#Philadelphia film center

[phillypeel]

10.27.22, N. 15th Street, 8:22 pm

on my way to see Weird: the Al Yankovic Story at the Philadelphia Film Festival

[thephillykat]

Opening Day on Film 🤍 10.19.24

[filmnoirfoundation]

Dates for NOIR CITY Detroit have been announced!

Sep 22-24 at the Redford Theatre- Detroit, MI.

UPCOMING 2023 NOIR CITY DATES

NOIR CITY: Boston: June 9-11 The Brattle - Cambridge, MA

NOIR CITY: Philadelphia: July 21-23 The Colonial Theatre - Phoenixville, PA

NOIR CITY: Hollywood: Aug 4-13 Aero Theatre - Santa Monica, CA

NOIR CITY: Chicago: Aug 25-31 Music Box Theatre - Chicago, IL

NOIR CITY: Detroit: Sep 22-24 Redford Theatre - Detroit, MI

NOIR CITY: D.C.: Oct 13-26 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center - Silver Spring, MD

*Other U.S. cities will be added as festival dates are confirmed.

[oldcameranewland]

[metalphoenix]

Hobie Brown had a plan from the beginning

So a little while ago I saw a post that said that Hobie's biggest weakness was that he quit the Spider Society when he did (I can't find that post so I won't link it). I don't really agree with this.

The thing about Hobie Brown is that he knows the value of community. Obviously, we don't get much back round about his personal life in the movie so I'm going to go off of the Spider Punk mini series.

I'm this run Hobie is homeless. He lives out of a van and a community center in Brooklyn (he's originally a New Yorker) but he's not alone. He lives and/or works with a bunch of friends: Captain Anarchy (Karl Morningdew, E-138's Captain America and a gay native american man), Riothart (Riri Williams, E-138's Ironheart), Mz Marvel (Kamala Khan), Hulk (Robbie Banner), Daredevil (Mattea Murdock, in E-138 she is a blind punk drummer in Philadelphia) and other unnamed characters. So even though they switched up his backstory in the film I still belive that he's not alone in his home universe. Punk culture, anarchy and communism are all about building community and helping others.

Honestly I think thats why he's part of the Spider Society in the first place because he obviously does not agree with anything their doing. He's there because he knows they will recruit vulnerable teenagers who don't have the support that he does. Thats why he takes Gwen and Pavitr under his wings I think (to make it clear Hobie is also a teenager that needs support he's just uniquely positioned to give it in this situation because of his background but he is still very much a teenager.) He also knows that sometimes the best way to take down the system is from inside of it. He's gonna play along till he can take them down.

I think it makes perfect sense that he "quit" when he did. At this point Miles knows Spider Society is really fucked up, he knows his dad is gonna die in two days and he's made it clear that he will not go quietly. Hobie knows all of this and trust Miles to have everything handled. I think that he also knows that when Miles escapes Gwen is going to be disillusioned by the Spider Society and get sent back to E-65.

So he trusts both Miles and Gwen to be able to handle themselves for the moment, but because he knows the value of community when organizing he also knows that they can't do it alone. So he quits (like he always knew he was going to). He knows that the best use of his time and skills right now is to make sure they have everything they need to oppose Spot and Miguel when the time comes. We all know he made at least two watches (he had to have made one for himself as well) but I think that he was also recruiting the rest of the band at the same time.

The only other main spider besides Gwen that we see in the chase scene is Peter. We see Penni that one time during the confrontation scene but not again. I think that he was finding Pavitr, Peni, Noir, and Ham. I think he knew that Gwen would probably go to Peter first. He probably knew when she activated the watch he gave her and brought everyone else to regroup.

But Margo was also in that final shot and Hobie would not have had enough time to recruit her between Gwen being sent back and the final shot. I think they have been working together behind the scenes this whole time. When Miles sends himself back, sure at first she didn't know what was happening, but when she saw Miles in the go home machine she kind of froze. She is looking right at the controls for the machine and there is an option to shut down. She doesn't press it. She could, but she didn't. She even tells Lyla to get out of her way, probably because she doesn't want her to interfere too much. She may have known she was gonna help him escape before that scene even happened. Once that was done she could get out and regroup with Hobie and the rest.

So ya I don't think he's a coward for quitting when he did I think he was really smart. We know he plans and excutes political actions in his home universe. Actions that could defiantly end up with him or others in jail. When planning things like that you need to be smart about it, often times for particularly dangerous things no one has all the information till the very end, of course he'd keep it a secrete. Even from Gwen because she's still not ready. He's not a coward he just knew how to best utilize his and everyone else's skills. He knows when he needs to be in the background as opposed to the front line.

