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Archive: November, 2011
If there was ever a relationship to prove the Latin proverb amor vincit omnia, it just might be the one featured in tonight’s Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival spotlight feature, Remembrance.
Director Anna Justice presents a story between two lovers — a Polish partisan, Tomasz (Mateusz Damiecki), and a German Jew, Hannah (Dagmar Manzel) — challenged by every predicament imaginable in 1944 Poland and the post-war years. Violently separated from each other without explanation of the others whereabouts, health or proof of death, the two try to march forward despite the undying torment of what could have been. The film is propelled by the recurring flashbacks to the past from which neither Tomasz or Hannah can seem to unclench their grip.
Unlike other films that are set during the Holocaust, which focus on the high degree of fear and suspense amid concentration camp conditions, Remembrance gets this out of the way within the first 20 minutes. From that point, new, less common challenges arise for the troubled couple. Tomasz’s vindictive mother tries endlessly to remove her son from the dangerous relationship, increasing Hannah’s chances of being recaptured; Hannah is alone, battling pregnancy despite malnutrition and severe illness, and then, after years without communication, both find themselves in tense marriage circumstances that are only further complicated by the inability to part ways with shared memories of the past.
Each week, Francesca Crozier-Fitzgerald puts together a rundown of book-centric events that’ll keep you “lit” like Marilyn's baby blues all week long.
[Tonight]
➤ “Ask not what your country can do for you…”
For many Americans, Nov. 8, 1960 was a day that marked the beginning of the most inspiring presidential term in our nation’s 
history. John Fitzgerald Kennedy defeated Republican candidate, Richard Nixon, and in doing so became an advocate of humanitarian endeavors, welfare promotion, the Cuban Missile Crisis solutions and the inspiration behind Marilyn’s sultry “Happy Birthday, Mr. President.” Since these are the facts that have been mentioned ad nauseum, pick up Robert Dallek’s An Unfinished Life to learn about the closeted secrets of JFK. With Dallek’s unrestricted access to Kennedy family papers in the JFK Library, namely the Joseph and Rose Kennedy papers, you too will be tapping into the confidential files of this intriguing family story. All day, free, in a dark corner of the library stacks.
[Wednesday]
➤ A Sobering Experience
Binge drinking among America’s high school and college students is nothing new, nor is it disappearing any time soon. Funneling jungle juice, balancing for keg stands and suiting up for games like “Edward Forty-Hands,” are all cute ways of masking developing habits of alcoholism. These trends make sobriety the outcast lifestyle — a scary but true reality. In her recent book, Unwasted: My Lush Sobriety, author Sacha Scoblic (pictured) discusses the transition from blackout queen to succulently sober. Socializing sober? Who knew! 6 p.m., free, University of Pennsylvania Bookstore, 3601 Walnut St., upenn.edu/bookstore.
[Thursday]
➤ Umberto Echoes
To fully understand the progression of conspiracy theories and semiotic puzzles that renowned Italian author Umberto Eco constructs in his novels, you'd have to enroll in his class at the University of Bologna. But you could at least get a start locally by attending this discussion of his latest novel, The Prague Cemetery. This new release traces and exposes religious and political conspiracies that lay among the cobwebs of 19th-century European history; it’s a philosophical, investigative thriller. As Eco is famous for repeatedly mesmerizing his international audience with words, there are high hopes for The Prague Cemetery. 7:30 p.m., $15, Free Library, Central Branch, 1901 Vine St., 215-567-4341, libfreelibrary.org/authorevents.
Sports nut Massimo Pulcini rounds up a week of everything Philly sports. Nice pass!
EAGLES LOOSE TO BEARS ON MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
After what seemed like a season-rejuvenating win last Sunday against Dallas, the Eagles took the field last night against the Chicago Bears on ESPN’s Monday Night Football. Both teams needed a win to remain in contention in a tight NFC-playoff race, but last week’s jaw-dropping performance against the Cowboys had the Eagles favored going into their duel with da’ Bears.
Most assumed the Eagles would come out fast and aggressive,
playing a similar style to what we saw against Dallas last week, but the Eagles that played last night were far from the unstoppable machine from last Sunday. The team was were slower and sloppier, turning the ball over, getting called for penalties and not capitalizing on their opportunities.
Instead it was the Bears that jumped out of the starting blocks, taking a 10-0 lead after a Jay Cutler-scoring toss and a Robbie Gould field goal in the first quarter. The Birds then fought back with 10 points of their own in the form of an Alex Henery field goal and a Brandon Rolle fumble-return for a touchdown. That score had the Eagles in great a position, as the second quarter was running out and they were set to receive the ball at the start of the second half. The possibility of that seven-point lead was wiped away, however, when wide receiver/punt return man DeSean Jackson fumbled on a punt return, giving the Bears the ball back with ample time to score. The Bears did capitalize, as ex-Cowboy Marion Barber pounded into the end zone to make it 17-10.
Broomall's Damon Feldman — the Jewish Bomber, the faux-boxing promoter fond of giant cushion-y gloves and D-list celebrities, the guy no longer permitted to promote fights in Pennsylvania after pleading to charges of promoting without a license — found his biggest success not in Philly or Jersey but in Hollywood on Saturday when some of the most illustrious nobodies in showbiz kicked the shit out of each other at the Avalon.
