Anthonybourdain
Sean Collier's Popcorn for Dinner

Movie Review — Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain

The documentary is a moving, but difficult, look at the late icon.
Sean Collier,

PHOTO COURTESY FOCUS FEATURES Anthony Bourdain, as depicted in Morgan Neville’s excellent documentary “Roadrunner,” seems intimately concerned with self-definition. Bourdain seemed to use his popular television series, in both their honest narration and carefully prepared adventures, to cast himself in an endless, romantic movie. Bourdain might’ve been pleased with the defiant tone and brutal honesty of this particular movie, made…

3rivers
This Week in Pgh History

This Week in Pittsburgh History: Three Rivers Stadium Opens

It would last for 30 years and be demolished with just half of its original debt paid off.
Content Provided by The Odd, Mysterious & Fascinating History of Pittsburgh,

PHOTO BY DAVID WILSON VIA FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS On July 16, 1970, Dock Ellis took the mound for the Pittsburgh Pirates to start the first baseball game, a sellout, at Three Rivers Stadium. Richie Hebner scored the first run and Willie Stargell hit the first Pirates home run in the stadium’s history. Nevertheless, the Pirates lost to the Cincinnati Reds…

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The 412

9-Year-Old Latrobe Opera Singer Reflects on Historic America’s Got Talent Audition

Victory Brinker of Latrobe is the first-ever contestant to receive all five golden buzzers.
Kaitlyn Nuebel,

PHOTOS BY TRAE PATTON | NBC What has Victory Brinker been up to in the two days during which her “America’s Got Talent” audition racked up more than 4.9 million views on YouTube?  “I’ve been doing a lot, a lot, a LOT of interviews,” the 9-year-old opera singer from Latrobe says.   Between Jackie Evancho, Ashley Marina and Gabby Barrett, Pittsburgh’s…

Blackwidow
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Movie Review: Black Widow

Marvel returns from two years off with an entertaining flashback.
Sean Collier,

PHOTO COURTESY MARVEL STUDIOS It has been more than two years since a feature film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has premiered. On July 2, 2019, “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” a coda to the studio’s decade-dominating “Infinity Saga,” reminded audiences that Marvel’s great strength is fun, slick adventure (with a dash of emotional weight). The megafranchise had planned a hiatus…

Dippy the Dinosaur
This Week in Pgh History

This Week in Pittsburgh History: Dippy the Dinosaur Is Unveiled

Also, Mister Rogers is honored at the White House.
Content Provided by The Odd, Mysterious & Fascinating History of Pittsburgh,

PHOTO BY TOM DAVIDSON This week back in 1999, Dippy, the 3,000-pound, 22-foot-tall, 84-foot-long dinosaur sculpture that stands adjacent to the entrances of the Carnegie Music Hall and Carnegie Museum of Natural History, was unveiled. Former Pittsburgh Magazine writer Margaret J. Krauss dug up these interesting facts about Dippy in 2015. Timeline 1898 Andrew Carnegie reads that “the most colossal animal…

Summerofsoul
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Movie Review: Summer of Soul

Questlove's remarkable documentary revives a vital piece of music history.
Sean Collier,

PHOTO COURTESY SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES If it was the raw footage and nothing else, it would still be an essential film. “Summer of Soul (Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” is, in many ways, a fairly typical music documentary — live performances, reflections from performers and concert attendees, newsreel footage placing the music in its social context. It is…

Clemente
This Week in Pgh History

This Week in Pittsburgh History: Roberto Clemente Is Too Fast for Hollywood?

Clemente was offered a small part in the 1967 film “The Odd Couple” but was eventually replaced by Bill Mazeroski.
Content Provided by The Odd, Mysterious & Fascinating History of Pittsburgh,

PHOTO BY CHARLES “TEENIE” HARRIS, COURTESY OF SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY On June 27, 1967, the New York Mets beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 1-0 at Shea Stadium when Mets pitcher Jack Fisher got Bill Mazeroski to hit into a game-ending triple play. However, the game, including its dramatic ending, was a work of fiction. The final out was filmed prior…

Goodonpaper
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Movie Review: Good on Paper

Comedian Iliza Shlesinger writes and stars in a refreshing Netflix comedy.
Sean Collier,