[daydreamerwonderkid]

Gotten a few asks about this so let me clarify:

Atlantis the Lost Empire is NOT Nazi propaganda nor is it an endorsement of Nazi beliefs.

It's another example of a piece of media that has taken inspiration from a conspiracy theory which unfortunately has ties to the Nazis' obsession with proving their bonkers Aryan race theory.

The Nazis were obsessed with finding and creating ANY sort of historical/traditional link to validate their agenda, no matter how utterly ridiculous or entirely separate from reality that link was. They were obsessed with the mystical and the occult. Pseudo-science and pseudo-archaeology were their literal bread and butter.

In this instance, Plato's story of a sunken ancient city is not special for being co-opted for the Nazi's purposes. What has lead Atlantis to becoming a popular conspiracy theory in modern times is due in part to the steady popularization of pseudo-science as well as bad faith actors promoting a racist conspiracy theory as genuine fact.

The majority of conspiracy theories you hear about today actually have roots in fiction. For example, the Hollow Earth conspiracy theory finds it's origins from science fiction novels dating back to the 1800s. The Philadelphia Project can also trace its origins to a UFO writer who claims he was receiving secret confidential intel from a former US mariner. And yet there are are people who genuinely believe there is a secret world hidden in the center of the earth and that the US government was experimenting with and succeeded in creating a portal to another dimension.

So is the case with Atlantis. Atlantis: The Antediluvian World was written by Ignatius Donnelly in 1882 as a means to express his desires for a populist government and world. He was extremely misguided in his belief that Plato's story was factual and he employed the use of hyperdiffusion-a popular method used in countless conspiracy theories-to argue that all ancient societies were basically all descended from one even more ancient people.

Or in the Nazi's own terms: "An ancient master race."

Bad actors like Graham Hancock and Ancient Aliens further popularized the Nazi's conspiracy theory (as well as many others) and Donnelly's books by spreading mass disinformation across a global scale and we are all suffering for it.

As I've already stated before, Atlantis the Lost Empire takes superficial inspiration from the conspiracy theory in the same way that Stranger Things takes inspiration from the Montauk Project. Many popular sci-fi films, tv shows, books, and video games are littered with references and nods to conspiracy theories. Everything from Men in Black to The X Files to the SCP Foundation.

If you are interested in seeing how convincing conspiracy theories can get and their very real ability to destroy actual lives, I recommend watching American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders. It perfectly showcases how conspiracy theories can suck you in and how people can easily take advantage of you once they break down your ability to distinguish fiction from reality.

My only caveat with the documentary is that I really wish the creators had emphasized even more plainly to the audience that the Octopus Murders is an actual conspiracy theory instead of leaving the question somewhat open ended. Especially in regards to Danny Casolaro's death.

I would also highly recommend watching Milo Rossi aka miniminuteman's videos as his channel is dedicated solely to debunking various archaeological conspiracy theories as well as providing fascinating education on a variety of historical topics. I really cannot overstate how wonderful his Awful Archaeology series is.

I'm going to link a few of my favorites here:

This is the first of a multiseries debunking Graham Hancock's Ancient Apocalypse series.

This is Part 1 of 2 of him debunking one of the most notorious TikTokers who makes a living off of spreading mass disinformation.

I would be remiss not to mention Atun-Shei Film's amazing channel as well as Lady of the Library.

I would also recommend Kaz Rowe's channel as they provide stellar information on a wide variery of historical topics.

Tldr; Atlantis the Lost Empire and the films creators' did not set out to promote Nazi beliefs. They simply took inspiration from a popular conspiracy theory and made it something entirely unique and separate from the Aryan race agenda.

[a-fluffer-nutter]

Rapscallion

A/N - Day one of August's Tickletober! Anticipation is today's prompt, so here is a Deadpool and Wolverine fic! Please enjoy.

Word Count: 975

     “My dearest fanfic readers, you have absolutely no idea how horny I am right now,” Wade let out an exaggerated moan as he stared deeply into Logan’s fiery eyes. Fiery was an understatement, the literal pits of hell could be seen if you looked into his pupils long enough. 

      “I have no fucking clue on why you keep talking to ‘the readers,’ but it's starting to piss me off,” Logan snarled, his to the running across his top row of teeth. 

       “Oh, you are such a tease, Peanut! Speaking of bits, mine has an itch that needs to be juiced.”

      “You are one of the most revolting people I have ever met,” Logan's center claws slipped out from between his joints, lowering just enough for Wade’s wrists to feel pinpricks of anticipation. “What I wouldn't do to tear your bottom jaw off your disgusting face so you could never speak again.”

