Tim Burton exhibition opens at the Museum of Modern Art (through April 26)

New Amsterdam Market monthly Public Market on South Street from 11 a.m.

Michael Jackson’s Video Art at Film Society of Lincoln Center at 6:15 p.m.

“Don Giovanni” at the NY City Opera at 1:30 p.m.

Big Band Social on the Promenade of the David H. Koch Theater at 4:45 p.m.

Devendra Banhart at Town Hall at 8 p.m.

St. Petersburg String Quartet at BargeMusic at 3 p.m.

Nareh Arghamanyan concert at The Frick Collection at 5 p.m.

Port O’ Monkeys with Jeff Greene performance at 3 p.m. at the Museum at Eldridge Street

Hudson River Historic Concerts at Wave Hill: Stephen Hamilton directs actor Reed Birney in recreating a reading of
“Doctor Marigold” and “Mr. Bob Sawyer’s Party”, first given by Charles Dickens in 1868 at New York’s Steinway Hall and in Albany

NY Giants home game vs. Atlanta

NY Knicks vs Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden at 1 p.m.

Thanksgiving with the Beasts at the Staten Island Zoo

Free Urban Glass Open House

Urban Oyster tour of the Brooklyn Navy Yard

Municipal Art Society walking tour: Woodside Avenue, Queens at 11 a.m.

92Y Excursion: Lower East Side Synagogues, Bialystoker the Beautiful, Shteibl Row and the Sites of Historic East Broadway at 11 a.m.

ASSSSCAT 3000 comedy shows at Upright Citizens Brigade at 7:30 ($10) and 9:30 p.m. (free)

New Moon is to open across the U.S. on November 20th, and the L.A. Premiere happened Monday night to immense throngs of fans and tight security. So tight that Kellan Lutz, the beloved vampire from the film reportedly had a hard time getting into the after-party with a friend.  Shoulda shown the fangs.

For all its hoopla and fan fare however, the films premiere was not without its drama – which seems to be a franchise trend.  So actually, let me go back and catalogue some of the movie series evolving drama’s.  First there was news that Catherine Hardwicke, the talented director of the first-film-in-the-franchise Twilight (and other amazing movies) would not be returning for (AKA was nixed from doing) New Moon.  It was leaked they didn’t want her, which was countered with ‘what’s up with that she is really talented and the movie came out great in the end’, but she was out.  And while Chris Weitz as director was in, it still made the franchise seem, well, bumpy.  Then there were the stars hooking up drama – which wouldn’t have been anything if KS hadn’t had a beau at the time (true or not, it was still all the talk.)

But this last tib-bit is the carry over to the premiere of New Moon. The red-headed vampire-ette of the first two movies, Rachelle Lefevre, was not re-signed to do the third movie – which means she was booted – and Bryce Dallas Howard, the actress with the uber-Hollywood father, was signed to play the part in the third movie.  Signed! So not only had it been in the works for a while (ouch) but many people knew.  More bumpyness.  Most everyone who saw the first one liked Lefevre, but after the second finished shooting and contracts were made for the third, she was out.  Summit Entertainment said that she had signed to do another movie that conflicted with the shoot schedule, which Lefevre said was not true.  Bottom line she was out…cut to months later and the U.S. premiere, and the actress opted not to attend, tweeting: “2 fans at the premiere: w/ Honey in hospital & being fired from Eclipse tonight was just 2 emotional 4 me & I couldn’t manage it.” And yes, Honey is her dog.

Oh, and to keep it full circle, reports have Catherine Hardwicke stating that Howard was her first choice for the role, but at the time she turned it down it was too small for her.

I can’t wait to get back to the vampire drama!

Art Star in Northern Liberties

The holiday season is right around the corner so you’re probably planning out what gifts to get your friends and family. Here’s a look at some Philadelphia stores that offer up the perfect gifts that will actually stand out.

Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction

Your friend who’s addicted to Star Wars might have a replica Death Star, and almost every single Darth Vader figurine in existence. But rest assured he doesn’t have the Chewbacca T-Shirt that’s exclusive to Art in the Age in Mechanical Reproduction. and your aunt who’s hooked on kitchen condiments would love their corn relish. And anyone who likes to mix drinks will go gaga over their Root Alcohol. Art In The Age of Mechanical Reproduction firmly believes in empowering artists producing high quality work marked by fine craft and intellectual rigor. It does so by applying the fruits of such labors to the cultural forms of everyday life, granting those who wish to engage the opportunity to do so in his/her own environment. And as a result you can find a diverse selection of clothing, literature, bars of soap, and then some.
Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction

Omoi

Otherwise known as Heavy in Japanese. From Domo, to G-Shock Watches, To Lucky Cat; Omoi is your one stop shop for items that are blowing up all over Japan. But you can also finds fresh new T-shirts from the likes of Soundscreen Design, 2K Gingham, and Upper Playground; Midori Stationary, a diverse selection of Books, bags from Philly’s own TRKFLD, and so much more. It’s a cute little store to shop in, especially with it’s recent makeover. But it’s also perfect for shopping online.
Omoi

Big Green Earth Store

Big Green Earth Store is an environmentally friendly home goods retail store. The store is the first to invoke a “green-only” approach meaning the products sold are either made out of recycled materials or reduce and reuse the earth’s limited resources. Big Green Earth Store is committed to providing our customers with a one-stop shopping experience that promotes the protection and sustainability of the environment. It is the goal of Big Green Earth Store to not only provide our customers with the highest quality of earth-friendly products and services, but also positively inform the community of the tremendous benefits these products have on the environment. When you pick up things like their Recycled Speakers, Solar Backpacks, Stainless Steel Canteens, and bags made out of recycled magazines and bottle caps; your not only picking up something that looks cool; you’re picking up something that’s good for the environment.
Big Green Earth Store

Long in The Tooth

With such a big inventory of vinyl, Long in the Tooth is easily a one stop shop for any of your record collecting friends. But they also have a HUGE selection of new and used CDs and DVDs that contain some pretty rare finds and good deals. Toss in it’s extensive book shelf that’s filled to the brim with good deals on novels and art books, and a good selection of local music; and you have a spot that has plenty to offer!
Long in the Tooth

Art Star

Art Star is a gallery and boutique located in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia. It exhibits and sell handmade work and limited edition products by emerging artists across the globe. Hailed by Philadelphia Magazine as the “the cities first cutting-edge craft shop”, it strives to carry work that is innovative and superbly crafted. We have also created and continue to support a growing network of burgeoning artists. Its exhibitions rotate every 6 weeks and our boutique offers shoppers everything from handmade clothes, jewelry and accessories to dolls, ceramics and prints. with so many art prints, hand crafted dolls, interesting bags, and then some; you’re bound to find something for that person who likes artistic things.
Art Star

Jinxed Clothing

What could be better than a place where you can get top of the line and unique hoodies, T-shirts, and shirts? A place where you can also get unique toys like Tofu Zombie, Geisha Girls plaques, and Sailor Jerry Tattoo stencil books of course. Jinxed Clothing offers a diverse selection of artistic merchandise that’s of the rocking persuasion, and it has been able to do it even more so since it moved into The Piazza!
Jinxed Clothing

Duross and Langel

From their website -

Our approach to creating Duross and Langel is basic. It reflects our approach to living. Make responsible choices that affect a change for the better.

There is a great deal of chatter about what is safe in cosmetics and skincare products. The old axiom “don’t believe everything you read” certainly holds true. When developing our brand, we set out to create the next generation of body and skin care. As we went through the process to achieve this goal, we found a great deal of misleading information and an unfortunate truth that very few products can actually be 100% natural even though by law, they can call themselves all-natural. Even the most natural product ingredients go through a process during formulation while modern chemistry offers some amazing approaches to formulation.
Not everything natural is good.
Not everything synthesized is bad.

