Editor's note: This review contains some comments and descriptions that could be considered "spoilers," but only if you're unfamiliar with the story of Sweeney Todd, which is unforgivable anyway, so we have little sympathy for you. I love Stephen Sondheim. I even took a semester-long course on Stephen Sondheim. I like to think of myself as pretty intimately acquainted with Sondheim's work. And so I'm probably going to be a lot pickier about an adaptation......

What's new and/or interesting in Philly theaters this weekend. The Savages - Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman play siblings who are forced to live together again with their estranged father when his mind goes and there's no one else to take care of him. Not surprisingly, they drive each other crazy, but ultimately "start to realize what adulthood, family and, most surprisingly, each other are really about." Which sounds kind of corny. But with......

Every weekday of December (except for December 25, that is), Phillyist will be counting down to 2008 with our highlights from the past year and our predictions for the next. If you have a list you'd like to submit, let us know! With apologies to those readers who don't celebrate Christmas, I'm going to indulge myself a bit here. I love just about everything about Christmas. I actually enjoy Christmas shopping, stressful though it may......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s (Mon, 10PM-11PM, VH1) - Time for the debut of another new VH1 countdown/clip show! This one will come in five parts; this first episode takes a look at songs 100 through 81. The next episode airs in the same timeslot on Tuesday, episode three on Wednesday, and so on. Independent Lens (Tue, 9PM-11PM, WHYY & WLVT) - This time the PBS......

The shapeless dough of the internet, formed into tasty pellets and baked to perfection, just for you. Amuse yourself at work this afternoon by reading the weirdest work stories of the year, and definitely let us know if you have a story you think belongs on the list. Maybe we could do a top ten weird Philly work stories? (Via Jill) We usually try to avoid linking to our -ist compatriots here at the Whiz,......

A steaming hot pile of our favorite things from around the internets. Apparently it's National Fast Food Day! Is that a bell we hear? Perhaps a... taco bell? (Via Sarah) Rumor is that Tom Cruise will play Hugh Hefner in the upcoming biopic. It's kind of a creepy idea, but it sort of works, too. The secret, true name of Cloverfield is supposedly... Cloverfield. Also, there's a new trailer online, but it's a poor quality......

The best of the internet, chopped into tiny bits and grilled for your enjoyment. How about some traditional Jewish hip-hop to start your afternoon off right? It's a good song, and a cool video! (Via AC) Man, the more casting news comes out about Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd, the cooler it sounds. Now we've got Alan Rickman as Judge Turpin. Woo hoo! Hooray for giant rabbits! (Via) And boo to bunny-haters (we always thought that......

Halloween is Tuesday, which means this weekend is really the time for all of the –ists to celebrate. And whether they’re designing super-spooky costumes or talking about the super-spooky upcoming elections, we’d say that they’re doing a fine job of it. Austinist knows that few things in life are scarier than zombies, people with way too much money, and politicians who try too hard to be funny. Slightly less scary, depending on whom you......

The best of the internet, chopped into tiny bits and grilled for your enjoyment. Yo, we want us some of that deep fried Coca Cola! (Via) The Top 40 music moments in film history, including many video clips. The criteria for getting on the list is that the music had to be a song that had not been written for the movie, and did not make its debut on the film's soundtrack. Lots of excellent......

A steaming hot pile of our favorite *movie-related* things from around the internets. (We saw a theme coming up in the items we were finding for today, so we decided to go with it. Enjoy a special all-movie edition!) We already mentioned it in our Celebrity column this week, but we just had to talk about it in more detail here: Sweeney Todd - which tells the story of a vengeful, murderous barber whose victims......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Playlist Philadelphia: Dream of being a DJ? Bring your MP3 player loaded with your favorite 15 minute set and compete with other DJ wannabes for fame and fortune (or, at least, prizes). At the Khyber (56 S. 2nd Street)  at 8PM.  Free (21+) Philly Rising Open Stage: World Cafe's weekly, competitive open mic night.  Show starts at 7:30.  Admission is Free. Movie Monday at the Troc:  This week's......

Frugal in Philly is a weekly celebration of all things Philly that are fun, frugal (costing $10 or less) or free! Stop here each week to see what Philly's got to offer for those of us who haven't quite mastered the art of becoming Independently Wealthy (although believe me, we're trying). Featured Picks of the Week: Each week Frugal Phillyist highlights a budget-friendly event that we think deserves some extra attention. Well this week, there......

Frugal in Philly is a weekly celebration of all things Philly that are fun, frugal (costing $10 or less) or free! Stop here each week to see what Philly's got to offer for those of us who haven't quite mastered the art of becoming Independently Wealthy (although believe me, we're trying). Featured Pick of the Week: See Skeletor Sing: Tonight at North3rd (3rd and Brown Streets in Northern Liberties), Skeletor - professional thorn in He-Man's......