5 Must-Dos This Weekend in Philly: An Oscar Movie Marathon, the Brazilian Girls, Olde City Sideshow and More

Every Friday we roundup some things you should do this weekend.

Photo from verudesigns.com.

It’s a nice night for The Philadelphia Art Alliance to kick off its second annual Shop on the Square Craft and Design Sale. The event lasts for a full week, but why not get in early to get first dibs at tonight’s opening party hosted by Art Alliance restaurant Le Cheri. The cocktail reception gives eager art buyers an early chance to browse and buy the goods — everything from jewelry and clothing to visual art and accessories — being sold by 40 local artists. Opening party: Fri., Jan. 31, 5:30 p.m. $150; regular sale extends through Sun., Feb. 9, $5, Philadelphia Art Alliance, 251 S. 18th St. 

The Brazilian Girls, which, funny enough, isn’t from Brazil and there’s only one girl in the group.

For those who need a good end-of-week dance off: New York’s electronic-with-a-world-fusion-twist dance band Brazilian Girls is playing Underground Arts. This may be one of your last chances to catch them together. Lead singer — and, funny enough the only girl in the group — Sabina Sciubba is set to release her first solo album, Toujours, on March 24. You can hear a sample of that here.  Fri., Jan. 31, 8 p.m., $25, with El Malito & The 33rd Century and Night Panther. Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill St., ticketweb.com. 

We wrote about this in our 5 Things to Do This Week, but I have it on good authority that FringeArts’ latest, The Room Nobody Knows, is must-see enough to make it on our weekend list, too. Niwa Gekidan Penino‘s Japanese psychiatrist-turned-playwright Kuro Tanino presents the “psychologically twisted” tale about two brothers living in an apartment on the night of the elder brothers birthday. One is downstairs creating “unusual objects” for the occasion, while the other, freakier brother is in the upper room going through it with his head full of bizarre alter egos. ”The brothers’ enigmatic, erotic world — replete with pig faces, phalluses, demented plastic heads and secret compartments — plays out on a comically claustrophobic [apparently penis-laden] set.” Fri.-Sat., Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 8 p.m., $29, 140 N. Columbus Blvd., fringearts.ticketleeap.com.

This makes the 10th year of Philly film lovers Allison Heishman and Jillian Kroos’s Oscar Savvy Movie Marathon. The two-day affair is a mad dash around the city to catch all the Oscar-nominated films still playing in Philly before the golden statues are handed out on March 2. As hectic as it sounds, though, Heishman says it’s really a laid-back affair. “It’s kind of like a meet-up,” she says. “Some people [come for all the movies], others come for a few.” Here’s the complete schedule, which includes a meet-and-greet brunch you should probably do on Sunday:

SAT., FEB. 1

• 11:25 a.m, Frozen, UA Riverview (UAR)
• 1:25 p.m., Nebraska , Ritz Bourse (RB)
• 3:50 p.m., Gravity, RB
• 6:30 p.m., 12 Years a Slave, Ritz 5 (R5)
• 9:40 p.m., Her, Ritz East (RE)

SUN., FEB. 2

• 11:00 a.m., Brunch at National Mechanics
• 1 p.m., Dallas Buyers Club, R5
• 3:40 p.m., Live-Action Oscar-Nominated Shorts, RB
• 7:05 p.m., Animated Oscar Nominated Shorts, RB
• 10:15 p.m., American Hustle, UAR

If you like your Super Bowl with a side of freaky, check out Olde City Sideshow’s (OCS) very first Variety Night at the Raven. The game will be playing on three TVs on the main floor. When you need a break, head downstairs to watch a eye-popping show put on by OCS’s caravan of suspension artists, burlesque dancers and “pole artists.” After all is said and done, Mr. Psydde Delicious will spin an after-game dance party. Sun., Feb. 2, 6:30 p.m., $20 (includes selection of “game-day foods”), The Raven Lounge, 1718 Sansom. 

Have an event you’d like to show up in one of our roundups? Email details to jmiddleton@phillymag.com.