PHOTO BY FRANÇOIS DUHAMEL / UNIVERSAL PICTURES Classified very simply, “1917” is an action film. An elegant one — perhaps the most impressive in years — and a somber one, but an action film nonetheless. The task is physical and immediate; the stakes are dire and violent. More specifically, “1917” is a lesson in time, tenacity and suffering. Unfolding almost…
Read PM Dining Critic Hal B. Klein’s full list of the best new restaurants of 2019 here. Categories: The 412 Tags: PM on KD
Even at a young age, Jenni Ingram loved to get her hands dirty doing DIY projects. It started when her grandfather taught her the basics of woodworking — and her talent was evident from the beginning. In eighth grade, she won Shop Student of the Year. These days, Ingram is still getting her hands dirty with her two Pittsburgh-based companies:…
Read our HOME feature stories on 2020 design trends, Richard DeShantz at home and the Yingling Mansion in Wilkinsburg. Categories: The 412 Tags: PM on KD
PHOTO BY ALLEN FRASER / SONY PICTURES Ah, the lowly jump scare: Respite of the horror director without flair, the much-derided tactic has become emblematic of half-baked thrillers. To be sure, many ho-hum horror flicks lean too heavily on the sudden appearance of a ghoulish face accompanied by menacing, meaningless aural clatter. However briefly, though, the tactic was marginally effective….
PHOTO BY WILSON WEBB / CTMG, INC. In her solo directorial debut, Greta Gerwig investigated the edge of adulthood during a certain era. “Lady Bird” revisited late adolescence during the closing moments of Generation X; because Gerwig is an overwhelmingly talented filmmaker, it was both specific to its era and wholly universal. An adaptation of “Little Women” may seem to…
PHOTO COURTESY 20TH CENTURY FOX FILM CORP. “Spies in Disguise” is a marquee work of lush computer animation starring a Hollywood titan and made by a Disney subsidiary, yet it feels like an underdog. The oft-delayed picture, from “Ice Age” home studio Blue Sky — which was bought in 1997 by 20th Century Fox, which was bought this year by…
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PHOTO BY HILARY BRONWYN / LIONSGATE In evaluating “Bombshell,” I’m inclined to echo my review of Amazon’s political drama, “The Report.” This is good. This is important. I wonder if anyone will see it? The film, directed by Jay Roach, documents a culture of sexual harassment at Fox News in the early-to-mid 2010s. Testimony and allegations from a number of…
“The Santa Clause,” starring Tim Allen, follows the story of a man who accidentally kills Santa and has to take his place. Previous Penguins Holiday Videos Had enough or are you thirsty for more? 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 Categories: Penguins, The 412
Max King has authored a biography on Fred Rogers and run The Pittsburgh Foundation and The Heinz Endowments. But his stamp on Pittsburgh goes even deeper — and he’s not done yet. Read the feature story on Max King, the 2019 Pittsburgher of the Year, here. Categories: The 412 Tags: PM on KD
PHOTO BY JONATHAN OLLEY / LUCASFILM The modern “Star Wars” trilogy is, as it turns out, about unity. In “The Force Awakens,” that meant personal unity — living honestly and nobly, with clear purpose. “The Last Jedi” was about bringing individuals together; “Not fighting what we hate, saving what we love,” as Rose said. Finally, “The Rise of Skywalker” is…
PHOTO BY CLAIRE FOLGER / WARNER BROS. It is difficult to review “Richard Jewell” as a film. It is less a movie than a polemic; while it occasionally flirts with actual cinema, it exists not as a work of art but as an argument. That argument, in short: The bloodthirsty media will ruin your life over nothing. (A subject that…
Notwithstanding living with the trauma of being torn from one’s homeland, Pittsburgh’s refugee population faces numerous challenges adapting to a new country. Yet, slowly, they are building a home here. PM Dining Critic and Associate Editor Hal B. Klein shares their stories in our December feature “Finding Home One Plate at a Time.” Categories: The 412
PHOTO BY HIRAM GARCIA / SONY PICTURES This shouldn’t have worked the first time. It did, to be clear. “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” is a mostly enjoyable diversion, elevated by great performances from Karen Gillan and Dwayne Johnson. On paper, though, it was a long shot — a half sequel, half reboot of a ho-hum property from the mid-’90s…
PHOTO BY PETER MOUNTAIN / NETFLIX The most engaging sequence in “The Two Popes,” oddly enough, takes place during its end credits. It’s no spoiler to say how the tale ends up. Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins), now retired, has ceded the Catholic Church’s highest office to Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce). As the credits roll, the pair of popes watch…
The video was posted several years ago but is always a fan favorite this time of year. Categories: The 412
The warm welcome did not extend to the final score. The Pens shut out the Coyotes 2-0. Categories: The 412
PHOTO BY MARY CYBULSKI / FOCUS FEATURES We are constantly asked — and, in many cases, told — to accept corporate benevolence. Whenever a giant conglomerate stamps its name on a stadium or tosses an oversized check at a charity, it’s a down payment on trust; accept this bauble, we’re told, as a token that we are on your side….
PHOTO COURTESY NETFLIX I shouldn’t have been able to walk out feeling good about life. A blow-by-blow account of Noah Baumbach’s excellent “Marriage Story” would reveal a heartbreaking decline. It is the story of a marriage corroded, a family dissolved and the futility of innocence. Yes, it’s tragic. This is the first movie in years that made me bury my…
A pair of plays, music, comedy and an afternoon of enchantment are among the many options. The Best Reason to Leave Your House This Weekend See a Play (or Two) Two of my favorite Pittsburgh theater companies — Pittsburgh Public Theater and City Theatre — are well into the runs of the second plays of their respective seasons. Both companies…
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PHOTO BY ATSUSHI NISHIJIMA / AMAZON If Amazon wants to continue presenting original feature films — and, obviously, they do — they’re going to have to do better than movies that feel like they wouldn’t have done well elsewhere. Don’t mistake that for a blanket criticism of “The Report,” a generally impressive movie debuting on the service this weekend. “The…
Learn more about the history of WDVE by checking out their archives page. Categories: Then/Now
