Entertainment category, Page 128
NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell ousted over ‘inappropriate conduct’
NEW YORK — Jeff Shell, the chief executive of NBCUniversal, is departing the company after an investigation into inappropriate conduct, Comcast announced Sunday. In a brief statement, Shell said Sunday would be his last day after what he called “an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company.” “I’m truly...
Wahoo! ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie’ is No. 1 for third week
NEW YORK — “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” continued to rack up coins at the box office, leading ticket sales for the third straight weekend, as the animation hit neared $1 billion after just 18 days in theaters. The weekend’s top new release, the horror reboot “Evil Dead Rise” debuted...
Judy Blume, on top of the world (and her Key West bookstore)
KEY WEST, Fla. — At Books & Books, the nonprofit store Judy Blume and her husband have run for the past seven years, you will find her own work in various sections: from general fiction, among the other “B”-named authors, to a shelf dedicated exclusively to her — a name...
Swissvale artist recognized at international juried painting competition
East Suburban Artists League member Cindy Berceli received an award for her pastel piece in the Faces 2023 International Juried Painting Awards. Berceli, of Swissvale, earned a Silver Award for her pieces, “Professor Molly,” a pastel portrait of a dog wearing reading glasses. Hosted by the Camelback Gallery in Scottsdale,...
Prosecutors dismiss Alec Baldwin charge, citing new evidence
SANTA FE, N.M. — Prosecutors have formally dismissed an involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin in the fatal 2021 shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the Western film “Rust, ” citing new evidence and the need for more time to investigate. In a stunning turnaround for the 65-year-old...
Danny Masterson’s rape retrial: Key things to know
LOS ANGELES — Five months after a deadlocked jury led to a mistrial for actor Danny Masterson, the former star of “That ’70s Show” is about to be retried in a Los Angeles court. Masterson is accused of raping three women between 2001 and 2003. He could get 45 years...
Q&A: Why ‘Dear Mama’ director took on Tupac despite attackVideo
LOS ANGELES — Filmmaker Allen Hughes thought participating in any Tupac Shakur project was a farfetched idea especially after surviving a brutal altercation involving him and the rap legend three decades ago. For years, Hughes firmly held a grudge even after a public apology from Shakur — who along with...
Women are monsters, victims and heroes in ‘Evil Dead Rise’Video
LOS ANGELES — When director Lee Cronin set out to make the latest installment of the “Evil Dead” franchise, he knew he wanted to bring a fresh angle to his version of the iconic horror series while still giving winks and nods throughout to his source material. “I didn’t want...
Judy Blume, on top of the world
KEY WEST, Fla. — At Books & Books, the nonprofit store Judy Blume and her husband have run for the past seven years, you will find her own work in various sections: from general fiction, among the other “B”-named authors, to a shelf dedicated exclusively to her — a name...
Emily in Paris: Parisians face influx of Netflix hero’s fans
PARIS — The immense success of the Netflix series “Emily in Paris” has transformed a quiet, untouched square in the French capital into a tourist magnet. In the historic Latin Quarter and just a short walk from the magnificent, domed Pantheon, tucked so deeply away that you could easily miss...
Rachel McAdams reveals she rejected major movie roles, including ‘Devil Wears Prada’ and ‘Iron Man’
“Mean Girls” star Rachel McAdams has revealed that she turned down starring roles in a bevy of major films following the runaway success of the 2004 teen cult classic. Thanks in large part to her role as high school clique leader Regina George, McAdams became one of the white-hot actresses...
Charge to be dropped in Alec Baldwin movie set shooting
SANTA FE, N.M. — Prosecutors in New Mexico plan to drop an involuntary manslaughter charge against Alec Baldwin in the fatal 2021 shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the Western film “ Rust,” Baldwin’s attorneys said Thursday. “We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against...
K-pop star Moon Bin found dead at homeVideo
SEOUL, South Korea — Moon Bin, a singer from South Korean boyband Astro, was found dead at his home in Seoul, his management agency said Thursday. The 25-year-old was reportedly found by his manager who went to the singer’s home Wednesday evening because he wasn’t responding to contacts. Police are...
