10 Things to Do in Movies, Comedy, Books and Art
Bechdel Test Fest, Dave Hill, the Sheila Sunshine Day block party and more.
The Israeli Film Festival of Philadelphia begins this weekend with two screenings of Maktub at Lightbox Film Center.
Dolemite @ Space 1026 | Wednesday, February 28
Comedian/showman Rudy Ray Moore stars in this blaxploitation action/comedy film from 1975. Dirty cops plant drugs, guns and furs (!) on hero pimp Dolemite and get him wrongly sent to prison. (Granted, he was a pimp.) Now he’s out of jail and looking for revenge. It’s a weird, one-of-a-kind cult classic.
Return To Return To Nuke’em High Aka Vol. 2 @ Trocadero | Thursday, March 1
Lloyd Kaufman — founder of Troma Entertainment and author of the amazing memoir All I Needed To Know About Filmmaking I Learned From The Toxic Avenger — has been making funny, unpretentious, sometimes gross and proudly low-budget movies for decades. This is the Philly premiere of the fifth movie in the series started by 1986’s Class of Nuke ‘Em High, about radioactive high school students. Toxie will be in attendance, as will members of the new film’s cast crew who will participate in a Q&A led by Kaufman following the screening.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CilX4WrjWVw
Witch Taint: The Black Metal Dialogues @ Good Good Comedy Theatre | Friday, March 3
Standup comedian/actor/author/musician/WFMU DJ Dave Hill recounts his true-life attempts to get his fictional band Witch Taint signed by a Norwegian black metal record label. Hill is hilarious and this show is pretty much guaranteed to be amazing. [NOTE: Earlier I listed this show as happening on Sunday. That was stupid. It’s definitely Friday.]
Bechdel Test Fest @ several locations | Friday-Sunday, March 2-4
The annual festival features three nights of comedy by women performers. (Friday, March 2 @ Bourbon & Branch; Saturday, March 3 @ FringeArts, Sunday, March 4 @ Philly Improv Theater) Performers include Chanel Ali, Abby Rosenquist, Reem Seliem, Mary Radzinski, Wisdom Teeth and way too many more to list here. Check out the full lineup.
Tom Green @ Helium | Thursday-Saturday, March 1-3
Standup by the veteran “post-modern” comedian. Here’s an old favorite.
Jorge Ramos @ Free Library Main Branch | Friday, March 2
The veteran Univision anchorman and best-selling author will discuss his new book, Stranger: The Challenge of a Latino Immigrant in the Trump Era, with journalist, Tracey Matisak.
Metropolarity Reading/Workshop @ The Rotunda | Saturday, March 3
Philly’s resident “Afrofuturist quantum time-traveling cyborgs” host an afternoon writing workshop and an evening performance featuring improv group OOLOI. More on Metropolarity here.
Israeli Film Festival of Philadelphia @ several locations | March 3-25
This large film fest opens with two screenings of Maktub — a “politically incorrect caper” starring Guy Amir and Hanan Savyon — at Lightbox Film Center on Saturday and Sunday. Here’s the whole schedule.
Baby’s on Fire @ PhilaMOCA | Saturday, March 3
An opening reception for a new group show by artists Kelly Keith, Annabelle Buck and Emily Burtner. Features musical performances by Jo Nelson, TACT, Cult Objects and Allison Durham.
Sheila Sunshine Day Block Party @ Dirty Frank’s | Sunday, March 4
This giant block party aims to raise money for universally beloved Dirty Frank’s bartender Sheila Modglin, who was badly injured by a car in February. It’ll be a family-friendly party in the street, with art, food trucks, beer, games, face painting and other entertainment. You can also donate here.
