Movies/TV category, Page 150
AP picks the top moments on TV of 2019Video
Many have noticed how fragmented our TV viewing is, with multiple competing streaming services and dozens of channels pulling us in different directions. But the year also saw some jaw-dropping moments that found huge audiences, whether it was a royal interview or a viral alien. The Associated Press has put...
Nancy O’Dell promises she’ll be back after taking break from ‘ET’
Question: What happened to Nancy O’Dell on “Entertainment Tonight”? She hasn’t been on for several weeks. Answer: More like several months. In August, O’Dell announced she was leaving “ET” after nine years with the show. In a statement quoted by EW.com at the time, O’Dell said in part, “Not long...
‘Letterkenny’ Season 8 released, pitter patter U.S. fansVideo
The day has come: the new “Letterkenny” season is out. While Canadians got the gift of Season 8 on Christmas, those in the U.S. can now watch the show via Hulu. “Letterkenny” Season 8 runs seven episodes with some big name Canadian cameos (no spoilers) early on. Show creator Jared...
Disney+ redefines the high school musical trope with ‘Encore!’
“The Mandalorian.” Baby Yoda. A bunch of impending Marvel series. That’s what most folks know about Disney+, the too-big-to-fail streaming platform that launched in November with an arsenal of Star Wars, superhero and princess titles. Here’s what viewers don’t know: Buried beneath that mammoth pile of branded content is an...
Review: ‘Little Women’ casts familiar story in a new, modern lightVideo
After all the romps romped, all the dances danced and the little women of Greta Gerwig’s “Little Women” married off, this is the story of a girl and her book, the copyright negotiated, the pages cut, the gold leaf stamped. In Gerwig’s adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s blockbuster 1869 novel,...
Pittsburgh Dad gets in Christmas spirit by reading vintage JC Penney catalog
Of all the Christmas stories, this one could bring back a flood of memories for some. Pittsburgh Dad, played by Curt Wootton, took viewers back to the ’80s in a holiday episode of the YouTube series. In the video posted Tuesday, he goes through the pages of the 1984 edition...
Dewayne Perkins on writing for ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine,’ new solo stand-up show
We often talk about sketch and improv as an entry point for comedic performers. But it’s a type of acting that also tends to hone a person’s writing skills. Which means a decent chunk of people writing for late-night talk shows or TV comedies came up through the Chicago improv...
Holiday TV picks for moms and dads who can hardly wait for school to start again
With Christmas landing and the new year traveling faster than a speeding bullet, television can be a soothing influence on parents who have too much to do and kids who have too little. The networks have not forgotten, and FXX offers its Plus+Size Holiday Marathon featuring 661 episodes of “The...
Bill Cosby spokesperson hits back at Eddie Murphy after dig on ‘SNL’Video
Bill Cosby’s spokesperson slammed comedian Eddie Murphy over a dig Murphy made on “Saturday Night Live” this weekend. Murphy was back on “SNL” after departing the show in 1984. In his opening monologue he said he was busy being a stay-at-home dad and distanced himself from the disgraced comic. “If...
Last-minute deal will keep Starz on Comcast’s Xfinity lineup
Fans of the hit series “Outlander,” think of it as your early Christmas present. Comcast NBCUniversal and Lionsgate have agreed to a new carriage deal that will keep Starz on Xfinity TV’s lineup, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The deal also will put Starz on NBC’s upcoming streaming service Peacock,...
‘Rise of Skywalker’ opens with $175.5 million; ‘Cats’ flops
NEW YORK — The Force was a little less strong with “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.” J.J. Abrams’ Skywalker finale couldn’t match its recent predecessors on opening weekend, but it still amassed a $175.5 million debut that ranked as the third largest weekend of the year. “The Rise of...
Eddie Murphy returns to ‘SNL,’ roasts Bill CosbyVideo
Eddie Murphy returned to host “Saturday Night Live” after leaving the show 35 years ago. In his opening monologue, as the crowd cheered his name, Murphy joked about how long it’s been since he was on the show. The comedian said it was great to be back for the Christmas...