We’ve worked hard to be responsible in developing the products and the packaging for duross and langel. Our job is to offer you and your family some good clean fun at a great price. Our products are as free of synthetic ingredients as can allow for in safety, effectiveness and esthetic appeal. Some of our products are scented with essential oils, others with fragrance oils. Our colors are derived from natural micas and logwoods as well as employing natural sources that have been synthesized for use in food.

98% of all ingredients in duross and langel are derived from botanical sources. Our packaging meets the highest standards of environmental responsibility available for safe cosmetics today. Bottles and jars are 100% recyclable. Our boxes and bags are made with 100% recycled paper.

At Duross and Langel you can find a distinct selection of soaps, candles, facial and body products, and soothing balms that are made from natural ingredients. So it’s perfect for any friend or family member that’s looking to achieve a fresh sense of euphoria in the bathroom.
Duross and Langel

Doggie Style

The perfect store for anyone who is looking to pick up something special for their pet this holiday season.

For over five years, Doggie Style stores have been bringing the Philadelphia area the finest in pet fashion and supplies. Started by fellow pet owners, Doggie Style has become a neighborhood “watering dish” for pet owners to bring their best friends and catch up on the latest in pet care as well as to get to know other pet owners in the area. And through social events and a continued relationship with the PSPCA, Doggie Style has managed to strengthen the pet owner community in Philadelphia and it wants you to be a part of it.

  There’s no other place you can go to get all the pet basics, such as food and nutrition needs, as well as the fanciest pet pampering accessories. We carry high-end pet carriers, doggie waste supplies, outdoor camping gear, and bakery fresh gourmet treats! And we always love to hear from our customers about how our selection of products has worked for them.

 And although it may call itself “Doggie Style” it also cater to pets of the feline persuasion as well, with tons of kitty toys, comfy beds and lounges.  And be sure to say hello to Sugar, Lily, Monty, and Nigel, our resident cats when you’re in the stores!
So if you haven’t already, stop in to your local neighborhood Doggie Style. “they bark, we listen.”
Doggie Style

Pinot

The bad news to it being in Philadelphia is that Pinot itself doesn’t sale wine. But the good news is that it’s the perfect place for any wine aficionado to accessorize their collection. it is a a unique wine accessory boutique that is a must shop for any wine drinker, whether their a novice or an expert. they have everything from bar furniture to corkscrews. its focus is premium wine accessories and products such as Riedel glassware and decanters, Howard Miller Wine and Spirits furniture, Le Cache Wine Storage units, and hand crafted wine racks. the basics are also covered with corkscrews, wine stoppers, wine caddies, and much more.
Pinot

Foster’s Homeware

From their Website -

Rooms can always be more roomy. Homes can always be more homey. Life can always be more lively. And we’re here to make it that way at ShopFosters.com and our new and our new store at 33 N. 3rd in Old City, Philadelphia – Foster’s Homeware, offering the finest in contemporary housewares and furnishings for the urban dweller and a wide-array of products that cater to the serious chef in all of us.

Foster’s is hands down the perfect place to shop for any one who is looking to expand upon their kitchen, dining room, bathroom, and anywhere else in their home or office.
Foster’s Homeware

There are plenty of Honorable mentions out there for holiday shoppinmg in Philadelphia; including Sailor Jerry, Mew Gallery, Joseph Fox Bookshop, and Fante’s Kitchen Wares Shop. But with choices above, you’re sure to find some things that are truly eclectic.

The future of 941 Theater is in Jeopardy. But you can help!

Awhile back Culturemob covered how 941 Theater was a strong supporter of cinema, arts, and music in the community. And since that blog it was recognized for it’s dedication and won a Citypaper Choice Award. But unfortunately the theater was forced to shut down by L&I, and is now in a dire situation. From their website:

“As you may know, the 941 Theater was recently forced to shut down, and may stay closed unless we get your help! We’ve worked hard to support the art, film and music communities in Philadelphia by creating a safe and accessible venue everyone can enjoy. But we cannot continue without your support. We need to raise money to re-open the 941 Theater!”

