Click on the film stills for more details and reviews for this week's new releases and repertory screenings, which include Precious, The Men Who Stare at Goats, Fourth Kind, A Christmas Carol, The Box, Collapse, Turning Green, That Evening Sun, And Now For Something Completely Different, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

Thanks to This Week's Advertisers

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  • Pirate Radio, tthe new comedy starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, from the creator of Love Actually. In theatres 11/13.
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  • Collapse, the new film where Michael Ruppert is interviewed about where the United States is headed. In theaters today.
  • Rubin Museum of Art with the first first public presentation of the preeminent psychologist C. G. Jung’s famous Red Book.
  • The New School, offering online and complete the degree you’ve always wanted from anywhere.
  • American Apparel, with 25 stores in NYC, you can look your best after dark.

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Arby's Nears Opening Day in Brooklyn, 39 More To Come

Brooklyn has waited far too long for a French Dip Combo, but soon enough the borough's first Arby's will be opening and putting an end to its curly fry-less days. And boy oh boy, is it the fanciest Arby's you ever did see.

Tougher DWI Penalty On Special Session Agenda

2009_11_lean.jpg Governor Paterson will ask legislators to pass "Leandra's Law," which would make driving drunk with a passenger under 16 a felony. Last month, 11-year-old Leandra Rosado was killed when her friend's allegedly drunk mother crashed on the West Side Highway. Governor Paterson's spokeswoman said, "Gov. Paterson is committed to stricter penalties for drunk drivers with children in the car, which is why he introduced a program bill on this issue on Aug. 13." The Daily News notes, "Though Paterson announced the bill in August, no one in the Legislature has even introduced it."

             

The crisp and clear weather was perfect for a Yankees 27th World Series Championship ticker tape parade—so perfect that the streets along the Canyon of Heroes were teeming with excited people celebrating the Bronx Bombers victory. In fact, check out the Gothamist Newsmap and see the incidents of "large crowd," "unruly crowd," and "airmail" (things larger than confetti/streamers being thrown) in the area.

Teen Settles for $55K in Safety Agent Stall Assault Lawsuit

One day in September 2008, Queens High School student Stephen Cruz suffered a lacerated forehead when school safety agent Daniel O’Connell, without provocation, allegedly kicked open a restroom stall that Stephen was using. Cruz claims that after he tumbled to the floor bleeding from his head, O'Connell (whom the students called RoboCop) walked away saying, "That's life; it will stop bleeding." Typical robot.

Spider-Man on Broadway: The Atlantic Yards of Musicals?

The massive project is falling further behind schedule, it's millions of dollars in the hole, and will need a miracle to meet a looming make-or-break deadline. All we need now are a string of eminent-domain lawsuits, and Julie Taymor's wildly ambitious Broadway adaptation of Spider-Man might as well change its name to Atlantic Yards: The Musical. (Starring Harvey Fierstein as embattled developer Bruce Ratner!) Today Taymor is meeting with producers to decide whether to proceed or postpone the technically insane project, which is hemorrhaging money like Mr. Orange gushing blood in the back seat of Mr. White's car. Is it gonna be okaaay?

Dumbo Don't Dance

This past Wednesday the Community Board 2 committee voted against a dance club at the corner of Front and Old Fulton streets in DUMBO. The cabaret license request was made by the owners of One Front restaurant, who want to add dancing to the 2nd floor of their establishment, which includes a restaurant on the ground floor and mezzanine.

Diner Patron Threatens to Kill Server Over Subpar Food

Speaking of things waiters should "never" do, here's something a diner should never do: throw your food at the server and threaten to kill him or her. On Wednesday night one Steven Scott, 40, was arrested for assaulting a server at the New York Fried Chicken Diner on Fulton Street in East New York. Hapless waiter Baljit Singh says it all started when Scott came in at 11:30 p.m. and ordered mashed potatoes. After a couple bites, Scott "started griping about the nasty tasting food." So he was given a new serving of potatoes, but this didn't satisfy him either. Oh, no it did not.

1 Dead, 5 Wounded In Orlando Shooting

2009_11_orlshooting.jpg A few hours ago, a man opened fire in an Orlando, Florida high-rise office building. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the suspect is a former employee and the shootings occurred at a transportation consulting firm. CNN reports, "Investigators are looking for a man wearing a blue Polo shirt, gray vest and blue jeans. 'We're in a search mode for the gunman,' said Jim Solomons, a spokesman for the sheriff's office." Update: Now it's reported the gunman was captured and that one person was killed and five others were wounded.

