Movies/TV category, Page 62
‘Fast X’ speeds to No. 1; knocks ‘Guardians 3’ to 2nd
The 10th installment of the “Fast and Furious” franchise was off to the races this weekend, knocking “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” out of first place and easily claiming the No. 1 spot at the box office. “Fast X” earned $67.5 million in ticket sales from 4,046 North American...
Television’s biggest mystery: how long will pipeline for new programming be closed?
NEW YORK — For decades, the week in May when television executives revealed what new shows were coming and which old ones were going spoke to the power and influence that ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox had over popular culture. This past week offered more evidence of how that is...
In Cannes, Harrison Ford bids adieu to Indiana JonesVideo
CANNES, France — As the Cannes Film Festival crowd stood in rapturous applause, a visibly moved Harrison Ford stood on the stage, trying to keep his emotions in check. The warmth of the audience and a clip reel that had just played had left Ford shaken. “They say that when...
Sean Penn, backing WGA strike, calls Producers Guild the ‘Bankers Guild’
CANNES, France — Sean Penn strongly backed the current Hollywood screenwriters strike while speaking at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday, saying the dispute over Artificial Intelligence is “a human obscenity.” Penn addressed the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike in a press conference for his new film, “Black Flies,”...
TV Talk: Ming-Na Wen voices character in ‘Gremlins’ series; ABC, CW set fall scheduleVideo
Actress Ming-Na Wen, who grew up in Mt. Lebanon and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama, said she was drawn to a voice acting role in the animated prequel series “Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai” by her love of sci-fi and the show’s 1920s setting. The series uses...
TV Talk: Soaring fights, searing drama make all-family series ‘American Born Chinese’ a best betVideo
Based on the graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang, the Disney+ series “American Born Chinese” proves to be one of the year’s best surprises. A coming-of-age story that at times brings to mind TV greats “My So-Called Life” (though this one is from a boy’s perspective) and “Freaks and Geeks,”...
CNN names Kaitlan Collins to fill prime-time vacancy in Chris Cuomo’s old slot
NEW YORK — CNN said Kaitlan Collins will host a new hourlong show at the center of the prime-time lineup, filling a slot left vacant since the firing of Chris Cuomo and as the network’s ratings are at a low ebb. Collins will begin regularly hosting the 9 p.m. Eastern...
Movie review: Jason Momoa saves ‘Fast X’ from furiously speeding off into numbnessVideo
Fans and critics may disagree over when exactly the “Fast & Furious” franchise jumped the shark, but there is only one correct answer: When the Pontiac Fiero went into space. Weightless and violating every physical law, the floating car — tasked with bumping a satellite in the ninth installment —...
Johnny Depp says ‘I have no further need for Hollywood’
CANNES, France — Appearing at the Cannes Film Festival the day after premiering his first film in three years, Johnny Depp said Wednesday that he has “no further need” for Hollywood. Depp made a rare public appearance to face questions from the press following the opening-night premiere of “Jeanne du...
TV Q&A: Why no substitute when one of the WTAE morning anchors is absent?
Q: For more than a year, WTAE-TV has used three anchors on its morning newscasts and when one of the anchors is off, they never use a substitute anchor in order to keep three people at the anchor desk at any one time. Why don’t they ever use a substitute...
Danny Masterson used drugging, Scientology to get away with rape, prosecutor says
LOS ANGELES — Danny Masterson drugged women’s drinks so he could rape them, then relied on his prominence in the Church of Scientology to avoid consequences for years, a prosecutor told jurors Tuesday in closing arguments at the actor’s trial. “The defendant drugs his victims to gain control. He does...
Cannes Film Festival readies a blockbuster editionVideo
The Cannes Film Festival, which will kick off Tuesday, is such a colossal extravaganza that taking measure of its ups and downs is notoriously difficult. It’s a showcase of the world’s best cinema. It’s a red-carpet spectacular. It’s a French Riviera hive of dealmaking. But by at least some metrics,...
TV Talk: W.Pa. native writers in Hollywood explain why they’re on strike; NBC, Fox unveil fall lineups
Striking writers of scripted TV/streaming dramas and comedies have to make their case in an entertainment environment that’s changed radically since the last strike 15 years ago. During that previous 100-day Writers Guild of America strike that began in November 2007 — in the heart of the 2007-08 TV season...
