Movies/TV category, Page 148
Ahead of Oscars, Screen Actors Guild to hand out awards
Scarlett Johansson and Nicole Kidman will have two chances to win Sunday night at the 26th Screen Actors Guild Awards, but the award show’s ability to forecast the Oscars looks cloudy. Among the films vying for the screen actors’ top honor, best ensemble, are Oscar heavyweights “Once Upon a Time...
Winfrey details her decision to withdraw from Simmons film
NEW YORK — Oprah Winfrey said Friday that Russell Simmons attempted to pressure her about her involvement with a documentary in which several women detail sexual abuse allegations against the rap mogul, but his efforts were not what prompted her to leave the project. “He did reach out multiple times...
Steve Martin, Martin Short to star in Hulu comedy series
PASADENA, Calif. — Steve Martin and Martin Short are taking their touring act to television with a new Hulu comedy. The untitled show about three strangers who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one was announced Friday at a TV critics meeting. Martin...
Review: Half-baked, hectic ‘Dolittle’ could not have done lessVideo
In 1967, Twentieth Century Fox undertook an expensive and complicated production of “Doctor Dolittle,” based on a series of children’s books by Hugh Lofting, about a doctor in Victorian England who talks to animals. Starring Rex Harrison, “Doctor Dolittle” was a notoriously doomed production, troubled by quarantined animals, Harrison’s behavior...
Review: Whatcha gonna do when ‘Bad Boys’ start showing their age?Video
The third edition of the “Bad Boys” franchise starts as it must do: With a gleaming Porsche swerving at impossible speeds through Miami traffic under the expert control of Will Smith, with Martin Lawrence growing very sick beside him. The engine snarls, the car repeatedly fishtails and strains. Smith looks...
For ‘Jeopardy!’ fans, Ken Jennings is the greatest
NEW YORK — Being bold paid off for new “Jeopardy!” mega-champion Ken Jennings, while it didn’t for his opponents. Jennings won his third match in the “Jeopardy!” “Greatest of all Time” contest televised on Tuesday, an event that’s been a prime-time hit for ABC. He pocketed $1 million by dispatching...
Jason Momoa film sends helicopters over Pittsburgh skyline
No need to look skyward in Pittsburgh any time soon, in hopes of making a Jason Momoa sighting. Helicopters that residents and motorists may have spotted flying or hovering over the city on Sunday night were part of the local filming for the actor’s new Netflix film, “Sweet Girl,” said...
Build-A-Bear to add Baby Yoda to its lineup
How much cuter can Build-A-Bear get? Amirite? Here are two words: Baby Yoda. According to a report from Business Insider, the stuffed animal company will begin offering kids (and, we’re guessing, tons of adults) the opportunity to build their very own mini green character from DisneyPlus’ megahit series “The Mandalorian.”...
Billie Eilish will sing latest James Bond movie themeVideo
Billie Eilish, the 18-year-old multi-platinum-selling and Grammy Award-nominated artist, will sing the theme song for the 25th James Bond film, “No Time To Die.” The film, once again starring Daniel Craig as 007, will be released April 10. Eilish has written the title song with her brother, fellow multi-Grammy-nominated artist...
PBS picks up Pittsburgh filmmakers’ ‘Moundsville’ documentaryVideo
“Moundsville,” a documentary about a tough times and transitions in a small West Virginia riverside town, is coming to PBS stations across the country beginning in March. Made by Pittsburgh-area filmmakers John W. Miller and Dave Bernabo, “Moundsville” tells its story through the eyes of residents who have seen the...
Tom Hanks lands Oscar nomination for role as Mister RogersVideo
Tom Hanks woke up to beautiful news Monday. His portrayal of Fred Rogers in “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” was nominated for an Academy Award for best actor in a supporting role. The movie, with some scenes filmed in Pittsburgh, also stars Matthew Rhys as Lloyd Vogel, the...
‘Joker’ tops Oscar nominations with 11; ‘Irishman’ scores 10
Todd Phillips’ much-debated supervillain origin story and R-rated box-office smash “Joker” topped all films with 11 Academy Awards nominations, while Martin Scorsese’s elegiac crime epic “The Irishman,” Quentin Tarantino’s 1960s Los Angeles fairy tale “Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood” and Sam Mendes’ World War I tale “1917” all...
