At the 1968 Democratic Convention, anti-war activists were denied permits to demonstrate by the city and spent most of the week getting their skulls cracked courtesy of the Chicago Police Department, witnessed by a television audience of over 50 million. A year later, eight of the most high profile radicals – guys like Abbie Hoffman and the Black Panthers' Bobby Seale – were tried on charges of conspiracy and inciting riots. The courtroom was a circus, with Seale gagged to silence his outbursts and ultimately sentenced to four years for contempt, while testimony from counterculture icons such as Phil Ochs, Arlo Guthrie, Norman Mailer and Timothy Leary drew massive crowds for the National Guard to disperse. more ›

It's not quite the lusty month of May yet, but spring fever is already gripping the denizens of the city. So for your monthly dose of sexy scribes, head down to Happy Ending Lounge (302 Broome St.) for the monthly In The Flesh Erotic Reading Series. This month's theme is True Confessions, featuring comedian Dan Allen, blogger and novelist Jessica Cutler (The Washingtonienne), Columbia Spectator sex columnist Miriam Datskovsky, among others, and hosted by the fabulous Rachel Kramer Bussel. It starts at 8PM and is free. more ›

Ben Lyons, MTV Co-host more ›

– Alexander once hit a guy who bought his then girlfriend a drink; now that's chivalry. more ›

Gothamist has been looking forward to Robert Evans' animated show, Kid Notorious, coming this fall on Comedy Central, but this Page Six description seals the deal: more ›

If it's fall, it must be time for the New York Film Festival. This year, the opening night film is Mystic River, the ensemble drama directed by Clint Eastwood. The cast is ridiculously loaded with great actors: Sean Penn, Kevin Bacon, Tim Robbins, Laura Linney, Marcia Gay Harden, and Laurence Fishburne. The story is dark, eliciting comparisons to Eastwood's tour de force western, Unforgiven, but its present day setting makes it more wrenching. Sean Penn also stands a good chance of being nominated come Oscar time, based on the buzz of his performance as a father whose daughter is murdered. more ›