THEATER: Under the Radar, arguably New York’s most exciting theater festival, begins today at The Public Theater and a few other odd locations like the Whitehall Ferry terminal. (There are also a few shows at the Classic Theatre of Harlem, P.S. 122 and The Kitchen.) One of the most buzzed about site-specific shows is Etiquette by the London company Rotozaza. It was a surprise hit at last year’s Edinburgh Festival; here the experience takes place at the East Village Ukrainian restaurant Veselka and involves only two actors: you and a friend (or stranger). It’s described as “a private theatrical experience for two people in a public space; the participants take a seat across from each other at a small table (the stage), put on headphones and follow a recorded script, complete with stage directions taking them through a half-hour play, in which they are both performers and audience.” And after the show, you can get pirogies with the cast! – John Del Signore more ›

It's hard enough when a loved one passes away, but reading a story from last week's Village Voice about abuses at a funeral home is absolutely horrifying. The story is one of mutilated, decaying, stolen bodies, as well as lost ashes. The Voice found that Riverton Funeral Home in Harlem had an ugly, ugly history. Riverton opened in 1957 near Harlem Hospital and was eventually shut down (it changed its name to Riverton Funeral Home II) in 2006. Before it closed, Riverton lost or settled several lawsuits by grieving families, but none of the plaintiffs have been paid any damages. more ›

. The running time is longer than a usual Hollywood blockbuster but the steady stream of oozing fake blood, rapid fire witty details and laughs at movie clichés are never boring. more ›

DISCUSSION: Tonight Thurston Moore and Jim Jarmusch will have a little talk, titled "Transforming New York: Music and Film at Night". This is in conjunction with Doug Aitken's sleepwalkers, so Aitken will be there too, and the three discuss nighttime, just after the sun goes down. more ›

After last year's mess of an awards show and this year's joke of nominations (where is love for Lauren Graham, Academy of Television Arts & Sciences?), we were going to swear off this year's Emmys. But then we realized Conan O'Brien was hosting, so we must watch and liveblog. And there's the hope of a good Steve Carrell bit, not to mention awkward reaction shots of Candy and Tori Spelling during the Aaron Spelling tribute. more ›

The NY Times has a great article and slide show about crime scene clean up crews. Gothamist had been wondering about crime scene clean-up ever since the season finale of Six Feet Under (you know, one of Ruth's possible new careers), and the story revealed more nuance than just mopping up blood. Former paramedic Ronald Gospodarski started Bio-Recovery Corporation in 1998; it's the only NY-based business that does this, and it handled cleanups after the 2000 Wendy's massacre, 2001 Carnegie Deli triple homicide, anthrax contamination at the Post and ABC News, and the Norwalk virus on the cruise ship, as well as "unheralded deaths" (like a body discovered in an apartment after months). He tells the Times, "I don't care if you're black, white, rich or poor, whether you live in the projects or a penthouse, everyone smells the same when they die." And the business is seasonal: There are more indoor murdersin the winter months. more ›

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New Line Cinema (owned by HBO parent company Time Warner) decorated an S train to celebrate the DVD release of The Lord of the Rings two years ago. And in the current double issue of The New Yorker, there's an interview with Deadwood creator David Milch; since it's the NYer, it's not online. And do you watch Deadwood?
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Gothamist had a great time rubbing shoulders with the stars at opening night of The Downtown Plays, the centerpiece production of the innaugural Tribeca Theater Festival. Along with the evening's co-hosts Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese, we also spotted such luminaries on the red carpet and at the Capitale after party as Carol Kane, Michael C. Hall from Six Feet Under, Sam Rockwell, Chad Lowe, and Rachel Weisz. more ›

In Gothamist�s continuing search for the perfect Sunday dinner, we ventured into the East Village�s Miss Williamsburg Portavia, the sister restaurant of Williamsburg�s Miss Williamsburg Diner, and oh was it good. The Williamsburg branch is in a 1940's dining car, pictured above, and we love old diners, certainly for their looks, but mostly for their food. Despite not being in an antique dining car, the East Village branch served up fresh and delicious fare; the restaurant atmosphere was sort of Nouveau NYC meets quaint Southern Italy. It also added that the couple next to us was speaking Italian with the waiter, who, incidentally, was very helpful and recommended the perfect wine for each of our dishes (but then switched them by mistake!). The service was leisurely but not neglectful--Gothamist regretted having to hurry out to catch Six Feet Under and hopes to return soon for a long leisurely dinner. more ›

Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen (Clarkson Potter, 2003) more ›

The Post's Linda Stasi says, the show is "Brilliant, original, horrifying, cringe-making, hilarious." You can see Da Ali G show on Sunday at 10:30PM on HBO, after the Marky-Mark produced Entourage (which has been getting great reviews) at 10PM. [Of course, there's Six Feet Under at 9PM; if you're been missing out, read Gothamist Arts & Events' recaps.] To catch up, watch some video from the first season and check out Da Ali G glossary. more ›

Now is where we update you on , a Gothamist favorite. We are now three episodes into the season, be sure to check out our recap of last season. more ›

Walking to the subway the other day we passed a billboard in Times Square that reminded us that we have a favorite tv show that is ready to come back and fill a Sunday night slot that has just been vacated. more ›

If it involves movies or television, Gothamist is interested. And if it's the tiniest bit related to the Oscars, then we're all over it. That's why Gothamist has produced a Golden Globes commentary similar to our Oscar commentary from last year. Yes, awards shows are self-congratulatory and ridiculous, and the Golden Globes are not a reliable predictor of the Oscars (which aren't that great anyway but their usefulness as a marketing tool cannot be denied), but it's just become a part of our DNA to enjoy an evening of watching, wondering, and whining. more ›

USA Today looks at the new Peter Pan movie from P.J. Hogan that is due this fall, which has Jason Isaacs as both Mr. Darling and Captain Hook, who says "Wendy is very attracted to Captain Hook. He's very cool and sexy. I said, 'Let's have open shirts, sort of Julio Iglesias-style.'" more ›

Two weeks ago, the Times examined the cottage industry that is Law & Order's character casting. Essentially, Dick Wolf's crime franchise is supporting New York's struggling actors, as well as acting as a stepping stone to bigger and better things in the biz. Gothamist loves how Dick Wolf, when reading Playbill at the theater, thinks an actor is either bad or new in town if he/she doesn't have a Law & Order credit, because Gothamist has played "How many actors in this play have been on Law & Order?" whenever we go to the theater. It's especially great to see an actor play a witness one time, and then be upgraded to the actual killer. Or bumped up to a recurring role as a defense lawyer. more ›