         “Admit it, sweetheart,” Wade cooed, ready to recoil the second his statement was finished, “You'd miss the blowies way too much.”

  ��     As Wade turned his head away, burying his face in his shoulder, he waited for his wrists to be sliced like a fish filet. However, this didn't happen. Uncomfortably shifting underneath Logan's weight, wrists still trapped above his head. 

       It was a super-secret mission that they were on, Wade had told Logan. Knowing Wade, Logan presumed that this mission was to spy on the Avengers or some shit, especially as Wade kept humming this one “heroic” song that he had told Logan was “really fucking cool in 2012.” While there were no sightings of Thor or Hawkeye, the two, in traditional superhero fashion, did manage to stop some sort of evil entity that wanted to take over Philadelphia. Aside from the Liberty Bell now having a new crack, Wade's fault naturally, the day was saved and our heroes needed a place to crash. Despite saving the day and all, they were a bit short on pocket money, so a grungy Motel 6 was their destination. Logan stayed in to watch TV, which based on the size and shape of it, was miraculously showing films in color, while Wade went hunting for the perfect Philly Cheesesteak. This temporary separation worked exceptionally well until Wade returned and spoiled the end of the film Logan was watching. 

       “It's not my fault your universe was still waiting for Incredibles 2! I thought you'd seen it!”

       “Why would I be watching it if I hadn't seen it yet?”

        “Maybe it's your favorite movie, I don't know. You seem like the kinda guy that would prefer more manly movies like Top Gun, Bridesmaids, or Velocipastor, but who am I to judge?”

      Naturally, Wade continued to push his luck and Logan's buttons, which lead them to our current situation. Logan pinning Wade on the bed, his wrists trapped between two of Logan's claws and Logan's entire weight on top of him. 

       Squirming as if he was wearing “grandma's surprise Christmas sweater,” Wade now looked back up at Logan, muscles tensing in the slightest. 

      “So, are you gonna do the stabby thing? Spaw my blood everywhere like a Quintin Tarantino film?”

      “I'm not sure yet.”

      “Ah, I see,” Wade clicked his tongue. “Well, we don't have to do the whole slicing me up like a sandwich thing. While this joint certainly isn't a Four Seasons, we don't need to Rudy Giuliani it all and spread mysterious liquids everywhere. Wait, who is the president in your universe?”

        “Matthew Perry?”

        “Ah, shit. Those kids from Smosh are psychic!” Logan let out a grumble, reminding Wade of his current predicament. “Shit, um, what should you do to me? Bondage? Sing songs of the French Revolution? Whisper sweet nothings in my ear? Hold me closer, tiny da-ack!” Wade was cut off by his own vocal tic. Logan released one of Wade's arms and when Logan repositioned his own, he accidentally grazed Wade's side. “What the shit, man? You didn't tell me I was gonna need to point out where the scary man touched me on a doll to my therapist this week!”

       “What the fuck was that noise, bub?” Logan mused; one eyebrow cocked upward. Making a humming sound, Logan moved his hand back to Wade's side and squeezed. Once again, Wade made a strangled yelp. 

       “Okay, maybe we can get back to the stabbing and bleeding part again,” a wave of nervousness washed over Wade's words. 

       “Of course, why wouldn't you be ticklish too?” Logan said mostly to himself, and he continued to poke and prod Wade's side, slowly walking his fingers up to the lower rib cage. 

       “Marvel Jesus does not condone this level of violence!” The last two words were an octave higher as Logan decided that was the moment to stop holding back and quickly skitter his fingernails across the sides of his ribs. “Shit! Peanut!”

       Logan continued his assault silently, trying not to smile as Wade writhed beneath him. Shouting out obscenities and references that went over Logan's head, Wade's laugh became increasingly hysterical and frantic as Logan's fingers journeyed upward. 

        “This is communist propaganda! A war crime! Don't you understand the Geneva Convention? You heathen. You rapscallion. A scoundrel. A hippocampus! A flou-!” Wade's words vanished from his tongue, replaced with loud cackles and hiccups. 

       “Damn shame this is the only way to shut you the fuck up, bub,” Logan broke his silence, his amusement of the situation now apparent by the upturned curl of his lips. He was thankful that Wade's eyes were as shut as they could be, Wade seeing this little bit of joy could be a catalyst to something bigger than Logan wanted to deal with any time soon. 

       What Logan didn't know was that Wade was already plotting his revenge. Something so devious, cruel, and sexy, that the world was not prepared for it. 

