Entertainment category, Page 168
Review: Mars rovers steal the show in fresh, imaginative ‘Good Night Oppy’Video
Great true stories about space exploration don’t come around too often anymore. Our pop cultural representations about NASA’s achievements (or failures) tend to be period pieces and retreads of the greatest hits. But the new documentary “Good Night Oppy,” directed by Ryan White, is an exciting and fresh story about...
Pittsburgh’s Prime Stage Theatre reimagines ‘Frankenstein’
Movie and theater-goers are widely familiar with “Frankenstein,” the eerie tale of a scientist’s ill-advised creation of life in a laboratory. Not so well-known is that Frankenstein is the name of the creator, and not of the creation, as well as the story’s origin — how it was imagined by...
Migos rapper Takeoff fatally shot outside Houston bowling alleyVideo
The rapper Takeoff, best known for his work with the Grammy-nominated trio Migos, is dead after a shooting early Tuesday outside a bowling alley in Houston, a representative confirmed. He was 28. Kirsnick Khari Ball, known as Takeoff, was part of Migos along with Quavo and Offset. A representative for...
Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ includes Pittsburgh Acrisure Stadium dateVideo
Taylor Swift has a June 17 date at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh as part of her just-announced “Eras Tour.” Swift will be touring stadiums across the country beginning March 18 in Glendale, Ariz., and continuing into August. International dates will be revealed later. Joining Swift on the road will be...
Blairsville’s Black Ridge will host album release party in BlawnoxVideo
Even if they don’t know the band by name, Pittsburgh sports fans are probably familiar with Blairsville rockers Black Ridge. Their songs, “New Day” and “Celebration” have been featured regularly during televised Pirates and Penguins games, and the tune “You’ll Never Stop This Machine” was used during the 2021-‘22 NHL...
What doors will open in the next season of ‘House of the Dragon’?
When Princess Rhaenys Targaryen and her dragon Meleys busted through the floor of the Dragonpit, casually murdering hundreds of civilians during an escape from captivity at the hands of Team Green, I was not...
Behind the Art: Fort Ligonier portrait depicts young George Washington
Visitors often don’t recognize the portrait of George Washington in the art gallery at Fort Ligonier. They expect to find an image of the elder statesman, like the many created by early American portraitist Gilbert Stuart. What they find instead is a depiction of the young Col. Washington, who spent...
Why are we fascinated by serial killers like Jeffrey Dahmer?
When it comes to the most popular Netflix shows, only the latest season of “Stranger Things” can claim to be more widely watched than “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” which racked up more than 701 million hours watched since its initial release Sept. 21. Producer Ryan Murphy’s docu-drama about the...
Review: War is hell (again) in Netflix’s new adaptation of ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’
“All Quiet on the Western Front,” directed by Edward Berger, is hardly the first movie to argue — quite persuasively — that war is hell. It is, however, the first filmed adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s seminal World War I novel in which the Germans actually speak German. The book’s...
Pittsburgh’s character comes out in local filmmakers’ festival shorts
When Lily Ragheb of Washington, D.C., and her husband, Ahmed, a native of Cairo, Egypt, moved to Pittsburgh in 2019, they barely had time to get acquainted with the city before the covid-19 pandemic shut most of it down. As they began to talk walks and explore Lawrenceville and the...
Lys Scott’s ‘Squashed Dreams & Broken Wings’ charts rapper’s journey of self-discoveryVideo
Lys Scott had quite a birthday this year. Scott, a first-generation Thai-American who identifies as queer, turned 32 on Oct. 24 — the same day that she released her debut album “Squashed Dreams & Broken Wings.” After losing a restaurant job as the covid-19 pandemic ramped up in 2020, Scott...
How horror became Hollywood’s safe bet in a scary box office climate
LOS ANGELES — Zach Cregger’s movie “Barbarian” already had to be brought back from the dead once — by film company New Regency after its financing fell apart before the start of production. So the actor-turned-director was categorically not expecting a theatrical release for his twisted horror film when he...
