street) is a real treat this week: it's The Dark Knight. The doors open at 6:30PM, the show starts at 8PM, and the $3 entry fee goes toward a drink. 21+

The Comedy Revolution: Comic Energy presents a two hour show featuring sketch comedy, standup, improv, comedy film shorts, musical comedy, special hosts, and much more, every Monday at 9PM at The Prime Lounge (1200 Sansom Street). $10. Buy tickets online or call 215-397-3040.

Ben Schachter's Re:Trio: Performing from 9:30PM to 12:30AM at Doc Watson's Pub (216 S. 11th St.). $5. Call 215-922-3427 for more information.

Open Mic: Free at The Fire (412 W. Girard). Sign up at 8:30PM. (21+)

Sing Your Life!: Karaoke With DJ Sara Sherr Mondays upstairs at the Khyber (56 S. Second), 9PM - 2 AM. Free (21+)

Got a frugal tip? Don't be stingy! Send it here and share the wealth!

Countdown to 2009: Lenny's Top 5 Art Shows of 2008

Trying to assemble a list of the top five art shows of any year always starts with a mine field of exceptions and caveats. To start, at any given time the person giving their opinion has only seen about 5% of all available art shows, especially in a city as culturally rich and diverse such as Philadelphia, which is lucky to have so many art galleries heroically attempting to survive in an area where not too many people buy artwork. We're also lucky to have some of the best universities and colleges in the nation around here, each offering their own visual arts programs on a monthly basis, as well as one of the planet's best art museums in our own PMA.

And thus at the risk of ignoring the hundreds and hundreds of shows that I never got to see, here's our opinion on the top five art shows that I did see in 2008:

5. First Fridays. A well done set of kudos to all the independent commercial fine art galleries, the cooperative art galleries, the non-profit art spaces and all the alternative art venues which each first Friday of the month put out some of the best art exhibits in the nation. We're looking forward to 2009!

4. Alice Neel: Drawing from Life at Moore. Alice Neel, a Philadelphia native and alumna of the Moore College of Art & Design is now recognized as one of the 20th century art icons. But because she was a woman and a representational painter, during most of her life she struggled against the prejudices against her gender and her art in a time when abstraction was the focus of critics and museums. Neel's art proved to be the winner and this focused exhibition at Moore was a gem of a show.

3. Moore College Senior Art Show. We love student artwork, and we saw a lot of it this year. In Moore's graduation show to its 2008 class we found an enviable group of new artists about to enter the professional art scene and we were especially impressed by the work of Roseanne D'Andrea, Melanie Bergwall, Erika Risko (who caused a big art flap later on the year in Norfolk, Virginia) and others.

2. R. Crumb's Underground at the ICA. In 1967 Philadelphia cartoonist Robert Crumb arrived in San Francisco and the underground comic book movement found its greatest leader. From Crumb we got Fritz the Cat, Mr. Natural, Devil Girl, and above all R. Crumb. The ICA's career-spanning survey of Crumb's work was a spectacular visual orgy to both Crumb acolytes and lovers of the visual arts.

1. Frida Kahlo at the PMA. Having been a Kahlo fan for decades, this was an easy and unfair pick. The unibrowed Mexican art star's spectacular retrospective had its own Philly flavor when PMA augmented the exhibition with its own ex-voto paintings.

The Two Fridas image via StumbleUpon user Ripzy

Photoist

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Title: Winter's Beauty
Photographer: kchbrown
Location: 12th St. near Market
Camera: Nikon D700

For a bonus photo of yesterday's icy weather, follow the jump.

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Click to see full version

Photographer: kchbrown
Camera: Nikon D700

Monday Manners: Stripper Tippers

I've been known to visit a strip club once in a while. I was actually at one on Saturday night—an excursion I'd been planning with a female friend and our significant others for quite some time.

Despite what Pacman Jones might make you believe, strip clubs are usually pretty low-key—or at least as low key as any place can be when there are exposed breasts and alcohol involved. I've never seen a brawl break out at a strip club. I've never seen anybody drunkenly solicit a dancer for more than a dance—at least not without getting thrown out by a bouncer before he can finish the sentence. I've never seen the dancers touched inappropriately or the cocktail waitresses asked why they're not dancing.