[dcdreamblog]

So, hey, I apologize for poking at the definitions of your field, but.

Like, you mentioned that while Crimson Avenger is "officially" the first superhero, some in your field argue that legendary gunfighters such as Jonah hex also qualify.

But, like...why stop there? What about people like Jon Valor or Tomahawk?

What about the Knights of the Round Table? I mean, Shining Knight has been confirmed to be a member of that group, hasn't he?

Oh boy, well have you got a week and the ability to film a bunch of scholars getting into fist fights?

The definition of "superhero" is porous at best, and its a rather new term. We only call them "superheroes" in regular conversation BECAUSE of the appearance of Superman acting as the representative for the movement.

Famously, back in the "Golden Age' of WWII they were most often known as "Mystery Men".

Before then, America famously had a rash of "cowboy" heroes who are usually referred to academically as "Gunslingers" or "Lawmen"

(A mural of many famous western heroes painted on the wall of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City)

Many of them, even those who weren't masked would fit the modern definitions of superheroes because they fought injustice using specific names and motifs. Bat Lash, El Diablo, Pow Wow Smith, etc.

I already did a little write up on the Black Pirate but you mentioned Tom Hawk, AKA Tomahawk, a famous frontiersman who served both during and after the Revolutionary War alongside who is probably the first MASKED hero in American history. Bess Lynn AKA Miss Liberty

(A mural of Miss Liberty, the original is hung up at the Liberty Bell Center in Philadelphia but others versions are commonly copied. We have one here at the Perisphere)

The Knights of the Round would certainly have been considered the superheroes of their day! And in the case of Sir Justin, ours! Really to dig into the question that you're driving at, the reason the Lee Travis is considered the "shot heard round the world" for the superheroes that exist now is because the chain of legacy he started is still unbroken. He took to the streets in 1938 because he saw people suffering and decided he wouldn't stand by for it.

He was joined by the Sandman, unveiling themselves to the world. Both men joined wartime superhero groups, the Justice Society eventually serving as moral and inspiration foundation for our modern Justice League. Said League still uses the original cloak, hat and mask of the Crimson Avenger to swear in its new members.

The wave that Lee Travis started has not ended. There is no end of the old west, there is no fall of camelot. He broke the ribbon on the new world and we are still living in it.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Jamie Tahsin at Vice:

As the polls began to dramatically shift in favor of Donald Trump on the evening of the election, Elon Musk, arguably Trump’s biggest supporter in recent months, tweeted: “The cavalry has arrived. Men are voting in record numbers. They now realize everything is at stake.” The top reply came from the notorious influencer and accused rapist and human trafficker, Andrew Tate. His summary of the election: “It’s men vs gays n chicks.” 

Tate’s political analysis had the tone of a 14-year-old playground bully, but Musk’s excitement at men turning out to vote spoke to something fundamentally true: that Donald Trump’s plan was working. When I first read the tweet, I began searching for evidence that men were indeed turning up in record numbers. On Musk’s platform, X, I was greeted with videos from Philadelphia and Miami of young men wearing red caps celebrating in the streets—pickup trucks tearing down street-lit highways with MAGA flags trailing from their cargo beds. After covering the Manosphere and the hyper-online ‘Bro’ Right for the past five years, I knew that in recent months they had mobilized like never before behind Trump, and that if they were motivated enough to actually go out and vote, Trump had a serious edge. 

Videos began to spread of frat boys across the US declaring their support for Donald Trump. When his victory was announced, one group filmed themselves performing Trump’s dance moves to “Y.M.C.A.” on the steps of their fraternity. 

Men aged 18-29—a group that has been politically unengaged in recent years—voted decisively for Trump. The Wall Street Journal reported a shift to the right of 28 points among this group. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning, 56 percent of young male voters opted for Trump in 2024—a marked increase from 41 percent in 2020. In Trump’s successful courtship of this cohort, his secret weapon appears to have been his 18-year-old son, Barron. 

[...]

But Barron’s role in Trump’s media strategy goes beyond just introducing Trump to figures like Adin Ross. Barron and his best friend, fellow 18-year-old Bo Loudon, were tasked by the campaign with helping Trump reach a young male audience. Loudon is a pro-Trump influencer, and son of the conservative media personality Gina Loudon, former co-chair of Women for Trump. Bo and Barron reportedly set up the Adin Ross stream, and Bo has claimed he helped set up Trump’s interview with Joe Rogan, too. 