The Jim Crow film that just won’t die, “Song of the South”
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Racially segregated movie theaters and whites-only water fountains disappeared decades ago after court rulings struck down the legal framework of Jim Crow America, but another element of the era just won’t die: Walt Disney’s 1946 movie “Song of the South.” With racist stereotypes and Old South tropes,...
Review: ‘Bombshell’ is another sneaky, fact-adjacent docudramaVideo
One week after the tepid box office reception for “Richard Jewell,” a well-acted, sneakily political, fact-adjacent drama of no little controversy, here comes “Bombshell” — another well-acted, sneakily political and fact-adjacent picture, representing the other side of what’s left of the aisle in this country. It’s hard to assess the...
Review: Love it or hate it, ‘Cats’ is a pop culture phenomenonVideo
There’s apparently enough groundbreaking technology used in “Cats” for NASA to send a rocket to unexplored parts of the universe — perhaps to a far-off planet where cats sing, dance on two legs and recite T.S. Eliot poetry in half-Cockney accents. But let’s forget the much-discussed “digital fur technology” used...
Andy Serkis on why the world needs a new ‘Christmas Carol’
Wearing a tall black hat, a heavy mottled fur coat covered in trinkets, a long beard and plenty of hair, Andy Serkis received a round of applause from the crew of “A Christmas Carol” after thanking them for their hard work on the set. An hour later, he emerged clean...
‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ reviews range from disappointing to satisfying
The latest installment of “Star Wars” films is almost here. But if you can’t wait for “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” here’s some reviews from around the web, ranging from disappointment to satisfaction. • Gizmodo’s Germain Lussier writes that “the film plays like a 150-minute checklist of cool stuff...
Television’s ‘Survivor’ dealing with #MeToo-era issues
NEW YORK — The CBS game “Survivor” ends its 39th edition this week reeling from controversy over its first-ever forced removal of a contestant, a Hollywood agent sent packing after young women complained about inappropriate touching. The abrupt exit of player Dan Spilo, for what CBS said was an off-camera...
Odd-looking extras sought for Amazon’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ seriesVideo
Are you less than attractive? Maybe have a wonky eye? Maybe no eye at all? Well, your big break may have just arrived. The Wall Street Journal reports the Auckland, N.Z.-based BGT Actors Models and Talent is on the hunt for odd-looking extras to be a part of Amazon’s new...
Post Malone to headline Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve
You can ring in the New Year with Post Malone: The rap-pop star will perform at “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2020” in New York City on Dec. 31. Dick Clark Productions announced Tuesday that K-pop group BTS, country singer Sam Hunt and singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette...
Rick Sebak documents his ‘Seven Weeks in Magee’ in latest ‘Nebby’ showVideo
After a fall in August 2018 requiring surgery, WQED producer Rick Sebak began a long recovery in UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital’s transitional care unit. His friends and fans soon began showering him with gifts, surprises and plenty of food. Naturally, he has turned the experience into a new program for his...
Sick of the old holiday staples? 10 movies you may have missedVideo
Though much beloved and holiday staples, yet another viewing of “A Christmas Story” or “Home Alone” might be enough to bring out your inner Grinch … with a vengeance. Looking for something still holiday-ish, that might just become a new favorite? Here are 10 to consider: 1. ‘Meet Me in...
‘Jumanji’ ends ‘Frozen 2’ hot streak to claim top spot
“Jumanji: The Next Level” puts “Frozen 2” on second-place ice, while Clint Eastwood’s “Richard Jewell” opened with one of the worst box office debuts for the director. The Sony film starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart brought in $60.1 million in the U.S. and Canada to break a three-day record...
Hallmark to reinstate same-sex marriage commercial it pulledVideo
NEW YORK — The Hallmark Channel will reinstate same-sex marriage commercials that it pulled from the network, according to a company statement sent Sunday. An ad for wedding planning site Zola featuring two brides kissing at the altar was pulled following a complaint from the conservative group One Million Moms....
How streaming, diversity, #MeToo shaped TV decade of change
“Game of Thrones” was both an unprecedented achievement and old-school role model in the TV decade that’s rolling its final credits. Installments of the elaborately produced hit were doled out one at a time by an established outlet, premium cable channel HBO. That was standard TV operating procedure until, suddenly,...