Chris Rock was ‘shocked’ to land the lead role in ‘Fargo’Video
Fans of FX’s quirky dramedy “Fargo” might believe Chris Rock starring in the latest installment is a bit bizarre. Rock would agree with them. “I was shocked,” the comedian said Thursday during a session for the anthology series during the Television Critics Association press tour, describing his reaction when first...
Bye, Ricky Gervais: Poehler, Fey to host 2021 Golden Globes
PASADENA, Calif. — Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will share host duties for the Golden Globes ceremony in 2021. Poehler herself shared the announcement at a TV critics meeting Saturday, just a week after the ceremony aired with Ricky Gervais as host. “There are no two funnier people anywhere,” said...
‘Bullitt’ Mustang sells for $3.74 million at Florida auction
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — The Highland Green 1968 Ford Mustang GT featured in the film “Bullitt” was sold Friday at a Florida auction house for $3.74 million. The sale at Mecum Kissimmee marks the most expensive Mustang ever sold, surpassing a 1967 Shelby GT500 Super Snake that sold last year for...
Massive Harry Potter store to open in New York City
And you thought the books and movies were big. Warner Bros. has announced that the first Harry Potter-themed store — Wizarding World — will open for business in New York City this summer. It’s set to be massive. Located next to the iconic Flatiron building at 935 Broadway, the three-story,...
Growth in number of TV series ‘bananas,’ network boss saysVideo
The mass of television series is certifiably “bananas,” according to the TV executive who has kept a close eye on its growth. An estimated tally of all scripted programs available to viewers exceeded 500 for the first time, FX Networks head John Landgraf said. He is credited with coining the...
Donald Glover’s ‘Atlanta’ set for 2 more seasons in 2021
PASADENA, Calif. — Donald Glover’s “Atlanta” is returning with new episodes, but not for another year. FX Networks Chairman John Landgraf said Thursday that star and creator Glover is making a total of 18 new episodes. Ten of them will air in January 2021, with the rest to follow later...
Review: ‘Just Mercy’ a first-rate story with second-rate dialogueVideo
“Just Mercy” is solid, meat-and-potatoes docudrama film-making, if you don’t mind a first-rate story of systemic injustice undercut by second-rate dialogue. No character can go two sentences without clarifying a legal point for the audience’s benefit, or reiterating a tidy, just-so note of stirring idealism. By the time the movie...
Review: Trite ‘Like a Boss’ wastes stars’ genuine comedic talents
Mia (Tiffany Haddish) and Mel (Rose Byrne) are two women in their 30s who don’t need men to make them happy, though they’ll gladly use them for fun. They’re best friends and roommates, comfortably unmarried and focused on the small cosmetics business they’ve formed together. So far, so good, right?...
Review: Kristen Stewart can’t save ‘Underwater’ from sinkingVideo
Welcome to January, which, in terms of quality movies, is the worst, the lowest, the abyss. Actually, that’s pretty accurate when it comes to the latest, straight-to-January release “Underwater,” which steals from “The Abyss” and many other movies like “Alien” and even “Godzilla.” The filmmakers started with an overused thriller...
Prolific ‘Graduate’ writer-actor Buck Henry dies at 89
NEW YORK — Buck Henry, the versatile writer, director and character actor who co-wrote and appeared in “The Graduate,” has died. He was 89. Henry’s wife, Irene Ramp, told The Washington Post that his death Wednesday in Los Angeles was due to a heart attack. Henry acted in and co-directed...
Extras needed for Kristen Stewart movie filming in Pittsburgh
Extras are needed for filming in Pittsburgh of “Happiest Season,” a Tristar/Sony feature film starring Kristen Stewart, who first came to fame portraying Bella Swan in the “Twilight” movies. Local filming will take place from mid-January to late February, according to movieextraspittsburgh.com. According to the website, the filmmakers are looking...
Oscars to go host-less for 2nd straight year
PASADENA, Calif. — The Oscars are going without a host again this year. ABC Entertainment President Karey Burke said the Feb. 9 telecast will focus on what worked last year: “huge entertainment value, big musical numbers, big comedy and star power.” Last year’s ceremony attracted 29.6 million viewers, the second-smallest...
ABC sets series finale date for ‘Modern Family’
NEW YORK — The ABC comedy “Modern Family” will air its series finale after 11 seasons on April 8, the network announced on Wednesday. The series following the extended Pritchett-Dunphy clan was an immediate sensation upon its 2009 debut. It holds the record with “Frasier” of five consecutive Emmy Awards...