What I have seen at strip clubs, though, is some really rude tipping. Not the waitresses or bartenders or even the nice girls who dry hump you while pouring watered-down shots straight down your throat. They usually do just fine. It's the dancers themselves who are often the subject of the un-mannerly tip. There were two different but equally rude tipping methods I observed on Saturday, and because strip clubs tend to do a brisk business this time of year (escapism, perhaps?), it seemed like a good time to examine each of them.

Stage-side Seating
Clubs get crowded. Often, the non-VIP seats and the barstools fill up before midnight, so late arrivants either get to stand or they take the seats at the stage—a serious no-no if you're not planning on tipping every dancer performing while you're there. Or, if not every dancer, then at least a good number of them. Sitting at the stage nursing your over-priced beer and keeping your ones safely tucked away in your pocket is just plain rude. It's like going to a bar and only ordering water or going to a restaurant and only eating the free bread. If you're there, you should be paying for services rendered. Your cover charge does not count.

"Making It Rain"
Hey big spender! Everyone at the club—the dancers included—is really glad you want to blow some cash tonight. You're tipping your favorite dancers ten dollars, when everyone else goes for a buck or two. But they'd appreciate it a lot more if you tucked a ten in their g-strings rather than "making it rain" with ones. That's right fellas: throwing a handful of crisp one dollar bills over the stage is rude. More than that, it's demeaning. Each dancer only gets a few seconds to gather her clothes and get offstage before the next featured entertainer comes on, and having to scramble around the stage to pick up stray ones (not easy on the slippery floor, it seems) is nothing less than inconvenient and puts the girl in a position that's insulting: having to crawl around on her hands and knees and scoop up the money you so graciously threw at her. It's a heartbeat away from begging.

You may be asking yourself why it matters if you're checking your manners at the door along with your coat and camera phone, when the dancers chose that line of work. The answer is simple: no matter what it is they're doing on that stage, those women are still working. You wouldn't want somebody to come into your office and disrespect you, right? Right. So next time you're at a club, don't be a jackass. They may be taking their clothes off for money, but strippers are people, too. And they deserve better than that.

Image Credit: Flickr user Jukebox Design.

Sparky and Snarky

Dear Sparky and Snarky,
I've got a prudish roommate whose bedroom is right next to mine—you could basically say my bed is three feet from hers. My girlfriend and I like to have loud sex, but we're not rude so we turn on the radio, fan, etc. and we keep it quiet for her sake. Yet she'll still come knock on my door asking us to keep it down; talk about killing the moment. I haven't got a lot of shame, but my girlfriend feels bad, so we try to squeeze in sex when she's not home, which isn't nearly often (or long) enough; I'm dying here! How do I get to have regular sex again, or even better, sex that's not on mute??
-Shut Down in Lansdowne

Dear Shut Down,
I feel for you; no one should be kept from loud nights full of sex. Luckily, you can make several improvements to the situation. Start by moving your bed; unless you live in a closet of a room, you can get further away from your roommate—more sex is worth screwing up the feng shui. Next, xmas is nearly upon us; get a really nice card, a CD of soothing ocean sounds and thunder, and wrap them up with a pair of soft, workshop-grade earplugs. The card should read, "You're an awesome roommate and the only thing that could make our place better is my being able to have loud, bi-weekly sex. You rock, but the grrl and I need to roll. Happy Holidays!" Hey, you said you haven't got a lot of shame, right? But seriously, this is a conversation you need to have; even if you limit it to, "Can you let me know if you're going to be out for a whole three hours at a time? Because I really need to get laid more." Unless you're ready to move, or soundproof your room (they have wall panels for that), you need to have a talk with your roommate.
Good luck,
Sparky!