PHOTO BY ALEX LOMBARDI In her first feature as a screenwriter, the actress and comedian Iliza Shlesinger doesn’t stray far from her stand-up persona. The name of her character is different — here, she’s Andrea Singer — and the fictional version isn’t quite as successful as Iliza herself. But she’s still a comedian, and when we see Singer on stage,…

F9
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Movie Review: F9

The latest chapter in "The Fast Saga" doesn't add much, but provides thrills and fun that look great on the big screen.
Sean Collier,

PHOTO © UNIVERSAL PICTURES I’m not saying they shouldn’t have gone to space. I have no problem with these characters briefly leaving the planet. I just have one question: Isn’t it a bit of a stretch to have them quite literally drive a car to space? Yes, the “Fast and Furious” franchise — or, as we are apparently rebranding it,…

Whiskeythumb

Pgh Whiskey Festival Past Event Photos

Richard Cook

      Video and pictures from Pittsburgh Magazine’s Whiskey & Fine Spirits Festival Friday, Sept. 24, 2021 Events Center at Rivers Casino #PghWhiskeyFest Video of the 2019 Whiskey Festival at Rivers Casino

Fatherhood
Sean Collier's Popcorn for Dinner

Movie Review: Fatherhood

Netflix's drama has good intentions — and a star who is well out of his depth.
Sean Collier,

PHOTO BY PHILIPPE BOSSE / NETFLIX © 2021 There’s an uncomfortable supply of recent films where the death of loved ones is the chief, if not the only, motivation. To be fair, such tales are never in short supply. But over the last few months, it’s become almost automatic. “A Quiet Place Part II,” death of multiple spouses and children….

Hwbodyguard
Sean Collier's Popcorn for Dinner

Movie Review: The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard

The unnecessary comedy sequel sneaks in some laughs, but doesn't do enough to justify its existence.
Sean Collier,

PHOTO BY DAVID APPLEBY. © LIONSGATE I just hope everyone involved made a lot of money. What more can you wish for “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard,” a sequel to a comedy that barely registered in the first place? Putting aside the fact that straight-up comedy sequels are rarely a particularly good idea, does anyone actually remember the 2017 original —…

Rust

How Much of Pittsburgh Do You See in the Trailer for Jeff Daniels’ Series?

“American Rust,” which is still shooting in and around the 'Burgh, premieres on Showtime in September.
Kaitlyn Nuebel,

The Pittsburgh area is the backdrop for yet another television series. Showtime has dropped the trailer for “American Rust,” a new drama filmed in the Pittsburgh area. The series will still be shooting at various western Pennsylvania locales through mid-August. The first of the nine-episode series premieres at 10 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 12. Based on Philipp Meyer’s novel of the…

Amusementpark
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George Romero’s Bizarre, Powerful “Amusement Park” is (Finally) Available

The short film, made as an unconventional plea against elder abuse, is now streaming on Shudder — and it contains rare footage of a bygone local theme park.
Sean Collier,

PHOTO COURTESY SHUDDER Call it terror from beyond the grave. We shouldn’t be surprised that, four years after his death, George A. Romero still has some surprises in store. The longtime Pittsburgher and godfather of zombie cinema is best known for his landmark horror movies, including “Night of the Living Dead” and “Dawn of the Dead.” While most of his…

Jail Bluff
On Location

On Location: Allegheny County Jail

A monthly look at Pittsburgh’s starring role in the movies.
Sean Collier,

PHOTO BY CHUCK BEARD “The Next Three Days” (2010) In this Pittsburgh-set thriller, Elizabeth Banks plays a woman wrongfully convicted of murder and incarcerated in Allegheny County Jail. Desperate to free his wife, her soft-spoken husband (Russell Crowe) hatches a desperate plan that will involve a dramatic jailbreak — followed by an even more nail-biting quest to escape the city…

Intheheights
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Movie Review: In the Heights

PM Film Critic Sean Collier says the new musical is an exhilarating experience.
Sean Collier,

PHOTO BY MACALL POLAY. © 2021 WARNER BROS. ENTERTAINMENT. Joy has been missing at the cinema. For a year and a half, we’ve been living in particularly joyless times. Dropping a celebratory, triumph-of-the-spirit kind of flick six or eight months ago likely would not have been a salve — it probably would’ve been a bitter pill, a reminder of what…

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This Week in Pgh History

This Week in Pittsburgh History: Pens Draft Mario Lemieux

Despite a career plagued with health problems, Lemieux is widely considered to be one of the greatest hockey players of all time.
Content Provided by The Odd, Mysterious & Fascinating History of Pittsburgh,

