(2006, Directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 137 minutes, Germany) BY DAN BUSKIRK FILM CRITIC When the subject arises of the U.S. Patriot Act, which allows government increased powers of surveillance, there’s always someone who argues, “Why should anyone care, unless they’re hiding something?” For those without the imagination to conceive of how a Surveillance Society invites abuse, German director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck has crafted a very patient and engrossing thriller that slowly turns the screws of tension on a character under complete scrutiny. It’s successful enough to make anyone’s inner paranoiac wiggle in his seat. The title crawl […]
GAMBLOR: Anti-Petition Craps Out In Kangaroo Court
But the quick, conclusive ruling by a Court of Common Pleas judge was a victory for the two casinos that have been awarded licenses for giant slots parlors along the Delaware River. The judge upheld a claim that the petition organizers, who submitted paperwork with 27,000 signatures, actually had collected fewer than 7,000 valid signatures of registered voters. “We’re pleased that the judge saw that the claim that there were 27,000 signatures was false,” said Richard Sprague, the Philadelphia lawyer and SugarHouse casino investor who handled the case. “It really was a bad play by those so desperate to knock […]
HIZZONER ’07: Who Bum Rushed The Show?
It seems that page after page of Milton Street’s petitions are in what looks like exactly the same handwriting. Could this mean that the mayoral brother’s circle of acquaintances includes people who share a unique penmanship style? Or could it be that they were…like…phony? Apparently the officials in the elections office have spent much of the past half-hour guffawing over the documents. More importantly as far as the election goes, judges have a tendency to frown upon such sorts of petitions–such as those submitted in 2004 by presidential candidate Ralph Nader, who was soon bounced from the ballot. MAYORPALOOZA: You […]
EARLY WORD: We Gotta Get Outta This Place!
ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS Special Guest TOMMY CONWELL & THE LITTLE KINGS Friday, March 23 Showtime 8 p.m./ Tickets $43 & $33 Visit ERIC BURDON & THE ANIMALS at www.ericburdon.com
An Amendment To Be
The Amendment Song is a Memphis Soul style parody of the popular Schoolhouse Rock! song “I’m Just a Bill,” even going so far as using the original singer, Jack Sheldon. It is briefly shown as a replacement for Itchy & Scratchy on The Krusty the Clown Show in the episode “The Day the Violence Died.” MORE
TODAY I SAW…
BY JEFF DEENEY “Today I saw…” is a series of nonfiction shorts based on my experiences as a caseworker serving formerly homeless families now living in North and West Philadelphia. I decided not long after starting the job that I was seeing so many fascinating and disturbing things in the city’s poorest neighborhoods that I needed to start cataloging them. I hope this bi-weekly column serves as a record of a side of the city that many Philadelphians don’t come in contact with on a daily basis. I want to capture moments not frequently covered by the local media, which […]
NPR FOR DA DEF: We Hear It Even When You Can’t, Yo
FRESH AIR Singer Mary Weiss first found fame as a member of the Shangri-Las, with hits like “Leader of the Pack,” “Remember (Walking in the Sand)” and “Give Him a Great Big Kiss.” Now she’s recorded her first album of new material since 1965. It’s called Dangerous Game. RADIO TIMES Is casual sex a good thing? Hooking up is a term used to describe casual sexual encounters that don’t involve a long-term commitment. Young adults say hooking up “friends with benefits” is popular and accepted. We’ll hear two perspectives on this, Washington Post reporter LAURA SESSIONS STEPP author of Unhooked […]
THIS JUST IN: Jury Finds Scooter Libby GUILTY
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Lewis “Scooter” Libby, a former senior aide to U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, was found guilty on Tuesday of four of five counts of obstructing justice, lying and perjury during an investigation tied to the Iraq war. Libby was found innocent of one count of lying to the FBI in the probe surrounding who leaked the identity of a CIA analyst in 2003. He faces a maximum of 25 years in prison. His defence attorney, Theodore Wells, said Libby would seek a new trial and if denied that would appeal the conviction. Critics of President George W. […]
CRAZYMAKING: US Airways The New Jet Blue?
US Airways says it has solved most of the problems with a new computer reservations system, but passengers may still experience long lines and delays today as the airline works to fix bugs in its self-service ticketing kiosks. The airline did not have all of its kiosks tied into the new system by late yesterday, and there was no estimate when they would be patched in, US Airways officials said. Yesterday, that forced hundreds of passengers at Philadelphia International Airport to stand in long lines to check in with customer-service agents unless they had been able to check in online. […]
Big Radio Staves Off Payola Investigation With Charitable Donation Of Air Time To Indies
According to FCC sources Clear Channel Communications Inc., CBS Radio, Entercom Communications Corp. and Citadel Broadcasting Corp. have agreed to a consent decree that includes a $12.5 million payment to settle payola allegations raised by the commission. (THR 1/11)While it is not part of the consent decree, a separate voluntary side deal between the station groups and the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) would also set aside 8,400 half-hour blocks of time for independent music.Peter Gordon founder of Thirsty Ear Recordings and A2IM’s chief negotiator told The Hollywood Reporter the “agreement in principle” is a way to get independent […]