Peacock will exclusively carry NFL playoff game in a first for streaming service
The NFL is taking another big step into streaming by putting one of its playoff games exclusively on a digital platform for the first time. The league and NBCUniversal announced Monday that the Saturday night game on Wild Card weekend will be on Peacock. The Peacock exclusive game on Jan....
MTV News signs off, but Kurt Loder is forever Gen X’s Walter CronkiteVideo
When you grew up absolutely devouring all things MTV, you knew which programs featured regular cut-ins for MTV News and which ones didn’t. This one typically didn’t. But this day was different. It was a Friday afternoon in April 1994, yours truly was a 15-year-old who had the day off...
Pittsburgh Pop podcast: Talking TV with retired WTAE-TV anchor Sally Wiggin
In this episode of the “Pittsburgh Pop” podcast, host Tim Benz and TV Talk columnist Rob Owen discuss Pittsburgh pop culture news of the moment, and this week they welcome a special guest, former WTAE-TV news anchor Sally Wiggin. Wiggin offers an update on her post-WTAE life (she retired in...
Kelly Clarkson responds to report accusing her daytime talk show of being a toxic workplace
LOS ANGELES — Kelly Clarkson has responded to a Rolling Stone report accusing her daytime talk show of being a toxic workplace. Clarkson issued a statement on her Instagram page Saturday. She addressed the allegations after 11 current and former employees complained about being overworked and underpaid on “The Kelly...
Watch ‘Fast’ flicks, make some quick bucks — like $1,000
Anyone with a spare 20 hours and keen eye for car crashes can make an extra $1,000 by watching 10 movies. Personal finance website FinanceBuzz is offering the cash to someone who can help the site measure the insurance impact of reckless driving in the “Fast & Furious” movie franchise...
‘Guardians Vol. 3’ and ‘Super Mario Bros.’ top box office again
Several new movies infiltrated theaters nationwide this weekend, from a lighthearted trip to Italy with Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Diane Keaton and Mary Steenburgen to a Ben Affleck-fronted detective thriller. The two top spots were once again claimed by Marvel and Mario, however. In its second weekend, “Guardians of the...
TV Talk: TV’s most memorable moms reflect American erasVideo
TV show characterizations, like all popular culture, simultaneously reflect the times and push the envelope. It’s how “The Brady Bunch” got away with its blended family concept in the late 1960s without mentioning that Carol Brady got divorced. One can track the changes in American culture through the roles of...
TV Talk: Former President Barack Obama visited Pittsburgh to film Netflix’s ‘Working’ documentaryVideo
Inspired by the 1974 non-fiction Studs Terkel book “Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do,” the four-episode Netflix docu-series “Working: What We Do All Day” not only counts former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as executive...
CNN faces backlash over chaotic Trump town hall eventVideo
NEW YORK — CNN is facing a backlash over its town hall featuring former President Donald Trump, an event that swiftly turned chaotic in a stark display of the tightrope facing journalists covering a leading 2024 Republican candidate who refuses to play by the rules. The town hall Wednesday was...
TV Talk: Broadcast networks plan summer series premieres, ‘Doc Martin’ back on WQED-TVVideo
With the writers’ strike in full effect — and the prospect of directors and actors striking when their contracts are up June 30 — networks are scrambling to balance the need for summer programming with contingencies for fall programming in the event the strike (or strikes) haven’t concluded by July...
Jacklyn Zeman, veteran ‘General Hospital’ cast member, has died
Jacklyn Zeman, who played Bobbie Spencer for 45 years on ABC’s “General Hospital” has died at 70. Zeman died after a short battle with cancer, her family confirmed Wednesday. News of her death was first announced by the show’s executive producer, Frank Valentini. “I am heartbroken to announce the passing...
‘BlackBerry’ film taps into device that ruled pre-iPhone eraVideo
Almost everyone knows Steve Jobs’ uncanny vision, relentless drive and technological wizardry hatched the iPhone, a breakthrough that continues to reshape culture 16 years after the late Apple co-founder introduced the device to the world. But when Jobs unveiled the first iPhone in 2007, another smartphone was the must-have gadget....