The theater hasn’t given up hope, and as working as hard as they had to open to place in the beginning. They have also pulled their resources together to form the Philadelphia Friends of the Projected Arts, a group that is dedicated that making sure that Philadelphia has places that support independent cinema.

From their main Website -

The PFPA is registered as a non-profit in the state of Pennsylvania, and it is run by professionals in the film and media industries. By making Projected Arts more accessible to Philadelphia, they are enriching the culture of Philadelphia and helping filmmakers make money off their work.

Due to the nonstop trend of media consolidation, it is more important than ever for independent filmmakers to have an outlet for their creations. 25 years ago, there were 50 companies controlling the media in America. Today, there are only six. Media consolidation has made it that much more difficult to get first run independent films out to the viewing public, and this is not okay. While we have access to many so-called “mainstream indies” in Philadelphia, there isn’t a theater that screens the rest of the first-run independent films that come out each week.

While the Internet is the ultimate tool for the unknown to become known, mass exposure on the internet doesn’t automatically help small filmmakers make a profit off of their art. Having their work accessible online can help filmmakers, but in order to make a living and continue to create films, they must be able to monetize their efforts. The PFPA aims to help filmmakers find venues where their work will be displayed and they will share in the revenue generated.

While it takes a few clicks of your mouse to see a movie in the comfort of your own home, you aren’t viewing the film in the way the filmmaker intended it to be seen, and therefore are missing out on the key details you can only see in a theater. PFPA is involved in fundraising in order to provide the city with the entertainment it is lacking and, in collaboration with 941 Theater, a venue that gives the viewer the total movie experience: the picture projected on a screen, excellent sound, and surrounded by strangers.

941 Theater is currently working on organizing a fundraiser at the Starlight Ballroom, that is tentatively slated for Saturday, November 21st from noon – 6pm. If you have any further questions or would like to be involved in some way, please contact us at: BOOKING@941theater.com. They also have a Paypal Account where you can make donations towards saving the theater.

The Margaret Mead Film and Video Festival at The American Museum of Natural History is the longest-running documentary film festival in the United States. This year’s almost three dozen films includes on opening night movie, Cooking History, which is without question one of the weirder documentaries ever made. Its motto: “6 wars, 10 recipes, 60, 361,024 dead” Its official description:
“What keeps the armies of the world going? Tanks, submarines, airplanes, bullets, bombs? Actually, bread. Bread and blinis and sausage and coq au vin, even “monkey meat” rations. As one cook puts it, without food, the army would be in a shambles. Taking a tour of 20th century battlefields, Peter Kerekes revisits its mess halls and field kitchens, asking the cooks to recreate the meals they served at the front.”

The closing night documentary three days later is Hair India, which is about how Hindu believers who are poor make a ritual sacrifice of their only possession – not money or jewels (as the Hindu rich do), but…their hair. The filmmakers, we are told “follow the course of this hair as it is sheared in an ancient, sacred ritual, sold at auction to the highest bidder, and ends up strutting down the red carpets on top of the world’s most famous heads.”

Films in-between are set in Austria, Bosnia, Czech Republic, China, Croatia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, The Netherlands, and United States. A theme of six of the films is Love Against The Odds -- and focuses on people who have one disability or another.
My favorite title — The Wondrous World of Laundry

Here’s the day-by-day schedule

There are more than a dozen films at the Third Annual Other Israel Film Festival, among them a satire called “Arab Labor”; a documentary, “City of Borders,” about a gay bar in Jerusalem; a portrait of an Arab-Israeli journalist felt caught in the middle (“The Arabs think he’s a collaborator. The Jews think he’s a drunk”) entitled “Forever Scared.” The “other Israel,” in other words, are Israeli Arabs.

