For the first time since 2001 (and with completely different programming), The Secret Cinema presents a RARE NOIR DOUBLE FEATURE, showcasing two movies from the FILM NOIR genre — THE ACCUSED and THE BLUE GARDENIA — that are now under-seen, despite their classy credits. Both films were made by directors who began long careers in the golden era of German Expressionism, fled Hitler’s Germany, and arrived in Hollywood to continue their work, drawing on their experiences to produce some classic film noir in the process. Friday, November 9 RARE NOIR DOUBLE FEATURE 8:00 pm – THE ACCUSED 10:00 pm – […]
NEWS CLUES: It’s Like Adderall For Your Eyeballs
NO MORE MR. NICE GUY: Obama Henchmen Killed The Colbert Candidacy Two prominent supporters of Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in South Carolina called state Democratic Party officials urging them to oppose putting comedian Stephen Colbert’s name on the primary ballot, according to party officials and Obama supporters with knowledge of the calls. Colbert, the host of Comedy Central’s “Colbert Report,” saw his hopes to be placed on the primary ballot ended last week when the South Carolina Democratic Party executive council voted 13-3 to block his bid, with the majority of voters saying he was not a viable enough […]
DUBIOUS ACHIEVEMENTS: Being Monica Lewinsky
From Philly Mag’s new blog-type thingee, The Daily Examiner… ‘Nutter Suck-Off’? C’mon guys, my mom reads this thing.
GAMBLOR: Street & Rendell Have Secret Pow-Wow With Sugarhouse, Curiously Nutter Not Invited
Mayor Street and Gov. Rendell met three weeks ago with the owners of SugarHouse, a proposed casino that can’t start construction because zoning approval is stalled in City Council. SugarHouse laid out a strategy to get its project moving. Missing from the meeting: the city’s next mayor. That concerns Michael Nutter, the former city councilman widely expected to be elected mayor today. Street and Rendell, a former two-term mayor, should hold off on decisions about city casinos until the next mayor takes office in January, Nutter said. “I would certainly hope that they would extend the same courtesy and respect […]
PAPERBOY EXTRA: The Passion Of The Phawker
From this week’s issue of the Philadelphia Weekly: Running about an hour late, local blogger Jonathan Valania, a former PW staff writer, blew into a 300-student journalism class at Temple University last week with a devil-may-care attitude and what he thought were a few sly remarks intended to spark debate. Valania, 41 — founder and editor of a news and culture blog called Phawker — all but sprinted to the front of the room, and without so much as an introduction, asked the class how many students were majoring in journalism. When the majority of the students in the lecture […]
STOP THE PRESSES: And The Winner Is…
Artist’s rendering of the scene at Warwick Hotel last night. UPDATE: Late last night we got word that Mayor-elect Nutter had a special message for Phawker readers. But in order to get this message, we would have to show up with a film crew at 6 AM outside the Government Services Building, across the street from City Hall. Which we did. So please standby for an important message from the next mayor of Philadelphia. Film at 11. Or thereabouts.
OVERHEARD AT THE POLLS: ‘Look, Another Spic!’
Phawker reader Camille Escobedo wrote to tell us about an unpleasant experience she just had when she went to vote. About an hour ago, she says, she walked into her polling place in the All State Insurance office at 1716 East Passyunk Avenue [Ward 39/Div. 45] and gave her name to the poll worker when asked. Hearing this, one of the other poll workers sitting behind the counter blurted out “Look, another spic!” Ms. Escobedo says she tried to defuse the situation by making a joke about it. “I told him we prefer to be called ‘Beaners’,” she says. “And […]
JUSTICE: D.A.N.C.E.
[Hat tip to EVA LIAO]
QUESTION THE PARKING AUTHORITY: Guv Orders Audit Of ‘Skyrocketing Costs’ & ‘Excessive Salaries’
Gov. Rendell yesterday urged City Controller Alan Butkovitz to immediately begin a comprehensive audit of the Philadelphia Parking Authority. “Recent press accounts of skyrocketing expenses, bloated payrolls, excessive salaries, and parking-garage mismanagement suggest that the internal fiscal and management controls expected by Act 94 are not in place,” Rendell’s letter read, citing the law that gives the state-run agency the power to enforce Philadelphia’s parking regulations. Rendell asked the controller’s office to commence a “fiscal and performance audit” of the agency. Butkovitz said it appeared the governor was looking for a top-to-bottom review of the authority, which he called “an […]
Get Out Of That Mothership And Fight Like A Man!
NOW PLAYING ON PHAWKER RADIO: Led Zeppelin Mothership BY ED KING ROCK EXPERT The other day I was driving around with my oldest son when Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times, Bad Times” came on the radio. I cranked it up — and then cranked it up further as the solo approached. I tried to square my jaw like Bill Cowher’s and show the boy what it means to be alone, not to care what the neighbors say. Little did I know the song was probably programmed to play at that particular time on that particular Classic Rock station to celebrate the […]
TONITE: Live & Direct From The Nutter Victory Party
Tune in around 8 PM. It will probably look a lot like this…
MAILBAG: You Be The Judge
The following letters came in response to our publication of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s voters guide, which you can see by CLICKING HERE DEAR PHAWKER, No one every really knows where these come from, and have no idea if they can trust them, so let me at least tell you, as a Phawker reader and practicing trial attorney, that I’ve personally seen Bernstein, DiVito, Herron, Jones, and Erdos in action and I recommend all of them for retention. Just my $.02. Now you have another unsourced opinion to inform your choices. Max Kennerly, ESQ * DEAR PHAWKER So the Phila. […]
KILLADELPHIA: 4 More Dead Since U Went To Bed
BY CHRISTINE OLLEY OF THE DAILY NEWS A South Philadelphia man was riddled with bullets and killed early yesterday when four armed gunman stormed in his front door. Homicide Sgt. William Gallagher said the 25-year-old victim was shot twice in the chest, once in the head, and once in the back shortly before 1 a.m. in his house, on 30th Street near McKean. Gallagher said the intruders escaped with some money and other items. In another shooting, an unidentified man was wounded in the chest at G Street and Allegheny Avenue, in Kensington, shortly before noon yesterday. He was in […]