Babyface doesn’t rest on his laurels with ‘Girls Night Out’Video
NEW YORK — Art can be inspired by even the most mundane experiences, and for iconic singer-songwriter Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, the idea for his latest creation, “Girls Night Out,” was sparked while running an errand at the drugstore. “I went to Walgreens and as I was in there, this younger...
Westmoreland Museum author talk explores Pittsburgh artist John Kane
It seems fitting that two people long involved in the artistic and cultural life of Pittsburgh should tell the story of Pittsburgh artist John Kane. Authors Maxwell King and Louise “Lulu” Lippincott will discuss “American Workman: The Life and Art of John Kane,” their book about the self-taught, early 20th-century...
Protester glues his head to ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ paintingVideo
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Climate activists targeted Johannes Vermeer’s masterpiece “Girl with a Pearl Earring” with glue and liquid on Thursday but one of the world’s most iconic paintings was not damaged in the latest of such publicity-seeking stunts. A video posted on Twitter showed one man pouring a can...
Great Scott! Westmoreland Performing Arts stages ‘Rocky Horror Show’
As much fun as actors might have on stage, sometimes performing is just a job. That’s not the case for those involved in the Westmoreland Performing Arts production of “The Rocky Horror Show.” “There are shows that actors do because they’re actors, and there are shows they do because it’s...
An uninvited Kanye West and crew are escorted out of Skechers HQ by executives
LOS ANGELES — Kanye West and crew showed up at Skechers’ headquarters in Manhattan Beach on Wednesday without an invite, and the shoe company was definitely not having it. “Kanye West — also referred to as Ye — arrived unannounced and without invitation at one of Skechers’ corporate offices in...
Carnegie Science Center to open new Mars exhibition
The Carnegie Science Center is opening what it’s referring to as the most ambitious new experience built since the museum opened in 1991 — a $4.48 million exhibition called “Mars: The Next Giant Leap.” The Mars exhibit will open to Carnegie Museum members Friday, Nov. 18 with the public grand...
Here are 10 awesome new horror movies to watch for Halloween 2022
We’ve never understood why some people wait until October to binge horror movies. For us, it’s a yearlong pursuit and we’re just as likely to be found watching an all-time classic like “Final Destination 2” or “Bride of Chucky” on Valentine’s Day as we are on Halloween. And, yes, we...
Jane’s Addiction cancels more concerts following Pittsburgh no-show
If you’re a Jane’s Addiction fan still disappointed about the cancellation of their show scheduled for last Saturday in Pittsburgh, you are not alone. The ‘90s alternative rockers, who were set to open for the Smashing Pumpkins as part of the “Spirits on Fire” tour, have also announced the cancellation...
Jim Nantz to call last Final Four in ’23, Ian Eagle to take over
NEW YORK — Jim Nantz will step away from calling the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament after next year and will be succeeded by Ian Eagle. CBS Sports confirmed the move on Monday night. It was first reported by the New York Post. Nantz has been a part of the CBS...
New ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp’ trailer brings Kang into focusVideo
First, the great news: Bill Murray is a character in the new “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” film. This is reason to rejoice, regardless of who he’s playing or the size of his role. The other great news is that Kang the Conqueror — or one of his many multi-verse...
Everclear’s Art Alexakis reflects on the band’s 30th anniversary ahead of Southern California shows
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Art Alexakis went from being flipped off on the highways of Portland, Oregon, for having California license plates to becoming the frontman of one of the city’s most notable rock bands. After moving from Los Angeles to Portland and disbanding his previous project, Colorfinger, he searched for...
Leslie Jordan, versatile Emmy-winning actor, dies at 67
LOS ANGELES — Leslie Jordan, the Emmy-winning actor whose wry Southern drawl and versatility made him a comedy and drama standout on TV series including “Will & Grace” and “American Horror Story,” has died. He was 67. “The world is definitely a much darker place today without the love and...
Ye dropped by talent agency, documentary on him scrapped
NEW YORK — A completed documentary about the rapper formerly known as Kanye West has been shelved amid his recent slew of antisemitic remarks. MRC studio executives Modi Wiczyk, Asif Satchu and Scott Tenley announced in a memo Monday: “We cannot support any content that amplifies his platform.” Ye was...
