Back in February, former Luzerne County Judge Mark Ciavarella Jr. was convicted of racketeering, money laundering, mail fraud and tax evasion in what was arguably the most grotesque misuse of power the state of Pennsylvania has ever seen. Dubbed “Kids for Cash,” Judge Ciavarella Jr. apparently struck a back room deal with private prisons owners and schemed to doll out inordinately long prison sentences to juveniles in exchange for cash money.

According to a Federal Indictment, Ciavarella Jr and another judge accepted $2.8 million from private juvenile facilities–they even borded up the county’s former detention facility to eliminate competition for their conspirators. Around 4,000 convictions presided over by Ciavarella Jr. have since been overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, though it’s been estimated that around 5,000 minors were wrongly sentenced to prison and, in some cases, deprived of basic constitutional rights.

As part of his conviction, Ciavarella has been ordered to pay $1.2 million in restitution, in addition to serving 28 years in prison. Hope you enjoy every second on it, Mark.

Source: Intellihub | Photo: AP

Sure, The Roots may not call Philly home these days, but they’re getting a damn mural anyway. The Mural Arts Program has been teasing this new work for quite some time now, and today we actually get a chance to take a look at the fruits of their labor, as the organization has released this design/mockup of the coming mural.

The piece was designed by Amber Art, a team comprised of artists Tatyana Fazlalizadeh, Ernel Martinez, Charles Barbin, Willis Humphrey and Keir Johnston. Located at 512 S. Broad Street-on the side of the World Communications Charter School–the mural will be officially unveiled Friday, May 31st at 11:30 am, just one day before The 6th Annual Roots Picnic.

Be sure to clear your schedules for next weekend’s Roots-Overload.

Source & Photo: Mural Arts Program

Fast & Furious 6 If this action franchise seems to be going in reverse—the credit sequence is practically a highlight reel from F&F 1-5—it’s because Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) has amnesia. Not only is she alive after Fast Five, but she is now currently aligned with a nefarious team run by Owen Shaw (Luke Evans), who plans world domination with a nightshade device. As such, Agent Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson, awful) enlists Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) and their crew to go after the bad guys, promising them safety from extradition if they play along. It’s all very jokey and talky until thirty minutes in, when Fast & Furious 6 gets down to business and there’s an exciting car chase through London at night. In between the cat and mouse games there are catfights—Letty and agent Riley (Gina Carano) go at it twice—and comic relief, courtesy of Roman (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges). The film also, of course, has some incredible, literally breathtaking stunts—one in particular occurs on an highway bridge and the other in a climactic scene (on what appears to be an endless runway). Even if the editing is as fast and as furious as the cars and the dialogue as ridiculous as the stunts, viewers who put their brains in neutral and go along for the ride will enjoy the latest entry in this series—and get revved up for the next.

Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay There are some astonishing moments in this documentary, narrated by Dick Cavett, about magician Ricky Jay—and not all of them involve his slight of hand. Jay started performing at age 4, and was a very comfortable on stage. He left home at 16 to find his way in the world, but not because of the trick his parents played on him, when he requested magician Al Flasso to perform at his Bar Mitzvah. The marvelous Jay may never reveal himself completely in the film—and he will never tell how he does his card tricks—but what he does disclose is fascinating. He mastered the art of using cards as weapons, and Shel Silverstein nicely commemorates this with a poem. He diligently followed the careers of magicians such as Slydini and Max Melini, and befriends Dai Vernon, “The Professor” who tells some amazing stories. And Jay shares some great anecdotes as well. The archival clips are terrific, too. Just watch him on the Dinah Shore show, demonstrating a card trick to Elizabeth Ashley, as Steve Martin comically bets against him. Deceptive Practice also includes insights from Jay coconspirator director David Mamet, and a wonderful story about Jay dazzling a friend with a trick that the guy made Jay repeat it—in the shower. This documentary will certainly please Jay’s legions of fans, and win over the uninitiated.

