Movies/TV category, Page 87
Jennette McCurdy rises above childhood trauma with new book
Jennette McCurdy is well-aware the title of her new book, “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” (Simon & Schuster) is attention-grabbing. She also readily admits that she means every word. “It’s something that I mean sincerely, I’m not saying it to be flippant.” McCurdy, who co-starred in Nickelodeon shows “iCarly” with...
Pittsburgh Pop podcast: Talking TCA Award winners, ‘Prey,’ ‘The Sandman,’ ‘Batgirl’ and Steelers, Pirates
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, including the upcoming first Steelers pre-season game of 2022 and the first inductees into the Pirates Hall of Fame. The pair discusses why Warner Bros....
Anne Heche in hospital, ‘stable’ after fiery car crash
LOS ANGELES — Actor Anne Heche was in the hospital Saturday following an accident in which her car smashed into a house and flames erupted, a spokeswoman said. “Anne is currently in stable condition. Her family and friends ask for your thoughts and prayers and to respect her privacy during...
Review: Netflix’s lively, unusual adaptation makes the most of Neil Gaiman’s ‘The Sandman’
After a failed attempt at a film adaptation, writer Neil Gaiman has shepherded his comic book epic “The Sandman,” a stew pot of invented and borrowed mythological characters, into a highly satisfying 10-episode Netflix series. “The great stories will always return to their original forms,” Gaiman’s eponymous hero will say,...
TV Talk: ‘A League of Their Own’ plays ball in PittsburghVideo
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. All eight episodes of Amazon’s Prime Video series “A League of Their Own” premiere Aug. 12 in a binge release — and while most of the series filmed in Western Pennsylvania, don’t go looking for...
North Huntingdon’s Aubrey Burchell moves on to ‘America’s Got Talent’ live showsVideo
North Huntingdon singer Aubrey Burchell is among the 54 acts that are moving on to the live shows on “America’s Got Talent” on NBC. Burchell, 21, will compete in the next round. Next week the show will begin to air twice a week, from 8 to 10 p.m. Tuesday and...
‘SNL’ veteran Victoria Jackson shares how religious beliefs got her blacklisted in Hollywood
One of the more jarring moments during a chat with Victoria Jackson had nothing to do with her far-right convictions. Near the end of a roughly 45-minute phone interview, the former “Saturday Night Live” star abandoned her trademark Betty Boop voice to do an impression of an older Jewish woman...
Nobody wanted to make ‘Squid Game.’ Now it’s making history
LOS ANGELES — For a very long time, no one wanted to make “Squid Game.” No one, that is, but creator-writer-director Hwang Dong-hyuk. Then one of Korea’s biggest stars, suave box office champion Lee Jung-jae, signed on to play the show’s grubby, compromised hero, and the deeply symbolic, meticulously designed,...
TV Talk: Lower Burrell native puts ‘Best Foot Forward’; Point Park grad stars in ‘Sandman,’ ‘Quantum Leap’Video
Lower Burrell native Joy Suprano began acting professionally, largely in TV, more than a decade ago. Her first series regular role to see the light of day arrives in the new Apple TV+ kids and family show “Best Foot Forward,” now streaming its first season. The series, based on the...
Some Bellevue roads to close for filming of Netflix movie
Bellevue announced that two roads in the borough will be closed all day Tuesday for the filming of a Netflix movie. Mayor Val Pennington said West Avenue between S. Starr and St. Jackson avenues and S. Jackson Avenue up to Monroe Avenue will be closed all day Tuesday. Those roads...
Warner Bros. axes $90 million ‘Batgirl’ movie that had been planned for HBO Max
LOS ANGELES — Warner Bros. has scrapped plans to release a nearly finished “Batgirl” movie that was planned for the streaming service HBO Max, according to two people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly. The Burbank movie studio had finished shooting the DC superhero spinoff,...
TV Q&A: Who’s at-bat during Pirates games?
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: How is it possible that I watch a Pirates batter on AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh come to the plate, multiple pitches occur, and his name is...
Movie review: ‘Bodies Bodies Bodies’ an impressive, cutting look at modern existenceVideo
From the sticky, slippery opening frames of “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” director Halina Reijn lets the audience know that we’re in for one silly-smart and deeply self-aware roller-coaster ride. This blackly comic horror riff is heavy on the social satire and sprinkled with scares, as Reijn, along with writers Sarah DaLappe...