On the day of the election, figures from across the vast and frequently depressing multiverse that is the online ‘Bro right’ gave their ringing endorsements of Donald Trump, and implored their fans to go and vote for him. Upon the announcement of his victory, John Shahidi of the Nelk Boys tweeted: “Idc what anyone says, podcasts helped us win this election.” When the Wall Street Journal reported that ‘Younger Men Voted Decisively for Donald Trump,’ Shahidi reposted it alongside the message, “Shout-out to our entire team!” A part of Trump’s message that particularly resonated with his young male audience, and the podcast hosts he made appearances with, was his seemingly favorable stance towards cryptocurrencies, and his puzzling claim that Bitcoin will be “made in the USA.” Earlier this year, in Austin, Texas, I interviewed an African-American man who told me he would vote Trump for the first time, almost entirely because of his stance towards crypto. 

[...] The rise of influencers like Tate and Ross aren’t just a symptom of young men shifting to the right, but an active factor that has exacerbated it. The ideology gap is widening between young men and women, not just in America, but all over the world. In the UK there is a 25-point gap between the views of young men and women; in Germany, this rises to 30.  The factors that have led us here are wide-ranging, but in making a concerted effort to reach out to disaffected young men, Trump gained an edge in what is being described as one of the most consequential elections in US history. We saw a similar effect in the UK during the last election, as young men shared their support for Nigel Farage and his Reform Party.  Many of the complaints coming from young men may appear to be misguided. Yet if politicians on the Left do not find a way to reach out to this group, and engage with it where it dwells online, opportunist populists like Trump and Farage most certainly will. In this election, one of Trump’s strongest weapons appears to have been his gigantic, chronically online 18-year-old son, his best friend Bo, and the ‘Bros’ they swung for Trump.

What the hell is wrong with these misogynistic and privileged frat bro males who got Trump over the line?

[posttexasstressdisorder]

Thursday, 11-14-24, 7pm Pacific

'Evenin' all, Mr. Baggins back with a set of music to soothe your achin' nerves and help ease us all into a good night. Let's start out with a little Mozart, here is the incomparable soprano Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, singing Susanna's aria from The Marriage of Figaro, "Dove sono", from a live 1959 recording.

For the next 50 minutes or so, let's hear from harpsichordist Sylvia Marlowe, with her reading of Bach's "Goldberg Variations", written to help put Mr. Goldberg to sleep at night! From her classic 1963 recording.

Next we'll revisit the legendary clarinetist Benny Goodman, this time joined by The Budapest Quartet, for their reading of Mozart's divine Clarinet Quintet in A, K581.

The engineers at RCA were the true geniuses of mid 1950s High Fidelity recording. The recordings made on RCA during the mid-late '50s are counted among the most sonically correct, even to this day. One of their superstar ensembles was Condutor Fritz Reiner and The Chicago Symphony. Reiner whipped the CSO into a WORLD-CLASS orchestra that was easily able to hold their own on the world stage. Here is Maestro Reiner and the band, playing some of the waltzes by the Strausses, senior and junior.

Here is one of the later Symphonies by Franz Joseph Haydn, this is Symphony No. 96, nicknamed "The Miracle" because of an incident that occured at its premier. The audience was so enthusiastic after the piece ended that they all rushed to the front of the stage. At that precise moment, a huge chandelier that was hanging over the center of the audience crashed to the ground. Had anyone still been in their seats, they would have been killed. The "Miracle" Symphony is played here for us by Neville Marriner and the ASMF.

I generally subscribe to the idea that a lot of 20th Century classical music is simply unlistenable...I'm not a big fan of "12 tone" or any of the other experimental "modern" strains of music. The main reason being there is no lyricism...no real poetry, no heart. Here is what is essentially the only listenable (to me) piece by Arnold Schoenberg, his "Transfigured Night". I find this as haunting as its disc-mate, the Strauss Metamorphosen. Performed by Neville Marriner and the ASMF.

Next we have Eugene Ormandy conducting The Philadelphia Orchestra, in the lush orchestration of a piano piece by Debussy, his "Reverie", a truly iconic interpretation.

Now let's hear the incredible Theremin virtuoso, Clara Rockmore, with her sister Nadia Reisenberg on the piano, in Rachmaninoff's "Vocalise", absolutely mind boggling performance, especially if you understand what is involved in playing the Theremin!

I will leave you tonight with a special treat: Clara in an actual video performance, one more gem left to us by this amazing woman. In 1976, synthesizer genius Bob Moog filmed this at Clara's apartment in New York City. The clip was digitally restored in 1998. Here is Clara Rockmore with her sister Nadia, to bring us their other-worldly reading of Saint-Saens "The Swan" from Carnival of the Animals.

