Soon after the NYPD confirmed it was launching an investigation into NYPD officers caught on video "daggering" dancers during the West Indian-American Day Carnival, Commissioner Ray Kelly and Mayor Bloomberg downplayed the incident. At a press conference yesterday, Kelly acknowledged that the behavior was regrettable, but also pointed out that it's not like the officers forced themselves on the women. "I would prefer that it not have happened," Kelly told reporters. "But I don’t want to make too much of it. You know, these young women approached the officers. They didn’t go out of their way to be approached like this." more ›

Although many Gothamist commenters don't see any harm in the "daggering" cops' conduct at the West Indian-American Day Carnival, it seems the NYPD thinks otherwise. Yesterday morning, before we first published this video, we contacted the NYPD's DCPI office (DCPI stands for Deputy Commissioner, Public Information). We asked if the officers' behavior violated any departmental guidelines, and got no response. more ›

The 1987 classic Dirty Dancing (which you can watch on Netflix Instant now) is getting remade for a newer generation. But why? Just this week Tara Ariano rewatched the original and declared it had aged just fine! Although... it is sort of depressing to watch Patrick Swayze now that he's a ghost (sorry! Sorry.). Anyway, the kids should embrace the perfection of the original, but you know, kids. more ›

The 1987 classic movie Dirty Dancing may be coming to Broadway, more specifically the Neil Simon theater (where Hairspray is set to end its run in January). Variety has an early report, saying "no official plans have been confirmed, but legiters are hearing the hit stage version of the pic" may be getting a Gotham run (it's already been opened in London and other areas). "Penned by Eleanor Bergstein based on her screenplay, hews closely to the plot of the movie, centering on a romance in the Catskills in 1963. Songs from the pic are used in the show," and of course all the big dance numbers will all be there to make sure that you'll have the time of your life...or maybe not. more ›

MUSIC: Scottish indie sensations Camera Obscura bring their pop and their rock to the Seaport tonight. They're joined by The Last Town Chorus. After that, there's only one more show down there this season! more ›

he succeeds. more ›

We don't know about you, but it's friggin cold out there. Well, not for some of you. It seems as though places that are supposed to be cold are warm and places that are supposed to be warm are cold. Or maybe that's just us. Either way, we're freezing. more ›

Before we begin, we'd like to extend our deepest sympathies to the family of James Kim. We are not, by any means, trying to discount that tragedy by juxtaposing posts about the Kims with more light-hearted posts. It's the nature of doing a compilation such as this one: we're trying to give a full slice of the goings-on in the Ist-a-Verse: the good, the bad, and the ugly. more ›

DISCUSSION: Tonight Dirty Dancing author Eleanor Bergstein will discuss the similarities between Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and her own masterpiece, which starred Patrick Swayze. Shakespearian scholars will be in attendence to agree or, most likely, refute the argument. This discussion may have been a bit more relevant in, say, 1987 - when the film came out. more ›

The American Film Institute's Top 100 Movie Quotes special, hosted by Pierce Brosnan, showcased the most memorable quotes which had a cultural impact and ensured a film’s legacy, with “frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn” taking #1 and Titanic’s “I’m the King of the world!” (which they *actually* described as “a small goodybag the audience took home with them),” at #100. We were saddened that Dirty Dancing's “nobody puts baby in the corner” came in at a low #98 and somewhat surprised by the few one-word quotes: Citizen Kane's "rosebud" at #17 and The Graduate's "plastics" at #42. And was anyone else baffled by how Star Wars only had one quote, but both Jerry Maguire and James Bond had two? What about "my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father - prepare to die?" more ›

From the musical stylings of the composer who brought us Dracula and Jekyll & Hyde, New York City now has a theme song. The city's tourism arm, NYC & Company, commissioned Frank Wildhorn to write a song about how wonderful New York City is, and now we have "New York: For the Time of Your Life." The NY Post says the song is a "splashy, big-band-style number belted out in a brassy, Sinatra-esque voice," and the song is supposed to be sung at a presentation to European tour operators and to promote various parts of New York City that are lesser promoted, like Shea Stadium and the Bronx Zoo. more ›

Fans of 1980's lovesick favorites "Hold Me Now," "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" and "Love Stinks" will be happy to know that the nostalgia-drenched romantic comedy The Wedding Singer is headed for Broadway. Set for a New York opening in April 2006, the musical -- which follows Robbie Hart, a struggling suburban wedding singer who's dumped by his fiancée and pines for a betrothed waitress -- has not yet been cast. more ›

The BBC reports that Warburtons graciously asked 2,000 filmgoers what the cheesiest movie lines were, and their answers are this: more ›

The Times' Elvis Mitchell writes "." more ›

Gothamist proudly displays our autographed picture of Sam Waterston in our home.
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