Entertainment category, Page 150
Holiday parties are back, but how to dress?
NEW YORK — The season’s triple-virus threat notwithstanding, parties are back, and they’ve brought with them the potential for some dress code chaos. White tie, black tie, black tie creative/festive, semiformal: It might take some extra re-entry energy to figure out these pre-pandemic guidelines in an exhausted world more used...
Original ‘That ‘70s Show’ cast returns in ‘That ‘90s Show’ trailer, Danny Masterson notably absentVideo
Original stars from “That ’70s Show” appeared in a trailer for upcoming spinoff “That ’90s Show” on Netflix, but Danny Masterson, who has been accused of rape by four women, was nowhere to be seen. Topher Grace as Eric, Laura Prepon as Donna, Ashton Kutcher as Kelso and Mila Kunis...
Whitney Houston reminds us we’re human, says biopic director Kasi LemmonsVideo
When news broke that a Whitney Houston biopic was in the works, many folks had the same question: Why? “Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody” arrived in theaters Friday. It is preceded by countless TV movies, reality series, documentaries, books and other projects that delve into Houston’s life, loves...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Dec. 23-26
It’s Christmas weekend in Pittsburgh, and while there might not be much going on Saturday or Sunday, Friday and Monday offer some great entertainment options. Immaculate Reception 50th Anniversary Celebration Though some Immaculate Reception events have been canceled, others are set to go on as scheduled, including a gathering planned...
‘Top Gun,’ ‘Black Panther’ advance in Oscars shortlist
Blockbusters like “Top Gun: Maverick,”“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and “Avatar: The Way of Water” and pop stars like Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Rihanna just got one step closer to getting Oscar nominations. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Wednesday announced shortlists in 10 categories for the...
Diamond Theatre of Ligonier showing locally filmed thriller, ‘The Pale Blue Eye’ Video
It’s unusual for a small-town theater that shows movies mainly on the weekends to screen a big-budget film on its premiere date. The Diamond Theatre of Ligonier has scored such a coup with “The Pale Blue Eye,” opening nationwide on Friday. A screening is set for 8 p.m. in the...
Charlie Gracie, Philadelphia’s first rock and roll star, dies at 86
PHILADELPHIA — Charlie Gracie, 86, the South Philadelphia singer and guitarist whose 1950s hits made him an international star, has died. His music had a major impact on the Beatles and many other British acts of the 1960s. Gracie died Friday in Aldan, Delaware County, his son, Charlie Gracie Jr.,...
The holiday music playlist you need, want and deserve
Holiday music is a big business that generates $170 million a year, according to Billboard. The rulers of the season are Mariah Carey (whose 1994 “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is again topping the charts), Michael Buble (whose 2011 “Christmas” is the biggest selling holiday album of 2022),...
The best movies of 2022 and where to find them
The movies returned at something close to full force this year. Covid masks all but vanished from multiplex crowds, and from the audiences at the press screenings I attended (though I kept mine handy). Sundance did cancel its in-person screenings for the second January in a row, thanks to the...
Adam Sandler to perform stand-up show in Pittsburgh in February
Adam Sandler is going back to his comedic roots and bringing a rare standup tour to PPG Paints Arena on Feb. 8. The performance is part of an extension of his fall 2022 “Adam Sandler Live” tour that began last October. “What the heck! Let’s do a few more!” said...
Terry Hall, singer with ska icons The Specials, dies at 63
LONDON — Musician Terry Hall, who helped create of the defining sounds of post-punk Britain as lead singer of The Specials, has died. He was 63. The band announced late Monday that Hall had died after a brief illness. It called him “our beautiful friend, brother and one of the...
Chelsea Handler wants to return to late night, and isn’t scared of being canceled
LOS ANGELES — The devil works hard, but Chelsea Handler works harder. Last week, the enterprising comedian wrapped up her 40-plus city Vaccinated and Horny stand-up tour, which she launched in late 2021, pandemic be damned. Since then, she’s also been hosting a weekly hourlong advice podcast, “Dear Chelsea,” as...
Turnstile’s Brendan Yates on the Grammys, Rosalía and his momVideo
Turnstile frontman Brendan Yates says he secured his date to February’s Grammy Awards ceremony many years ago. “When I was younger, it was always a thing that my mom joked about. ‘All right, stop drumming, it’s 9 o’clock.’ And I’d be like, ‘Please, let me get 10 more minutes,’” Yates...
