DAILY NEWS: INSIDE the locker of a narcotics cop, Philadelphia police officials recently made a shocking discovery: A cartoon [NOT PICTURED] of a man, half as an officer in uniform and half as a Klansman with the words: “Blue By Day — White By Night. White Power,” according to police officials. The officer, Scott Schweizer, who has arrested countless drug suspects in predominantly African-American neighborhoods, was removed from his undercover police duties and given a desk job earlier this month, authorities said. The disturbing find triggered an internal probe that widened yesterday as investigators began to explore whether the scope […]
EARLY WORD: I Am Teenager Of The Year
[Click image to activate Internets]
LUPE FIASCO: Conflict Diamonds
His Fillmore show is WAY sold out. Excellent. Long may he rise.
STATE OF THE UNION: Fade To Black
DAILY TIMES: The huge glut of savings built up in China allowed that nation to lend billions of dollars to the US, which meant American consumers could embark on a borrowing and spending spree. But too many of those loans went bad, banks racked up huge losses, and CEOs paid with their jobs. When the stock market caught on to what was happening, shares tanked on fears that the US would fall into recession. That prompted Ben Bernanke to slash US interest rates by an extraordinary three quarters of a per cent last Tuesday. As the US economy has shifted […]
THE EARLY WORD: Here The Wild Things Are
PHILADELPHIA — The Rosenbach Museum & Library will present There’s a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak from May 6, 2008 through April 30, 2009. This major retrospective of over 130 pieces pulled from the museum’s vast Maurice Sendak collection – the largest collection of “Sendakiana” in the world – will feature original artwork, rare sketches, never-before seen working materials and interview footage. The exhibition will draw on a total of over 300 objects, with new works on display every four months, providing a unique experience with each set of illustrations. Sendak, famed author and illustrator of Where the Wild Things […]
HOORAY FOR PHILLYWOOD: Tom Quinn’s Mummer Double Bummer Takes Top Prize At Slamdance Festival
VARIETY: Slamdance has bestowed its top film awards on Tom Quinn’s family drama “The New Year Parade” and to Greg Kohs’ doc “Song Sung Blue.” MORE …Philadelphia’s colorful Mummers’ Parade bookends an unsentimentalized portrait of 21st-century divorce in “The New Year Parade.” Winner of the Slamdance grand jury prize, Tom Quinn’s first feature combines non-professional actors with hundreds of actual marching band participants to yield an almost documentary-like look at a family left reeling after the parents separate. Quinn, who hails from the emerging “Phillywood” independent scene, possesses a strong artistic sensibility and the confidence to build his story around […]
THE TEENAGERS: Starlett Johansson
They are from France, so it’s OK. Besides, they play Making Time on Friday.
CINEMA: ‘Vagina Dentata’ Is The Nice Word For It
TEETH (2007, directed by Michell Lichtenstein, 93 minutes, U.S.) BY DAN BUSKIRK FILM CRITIC It is my sad duty to report that the great cinematic essay on the subject of Vagina Dentata has yet to be made. Points for getting to the subject first should be awarded to Mitchell Lichtenstein (the son of Pop artist Roy) with his directorial debut Teeth. While Spielberg may have defined high concept filmmaking with his “fish that eats people,” Lichtenstein’s got a twist that can’t be beat, he’s sexed it up as “the vagina that eats people.” Like Jaws, Teeth supplies the giddy thrill […]
HOT DOC: Hacker Swarm Declares War On Scientology
Hello, Scientology. We are Anonymous. Over the years, we have been watching you. Your campaigns of misinformation; suppression of dissent; your litigious nature, all of these things have caught our eye. With the leakage of your latest propaganda video into mainstream circulation, the extent of your malign influence over those who trust you, who call you leader, has been made clear to us. Anonymous has therefore decided that your organization should be destroyed. For the good of your followers, for the good of mankind — for the laughs — we shall expel you from the Internet and systematically dismantle the […]
DIXIECRATS: Obama Is The One
ARAB NEWS: Sen. Obama’s South Carolina thumping of Sens. Hillary and John Edwards on Saturday gave him a strong, southern tail wind toward the Super Tuesday showdowns. He beat Hillary with 55 percent support compared to her 27 percent — Edwards trailed with 18 percent support. Overwhelming support from African-American voters fueled Obama’s big win in Saturday’s South Carolina Democratic primary, but he also continued to demonstrate broad appeal across racial lines, particularly among younger, better educated and wealthier voters. MORE “Is Barack Obama the next JFK? Has Barack Obama developed the “Big Mo,” vital momentum that would take him […]
All Of This Happened While You Were Sleeping
[Photos by TIFFANY YOON/CLICK TO ENLARGE]
CUT CHEMIST: The Spat
FYI, Cut Chemist, AKA Lucas Macfadden, cameos in Juno.
WE KNOW IT’S ONLY ROCK N’ ROLL BUT WE LIKE IT
WHIP IT: Holy Fuck gettin crazy wit the Cheez Wiz, Starlight Ballroom, Last Night Five Things You Should Know About Holy Fuck 1. Holy Fuck is a hi-tech electronica band that relies solely on low-tech means, purposely eschewing any digital looping, splicing and/or programming. You won’t find a Macbook onstage with these guys. 2. Holy Fuck’s live show is completely improvised and last night they introduced Philadelphia to at least two new songs last night that in all likelihood were made up on the spot. They hope to record some new tracks soon. 3. Brian Borcherdt and Graham Walsh (both […]