The Fancy Pants Gang are the unofficial mascots of Fancy Pants Cinema! (the Tuesday night, open screening show at The Lounge @ North Third Restaurant in Philadelphia) The Fancy Pants Gang starred in quite a few aninmated skits produced by Waiting For Cable that promoted the weekly event. Fancy Pants Cinema was (and likely, still is) the only real place with a vibrant open-screening film community.

I've taken down my promotional copy for that show since it has been overrun by a group of mean-spirited sophomoric delinquents who are half frat-boy, half-suburban-dork and half-Andy Kauffman wannabee (that's three halves of stupid). Since the management has not shown 'Shabadelphia' permanently to the door, there's no reason for us to be attend. Offensive and disruptive people get banned from establishments. Fancy Pants isn't banning the right people, as far as I can tell. North Third is STILL an amazing restaurant (one of the best in the city) and the Lounge has an unbeatable ambience. I eagerly recommend N3rd and applaud the owner's contribution to the community and creative development of Northern Liberties in general, but the Fancy Pants Cinema event is rough sailing.

These days, we've switched our weekly screening focus to the amazing Pop Ambient @ Siam Lotus, where Theatre Of The Mind mixes great video (including mesmerizing animation and other bizarre, trance-adelic cinematic delights). It's not an open screening per se, but Alex Strang's animation work (as well as other contributing filmmakers') can possibly be seen there. The video accompanies a truly unique (fo Philadelphia, anyway) audio experience as DJs Tantrum Tonic and Fidget mix incredible trance and ambient tracks. The Tuesday nights at Siam Lotus should not be missed! (The food and drink is also exceptional Thai).

Pop Ambient runs from 9PM to 2AM every Tuesday. Siam Lotus is located at 931 Spring Garden St in Philadelphia.