You could always invite her to join you. Or get a ball gag and some ropes or handcuffs—not for your girlfriend, but for your roommate. Either way, she'll probably be looking for a new place in no time, and you'll be able to have all the headboard-banging sex you want. But if you like this roommate (and I'm going to assume you do, since you're living with her and apparently haven't considered moving out yourself), maybe you could rustle up a few dates for her so she's too busy getting busy to bother you. Or, hey, do the deed at your girlfriend's place sometimes and give your roommate a break.
xo, Snarky

Got questions about sex, dating, or relationships? Then we've got answers, whether you like them or not. Send your short but informative queries, complete with clever signatures, to sparkyandsnarky@phillyist.com and wait for the magic to happen.

Frugal Fun Alert: Tuesday

Fun around town, for $10 or less:

Sing-Along Sound of Music: Singing along with the Oscar-winning screen version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical (about a spunky young nun and the von Trapp family) is already a popular tradition in the UK, and the Bryn Mawr Film Institute is hoping to make it a mainstay event here, too. Costumes are encouraged. Show up at the Institute (824 W. Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr) at 7PM for the show. $9.50, or free for students with ID. Call 610-527-9898 to order.

Zach Djanikian: Zach Djanikian performs at 9PM at the Fire (412 W. Girard Ave.). $7. Call 267-671-9298 for more information.

Webb Thomas Trio: The Webb Thomas Trio performs from 9PM to 1AM at Chris' Jazz Cafe (1421 Sansom St.). $3. Call 215-568-3131 for more information.

Dacav5: Dacav5 with Teddy Roosevelt Music at the Khyber (56 S. 2nd St.) at 8PM. $8, 21+. Call 215-238-5888 for more information.

Raccoon Fighter: Raccoon Fighter with Barnaby & Phinneus, Endless Culture, and Mike Lovesick play the North Star Bar (27th & Poplar Sts.) at 8PM. $5, 21+. Call 215-787-0488 for more information.

Western Dresses: At 8PM, the M Room (15 W. Girard Ave.) hosts performances by Western Dresses, Orp, the Lemon Treasures, and Red & Orange. $8. Call 215-739-5577 for more information.

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Countdown to 2009: Jim's Top 10 Movies of 2008

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. Hancock
Local boy Will Smith plays a surly, super-powered amnesiac who eventually learns how to be a hero, and who he really is, with a little help from his friends (played by Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman). A lot of critics gave this one poor reviews, but I don't know why; I thought it had hilarious comedy, exciting action, an intriguing story, and a really deeply moving climax.

9. Penelope
In this modern fairy tale, Christina Ricci plays a young woman saddled with an awful family curse: a great big ugly pig nose. The only way to break the curse is to find true love with one of her own, but how can she when they all run screaming? It sounds like a cliched and corny premise, but the film is smart, creative, funny, and it will make you feel all warm inside. Read my full review here.

8. Be Kind Rewind
Visionary filmmaker Michel Gondry's latest is another movie that got a lot of mediocre reviews, much to my surprise. It features Jack Black and Mos Def as a couple of goofy buddies trying to save an old school video store from going under by making their own, "sweded" versions of the movies. It's silly, fun, imaginative, and chock full of a passionate love for movies. Read my full review here.

7. Hellboy II: The Golden Army
I was pretty disappointed by the original Hellboy film, but pleasantly surprised by this fantastic sequel. Filmmaker and wild man Guillermo Del Toro builds an incredibly visually inventive world full of magic and monsters, and doesn't forget to populate it with real, fully developed characters. Plus there's plenty of humor and action, and an interesting story.

6. Burn After Reading
Joel and Ethan Coen's latest is just another masterpiece in a long line of masterpieces. A star-studded cast helps tell a hilarious, satirical story with a labyrinthine plot that examines the ridiculous lengths people will go to in pursuit of their passions. It's brilliant, funny, and loaded with fantastic performances. Read my full review here.

