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......

As it gets closer to Halloween for LAist, a contributer recollects her tale of staring down the serial killer, Richard Ramirez, otherwise known as the Night Stalker. Must think happy thoughts -- okay, free organic chocolate chip cookies for Los Angeles -- now that's a happy thought. Other happy Los Angeles thoughts include an interview with Jack Kehler of The Big Lebowski (he was the Dude's landlord), a beautiful and magical photographic moment in Venice......

This Phillyist is a Libra, a sign that is characterized by indecisiveness and the desire for nice things (Linda Goodman describes us as "pink, fluffy clouds"). It is with great rejoicing then that we greeted the news that Lush (purveyor of bath bombs the world over) on Walnut is a Libra too, and will be celebrating its first birthday in spa-ish style. They're offering goodies throughout the day, complimentary chair massages from 5-8 pm,......

Seattlest watches as a S.L.U.T. is born and Seattle Flickr users go nuts over a local art installation. A restaurant critic demands a Diner's Bill of Rights over a gnat next to her drink, and, in lieu of a Portlandist, Seattlest debates with itself over the identity of the Northwest's crown jewel. Seattlest also joins the guys from Fantagraphics for an ill-fated gun party in the woods. Bostonist got a crash course in what not......

What's new and/or interesting at Philly theaters this weekend. 2 Days in Paris - Julie Delpy wrote, directed, and starred in this romantic comedy about a couple - Marion and Jack (Delpy and Adam Goldberg) - who are stopping in Paris to visit Marion's parents after a "romantic" vacation to Venice that ended up driving them further apart. After meeting Marion's parents, her friends, and innumerable exes on the streets of Paris, Jack begins to......

A heavy bag left on the sidewalk on Broad Street early yesterday morning led to the street being closed between Spring Garden and Callowhill, and to the evacuation of the school district's administration building. The bomb squad came and blew up the bag at 8:30AM yesterday. There's no official word as to whether the bag actually contained explosives, but from what the Inquirer was able to dig up, it sounds like it was just......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives (Mon, 10PM-10:30PM, Food Network) - This week, amongst other restaurants, this show visits the Bay Way Diner in Linden, NJ and tries their Philly cheesesteaks. Saving Grace (Mon, 10PM-11PM, TNT) - TNT has a new cop drama, and this one stars Holly Hunter as a hard-living Oklahoma City detective who, in this first episode alone, gets involved in a deadly drunken-driving accident, becomes......

Prosecutors in the Fort Dix Six case have requested that the jury be allowed to remain anonymous. The defense is still trying to decide how to respond, but the judge may consider the request today. U. Penn's Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital may have been the first to give a snake high-energy radiation therapy yesterday when they treated a 61/2-foot anaconda's tumor. The snake, btw, is Sir Mix-A-Lot from Wilmington's Brandywine Zoo. Three double......

A new transportation package being considered in the state Senate would add $150 million to SEPTA's operating funds for the coming fiscal year, thus eliminating the need for the threatened fare hikes and service cuts. Even better, the measure would set up a Public Transportation Trust Fund that would hopefully mean the end of SEPTA's annual budget crises. A man who was convicted in 1993 in a 1991 Nicetown rape and murder case is hoping......

Local actress, director, and former General Manager of the Vagabond Acting Troupe Jackie Kay Knox was tragically killed in a car accident yesterday morning. Few other details are available at this time. The Friends Center at 15th and Cherry is getting a $12.5-million green renovation that will free it of its reliance on fossil fuels. The renovation includes a vegetated roof - the largest such roof in Philadelphia, and the first in Center City. We......

What with Paris Hilton's release earlier this week and the upcoming celebration of American Independence (sorry, Londonist!), we've been thinking a lot about freedom. Freedom to vote, freedom to choose, and most importantly, freedom to blog. Here are a few things we're happy we've been free to blog about this week. Being the nation's capital, DCist felt especially proud to let freedom ring this week by exposing the really important issues, like how sad they......

Happy Father's Day! For those of you who have dads, are dads, or know dads, this one's for you, from all of us at the Gothamist network. It was a week of bizarre, embarassing headlines at DCist. The trial of the local administrative law judge who sued his cleaners for $54 million over a pair of missing pants left everyone shaking their heads. Then the capital city was nearly brought to its knees, twice, by......

We were seated in the third row. And we were afraid, very afraid. Because the closer you are to the stage, the higher the chance the comedian is going to shit on you. With jokes on your outfit, your choice of companion, your very being. Luckily for us, we were sitting behind one of opener Paul Mecurio's relatives, so he generally shied away from our side of the theatre. The other side, not so lucky.......

The nicer the weather gets, the busier we get across the Ist-A-Verse. But we like being busy. Here's a peek at what we've been up to since last week! Chicagoist had an interview with Audrey Niffenegger, whose popular book, The Time Traveler's Wife, was based in their fine city. They also had a heated discussion about Rush Limbaugh's controversial Barack Obama parody, talked about whether Uncle Julio's Hacienda is a good place to get......

This week’s quote comes from actor Matthew Ashford, who said: “I was prepared for the theatre, but not for the nuts and bolts.” Now, on with the listings! The Bomb-Itty of Errors - Hip-hop Shakespeare? For serious? April 12-29. Tickets online. Damn Yankees - When you think about it, it explains so much… April 13-May 5. Tickets may be reserved online. The Fantasticks - The longest-running musical of all time—but with puppets! April 3-May 6.......