On June 9, 1984, the Pittsburgh Penguins made one of the most significant decisions in its franchise history when it selected 18-year-old Mario Lemieux as its number one draft pick.  In a career that included two back surgeries, a battle with cancer and a three-year pause for his first retirement, Lemieux managed to win the NHL scoring title six times,…

Conjuring
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Movie Review: The Conjuring 3

The horror series' latest installment, "The Devil Made Me Do It," may be a sign that time has run out on this franchise.
Sean Collier,

PHOTO COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. PICTURES As I get back into the habit of going to indoor movie theaters, each trip reminds me of a different aspect of the moviegoing experience. “Shiva Baby,” the first film I saw after I was fully vaccinated, reminded me of how much more special a movie feels in the cinema. “Cruella” demonstrated how the…

Monuments
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The First Narrative from Row House Films is the Curious, Memorable “Monuments”

The Lawrenceville film house will distribute the Chicago-made dramedy to arthouses around the country.
Sean Collier,

PHOTO COURTESY ROW HOUSE FILMS The best moment in “Monuments” is a belly-laugh provoking bit of classic, visual comedy. It wouldn’t have been out of place in a Charlie Chaplin short. The second-best, however, is the moment that sticks with me. Our protagonist finds himself in the middle of a somber quest that will inevitably prove at least somewhat pointless….

Quietplace
Sean Collier's Popcorn for Dinner

Movie Review: A Quiet Place Part II

The long-delayed thriller is effective, says Film Critic Sean Collier, even if it is more of the same.
Sean Collier,

PHOTO COURTESY PARAMOUNT PICTURES There’s something very odd about “A Quiet Place Part II,” the long-delayed sequel to the hit 2018 horror flick. It is so firmly a middle chapter — they haven’t actually confirmed that this is a trilogy, but c’mon — that its plot description can glibly be boiled down to “some stuff happens.” The characters have some…

Pghintl
This Week in Pgh History

This Week in Pittsburgh History: Greater Pittsburgh Airport Opens

The terminal, the largest in the U.S. when it opened in 1952, would last 40 years before being replaced.
Richard Cook,

Only those whose memory extends to the years prior to 1992 remember Pittsburgh’s first modern airport terminal in Moon Township. On May 31, 1952, the new Greater Pittsburgh Airport (renamed Greater Pittsburgh International Airport in 1972 upon the opening of the International Arrivals Building) was dedicated. More than 100,000 people toured the 1600-acre site during the Memorial Day holiday weekend….

301 5th Aerial 2
House of the Week, Sponsored Content

House of the Week: Downtown Corner Penthouse

This home features three bedrooms, a custom kitchen and an outdoor deck and rooftop terrace with a one-of-a-kind view of the city.
Content Provided by Howard Hanna Real Estate Services,

301 5th Avenue #714, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Presented by Diana Mathison Howard Hanna Real Estate Services This midtown Golden Triangle corner penthouse at Piatt Place features over 4,200 square feet of living space spanning three units with extensive customization. The largest residence features 80 feet of floor-to-ceiling glass, 10 ft. ceilings and extraordinary design features throughout. A gallery entry, open concept great…

Cruella1
Sean Collier's Popcorn for Dinner

Movie Review: Cruella

Film critic Sean Collier evaluates an unusual entry in Disney's line of live-action reboots.
Sean Collier,

PHOTO BY LAURIE SPARHAM. © 2021 DISNEY ENTERPRISES INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. “Normal is the cruelest insult of all,” purrs Cruella de Vil (née Estella) in her live-action origin story. She’s talking about her desire to stand out in the world of fashion — yes, this movie is mostly about a bitter couture rivalry — but the sentiment seems to…

Babe Ruth
This Week in Pgh History

This Week in Pittsburgh History: Babe Ruth Hits His Final Home Runs at Forbes Field

The Bambino went four-for-four, including three home runs before ending his legendary career less than three weeks later.
Content Provided by The Odd, Mysterious & Fascinating History of Pittsburgh,

By the spring of 1935, Babe Ruth was in the twilight of his Hall-of-Fame career. At age 40, he had been signed as a free agent by the Boston Braves after the Yankees refused to hire him as a manager. On May 25, Ruth and the Braves took on the Pirates at Forbes Field. For the Bambino, it would be…