The festival “is not about the conflict -- it is not about taking sides -- this festival is about people,” writes the festival’s founder Carol Zabar (yes, of the Zabar’s food family)

Here is a list of the films in the festival. For times and locations, and to purchase tickets, click here.

Arab Labor
Israel, 2008, 75 minutes
Director:
Roni Ninio
More episodes from the successful groundbreaking satire, following Amjad, a 35-year-old Arab journalist, married to Bushara (a social worker) and father to Maya. Torn between his desire to become the darling of the In-crowd on one hand, and represent the suffering of Arabs at any given forum, he is mocked and criticized by his family and close community. Amjad’s only ally is his friend Meir (an Israeli Jew) -- a photographer who works with him at the newspaper, a sworn bachelor who falls In love with Amal, Bushara’s feminist Arab friend.
trailer

Badal
Israel, 2005, 56 minutes
Director:
Ibtisam Mara’na
‘A Badal deal marriage’ is the common practice of a Muslim tradition where a brother and sister from one family marry a sister and brother from another family -- interlocking the two couples forever. Divorce on the part of one couple will immediately lead to the divorce of the other part of the deal. The film follows a family during the process of putting such a deal together. It portrays the lives of Palestinian women living within Israel, their difficulties and struggle to be a part of their traditional society vs. the quest to maintain their full rights as women, and citizens of a democratic state.

City of Borders
USA, 2009, 67 minutes
Director:
Yun Suh
In the heart of Jerusalem stands an unusual symbol of unity that defies generations of segregation, violence and prejudice: a gay bar called Shushan. This award-winning documentary goes inside this underground sanctuary where people of opposing nationalities, religions and sexual orientations create an island of peace in a land divided by war. Through a coclorful cast of characters from all walks of life, the film explores the effort to find and share a sense of community in spite of differences of religion and nationality.

ID Blues
Israel, 2008, 100 minutes
Director:
Chaim Yavin
Two new episodes from the five-part travel-log by legendary news person Chaim Yavin, examining different sectors of Arabs living in Israel, presenting matters of life, history, and culture in Arab society in Israel.

Jaffa
Israel/France/Germany, 2009, 100 minutes
Director:
Keren Yedaya
In this Cannes Film Festival favorite, Director Keren Yedaya (Or) brings forth the dramatic story of Mali, who lives with her family in Jaffa, and works with her brother and father at the family owned car repair shop. Mali falls in love with Tauffik, a mechanic in the garage. Despite underlying racism and jealousy that surrounds them, their love affair grows. When Mali finds out she is pregnant, the couple decides to run away and get married abroad. On the morning of the flight, a tragic event reshapes this couple’s future.

Laila’s Birthday
Netherlands/Palestine/Tunisia, 2008, 72 minutes
Director:
Rashid Masharawi
A comically existential fable about a day in the life of a former-judge-turned-taxi driver, on the day of his daughter Laila’s seventh birthday. His only goal is to be home early with a present and a cake, but life takes him through many twists and turns before he gets home. His customers include a young Romeo who hires the taxi to have a place “alone” with his lover; a housewife who’ll stop anywhere there’s a free-food giveaway, armed Palestinian militia members, and an ex-convict who leaves his cell phone in the cab.

Sayed Kashua -- Forever Scared
Israel, 2009, 56 minutes
Director:
Dorit Zimbalist
Despite being one of Israel’s leading columnists, novelists and screenwriter, Sayed Kashua feels he doesn’t belong. The Jews don’t like him because he’s an Arab. The Arabs don’t like him because he’s successful. The Arabs think he’s a collaborator. The Jews think he’s a drunk. He’s always the “other” and he’s always scared. This intimate portrait follows Kashua over seven years through the upheavals and events that change his life, wandering from place to place, from nation to nation, belonging neither here nor there.

