BY BLANCA GAMEZ and LORETTA GARY

In print | October 5, 2006

Intrigued by Philly but can’t bring yourself to stroll down Magill Walk, shell out a few dollars for a ticket and - heaven forbid - actually walk around the city? That’s all right. You’ll just be missing out on tons of amazing things (see the rest of the Philly Guide). But there are ways for even the laziest of people to embrace one of the best things the East Coast has to offer - that’s right, folks - Philadelphia. After perusing Philadelphia’s filmography, we’ve concocted a virtual hodge-podge of the Quaker-est place on earth — the city of Brotherly Love.

Should you want to experience Philadelphia through film, what are some of the first movies that come to mind? There’s “Rocky,” of course, doing the Rocky run up the art museum stairs and yelling “Yo, Adrian!” If the emotional drama about AIDS in the ‘80s with super-sexy superstars (maybe not Tommy in this particular film, but you get our point), Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, “Philadelphia,” doesn’t flash through your mind, then shame on you and watch it immediately. It is a vital part of our generation’s film canon — but we digress. Yet, there are many more films showcasing Philly in different ways.

Ever heard of M. Night Shyamalan? Of course you have; he’s the brainchild behind many of the thrillers which have kept us up at night — or at least just Loretta, who is a baby when it comes to scary movies. Among these are “Signs,” “Lady in the Water” and “The Village,” but our favorite is “The Sixth Sense.” All of these movies were filmed in and around Philadelphia. We dig “The Sixth Sense” not just because of how cute a young Haley Joel Osment is, but also how the city sets the perfect backdrop for the story. Being one of the oldest cities in the States with a butt-load of history, Philadelphia is inevitably home to a butt-load of dead people who haunt the pale Haley. (Get it? He’s as white as a ghost. Ha.)

Now for a very different genre of media, let us take a peak into the life of a less friendly individual. Kevin Bacon plays the woodsman … in “The Woodsman,” filmed in Bacon’s hometown - yup, you guessed it - Philadelphia. “What’s a woodsman?” you ask. Well, you have to watch the movie to find out, but we can tell you this: “The Woodsman” takes a bleak, realistic look into the life of a pedophile once he gets out after serving time in prison.

Don’t get the wrong idea, it’s not as raunchy and disturbing as it may seem (although there were moments when we definitely felt dirty, but who doesn’t from time to time?). The film tackles a sensitive issue well and sheds new light on a taboo subject. You’ll understand once you watch it. Also keep an eye out for the way the film showcases another side of Philadelphia that tends to get overlooked in popular culture — the working class.

If after checking out a few of these films you realize that you’re not feeling lazy and you are a really big movie nerd or just want to run away from your mounds of work, check out the Philadelphia in the Movies! Film Tour at http://www.film.org/philly_film_scene/film_tour/. We hope you give at least one of these movies a look-see so that the next time you feel like exploring the city, you’ll feel a little bit more at home.

Blanca and Loretta are sophomores. You can reach them at bgamez1@swarthmore.edu and lgary1@swarthmore.edu.

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