This is Mr. Baggins, signing off for the night. I'll be with you again at 8am Pacific for Morning Coffee Music.

Until then, dream sweet dreams, babies, dream sweet dreams.

Baggins out.

[weaselandfriends]

You've talked before about struggling to give stories good description-blurbs. Do you have similar trouble with titles? If not, what techniques do you tend to use when devising story-titles?

Titles are easier as I consider them more strongly part of the artistic whole of a work, but I've still had some difficulty. For the Bavitz stories:

Fargo: Joke title. This was back before I had any expectation of success and was deliberately sabotaging myself with bad marketing. (Before Bavitz I posted a fic on a novelty account where I pretended to be a Chinese esports pro.) Fargo, the film, is a movie I dislike, and I thought it'd be funny to name a story Fargo and similarly not set the story in Fargo.

Modern Cannibals: In original drafts, my title for this was Soulstealer. In the long, five year process of writing the story, the title Modern Cannibals was beamed into my brain by celestial particle as I was walking around an ordinary Target store.

Chicago: Following the pattern of Fargo. Established a pattern I fear may be impossible to follow with a third installment: City name, famous movie name, and ends in -go. I can do city name and movie name (Philadelphia, Nashville, maybe Belfast, or Dallas or Atlanta if I branch to TV), and I can do movie and -go (Vertigo), but not all three unless I want to do something like... Key Largo (barely remembered 1948 film that isn't even a city, it's an island).

Cockatiel x Chameleon: I had this title before I had almost anything about the story. It simply came to me. The "x" format suggests fandom shipping, which is about as much as I understood about the romance genre back in 2015 when I came up with the idea and title.

Cleveland Quixotic: This was the most I struggled with a title. I went with a zillion options before I came up with this one. Required a lot of active brainstorming and trial and error. Honestly, if not for this title, I'd say the answer to your question is, "Coming up with titles is super easy, they just pop into my head." But this one was difficult.

When I Win the World Ends: I'll probably talk more about it when the story is finished, but my original working title for this story was Unbroken Line of History. When I Win came to me as part of a revision process whereby I shifted around some plot elements to put certain aspects of the story front and center.

[reasoningdaily]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/09/03/beverly-hills-police-lawsuit/

A Beverly Hills police task force arrested 106 people. All but one were Black, lawsuit claims.

Beverly Hills Police targeted Black people with harassment and arrest for low-level or nonexistent violations in an effort to keep them away from Rodeo Drive, according to a class-action racial discrimination lawsuit filed in California Superior Court Monday by civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Bradley Gage.

The complaint centers on the Beverly Hills Police Department’s “Operation Safe Streets,” a campaign to address safety on the city’s famed luxury shopping destination of Rodeo Drive.

The suit claims that between March 2020 and July 2021, the task force made 106 arrests — 105 of whom were of Black people.

“If 2 percent of the residents of Beverly Hills are Black but almost 100 percent of the arrests are Black [people,] that’s a pretty clear indication something’s wrong,” Gage told The Washington Post Thursday.

“The women and men of BHPD take an oath to protect human life and enforce the law — regardless of race,” Beverly Hills Police Chief Dominick Rivetti said in a statement Wednesday. “Any violation of this pledge is contrary to the values of this department. We take all concerns regarding the conduct of our officers very seriously.“

During a Wednesday news conference announcing the lawsuit, Crump — the attorney best-known for representing the family of George Floyd — framed the alleged racial bias in Beverly Hills as a national scourge that has led to the death or injury of people whose names are now synonymous with racially biased and violent policing.

“If implicit bias goes unchecked and discrimination goes unchecked, it leads to what happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis; what happened to Breonna Taylor in Louisville; what happened to Jacob Blake Jr. in Kenosha, Wis.,” he said. “That’s what happens if the actions of the Beverly Hills Police Department goes unchecked.”

Rivetti in his Wednesday statement said he formed the “Rodeo Drive Team” to address complaints from businesses about a rise in burglary, shoplifting and nuisances such as public intoxication. Rivetti touted the success of the task force, noting that officers arrested individuals with “fraudulently obtained state unemployment benefits” and seizing $250,000 in cash and “ill-gotten debit cards.”

The police did not respond to The Post’s request for the number of arrests or their racial breakdown.

Gage said his team corroborated the figure through a variety of sources, including Beverly Hills police officers who were troubled by the trend that resulted from the 16-month safety operation.

The more than 100 arrestees were cited for a range of noncriminal behaviors such as roller skating or riding a scooter on the sidewalk to low-level infractions such as jaywalking. None of the same behaviors and infractions were enforced against White people, the lawsuit claims.