SAZ -- The Palestinian Rapper for Change
Israel, 2005, 51 minutes
Director:
Gil Karni
An intimate documentary following budding Palestinian-Israeli hip-hop star from Ramlah, Sameh Zakout, a.k.a. Saz. The film follows his transformation from a young unknown rap singer into an international success, as well as his youthful quest for identity transformed into the voice of a struggling nation. The film also focuses on his relationship with his grandfather, an Israeli-Arab communist. Their conversations reveal their differing ideologies: “I don’t see my Palestine being built by blood,” says Saz. “It should be built by negotiations, not bombings. My bullets are my rhymes. My M-16 is my microphone.”

Shorts
60 minutes
A Journey into the next generation of films by and about Arab citizens or Israel.
-Heavy Silence
Director:
Maysaloun Hamoud
Visions and pieces of memory are unveiled through a small crack in Alla’s prison cell. Through these excerpts of memory and fantasy Alla faces the futility of family honor and discovers the fate of the woman he loves.
-Two (Shnaim)
Director:
Shimon Richik
In the midst of the war in Gaza, a mixed Arab and Israeli couple debate the question of military service.
-Bus Station -- Ir-Amim
Director:
Lily Sheffy
Two women, Arab and Jew meet at a bus stop in Jerusalem after a trip to the market. When their bags of tomatoes get confused they begin to understand the similarities and differences of their worlds.
-Tel Aviv -- Jaffa
Director:
Boaz Rosenberg
A look into one of the unifiers of Israeli Jewish and Arab society – Hummus. This short documentary part of the Tel Aviv-100 docu-challenge project follows one of Yafo’s oldest and proudest establishments.
-Oranges
Director:
Maha Assal
A sweet story of friendship and neighbors. A man is angered by his neighbor picking oranges off his tree and decides to seek revenge.

Telling Strings
Switzerland, 2007, 60 minutes
Director:
Anne-Marie Haller
A rare look into the profound workings of the Jubran family, a Palestinian family of musicians from al-Rameh village in the northern Galilee. The Father, Elias, a musician and instructor has been building traditional string instruments such as ouds and bouzouqs in his al-Rameh workshop since 1965. The film connects the history of two generations and questions cultural identity between protest, resignation and hope.

The Invisible
Israel, 2009, 70 minutes
Director:
Gil Karni
A 12-year-long diary of the Bedouin village “Arab al-Na’im” in the Galillee and their struggle for their rights. The people of Arab al-Na’im have inhabited their land for the past 200 years, serve in the Israeli army, yet live in tin huts, without electricity or running water, and in constant struggle with the Israeli administration to be v

Voices from El Sayed
Israel, 2008, 75 minutes
Director:
Oded Adomi Leshem
In the picturesque Israeli Negev desert, the Bedouin village of El-Sayed has the largest percentage of deaf people in the world. Through the generations, a unique sign language has evolved making it the most popular language in this rare society, which accepts deafness as natural as life itself. The village’s tranquility is interrupted by Salim’s decision to change his deaf son’s fate and make him a hearing person using the Cochlear Implant Operation.

Zahara
Israel, 2009, 60 minutes
Director:
Mohammad Bakri
With touching personal style and breathtaking cinematography, Director Mohammad Bakri tells the story of his 78 year old aunt Zahara, from the times of pre-state Palestine to present, leading the family with love and wisdom through the many trials of life.

“Slumdog Millionaire,” “The Namesake,” and a host of other blockbuster India-oriented films had their premieres at a New York festival with a forbidding name — the Mahindra Ido-American Arts Council Film Festival or MIAAC. Starting on Wednesday, November 11th, New Yorkers will have a chance at the ninth annual Indian film festival , MIAAC 2009, to meet the director Mira Nair and watch many of her films, including the now-classic Salaam Bombay, and to see future international hits and meet current international stars, including the ageless beauty, Sharmila Tagore

There is a special tribute to Prakash Mehra, the legendary Bollywood filmmaker who died earlier this year, a multimedia presentation on “Queer Bollywood”, and a look at films on the volatile Kashmir region. There are also film industry panels, with titles like “Success Stories and Changing Formulas: Producing and Marketing in the International Market.” There is even a “cell phone cinema” competition.

