DISCUSSION/THEATER: Before Michael Bennett and Bob Fosse rose to fame with shocking original choreography, directorial genius, and having a penchent for abusing dancers, we had Jerome Robbins. The mastermind of steps behind such famous works as Gypsy, West Side Story, and Fiddler on the Roof, just to name a few, will be discussed in length tonight at "Words on Dance Celebrates the Life and Career of Jerome Robbins." The panel discussion will be hosted......

It's almost Academy Awards® time and whether or not the writers will still be on strike, it seems that each year the movies are less and less relevant to the show itself. Between the Valentino dresses, Armani suits and pregger rumors, we feel Oscar® (or at least media coverage) has lost its focus. Enter Magnolia Pictures and Shorts International and their Indie Movie-loving glory: they're teaming to showcase this year's Academy Award nominated short......

West Side Story turned 50 last year, and Leonard Bernstein would have turned 90 next August. Classical music is giving Hallmark a run for its money as an anniversary-driven industry. The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, an orchestra near and dear to Bernstein's heart for over 40 years, will play a tribute to him this Saturday, 2/9, at the SF Conservatory of Music (8 p.m., 50 Oak Street), which will include SFCM alumni conductor and Bernstein protegé,......

Australia-born actor Heath Ledger was found dead in his NYC apartment today. It is reported that he allegedly died of either a drug overdose or hanging at Mary-Kate Olsen's apartment. More details as they come in. Sad. Very much so. Read more about the actor here and here. You may start any and all Brokeback Mountain references starting...now. UPDATE: According to our parent site, Gothamist: The housekeeper and masseuse tried to awake him and......

The rock et roll pioneer and hardcore curmudgeon died today in San Marcos, San Diego. He made a name for himself when he discovered a young Tina Turner, and the rest is Academy Award-nominated history. Toward the end of his life, he was remorseful about his treatment of Tina. "I know what I am in my heart. And I know regardless of what I've done, good and bad, it took it all to make me what I am today." We hear you, Ike. We hear you....

We had an interview lined up, and were instructed to call his hotel at the agreed time, and ask to be transferred to Christopher Hampton. What? The guy won an Academy Award for writing the screenplay for Dangerous Liaisons, won a Tony award for the libretto of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical adaptation of Sunset Boulevard, wrote the script for, and directed tons of movies involving Leonardo di Caprio, Richard Gere or Gérard Depardieu, and he......

-- The Exorcist: Linda Blair, pea soup, 360-degree head turn, Satan, "the power of Christ compels you...," blah, blah -- whatever, it's still a great movie. And besides, it stars Ellen Burstyn, who is practically perfect in every way. Part of the Castro Theatre's William Friedkin Series, it screens tonight at 7 p.m.; $6-$9. -- The Turn of the Screw: Henry James' complicated Gothic tale about a governess in a haunted house gets the......

-- Dreamgirls: Jennifer Hudson's performance as Effie White won her an Academy Award, and her end of Act I nervous breakdown ("And I Am Telling You") blew audiences to the back wall of the theatre. . She is the reason to see this movie. It also features Anika Noni Rose, a former A.C.T. student. Check out this musical loosely based on the rise of the Supremes tonight at 7 p.m. at the Castro Theatre,......

It was a deadly weekend to be famous, that’s for sure. As one commenter already pointed out today, famous people tend to die in threes: Bill Walsh, Tom Snyder, and of course, ABC 13’s Marvin Zindler from Houston, who -- while still tied-up with breathing tubes, in his hospital bed, and very pissed off at 24-Hour Fitness -- gave and gave until the very end. But another one squeaked in there among those three: Ingmar......

SFist Sara's back, with your weekend picks in indie cinema! We are always going to tell you to see Other Cinema. You can set your watch to it, we promise. This week’s Incredibly Strange Music program is packed with punk rock/bad music video genius. We’re particularly into the experimental film Foucault’s Pendulum but there’s oddity for every taste, as curator Craig Baldwin’s program religiously offers. This week, however, the OC schedule has a staunch competitor......

SFist is pleased to see native son Clint Eastwood garnering so many Academy Award nominations for Million Dollar Baby, the best women-in-boxing film since Against The Ropes. (We're kidding, Hilary, please don't kick our ass.) We have to admit disappointment that The Incredibles, product of local wunderkinds Pixar was overlooked in the nominations for Best Picture, and instead received nods for Best Animated Feature, Original Screenplay, and Sound Editing. We thought it was going to......

There's not a whole lot of movies opening up this weekend, or at least none mentioned in the Chron as they were too busy with their annual "New Year's Eve Hat" cut-out, a tradition looked forward to by no one and an idea so lame it doesn't even work ironically. Suffice it to say, that with the big holiday movies already being released, the studios have been quietly dumping their Oscar-bait movies on us, those......

Speaking of yule logs, did you know that you can order the Yule Log on DVD? Isn’t that all kinds of awesome? We would make jokes about all the extras that come with it- director commentary, alternate tracks, etc.- but somebody already beat us to it. The yule log DVD is 90 minutes long and features your choice of two different fireplaces that are looped to play continuously. What more could you want for......