One of them wasn't Lenny Dykstra, the ex-Phillies outfielder who was supposedly contracted by Feldman is currently in a legal mess of his own. No matter. There were tons more goofs ready and willing to punch up against each other in ham-y, theatrical — but sold out — fashion. Fire swallowers, confetti guns and other event-accouterments accompanied the star(?)-studded rock-em-sock-em-robot affair. Coolio got beaten badly by one-time Baywatch gent Jeremy Jackson. Baller Jose Canseco picked on White House-crasher Tareq Salahi (The Real Housewives of D.C.), who left after the first round. Joey Buttafuoco lost handily to Lou Bellera, the husband of Amy Fisher, who, in turn, lost to Nadya "Octomom" Suleman. Sandra Bulllock's nemesis Michelle "Bombshell" McGee beat up Violet Kowal (I have NO Idea who that is) and Tila Tequila got defeated by Cami Parker, from HBO's Cathouse. It was a million laughs and our friend/photog Scott Weiner was there to capture it all.
Photos by Scott Weiner
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Remember the other kind of flash mob, the one where people suddenly start doing the same thing all at once and nobody gets hurt? Well, there's a big one going down on Wednesday on Drexel's campus. It's being organized by Improv Everywhere, the so-called "prank collective" from that infamous This American Life episode where they pretend to really like a band for an experiment in unexpected elation and thoughtless humiliation. This Wednesday's thing involves synchronizing watches, a downloading mp3 and wearing a certain color. Here's all the details. Afterward, there's a free talk in the Main Auditorium led by the Improv Everywhere people. So basically you're the opening act. Is this really, you know, improv?
Reporter Meg Augustin takes you inside some of Philly's most fab dwellings to showcase our city's unique grasp on design and architecture.
This weekend, select community members of Passyunk Square East welcomed the public for several open-house tours. The up-and-coming neighborhood is home to an eclectic mix of folks: Italian families who have settled there for decades, a growing queer population and a community of artists and students intrigued by the affordable rentals. I was interested in what a mashup like this might look like, so I headed south to get a peek of what life’s like in Passyunk Square.
The first home I toured was a large South Philly row home built sometime in the 1850s. The current homeowners have lived in the space for 20 years, spending much of that time in refurbishing mode. “The land was owned by a wealthy family who sold it to [the] carpenter who built the home,” the lady of the house said. “When we bought the house, though, it was in shambles.” The couple took on all kinds of tasks, from picking out exterior sconces to replastering most of the walls. One of the standout features is a stunning entryway with glass transoms that let in light from the street while still offering privacy. The home is also adorned with original fixtures, such as the ornate coal fireplace and banisters.
The young couple inhabiting the second home on the tour moved in a few years ago and have since had several misadventures in homeownership — one of which was an upstairs bath with almost no plumbing. But after several other surprises, they caught a break when they were chosen to be on Kitchen Impossible, a kitchen redesign show on the DIY Network. The result was a modern-and-vintage mix of Big Chill retro appliances and natural, farm-like materials. The tour came a day before the episode aired, giving the couple another reason to celebrate that weekend.
Man Cave is a testosterone-dripping Monday feature that highlights the weekend haps of a pop culture-loving Philly dude.
Andre Wright, executive director of Give and Go Athletics (GGA), made a deal with one of his star athletes: 
Pass an upcoming school test, or lose the chance to play in a big game. Unfortunately, the test was not passed. Wright could have looked the other way and nobody would have known. But he wants the students in his program to know that Give and Go is bigger than basketball. Unfortunately, they lost the game and were out of the playoffs. But while the team may have lost, the community won.
This Saturday, I enjoyed a luncheon at Dave and Busters to benefit the program, which currently serves about 70 youths through North, South and West Philadelphia. GGA teaches fundamental basketball skills and provides kids with opportunities to play in leagues, tournaments and other after-school competitions. Founded in 2009 by Wright, who's also a guidance counselor at Ferguson Elementary, and Patricia Palermo, a clinical counselor at Reynolds Elementary, GGA encourages team-building, character development, goal-setting, academic accountability, anger management and social-skills building through basketball and mentorship.
CP music critic Brian Wilensky on the week's sure-bet live shows.
Monday: It’s tough to tell if MC Frontalot is actually just, well, frontin.’ He’s a nerdy looking white guy but don’t let his self-proclaimed “World’s 579th Greatest Rapper” title give you the wrong idea; his flow’s not too bad. 6 p.m., $10, w/ Brandon Patton & Mike Lombardo, The Fire, 412 W. Girard Ave., 267-671-9298.
Tuesday: Last month’s Wilderness, the latest from Nashville’s, The Features, has more ingenious indie rock-pop hooks than one 11-song album can usually hold. The shiny keys, at times twang-y guitar and Matt Pelham’s somewhat Josh Homme-esque voice make a combination that shouldn’t be as overlooked as it has been by American media. Lucky for these guys, the U.K. loves them. 8 p.m., $8, w/ Ron Gallo, World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400.
[ C ] Little Rose (Róźyczka) was chosen for the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival for its political and religious commentary on 1968 Poland. The film takes place directly after the Six Days War, a conflict between Israel and Arab forces, which inspired a wave of riots and protests among Polish youth and intellectuals alike. Director Jan Kidawa-Blonski uses this backdrop to present the ways in which Poland’s communist government suppressed academic progress and prosecuted communist dissenters, especially those of Jewish heritage.
The film makes subtle reference to the ignorance of Polish government officials to handle the riots appropriately, as their prosecutions were haphazard, anti-Semitic and without concrete evidence. But aside from this mere glimpse at the historical context for the film, Kidawa-Blonski’s political motive seems to get hidden beneath the steamy triangular love plot among a stern security colonel, Roman Rozek, his girlfriend, and the colonel’s target, Warczewski, a respected Polish intellectual, writer and professor. The historical context gets hidden so well, in fact, that audiences without prior knowledge of communist Polish history might just miss it.
At first, when the colonel decides to use his girlfriend, the irresistible Kamila (Magdalena Boczarska), as a pawn to spy on Warczewski and prove his Zionist loyalty, he does not predict the consequences on both his government office and his bedroom.
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