But there are mostly dozens of films.This includes five Bengali features and a full length documentary. Opening night at the Paris Theater is a gala and screening of “Today’s Special” described as a food comedy set in New York City, in which a chef at a hot Manhattan restaurant is forced to take over his family’s failing restaurant in Jackson Heights. It stars Aasif Mandvi, best-known in the United States as a correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Closing night at the Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center is The Endless Wait (Antaheen), which brings Bollywood legends Aparna Sen and Sharmila Tagore (both director Satyajit Ray discoveries) on screen together for the first time, about a pair of virtual (online) lovers.

In-between, the so-called Festival Centerpiece, is a screening at the Museum of Arts and Design of Tahaan, a fable about an eight-year-old boy who goes on a journey through some spectacular terrain in the Kashmir valley to bring back his pet donkey.

For the complete schedule click here

Below is a promo video:

On Thursday, December 17th, Baltimore’s resident auteur and enfant terrible, John Waters, will be headed to the metro area to present his one-man show extolling his obsession with all things Christmas. But beware: this ain’t exactly the Andy Williams Holiday Spectacular and barf bags are most definitely not included.

Here’s how Alexandria’s Birchmere, the typically classy dinner theater hosting the event, sums up DC’s only yuletide celebration that promises to bring the raunch wholesale:

Like a wayward Santa for the Christmas obsessed, legendary filmmaker and raconteur John Waters (Pink Flamingos, Hairspray, A Dirty Shame) rides into town on his sleigh full of smut this December spreading yuletide cheer with his critically acclaimed one-man show, “A John Waters Christmas.” Putting the X in Xmas, Waters’ rapid-fire monologue explores and explodes traditional archetypes as he shares his compulsive desire to give and receive perverted gifts, a religious fanaticism for Santa Claus, and an unhealthy love of true crime holiday horror stories. Delving into his passion for lunatic exploitation Christmas movies and the unhealthy urge to remake all his own films into seasonal children’s classics, The Pope of Trash will give you a Joyeux Noel like no other.

Tickets for “A John Waters Christmas” are now on sale. For more information, visit www.birchmere.com or Waters’ homepage, www.dreamlandnews.com, and check out more perverse holiday gatherings on the CultureMob blog or follow us on Twitter.

The year 2009 has not ended yet, but of all the movies shown this year the Museum of Modern Art has already selected 20 to be shown in The Contenders, 2009, a 10-week film series of movies that, in the opinion of the museum’s film curators, are “contenders for lasting significance.” Several of the directors will be present during the screening of their films.

Highlights courtesy of the museum: “Opening the series on October 31 was Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell, in which the director— who is known for directing the Spider-Man series among other hit Hollywood films—combines horror, black comedy, gore, and the same outsize imagination that fans remember from his cult horror favorite The Evil Dead (1981). The series closes on January 13, 2010, with another horror film, Lars Von Trier’s diabolical Antichrist, which assailed viewers with its exquisitely framed menace when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May. Other genre movies include Ruben Fleischer’s comedic, post-apocalyptic Zombieland, and Neill Blomkamp’s South African sci-fi chiller District 9.
Additional popular releases include Wes Anderson’s stop-motion animation adaptation of the children’s book by Roald Dahl, The Fantastic Mr. Fox; Marc Webb’s romantic comedy (500) Days of Summer; and Todd Phillips’ Las Vegas bachelor-party buddy comedy The Hangover. Also featured is Jane Campion’s Bright Star, set in 1818 London, about poet John Keats’ (Ben Winshaw) secret, tragic love affair with the girl next door (Abbie Cornish).”

Here is the list and schedule:

Wednesday, November 4
8:00 Tyson. 2009. USA. Directed by James Toback. Acclaimed and enigmatic; terms that could apply equally to both the subject and creator of this mesmerizing documentary. Toback’s Tyson is a complex, layered portrait of a confused and controversial man. Mike Tyson is revealed as both an inspirational figure who transcended the harsh terrain of his upbringing, and a potentially unhinged and cliché-confirming victim of his own celebrity. Toback balances unfiltered recollections from Tyson with historical footage to forge a cinematic experience that’s half fable and half knockout punch. 90 min. Q&A with Toback following the screening.