Former Commish Kerik Cries During Court Appearance

Former NYPD Commissioner and Giuliani crony Bernard Kerik could not hold back the tears during his court appearance yesterday to plead guilty to eight felonies. According to the Daily News, "As the judge spoke, Kerik seemed to take measure of the magnitude of his fall. He bowed his head and repeatedly wiped his eyes with his fingers... Kerik kept daubing his eyes, his face going red as if with the strain of all he was trying to hold in. He did not seem to be weeping so much as seeping." Wow, we felt zero sympathy for Kerik yesterday, and now we feel twice as much!

Weekend of Sun Ahead

Brrr, the morning breeze has brought on a bit of wind chill this morning. The low in Central Park was 39 but the wind pushed the apparent temperature down near freezing. Gusty northwest winds will bring plenty of cold air to the area today keeping the high to a brisk 50 degrees. If today's parade isn't enough to satisfy your Yankees fervor, consider what their World Series victory means for this winter's snowfall.

UWS Protests Puppy Mill Pups at Store

Some residents of the Upper West Side are outraged that a new business called Pet Fashion, mostly selling overpriced leashes and whatnot, is selling dogs from a puppy mill. The store, on Columbus Avenue between West 87th and 88th streets, often puts attention-getting pups on display in the front window, but West Side Spirit reports that "these dogs come from puppy mills, and the store is not welcome in the neighborhood."

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State Senate Dems Will Attend Special Session

2009_11_alban.jpg Well, would you look at that: Now the State Senate Democrats are going to head to Albany next week for the special session that Governor David Paterson called. The Dems had called it a "photo-op" for the Governor and the Daily Politics reports, "Insiders say not showing would have left them vulnerable to attacks that they are not taking the state's fiscal crisis seriously. Senate leadership fell in line this morning." However, a spokesman for Senate Dems said, "It was about how to make the most productive use of our time while continuing productive negotiations with the governor." So maybe Albany isn't like Bosnia or Tehran after all!

Hypnotherapist Consultant Makes Bank At Education Dept

A management consultant and hypnotherapist got paid $374,000 from the Education Department to help save money by improving managers' morale and boosting productivity. William Howatt Ph.D. had previously served as a consultant for Bear Stearns, and then the firm went under. Luckily for him, a former Bear Stearns manager got hired by Chancellor Joel Klein after the firm crashed, and he gave Howatt a job helping managers "adapt to change."

Early Addition

Today's mid-day links: Police convince a woman not to jump, a Daily News columnist thinks parents should let their kids get the swine flu vaccine, a bird really loves to do business on a certain Battery Park bench, and more.

Bloomberg Speaks Out On Anti-Hugging Cabbie

Bad news for the cabbie who kicked the embracing gay couple to the curb on Monday night — Mayor Bloomberg has gotten involved! The NY Post reports that he declared everyone has the right to ride in a cab (duh), and added, "I thought the taxi driver's behavior -- if it is as reported -- was a disgrace. Somebody's orientation has absolutely nothing to do with whether they can ride a taxi. That kind of attitude doesn't fit with what this city's become."

Yankees Ticker Tape Underway, Canyon Of Heroes Beyond Crowded

The Yankees are on their floats up the Canyon of Heroes for the ticker tape parade. Not only are there members of the Yankees organization—MVP Hideki Matsui is modestly waving to the crowd—but former mayor Rudy Giuliani, Michael Kay and super fan Freddy Sez are in various cars! Oh, and Mayor Bloomberg and manager Joe Girardi are on the first float, with the trophy—and Jay-Z is on the street, waiting to get on his float.

Charles Barron May Run For Council Speaker

2009_11_cbarron.jpg According to Runnin' Scared, City Councilman Charles Barron is considering challenging Christine Quinn to be Speaker, saying, "I would be an excellent speaker...We need someone to be a check on the Mayor, not a deputy mayor." He noted that the Speaker and Council chairs for the finance and land committees are white, so if a non-white Council member doesn't throw her or his hat into the ring against Quinn, he will. He added, "You only need 26 votes. There's an African American leader in the Bronx, 8 council votes in the Bronx, an African American county leader, with 10 council votes in Manhattan. And in Brooklyn a lot of us are. So even if you don't have all of those on board, they could pick the next speaker. I think we could do it if we could stick together."

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