Pittsburgh Playwrights marks 20th year with show about race relations, social unrest
To help mark its 20th anniversary, the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company’s production of “Pyramid Builders” turns to racial issues of the past to bring its audience into a stark future that is meant to demonstrate the dangers of hatred—and make audiences think. Director Bianca LaVerne Jones said her motivation for...
Three Rivers Arts Festival announces musical lineup, new layout
The Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival will have a new location for the main stage and an expanded layout of the artist market. The Dollar Bank main stage will be relocated to Fort Duquesne Boulevard and Stanwix Street to give more access to a grass area and nearby food...
DeSantis appointees begin reshaping Disney World’s district
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointees on Wednesday began trying to reshape Disney World’s governing body with proposals to eliminate a planning board and prohibit mask mandates and covid-19 vaccine requirements in an evolving showdown between the Republican governor and the world’s best-known entertainment company. The...
Murrysville musician will perform with Westminster College OrchestraVideo
It’s one thing to sit down and practice Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 at home. It’s quite another to sit down and play it with an orchestra backing you. Westminster College alum and Murrysville resident Amy Simpson will have the chance Friday, as a featured performer at the music department’s...
Westmoreland Symphony’s season finale combines sacred and secular
The Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s season-ending concert will juxtapose the sacred with the secular. It also might take a bit of divine intervention to pull off, said Artist Director Daniel Meyer, who will conduct the program beginning at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg. The program opens with...
Time, ticket price set for Westmoreland Night of the Stars musical revue
The showtime and ticket price have been finalized for Westmoreland Night of the Stars, after the annual showcase of area high school musicals was in peril of being discontinued earlier this year. The show will go on at 6:30 p.m. May 3 at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg. Tickets will...
‘Flashdance’ at 40: Director Adrian Lyne’s films are in again
“Flashdance” was one of those lighting-in-a-bottle movies that somehow perfectly captured its moment. Directed by Adrian Lyne, the movie’s atmospheric, neon-saturated style, brisk pacing, infectious music, dynamic dancing and a starmaking performance by Jennifer Beals — whose off-the-shoulder sweatshirt became an immediate fashion sensation — all helped to define the...
Soundgarden, Chris Cornell’s widow settle recordings lawsuit
The widow of singer Chris Cornell and his former bandmates in Soundgarden said Monday that they have resolved her lawsuit against them, clearing the way for the release of the band’s final recordings more than five years after his death. Vicky Cornell sued Soundgarden in federal court in 2019 over...
TV and film writers authorize strike over pay, other issues
LOS ANGELES — Unionized film and television writers have voted overwhelmingly to give their leaders the authority to call a strike if a new contract agreement is not reached with producers. In an email to members Monday, the negotiating committee of the Writers Guild of America said nearly 98% of...
Review: ‘Beau Is Afraid’ is stuck in a 1-note nightmareVideo
Beau may be afraid but Ari Aster certainly isn’t. Of the many words used to describe the writer-director’s previous two films — “Hereditary” and “Midsommar” — timidity was never of them. This is a filmmaker who has sent Toni Collette skittering across the ceiling and intricately arranged mutilated bodies the...
Review: ‘Koresh’ drills down on dark chapter in U.S. history
“Koresh: The True story of David Koresh and the Tragedy at Waco,” by Stephan Talty (Mariner Books) Thirty years ago, on April 19, 1993, after a 51-day siege by federal agents, the Branch Davidian complex in Waco erupted in flames, leading to the deaths of 76 people. The murky circumstances...
Netflix keeps ‘Love Is Blind’ fans waiting for live reunion
LOS ANGELES — Love isn’t patient, love isn’t kind — at least if you ask the fans of Netflix’s “Love Is Blind.” Viewers had to wait more than an hour to watch the Season 4 reunion special set to stream live Sunday — Netflix’s second-ever live event on its own...