‘E.T.’ model sells for $2.5M in Hollywood icon auction
A model of the title character used in filming Steven Spielberg’s 1982 classic “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” has fetched an out-of-this-world price at auction. The mechatronic figure sold for $2.56 million to an undisclosed bidder this past weekend, according to Julien’s Auctions. It was the star attraction in an “Icons &...
Movie review: Debauched ‘Babylon’ vacillates from tribute to indictment of HollywoodVideo
Damien Chazelle would really like to talk to you about “Singin’ in the Rain.” Of course, you already know the 1952 Stanley Donen MGM meta musical comedy starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds about the transition from silent to sound films, but if not, Chazelle will recount it for you,...
Review: ‘The Good Country’ revives Midwest’s history
“The Good Country: A History of the American Midwest 1800-1900” by Jon K. Lauck (The University of Oklahoma Press) Dismissed as Flyover Country. Romanticized as the Heartland. Now, historian Jon K. Lauck seeks to redefine the Midwest as “The Good Country” — a place of progress and democratic ideals —...
Greensburg woman: ‘I’m a quilter who doesn’t like to quilt’Video
Despite describing herself as “a quilter who doesn’t like to quilt,” Ginnie Leiner of Greensburg has more than 196 quilts to her credit, having taught herself the craft in her late teens in the 1970s. “It’s a passion,” said Leiner. “An obsession, my husband would say.” More than a dozen...
‘Avatar 2’ makes waves with $134 million domestic debut
”Avatar: The Way of Water” didn’t make quite as big of a splash as many assumed it would, but James Cameron’s big budget spectacle still helped breathe life into the box office this weekend. The sequel earned $134 million from North American theaters and $300.5 million internationally for a $434.5...
Cecily Strong leaves ‘Saturday Night Live’ after 11 seasonsVideo
After 11 seasons, Cecily Strong has said farewell to “Saturday Night Live.” A few hours before the last episode of the season Saturday, the TV show’s Instagram account posted a cue card saying, “we’ll miss you, Cecily.” The caption read “Tonight we send off one of the best to ever...
Marie Osmond brings holiday music to Heinz Hall
Marie Osmond has worked every year of her life since she was 3. So, it makes sense that six decades later, she would be scheduled to do a concert just a handful of days before Christmas. Osmond, 63, is performing a Christmas concert Tuesday night at Heinz Hall in Downtown...
Most of the ‘Sister Wives’ have left Kody Brown. What’s next for the TLC show?
Kody Brown and his “sister wives” are no more. At least for now. Meri Brown, 51, of TLC’s reality TV show “Sister Wives” confirmed this week that she has ended her 32-year marriage to Kody Brown, 53. She is the most recent partner to leave Kody. While the show is...
How does ‘Titanic’ hold up 25 years later? A few things are different these days
If you were a person interested in movies 25 years ago, you might remember hearing that James Cameron’s “Titanic” was on target to be a legendary flop. “Can a disaster epic about an epic disaster avoid the very fate it dramatizes?” asked a story in The Washington Post about six...
TV Talk: WPXI reaches new deal to stay on Verizon
The number of ways to access WPXI-TV will not shrink further this week after a threatened retransmission dispute with Verizon reached an amicable conclusion. Last month Channel 11 came off DISH Network because of a carriage dispute, which is currently ongoing. This week, the threat of a retransmission agreement impasse...
TV Talk: Harrison Ford discusses starring in ‘Yellowstone’ prequel ‘1923’Video
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. Of all the Taylor Sheridan-produced shows — “Yellowstone,” “1883,” “Mayor of Kingstown” — his two most recent are the best yet. Last month, it was the premiere of the Sylvester Stallone-starring “Tulsa King,” which added...
Review: ‘Avatar: The Way of Water’ is a big screen blastVideo
It is impossible to talk about “Avatar: The Way of Water” without sounding hyperbolic. But James Cameron’s sequel is a truly dazzling cinematic experience that will have you floating on a blockbuster high. No matter if you’ve spent a second of your life in the past 13 years thinking about...