5. Iron Man
For a few months, this was the best comic book adaptation ever. Then it got beaten out by a movie a little further down this list. It avoids the pitfalls of other comic book movies by spending its entire length telling the origin story, instead of trying to get it out of the way in the first five minutes and then packing the rest of the film with cameos from sidekicks and villains. Iron Man has all the effects and action and fun you'd expect from a comic book film, but it focuses mainly on character and thus ends up being a legitimately good film, too. Plus, it's funny! Read my full review here.

4. Appaloosa
Ed Harris' old school Western takes the form of a fascinating portrait of a trio of complex characters, played excellently by Viggo Mortensen, Renée Zellweger, and Harris himself. There's also an involving, classically Western story going on, with some talented character actors filling out the cast. An excellent film that didn't get as much attention as it deserved. Read my full review here.

3. In Bruges
Writer-director Martin McDonagh's tale of two criminals who screw up their latest mission and find themselves exiled to the Belgian tourist town of Bruges is a brilliant and darkly comic study of humanity. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson are fantastic in the lead roles, and Ralph Fiennes is just as excellent in a supporting role as their furious boss, a strange criminal who follows a strict code of ethics. A deeply funny and deeply moving film—and I loved the references to Don't Look Now.

2. The Fall
I've always thought Tarsem Singh's The Cell was underrated, but with this film, his talent is beginning to be recognized. It's a remake that took years to finish, and it tells the story of a stunt man who was injured in an on-set accident and the bond that develops between him and a young girl, another patient at the same hospital. He tells the girl a story, at first just so he can gain her favor and get her to run errands for him, but in the end he finds himself really caring for her, and she for him, and the story becomes the chronicle of both their inner lives. The film is so beautiful and inventive visually, and so insightful and moving, that it will take your breath away. The realism and power of the two main performances is just as breathtaking. Not just one of the best films of the year, this is very possibly one of the best films of the decade. And the decade's not even over yet!

1. The Dark Knight
There are a lot of other truly amazing films on this list, but I have to give top honors to The Dark Knight for transforming the comic book genre into something that critics have to sit up and take note of. This isn't just some action film featuring a guy dressed up like a bat; it's a film full of dark insights into the nature of humanity and justice, featuring a performance by the late Heath Ledger that is quite simply a revelation. Read my full review here.

Image via Internet Movie Poster Awards Gallery

PAWS Dog of the Week

Help make the animals' holiday wishes come true! If you're not in a position to adopt an animal right now, consider fostering, or simply donate to PAWS so that it has the financial resources to do its incredible, life-saving work.

The new year will bring some exciting changes for PAWS, so stay tuned on details on how PAWS will operate in 2009 and what you can do to help!

Rex (ID# A06857471)

Rex is a handsome sweetheart of a Pitty. His calm, loving demeanor has made him a staff favorite. Rex is an adult, 4 to 6 years old, and he's another one of our great deaf dogs of the week. Rex is fully housebroken, crate trained, and neutered. He gets along well with other dogs, but not so much with cats. He was brought to the shelter only because his humans could no longer afford to care for him, and he's very confused and stressed out by the shelter. A new, loving, forever home is exactly what he needs to get 2009 off to the right start, so head over to the shelter to meet him!

If you'd like to meet Rex and consider saving him, you can set up an appointment to meet him by contacting Natalie at natalie@phillypaws.org. (Rex is not viewable for walk-ins; you must make an appointment.) Make sure to include Rex's ID number in the e-mail. The adoption fee for a PAWS dog is $40, plus an $8 city license fee if you live in Philadelphia. The fee includes spaying/neutering, which will be performed before your new companion comes home with you, and microchipping. Rex is currently resident at the PAWS shelter, which is located at 111 West Hunting Park Ave (map).

Image via PAWS.

PAWS Cat of the Week

Friend of Phillyist (and our PAWS liaison) Karina is Miss January in the 2009 Pinups for Pit Bulls calendar! You can preview and buy the calender here.

Juliette (ID# A06090732)

Juliette is a fabulous, pretty 3 year old girl who could use a warm home for the holidays. She's a fabulous cat who sadly came to PAWS because her humans moved and they could not take her with them. She's a mellow kitty who gives a happy purr when she gets attention. You can meet her at the Old City adoption center, and hopefully give her a new home for the new year.