Pittsburgh Pop podcast: Talking Metallica in ‘Stranger Things,’ losing Uhura, Dave Crawley’s lawsuit, ESPN’s ‘Great Imposter’
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, including the dismissal of Dave Crawley’s lawsuit against KDKA-TV. The pair discuss Metallica’s role in “Stranger Things” and the death of actress Nichelle Nichols, best...
‘Star Trek’ alums, more react to death of Nichelle Nichols
Trailblazer was a word used by many to mourn the passing of actor Nichelle Nichols, who died Saturday at age 89. Nichols broke barriers for Black women in Hollywood when she played communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original “Star Trek” television series, and paved the way not just for...
Q&A: Melissa Barrera survives, on screen and in HollywoodVideo
NEW YORK — Since her breakthrough role as Vanessa in the film adaptation of “In The Heights,” Melissa Barrera has been working non-stop on the big and small screen. Only this year, she appeared in “Scream 5” and is filming a sequel, and stars in the upcoming Benjamin Millepied’s reimagining...
North Huntingdon’s Aubrey Burchell wows ‘America’s Got Talent’ judges in teaser videoVideo
North Huntingdon singer Aubrey Burchell has been teasing fans about her upcoming appearance before the judges on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” Now the date is set — she’ll debut on the Season 17 episode airing at 8 p.m. Tuesday. NBC just released a YouTube video that shows the 21-year-old wowing...
Will Smith posts an apology video for slapping Chris RockVideo
NEW YORK — Will Smith has again apologized to Chris Rock for slapping him during the Oscar telecast in a new video, saying that his behavior was “unacceptable” and that he had reached out to the comedian to discuss the incident but was told Rock wasn’t ready. “There is no...
TV Talk: CMU grad stars in HBO drama ‘Industry,’ entering its 2nd seasonVideo
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen offers a viewing tip for the coming week. Actress Myha’la Herrold began acting in community theater in San Jose, Calif., at age 6. And while she auditioned for 10 colleges, Carnegie Mellon University’s musical theater program was at the top of her wish...
Joe Manganiello gets family mysteries solved on PBS show
LOS ANGELES — Joe Manganiello marveled at the years-old mysteries in his family that were solved through DNA by researchers on PBS’ “Finding Your Roots,” including a revelation involving the actor’s paternal grandfather. It was so surprising that host Henry Louis Gates Jr. had to call Manganiello with the news...
TV Talk: Billy Gardell talks about a ‘Secret Celebrity Renovation’ for Penn Hills friend’s momVideo
On the second-season premiere of CBS’s “Secret Celebrity Renovation” (8 p.m. Friday), Swissvale native Billy Gardell (“Bob (Hearts) Abishola”) assists in a makeover to the Penn Hills home of the mother of his friend/co-worker Joe O’Connell. “After thinking about it, my best friend’s mom was just the perfect candidate,” Gardell...
Actor Nick Pasqual brings indie movie premiere home to PittsburghVideo
Fans of the web series “Poor Paul” can catch up with more adventures of the hapless title character when a new indie movie of the same name makes its Pittsburgh debut on Saturday. The red carpet rolls out at 6 p.m. at the Hollywood Theater, 1449 Potomac Ave., Dormont. The...
TV Q&A: How are local TV news reporters judged on their work?
Trib Total Media TV writer Rob Owen answers reader questions every Wednesday at TribLive.com in a column that also appears in the Sunday Tribune-Review. Q: How are local news reporters evaluated on their performance by their respective channels? Do ratings matter? Viewer feedback? – Beth, McCandless Rob: As with any...
Pittsburgh Pop podcast: Talking Pittsburgh Billys: Porter’s ‘Anything’s Possible,’ Gardell’s ‘Secret Celebrity Renovation,’ plus NFL Network, ‘The Lake’
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, including Billy Porter’s ‘Anything’s Possible” and Billy Gardell’s upcoming turn renovating his best friend’s mom’s house in Penn Hills on CBS’s “Secret Celebrity Renovation.” The...
‘Goodfellas,’ ‘Law & Order’ actor Paul Sorvino dies at 83
Paul Sorvino, an imposing actor who specialized in playing crooks and cops like Paulie Cicero in “Goodfellas” and the NYPD sergeant Phil Cerretta on “Law & Order,” has died. He was 83. His publicist Roger Neal said he died Monday morning in Indiana of natural causes. “Our hearts are broken,...