“The way [police] stop them for trivial things is troubling as well,” Gage said, alleging that Black people questioned by police would face four or five officers or have guns drawn on them. “White people don’t have that.”

The two named plaintiffs in the suit were not California residents but visiting from Philadelphia. During a visit to Beverly Hills last September, Khalil White and Jasmine Williams were arrested while riding scooters on the sidewalk and jailed for resisting arrest. The charges, like most of those that stemmed from the operation, were dropped.

The lawsuit claims that other incidents with police did not end in arrest but indicate a pattern of harassment and over-policing of Black people. Salehe Bembury, then the vice president of men’s footwear at Versace, was allegedly jaywalking and holding two shopping bags from his store last October when police stopped him, asked for his ID and ran his name for warrants.

Bembury filmed the encounter, which went viral.

“So I’m in Beverly Hills and I’m getting … searched for shopping at the store I work for and just being Black,” he said in an Instagram video.

“You’re making a completely different narrative,” a BHPD officer said in response.

The current iteration of the lawsuit focuses on the outcome of Operation Safe Streets, but Gage expects it will broaden to encompass a wider review of discriminatory policing by BHPD and expects the class of complainants to grow tenfold.

“I don’t think Ben or I have had five minutes since the press conference that we haven’t received phone calls. I’ve been getting them since midnight,” Gage said. Since Wednesday, he estimates the legal team has received at least 100 new complaints of racial profiling in traffic stops and other claims of discrimination from around the same period as Operation Safe Streets.

[filmnoirfoundation]

NOIR CITY: D.C. begins October 11 at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center running for 14 days through Thursday, October 24. Following this year’s festival theme "Darkness Has No Borders," the D.C. lineup features 15 thematically linked double bills connecting non-English language noir films wiith movies made in the United States and United Kingdom. Highlights include the 4K restoration of Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samouraï (1967) paired with This Gun for Hire (1942) and the FNF’s latest restoration No abras nunca esa puerta (Never Open that Door – 1952 Argentina) followed by the FNF preservation print of Si muero antes de despertar (If I Should Die Before I Wake – 1952 Argentina) - the last part of a Cornell Woolrich trilogy originally planned for Never Open that Door but released as a stand-alone feature.

FNF founder Eddie Muller will introduce screenings during the festival's opening weekend, October 11–13. Film historian and FNF board member Foster Hirsch will introduce screenings October 18–20.

NOIR CITY: D.C. All-Access Pass - $200

The All-Access pass gives you admission to every screening at NOIR CITY D.C. (Oct. 11–24) at a significant discount, plus the opportunity to attend an exclusive passholder reception with Eddie Muller on Thursday evening, October 10.

All-Access Passes and individual tickets for the NOIR CITY D.C. film festival are now available on the AFI website.

CONFIRMED 2024 NOIR CITY DATES

NOIR CITY: D.C.: Oct 11-24 AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center Silver Spring, MD

NOIR CITY: Philadelphia: Nov 15-17 The Colonial Theatre, Phoenixville, PA

NOIR CITY XMAS: Dec 18 Grand Lake Theatre, Oakland, CA

[kickmag]

Frankie Beverly Going On Farewell Tour

Frankie Beverly is going on a final tour with his band Maze this year. The "I Wanna Thank You Farewell Tour" kicks off in Atlanta on March 22nd. Chaka Khan and El DeBarge will join Beverly and his band which has its first show at the State Arena. The group has toured for five decades and released eight studio albums and two live albums. Their songs "Joy And Pain," "Running Away," "Golden Time Of Day," "Happy Feelin's" and  "We Are One" are classic hits that have become synonymous with any kind of celebration with R&B fans around the world. Beyoncé famously recorded "Before I Let Go" for her 2019 Homecoming film. Their final trek together is being produced by The Black Promoters Collective which includes six of the nation's premier independent concert and event promotion companies. 

Beverly just received the Urban One Living Legend Honor from TVOne along with Dionne Warwick, Mary J. Blige, gospel producer Donald Lawrence, and Chloe. When the tour ends he will make a stop in his hometown of Philadelphia for a street naming ceremony because that is where they started under the name Raw Soul. The band will continue to tour as Maze Honoring Frankie Beverly and Tony Lindsay will be the vocalist. Tickets are on sale now. 