If you'd like to save Juliette, e-mail Allison at alamond@phillypaws.org. The adoption fee for a PAWS cat is $40. The fee includes spaying/neutering, which will be performed before your new companion comes home with you, and microchipping. Also, make note of Juliette's ID number above, and bring it with you when you go to the PAWS adoption center, which is located at 100 N. 2nd Street (the corner of 2nd and Arch).

Image via PAWS.

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Taken during one of the evening snow showers back in October.

Title: Snow Meteors
Photographer: Phillybits
Location: West Philadelphia
Camera: Nikon D60

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Foodsday Tuesday: Stay Warm; Eat Soup

Anyone else noticed how damn cold it is outside?

At least it's beginning to feel like December. We were getting a little worried there for a while. But is it too much to ask for a high over, say 32? Just so that the ice on the sidewalks can melt?

I digress.

It's cold outside. And one of my favorite ways to warm up when it's freezing out is with something that's both spicy and soupy. My personal favorite is a tortilla soup/pozole hybrid that I've been perfecting over the years and recently seem to have gotten right. At least, the twenty or so people who tried it at my house a couple of weeks ago thought so. The recipe, approximately, is below. I made two large pots worth, so it's hard to scale it down to "normal" serving size. My suggestion is just that you get extra of all the ingredients and add a little of this, a little of that, until it tastes right to you. Also note that you can make this recipe vegetarian simply by omitting the chicken and substituting vegetable broth for chicken.

Mexican Chicken Soup with Hominy
2 cans (about four servings) low-sodium chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (Use Ro-Tel if you can find it. Trust me.)
1 can diced tomatoes with jalapeños (Or, if you're afraid of spiciness, use two cans of tomatoes with green chilies.)
1 can white corn hominy, rinsed and separated
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
Half a jar (give or take) red salsa of your desired spiciness
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 fresh jalapeño, cut into rings, for garnish (optional)
Cilantro, stems removed, for garnish (optional)
Grated colby-jack or four-cheese Mexican blend cheese (unseasoned), for garnish (optional)

Combine all ingredients except for salt and pepper and garnish in soup pot. Stir and cover, then simmer over low heat for at least 90 minutes. (To accelerate the process, turn the mixture up to a rolling boil for 10 minutes, then reduce heat and cover, allowing to simmer for 45 minutes. Be warned, though, that the chicken can get chewy this way.) Add salt and pepper during cooking rather than at the beginning—hominy is quite salty, so you may decide no additional seasoning is needed once it's flavored the soup.

When ready to serve, garnish with jalapeño, cheese, cilantro, or any other garnishes you'd like. (Sour cream, fried tortilla strips, and additional salsa also work great, but they didn't make it into the soup pictured here, so they're not listed above.)

Extra soup may be frozen in a tightly-sealed container for a month or longer. (I wouldn't recommend keeping it for longer than two months, but that's me.)

Enjoy, and stay warm out there!

Photo by author. Re-mixed with Photoshop for festive holiday fun.

Oh, Christmas Tree

Happy holidays, everyone. And if you're out and about in Center City today, do catch the show at Macy's. It starts every hour, on the hour.

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Cindy the hippo

Title: Hippo Holidays to all my Flickr friends!
Photographer: moocatmoocat
Location: Philadelphia Zoo
Camera: Sony DSLR-A100

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CinePhillyist Reviews... The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

So, other than the whole aging backward thing, David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has very little in common with F. Scott Fitzgerald's original story of the same name. That usually bothers me a lot in adaptations, because as a writer, I wouldn't want somebody to do that to my words. But Fitzgerald is dead and his story is a bit dated, so what we're left with is a film very true to the spirit of the original tale, if not to many of the details.

