Icepack

Amorosi on the news, nightlife, gossip and bitchiness beats.

by A.D. Amorosi

Forget that you blew your wad betting on Cate Blanchett instead of wonky Tilda Swinton at the Oscars. Phillyfilmland's back in a tizzy again. Icepack thrives on tizzies. And there hasn't been dick to make fun of Philly film-wise since Cover. Scott Johnston — he feuds for fun. He fought with the Puppet Karaoke kids and yelled at venues that didn't give in to his Aqua Teen party demands. So we knew Johnston — wearing his hat as honcho for the Independent branch of April's TLA/Philadelphia Film Festival — got irked when he saw that Media Bureau was starting something called Philadelphia Independent Film Fest in June. So it's PFF vs. PIFF. Fuck Be Kind, Rewind, vid-nerds. This is Rip Torn/Norman Mailer/ear-biting film-feud stuff. Especially since it's rumored that PFF previously pooh-poohed Media Bureau's Order of the Quest series. Media Bureau's J.D. Clark reminds me that the NoLibs studio/café/gallery has free HD-projection screenings daily along with a due-soon lineup of panels to match. And it operates year-round, not just once a year. Clark has fond memories of Johnston. "I was once confronted by Scott years ago in Lucy's Hat Shop during one of my old Phillysmooth parties, which showed pre-screened indie films — that also happened to start on the same night as his Fancy Pants Cinema did on Tuesdays," laughs Clark. "Scott came before he started his gig [and] shook my hand while calling me the enemy several times during our four-minute conversation." All in good fun. And Johnston — a man with a tongue surgically implanted to his cheek? "Is the PFF not 'independent' enough? Media Bureau are great folk, but their title is very similar to pre-existing festivals." Johnston doesn't "ahem" but it's implied. "I do have them as MySpace friends so how much can I really have against 'em?" Neither man said fuck-all about Doug Sakmann's punk rock Backseat Film Fest March 13 to 16 so they really don't consider it competition. THESE ARE THE JOKES. LIGHTEN UP — it's LEAP YEAR. Go here (backseatfilmfestival.com) and here (philadelphiafilmfest.com) and here (phillyfests.com). And P.S., PFF peeps: The first "celeb" rumored for inclusion is Philly's Seth Green. No, Johnston didn't give me that rumor. No, it's probably not a Robot Chicken forum.

► Admit you've missed Shannon McMahon's L-Cast record label, fuckers. After taking a yearlong break, she's planning a split single with names high up in NYC noise-pop circles and recording Philly's crunkiest odd-pop faves (mine at least) Univox, who, along with Neighbors on the Moon (Philly's US Funk Team and Tiddies united) and Joshua Ramey's askew-pop Extravagant Bastards, hit the Balcony@Troc March 3. Ramey's missus/Pew grantee Emmanuelle Delpech-Ramey snagged 10 grand to create/produce Live Arts/Fringe Fest 2008's biggest show: Oedipus at Colonus, FDR — a South Philly skate park Sophocles jawn with Pierce Bunting in the lead. 

► Drummer-turned-guitarist Chris Coello's Sunshine Recorder debuts his marsh-hellowing thing March 1 at Khyber. It's got members of The Cobbs and Bottom of the Hudson and rocks like Sonic Youth. Only catchier.

► Philly's psych-roots faves/MilkBoy studio stalwarts with trumpets The Brakes just signed to Hyena with its Tale of Two Cities set to drop May 6. What says Brakes boss Zach Djanikian? "We've worked hard for a long time, and I think we've gotten to a place where we've figured ourselves out enough to make music that is inherently ours." It ain't sexy. But it's an answer. 

► WHOWHATWHERE: Breasty Genesis P. Orridge of Psychic TV hit WXPN's World Café studio. If you're looking for a mob scene (wah, wah) you know Italio-hipsters and cucines alike're swarming Silk City for Michael Imperoli's La Dolce Vita debut gig March 5. Sal Mazzotta's casting for Mafioso II. Surely he'll be at Silk. 

► The last time you'll see roborockers Mose Giganticus and Emotron Blaze before they hit Alaska is Feb. 29 at the Fire. "When our tour came together the route covered the whole country and spanned March to November," says Matt "Mose" Garfield. "That includes a month 'vacation' from playing shows to work in a salmon cannery. When in Rome." 

► Adventurous guitarist Matt Davis is doing documentarylike musical projects with Aerial Photograph at Tritone (last Thursday of each month) that look at a "different population of Philadelphia residents" each show. "This month it's drug addicts," says Davis of Feb. 28 and the short-run of CDs (30) he makes from each project.

► Word has le Troc bringing Richard Kern into Movie Mondays March 24 to première his Extra Action nudie fliXXX. 

► Crefeld School teacher/drummer Hoagy Wing and his student Saul Dratman are hooking up a benefit concert for his high school's music department with Slo-Mo, Audible Eye and The Roots' bud Hub. 8836 Crefeld St., Feb. 28, 6 p.m. 

► Hey, if Duane Swierczynski can leave CP to make comix, Brian Hickey can go work for a cartoon. We keed 'cause we love: The Hick's on the campaign managing stick for electrician union leader John Dougherty's 1st District run against Vin "The Fin" Fumo. Arooga.

► And goodnight to Philly's Max Raab — Clockwork Orange producer and honorary Mummer — who passed away on Monday. He'll be missed.

(a_amorosi@citypaper.net)