Also Opening

Frances Ha Frances (Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote the film) is the lost and selfish 27 year-old title character of director/co-writer Noah Baumbach’s excruciating Frances Ha. Mostly broke, Frances needs to get her shit together, but she seems too busy acting like an overgrown adolescent to bother doing so. Viewers may be irked from the onset as she hangs out with her BFF Sophie (Mickey Sumner), pees off a subway platform, and breaks up with her boyfriend because she won’t move in with him. It’s actually practically impossible to like Frances, in part because she really does not like herself. Watching her humiliate herself at every opportunity is neither endearing, nor amusing, however “authentic” it is. In fact, Frances is a pathetic character who insists on behaving irresponsibly and impulsively, which elicits irritation not sympathy. A weekend trip she makes to Paris is regrettable, but equally painful are scenes of Frances causing a scene in a bar with her best friend, or acting out at a dinner party with mostly strangers. While Frances and her obstreperous behavior is the main problem with the film, Baumbach uses annoyingly quirky music cues, and a twee device of providing intertitles to indicate where the action is taking place. In contrast, the various jump cuts—one of many homages to the French New Wave—just seem cliché. While Frances Ha is shot in arty black and white, only a dance sequence late in the film benefits from this artistic decision. Until that scene, viewers have to suffer through many of the characters (Frances and Sophie especially, but also her roommates Benji and Lev) talking in cutesy, too-clever-by-half dialogue that often has them announcing what uninteresting thing they are going to do next. The film is so artificial, such forced whimsy, that even at the slight 82 minute running time, Frances Ha is an endurance test.

Epic An animated feature about a young girl who helps defeat evil in a war set in a forest. Amanda Seyfried, Josh Hutcherson, Christoph Waltz, Colin Farrell and Beyonce provide the voices.

Love is All You Need Pierce Brosnan stars in this romantic comedy about two lonely people in Denmark who meet at their children’s wedding in Italy.

Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s A documentary celebrating the folks who work and shop at Bergdorf Goodman’s.

What Maisie Knew Julianne Moore and Steve Coogan star as divorcing parents in this adaptation of Henry James’ novel, set in contemporary New York.

The Hangover III Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, and Zack Galifanakis return for more mayhem in this second sequel for those not already hungover.

After being permanently exiled from LOVE Park (and threatened with thousands of dollars in fines and 90 days in jail), Philly skaters now have a designated skate park where they can shred with impunity. Yes, the previously fabled Paine’s Park, situated on the banks of the Schuylkill River, finally opened on Wednesday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Mayor Nutter.

The park cost $4.5 million to construct and is also being slated as green space for pedestrians who frequent the popular running path along the river.

The project was initiated by the Franklin’s Paine Skatepark Fund, a group that was founded after Mayor Street official banned skaters from LOVE Park, though the state and the city reportedly paid for most of the construction. Inga Saffron, Philly’s resident architecture expert, writes, “Paine’s Park is not just a top-notch skate park, it is a fine public park.”

Well, let’s just wait and see how the park looks after a few thousand 50-50 grinds.

Source: NBC 10 | Photo: Philly.com

At Any Price A terrific melodrama about family, masculinity, and the crisis of the American dream, At Any Price features a peculiar performance by Dennis Quaid as Henry Whipple, a corrupt Iowan farmer trying to maintain his homestead. Sure, he acts like a shark to make a land grab at a funeral, and he is having an affair with Meredith (Heather Graham) on the side, but his bad behavior—which runs contrary to what he spouts about “respect, trust, and loyalty”—masks his personal crisis and professional crimes. Henry is estranged from his eldest/favorite son who is off in Argentina climbing mountains, and has a difficult relationship with Dean (Zac Efron) who would rather race cars than take over the family business. Henry’s other, more serious issue, however, is an investigation into seed washing that may cost him his livelihood. At Any Price certainly puts Henry through the wringer, but what happens—and the ripple effects involved—is intriguing. Director and co-writer Ramin Bahrani explores a dark underbelly of Americana here—how sons don’t always live up to their fathers’ expectations (not just Dean; Henry may not be living up to his own father’s expectations), and how the past influences the present. At Any Price shows how people do what they need to in order to survive on their terms—at any price. Dean is no saint, breaking into a store to steal a car part, and treating others badly. Bahrani takes on big themes about identity and corruption here, prompting viewers to consider the good and bad qualities of each character. In perhaps the film’s most telling scene, he shows all the major characters during a playing of the National Anthem. How they appear at this moment speaks volumes about each individual; the truth about them is revealed by the film’s end. Quaid’s performance is curious, and honestly, slightly off-putting, but it is fascinating. Efron distinguishes himself in another mature role. Best of all is Maika Monroe as Dean’s girlfriend Cadance, a wise-beyond her years young girl, who effortlessly steals this provocative film.

