60-Second Critic: Filmadelphia
Filmadelphia: A Celebration of a City’s Movies
By Irv Slifkin (Middle Atlantic Press; $17.95)
There’s something about seeing your hometown on the silver screen that gives even the most sophisticated movie-watcher gooseflesh. Hey, isn’t that Reading Terminal? City Hall? Dave Roberts? That’s a big part of the appeal of this definitive
Filmadelphia: A Celebration of a City’s Movies
By Irv Slifkin (Middle Atlantic Press; $17.95)
There’s something about seeing your hometown on the silver screen that gives even the most sophisticated movie-watcher gooseflesh. Hey, isn’t that Reading Terminal? City Hall? Dave Roberts? That’s a big part of the appeal of this definitive guide to Philly-area films. Slifkin — a local film writer and occasional Philly Mag contributor — gives the backstory on gems such as Rocky and 12 Monkeys as well as rightfully forgotten dogs like The 13th Child: Legend of the Jersey Devil. His mini-reviews won’t make you forget Pauline Kael, but he compensates with sheer exhaustiveness: The book includes more than 100 films, plus sidebar looks at influential Philadelphians in the movies (including Q&As with Kevin Bacon and David Morse). And yes, that really was weather guy Dave Roberts on the big screen — he played a TV anchor in Brian De Palma’s Blow Out. Grade: B+