Thursday, November 5 7:00
Valentino: The Last Emperor. 2008. USA. Directed by Matthew Tyrnauer. Fabulous and steadfast amid a sea of frantic assistants, event planners, and fashionistas, Valentino Garavani can now add leading man to his growing list of creative accomplishments. Tyrnauer’s affectionate and funny documentary follows fashion’s last great independent designer as he prepares to leave his company after forty-five years. Stitched together with a fierce vision and fifty years of support (and squabbles) from his partner in life and business, Giancarlo Giammetti, Valentino’s legacy is sure to endure. 96 min.
Q&A with Matthew Tyrnauer and Valentino Garavani following the screening.

Monday, November 16 8:00
Politist, adj (Police, Adjective) 2009. Romania. Directed by Corneliu Porumboiu. With Dragos Bucur, Vlad Ivanov, George Remes.
Winner of the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Porumboiu’s Police, Adjective offers further evidence that Romania is producing some of the most brilliant, cleverly subversive, and exquisitely crafted films in the world these days. A policeman’s seemingly pointless stakeout of three dope-smoking teenagers evolves into an absurdist Socratic debate on law, ethics, epistemology, and the slipperiness of language. Romanian; English subtitles. 115 min.

Tuesday, December 1 7:00
The Hurt Locker. 2008. USA. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow. Q&A with Kathryn Bigelow and special guests following the screening.

Wednesday, December 2 7:00
(500) Days of Summer. 2009. USA. Directed by Marc Webb.

Monday, December 7 8:00
The Fantastic Mr. Fox. 2009. USA. Directed by Wes Anderson.

Sunday, December 13 7:30
A Serious Man. 2009. USA. Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen.

Thursday, December 17 8:00
District 9. USA/New Zealand. Directed by Neill Blomkamp.

Friday, December 18 4:00
Katyn. 2007. Poland. Directed by Andrez Wajda. 4:30

Zombieland. 2009. USA. Directed by Ruben Fleischer.

Saturday, December 19 2:00
Katyn. 2007 8:30
Every Little Step. 2008. USA. Directed by Adam Del Deo and James D. Stern.

Sunday, December 20 5:30
Hunger. 2008. UK/Ireland. Directed by Steve McQueen.

Monday, December 21 8:00
Hunger.

Saturday, December 26
1:30 The Beaches of Agnes. 2008. France. Directed by Agnès Varda.

Sunday, December 27 5:30
The Beaches of Agnes.

Tuesday, December 29
4:00 The Maid. 2009. Chile. Directed by Sebastián Silva.

Wednesday, December 30 8:00
Summer Hours. 2008. France. Directed by Olivier Assayas.

Thursday, December 31
4:30 Summer Hours.

Saturday, January 2
4:00 The Hangover.2009. USA. Directed by Todd Phillips.

Sunday, January 3
4:00 The Hangover.

Monday, January 4
8:00 The Hurt Locker.

Wednesday, January 6
8:00 My Neighbor My Killer. 2009. USA/France. Directed by Anne Aghion.

Thursday, January 7
8:00 My Neighbor My Killer. (See Wednesday, January 6, 8:00.)

Friday, January 8
8:00 In the Loop. 2009. UK. Directed by Armando Iannucci.

Saturday, January 9
5:00 In the Loop.

Sunday, January 10
2:00 Antichrist. 2009. Denmark/Germany/France/Poland/Italy. Directed by Lars von Trier.

Monday, January 11 8:00 Bright Star. 2009. UK/Australia/France. Directed by Jane Campion. Wednesday, January 13 8:00 Antichrist. (See Sunday, January 10, 2:00.)

For descriptions of some of these films go to our 2009 fall film preview guide