Also Opening

The Iceman The first two scenes of the cool, efficient crime drama, The Iceman, establish the character of Richard Kuklinski (Michael Shannon). In one, he is trying to charm his date, Deborah (Winona Ryder), whom he later marries. In the next, set in a pool hall, he takes a quiet, deadly revenge on a rival who insults him. Based on a true story, Ariel Vromen’s film alternates between showing Richard’s love for his family, and his love of killing. When Roy Demeo (Ray Liotta) closes down Richard’s day job (dubbing porn films) he hires the ice-cold guy as a contract hitman. However, when a job he does leaves a loose end, Richard is suddenly unemployed. After a while, he takes up work with Mr. Freezy (Chris Evans), which angers Roy, setting off a chain of double crosses. The Iceman slowly builds to Richard getting caught (the film unfolds as a flashback), but what makes the story compelling is how Richard keeps his personal and his professional lives apart. When his two worlds intersect—on his daughter’s birthday, or on Christmas—The Iceman ratchets up its tension. Shannon is fantastic as the tightly wound Richard, a man who does not flinch whether he is holding a gun on someone, or when someone is holding a gun on him. Just watch him angrily chase a motorist who insults his family. The actor speaks volumes with just his eyes, which burn through the screen, making scenes of him wearing sunglasses are especially menacing. Vroman also coaxes strong support out of Ryder—Deborah’s relationship with Richard is entirely convincing, as is her ignorance of his true work—as well as Evans and Liotta. If the film feels a bit detached even as paranoia sets in, it builds to a tense climax. True crime/hitman/mob dramas are familiar territory, and although The Iceman does not break any new ground, it is a fine addition to the genre.

Venus and Serena This entertaining documentary traces the lives and careers of the Williams sisters during 2011, when they both suffered from injuries and had less than championship seasons. Ironically, this prompts the film to investigate what makes these tennis superstars tick. Venus, the older sister, is seen in wonderful archival clips talking about wanting to be a winner. She insists on playing for as long as possible but is forced to make an important decision to bow out of an open because of health issues. Meanwhile, Serena, who is fifteen months younger, starts out 2011 with a pulmonary embolism and other injuries. She eventually returns to the courts, but displays an attitude towards a linesman that gets her into some professional trouble. It is clear that the pressure the tennis world puts on these two sisters who grew up in Compton, is nothing compared to the pressure they put on themselves. Venus and Serena documents how the women find strength in each other, God, and their family, but also how they grapple with issues regarding race, dating, and OCD behavior. There are some enlightening moments—as when Serena admits that she was determined not to become a statistic—and an amusing scene in which the athletes’ mother is asked by a reporter about her daughter’s grunting on the court. But despite interviews with Venus and Serena; their parents and former coaches; tennis legends John McEnroe and Billie Jean King; as well as comedian Chris Rock, President Bill Clinton, and Vogue’s Anna Wintour, there is something very slight about this documentary. It is as if the filmmakers—and by extension, the audience—will never really learn much about these amazing women who want to keep an air of mystery (and control) about themselves. Game and Set. They are Unmatched.

Kon-Tiki This Oscar-nominated film tells the true story of Thor Heyerdahl who sailed across the Pacific in a raft with a crew of five men.

Something in the Air Director Oliver Assayas’ wistful, personal film about growing up/coming of age in the radical, revolutionary Sixties

Star Trek: Into Darkness The Enterprise takes another voyage—into darkness. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto co-star in this sequel to the franchise reboot.

Amy Schumer recently appeared on Letterman to plug her new (and seriously underwhelming) show on Comedy Central, “Inside Amy Schumer.” While talking about her various experiences performing around the country, she happens to elucidate the strange though somewhat non-existent anomaly that is Philly’s metrosexual meathead population.

Hey, it may not be true, but it’s still kind of funny.

Potentially bad news for those of you who like to smoke, drink and generally have a good time in the city of Philadelphia. In an effort to raise an estimated $90 million for city schools, Mayor Nutter recently proposed some hefty taxes that would bring us just a bit closer to the tax wonderland that is New York.

The specifics of his plan include a rise from 10 to 15% on bar tabs and an extra $2 tax on packs of cigarrettes (bringing them to about $9, according to my own estimate). He also intends to actually collect taxes owed to the Philly School District, which could amount to an added $28 million.

School officials have been seeking to plug a gaping, $60 million hole in their budget, so Mayor Nutter’s new “fun tax” (as were calling it) would surpass that amount by around $30 million.

While the proposal is enjoying support from Harrisburg, Councilman Kenney points out that tobacco lobbyists will likely seek to squash the cig tax, ”I’m not a fan of the cigarette industry, but I know, like all industries that have large amounts of lobbyists and a keen interest in not being taxed anymore, I suspect, they are going to fight it.” According to NewsWorks, Council President Darrell Clarke is also concerned that the extra windfall may stymie future funding from Harrisburg.

Adding to their concerns is the fact that this entire plan needs to be enacted by June, when the city’s budget proposal is due, which means this just may be your last tax free summer.

Source: NewsWorks