John Fischer's Philadelphia
Vol. 1 - Number 22 - 07/16/99
I suppose that one of the things that a lot of people will be doing this weekend is going out to see Stanley Kubrick's final film, "Eyes Wide Shut". Probably anyone who watches TV has seen clips from this film, especially during the last week. I for one believe that Entertainment Tonight must have invested in the film with all of the coverage they have given it.
The initial word from a lot of people who have seen the film in previews, including our own movie expert here at About.com, Sperling Reich, who was interviewed on About.com's radio program yesterday, is that the film is very slow and somewhat dull.
Personally, I have always found slow and dull to be trademarks of Kubrick's films. I admit that I am no big fan of his work. As much as 2001: A Space Odyssey was a breakthrough film in science fiction, I remember sitting in the theater going nuts for 20 minutes of apes wandering the screen. I never really did "get" a Clockwork Orange and as much as I enjoy Stephen King's work, Kubrick's The Shining was just too over the edge for me.
My other problem with this film is a bit different. The film is sexually graphic which I really have no objection to . My problem is that I am uncomfortable knowing that the two lead characters, played by Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, are married in real life. Normally when you watch a film you realize that the actors are just that, actors playing a role. When, however, you watch two people who are married in an intimate, sexual scene, it's almost like looking through their bedroom window. The whole idea just makes me a bit uncomfortable.
If you are looking for a different kind of heat this weekend, you'll find it outdoors as another hot and humid weekend is forecast. But, if you're willing to put up with the humidity, be sure to get down to Penn's Landing for part of the WXPN Singer-Songwriter weekend. I'd like to thank Stacie Baratti for reminding me about this annual event.
The weekend features a wide assortment of emerging artists of many varying genre's of music ranging from blues, to rock to country rock.
The weekend's performances at at Penn's Landing from 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $ 7.00. Children under 12 get in for $ 2.00.
The scheduled list of artists are:
Saturday: Spooky Ghost, Susan Warner, Old 97's, Indigenous and Duncan Sheik.
Sunday: Bryan Seymour, Kelly Willis, Entrain, Steve Earle and Richard Thompson.
If you're not into new artists you can try to get tickets to the E-Centre on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. where Bob Dylan and Paul Simon are performing. I have never imagined that these two artists have much in common musically, so it could make very a very interesting concert.
Tickets are $ 28.50 for lawn seating. If you'd like a seat, it'll set you back $ 75.00 to $ 100.00. Whew!
Well, have a great weekend and I'll catch you on Monday. You can join me in our chat room almost every evening - Philly Chat - or drop me a note at philadelphia.guide@about.com. Also, be sure to check out our new Philadelphia Forum where you can share your comments and feelings, ask questions, post classifieds and much more.
If you missed any of our recent columns you can still catch them:
John Fischer's
Philadelphia 07/05/99
John Fischer's Philadelphia 07/07/99
John Fischer's Philadelphia 07/09/99
John Fischer's Philadelphia 07/12/99
John Fischer's Philadelphia 07/14/99