The Frankie Beverly & Maze I Wanna Thank You Farewell Tour Dates 

3/22/2024 – State Farm Arena, Atlanta GA

4/6/2024 – Mobile County Fairgrounds, Mobile AL

4/13/2024 – Toyota Arena, Houston TX

4/27/2024 – United Center, Chicago IL

5/12/2024 – KIA Forum, Los Angeles CA

[barkingbonzo]

James Stewart

James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military officer. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality, which he portrayed both on and off the screen, he epitomized the "American ideal" in the mid-twentieth century. In 1999, the American Film Institute (AFI) ranked him third on its list of the greatest American male actors. He received numerous honors including the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1980, the Kennedy Center Honor in 1983, as well as the Academy Honorary Award and Presidential Medal of Freedom, both in 1985.

Born and raised in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Stewart started acting while at Princeton University. After graduating, he began a career as a stage actor making his Broadway debut in the play Carry Nation (1932). He landed his first supporting role in The Murder Man (1935) and had his breakthrough in Frank Capra's ensemble comedy You Can't Take It with You (1938). Stewart went on to receive the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in George Cukor romantic comedy The Philadelphia Story (1940). His other Oscar-nominated roles were in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Harvey (1950) and Anatomy of a Murder (1959).

[eretzyisrael]

Adeel Mangi is not a victim of “Islamophobia,” “bigoted smears” or anti-Muslim discrimination, as Timothy Lewis’s recent Philadelphia Inquirer op-ed asserted. The real reasons bipartisan senators, Jewish organizations and others oppose confirming Mangi as a federal appellate judge (one step below the U.S. Supreme Court) are the following:

Mangi was until recently an advisory director and repeated donor to a viciously antisemitic, anti-American, pro-terror organization—the so-called “Center for Security, Race and Rights” (CRSS) at Rutgers Law School; Mangi evaded questions and improbably professed ignorance about key matters (including antisemitism, terrorism and Middle East issues) that are likely to come before the federal appellate court; and Mangi has absolutely no judicial experience.

It is absurd to claim that a bipartisan group of senators oppose Mangi’s confirmation because Mangi is Muslim. The Senate overwhelmingly confirmed another recent Muslim nominee for a federal judgeship: Zahid Nisar Quraishi.

The majority of appellate judicial nominees have years of prior judicial experience and a record of judicial decisions that can be vetted. In public statements and letters, leading Jewish organizations involved in combating antisemitism, including: our organization, the Zionist Organization of America; Americans Against Antisemitism; StopAntisemitism; Students Supporting Israel; and the Coalition for Jewish Values (representing over 2,500 rabbis) noted that it is dangerous to elevate Mangi to a lifetime Court of Appeals judgeship when he has no judicial record to examine, which is not even to mention his alarming CRSS involvements.

Among other horrors, while Mangi was on CRSS’s Advisory Board (referred to as its “brain trust”), CRSS celebrated the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks’ 20th anniversary by hosting terror-affiliated speakers, including Sami Al-Arian, who was convicted for funneling funds, goods and services to the designated terror organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad. CRSS also hosted a group whose officials have connections to Al-Qaeda and Hamas networks, the notorious antisemite and anti-Israel propagandist Rashid Khalidi, and Israel-bashing BDS groups and leaders including Jewish Voice for Peace, Peter Beinart, Khaled Elgindy and Marc Lamont Hill (who was terminated by CNN for antisemitic comments).

Furthermore, CRSS’s website posted a resource guide listing and linking to numerous antisemitic, anti-Israel, BDS and terror-linked organizations, films, books, journals, “educational resources,” websites, podcasts and reports.

CRSS’s website also included CRSS Executive Director Sahar Aziz’s open letter praising and justifying Hamas terrorism and denying Israel’s right to self-defense while Hamas launched 4,500 rockets at Israel in May 2021. Aziz recruited Mangi to the CRSS advisory board. The Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest New Jersey stated that “Aziz has regularly and consistently promoted vile antisemitic propaganda” on social media and elsewhere.

In addition to his own donations and services, Mangi obtained donations from his law firm for CRSS.

During his Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Mangi repeatedly refused to condemn viciously antisemitic, anti-Israel CSRR events and statements by reciting this mantra: “I do not have the expertise or factual background to express views regarding the complex history of the conflict in the Middle East, which is irrelevant to my potential work on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.”

Of course, condemning antisemitism and antisemitic Israel-bashing does not take expertise; it just takes courage. Moreover, antisemitism and Middle East issues are highly relevant to potential cases on the Third Circuit, including cases seeking remedies for antisemitic attacks and harassment on college campuses and city streets; cases regarding antisemitic boycotts; and cases brought by victims of Hamas and other terror groups under federal victims of terrorism and victims of torture statutes. Mangi is unfit and unqualified to fairly judge these important matters and should not be confirmed.