Where the story begins at the end of the Civil War, the film's plot starts on the last night of World War I. A baby is born, but things don't seem right: his birth killed his mother (causing his father to freak out and dump him at a stranger's home—a home that conveniently happened to be a nursing home), but beyond that, he seems to have all of the traits of an octogenarian: cataracts, inelastic skin, brittle bones. He's a medical mystery, and the doctor doesn't think he has long to live. Imagine everyone's surprise as the sickly infant, called Benjamin by his adoptive mother, grows healthier—and indeed, younger—as the years pass. When Benjamin, now played by a tiny actor with an aged Brad Pitt face CGI-ed over his own, is about twelve, he meets a young girl named Daisy (Cate Blanchett)—a name totally ripped off from The Great Gatsby, but far better than "Hildegarde," which is what her character is called in the original story—who is visiting her grandmother at the nursing home. The two share an instant, if mysterious, bond that will haunt them the rest of their lives as she continues to grow older and he continues to grow younger—an effect that wouldn't work without the efforts of the film's excellent make-up artists. It's a love story on a grand scale, spanning eight decades and three continents. The characters aren't as mean or self-indulgent as they are in Fitzgerald's original story. Instead, this kinder, gentler, 21st century version of the story allows them to be human, to fee the pain of loss acutely, to be infinitely self-aware.

The resulting product is a beautifully shot, expertly cast, fantastically performed, and often surprisingly funny film that had me in tears for two and a half hours, never sobbing but constantly blotting my eyes with a tissue. My leaky-faucet tear ducts weren't the only ones in the house, either: the audience was respectfully quiet during the screening, so you could hear sniffling throughout the theatre. Though there were more than a few laugh-out-loud moments in Benjamin Button, the film, like life, was a combination of good times and bad, levity on top of heartache. It was, above all, distinctively relatable, despite its unrealistic premise, and that's what made it an easy film to watch—so easy, in fact, that as the audience exited, nobody complained about its length, and more than a few people mentioned that they'd like to see it again.

And I'm sure they will. Awards season is upon us, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button will almost certainly find itself with several nominations—all of which it will deserve. Go and see for yourself.

Image Credit: Internet Movie Poster Awards.

Green Scene: Recycling Trees

If you celebrate Christmas, you likely have a tree standing small or tall in your apartment or house. The question is, what the heck do you do with your lovely tree after the holiday season has come and gone? Fear not, Philadelphia earth-minded citizen! We have the solution for you. But first, here are some facts about Christmas trees.

Christmas trees have been sold here in the United States since the late 1800’s and the first decorated tree goes all the way back to Latvia in the 1500s.

While in the past, most live trees came from forests, nearly all commercial Christmas trees come from farms, and our home state of Pennsylvania is one of the top producers of Christmas trees in the country.

Now, here’s the bad news. Each year, millions of Christmas trees end up in landfills across the country where they take up space and provide no nutritional benefit to the ground upon which they sit.

But, we can change that! There are many ways to recycle your Christmas tree. Recycling your tree allows it decompose naturally and add to the health of the environment. In fact, there are thousands of Christmas tree recycling programs across the country, including here in Philadelphia.

Some folks choose to recycle their Christmas trees by shredding them and using them as mulch or using them as barriers to stop soil erosion. Others toss their trees into local ponds and lakes to provide a safe haven for the fish population. While this might be a good idea for our suburban and country neighbors, this won’t work for us city dwellers. (Do not, under any circumstances, think it would be a good idea to dump your tree into the Schuylkill or Delaware rivers. This act will likely get you arrested.)

But what you can do in our fair city is load your tree onto the roof of a car and take it to the nearest tree recycling drop off in the city. The city’s program runs from Monday, Jan. 5 to Saturday, Jan. 17 from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM at the Streets Department Sanitation Convenience Centers located at 3033 South 63rd Street, Domino Lane & Umbria Street, and State Road & Ashburner Street.

Check your tree to make sure you got all the ornaments and tinsel off, otherwise the trees can’t be recycled. If you have any questions about this recycling program, you can call the city at (215) 686-5560.

You can put your tree out on the curb, and the streets department will pick it up with the rest of your trash, but your tree will be headed for a landfill for sure. And that’s no way to start off the new year now, is it?

Image Credit: Flickr user mmhaffie.