Dear Philadelphia: I have lived here now for nearly six years. I made it through four and a half without buying pepper spray, and only acquired one from a friend when a string of sexual assaults last fall were a little too close to home. It remains attached to my keychain, except for when it isn't: before shows at the Electric Factory or TLA, I make sure to detach it and leave it somewhere......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: The Philadelphia Shakespeare Festival: Happy Hour with the Bard at the Rotunda at The Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia (10 S. Broad), 5:30-7:30PM. Though there’s a cash bar, admission is free. Bunny Grunt: Bunny Grunt, Art DiFuria, the Besties, and Scary Monster at the Khyber (56 S. Second), 8PM. $8 Movie Monday at The Troc: Transformers. The Troc is located at 1003 Arch Street. Doors open at 6PM, feature begins at......

A week ago tonight, OFFICE, quite simply, rocked my face off. It had been a long day – the fourth in a row. I left the office at 6:50, giving me just enough time to go home and change clothes before meeting my plus-one for the evening. I just wanted some feel-good music. Fortunately, as I mentioned in the preview for this show, OFFICE is feel-good music. I just didn't know how good. You......

Intricate costumes, beautiful chorus girls, large casts and extravagant dance numbers are all techniques that Busby Berkeley employed in his 1930's musicals. Berkeley, a director/choreographer for numerous movie musicals, reached huge success during the Depression when audiences were seeking lighthearted and hopeful entertainment. His career spanned over 40 years with most notable successes: 42nd Street, Babes in Arm, Girl Crazy, Take Me Out to the Ballgame and No, No Nanette. Dames at Sea, a......

Films: 638 Ways to Kill Castro, The Disney Cartoon: Nine Decades of Magic, The Boss of It All, Roy Disney Salute, Suffering Man's Charity Future Screenings: 638 Ways to Kill Castro: Monday, April 9, 2:30PM, The Bridge The Disney Cartoon: Nine Decades of Magic: No future screenings scheduled The Boss of It All: Sunday, April 8, 7:15PM, The Ritz Five Roy Disney Salute: No future screenings scheduled Suffering Man's Charity: Monday, April 9, 5:15PM, The......

Films: Boy Culture, Monkey Warfare (with "The Saddest Boy in the World") Future Screenings: Boy Culture: Monday, April 16, 9:30PM, The Prince Music Theater Monkey Warfare: Sunday, April 8, 3PM, The Ritz East My day didn't go as planned, at all: it was a series of missed connections and plan cancellations. That's okay, though. It meant seeing two films, when I wasn't planning on seeing any. The first, Boy Culture, was actually screened at the......

Films: Zim and Co., Tapas Future Screenings: Zim and Co.: Monday, April 10, 9:30PM, The Bridge Tapas: Tuesday, April 11, 10PM, The Ritz Five I didn’t make it to as many films as I’d have liked this weekend because I had out-of-town company. Fortunately, my friend from Texas has a love of foreign films that rivals mine, so we were able to catch a few films when I wasn’t showing him around the City of......

The Ritz offers a hot chocolate sommelier, the Four Seasons, spa services. But the Best Western Independence Park Hotel in Old City has something those other hotels haven't got (or at least aren't talking about): ghosts. According to this article in last week's Weekly, the hotel has decided that instead of calling in the Ghostbusters, they'll embrace the phantom voices, invisible giggling children and at least one playful poltergeist who's perhaps seen The Amityville Horror......

The Cranky Cocktail knows it's been a while since he's had a chance to impart to you some of his choice wisdom. He apologizes. But to make it up to you, here's a picture of a hot model. Specifically, it's International Fetish Model Kiwi, a Philadelphia local -- check her out in the latest issue of Passional, if you haven't seen it already. International Fetish Model Kiwi has several drinks that she enjoys, including one......