Andy Reid is back from his leave of absence and ready to coach the Eagles full time again - or is he?? Only time will tell for sure... We're kind of oddly disturbed by the news that the historical tours that many guides are giving around the city are in many cases not factually accurate. The Inquirer takes a look at some of the interesting new techniques local schools are using to improve test......

It's Fumo all the time over at Philly.com. The Daily News is looking at what will happen if he goes down, and they also have a timeline covering the entire history of his present legal troubles, in case you're a bit lost. The best part may be this litanny of all the juiciest details from Fumo's indictment, although there's a separate article focusing on all the crazy he stuff he paid a private eye......

We learned via our friends at Bostonist and Gothamist that the whole city of Boston was freaking out yesterday due to some electronic signs that had been planted around the city (Bostonist even dug up a video of one being hung up). To anybody in the know, they are obviously ads for Aqua Teen Hunger Force (they've got Mooninites on them and everything!), but to everybody else they appeared to be mysterious bomb-like blinking......

We don't know about you, but it's friggin cold out there. Well, not for some of you. It seems as though places that are supposed to be cold are warm and places that are supposed to be warm are cold. Or maybe that's just us. Either way, we're freezing. Austinist said goodbye to their co-editor (sell-out) and played rumor monger on the SXSW lineup. And when dozens of dead birds littered downtown Austin, it's......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. Mutual Appreciation - Read our review here. Trailer Showing at: Ritz at the Bourse Bobby - Using both archival and newly shot footage, Bobby tells the story of 22 different fictionalized characters (played by a host of Hollywood stars, including Harry Belafonte, Emilio Estevez [who also directs], Laurence Fishburne, Heather Graham, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Hunt, David Krumholtz, Ashton Kutcher, Shia LaBeouf, Lindsay Lohan, William H. Macy,......

Another quick look at how the election turned out for the region: we've got 3 new Democratic members of the City Council, Philly voters overwhelmingly supported the 3 ballot questions (which means, in case you didn't understand them - and we wouldn't blame you - that Gulf War vets will get special payments; the city charter will be changed to promote disadvantaged businesses; and the children of firefighters and police who die on the......

In what Phillyist can't believe the mainstream media hasn't dubbed the "Little Red Riding Hood Robberies", a pizza delivery man was robbed at gunpoint by a woman in a red hooded sweatshirt and a man in a latex wolf mask. This is the third in a string of robberies where the perpetrator was wearing a wolf mask. So - now, more than ever, beware the Big Bad Wolf. Another robbery, this time at a......

Celebrate Ben Franklin's 300th birthday with the Bikini Bandits and Phillyist! (NSFW). Speaking of Mr. Franklin, send in a picture of Ben (or Ed Rendell) with a red tongue and win a free t-shirt. And they might have the next YearlyKos in Philly. You know who's going to be upset about those Bikini Bandits? The Houston school system. Houstonist also reports on some redevelopment shenanigans over a landmark theater. LAist's sex advice column on......

Looking ahead at your Monday night and seeing nothing but watching re-runs or scouring Myspace for high school classmates? No need. Tune in to 88.5 WXPN at 7:30 p.m. tonight for a live broadcast of tonight’s sold out Corinne Baily Ray/Gran Bel Fisher show at World Café Live. Both artists have been featured on the channel’s airwaves before, so if you’re a WXPN listener like this Phillyist is, you’ve heard tracks from Gran Bel’s......

- Philly voters are mad as hell about violence and corruption in our city (ed- ah, James, you're not alone!) - at least mad enough to voice their opinion in a survey. Opinion polls are all well and good, but the voting polls are what count. (via) - Last week it was identity theft, this week's crime - dealing illicit prescription drugs. - And speaking of drug-dealing - what's worse than getting picked up by......

- The City is making it easier to recycle...beginning on July 10th, residents in the NE section of the city can put all their recylables in a single container for collection..including flattened cardboard boxes and #1 & #2 plastics (like drink containers). For more info visit the Street's Department recycling website. - The mysterious object that caused the airport evacuation of the airport on Sunday? It was a prop bomb. Being carried by a dance......

LAist is flashing a sad peace out to their editor Carolyn Kellogg with one hand and bumping knuckles with their new head typist L.A. blogger king Tony Pierce with the other. Where do ist editors go when they hang up the 'editorial we'? They take on MySpace, apparently. At least Ben Brown does. Austinist reminds of the just rewards of less savory careers this week and then they witness the Arctic Monkeys and We Are......

Somebody Set Us Up the Bomb: The Lunabomber is trying to resurrect the "All Your Base" meme in honor of its fifth year. Phillyist is happy to help, because we'd rather see "All Your Base" make a triumphant return than the dreaded Dancing Hamsters. We Get Signal: The Kimmel Center Blog reports that they will be allowing folks the chance to play the new organ between 1 - 5 PM this Saturday (for a......

No one wanted it to turn out this way, but it has: Little Gavin Floyd has crashed and burned in the big leagues. Now, we don't completely blame you for what's happened. The kid dazzled in Spring Training, and it was easy to think that he'd be a snug fit in the rotation. But last night's performance of seven runs in 3 and 1/3 innings does not a starter make. And his comments in......

Governor Rendell has declared a temporary moratorium on developing state-owned property along the Delaware River waterfront in Philadelphia. He says he's done this to make sure the projects proposed are worth it, and are in the best interest of the neighborhoods, but the real reason seems to be to get some casinos with slot machines down there:"With the advent of gaming, these riverfront properties have a tremendous value," Rendell said. "We are just trying to......