Kaleidoscope

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Published: Feb 9, 2010

"Must-see" gets thrown around, but if there's one film you need to check out before ticking off your mock Oscar ballot, it's Kathryn Bigelow's magnificent, apolitical The Hurt Locker , about a bomb diffusion squad in Iraq. It's the first contemporary war movie that puts you on the ground with the soldiers in a visceral way. Sure, it's on DVD already — but lucky for you, Ritz at the Bourse has it back on the big screen all week.

-Molly Eichel

Last Thursday, crazypants provocateur Duke Riley threw a surprisingly sober opening reception for his Petty's Island exhibit at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. No fires, no coronations, no arrests. This Wednesday, the Society is hosting a program on the island's little-known past, featuring a film screening and a lecture by members of two New Jersey environmental groups. Will it be wilder than the opening reception? Probably. I hear Blackbeard R.S.V.P.'d.

- Holly Otterbein

Someone ought to post a Missed Connection for the three boys behind whirtwhirl.com, a Philly alternative to the aforementioned Craigslist category bringing together coy crushes. First, they named it "WhirtWhirl" because "it's a spelling of the sound that someone whistles when they see a person they are attracted to." Aw. Second, the site, with cutesy icons and simple reply options, is far more user-friendly than Missed Connections. And third, the site's creators think the most romantic place in Philly is the Khyber's upstairs bathroom. Ew, but funny, guys. Wanna get a coffee sometime? My initials are H.M.O.

- Holly Otterbein

Generally speaking, Animal Collective albums should come with a "kids, don't try this at home" label — something to warn against the dangers of hyper-preciousness. Danish pop fops Oh No Ono just barely hold it together on their new Eggs (Friendly Fire), an album worthy of AC's wondrous orchestral textures and nigh insufferable indulgence. Catchy stuff, though.

- Patrick Rapa

Hooked Into Machine
The Mentalist
Brave New World
No Exit
Anywhere Else
It Ain't Over
Urban Bush Women
Tell and Show