Monday, May 13, 2013
The Upper St. Clair High School grad and director of 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' is working on a new project.
The author, screenwriter and director of The Perks of Being a Wallflower is working on a new book. Stephen Chbosky, an Upper St. Clair High School graduate, told the Post-Gazette that the book is his tribute to Stephen King, who is his favorite writer and storyteller. The unnamed novel is set in western Pennsylvania, like The Perks of Being a Wallflower was. King also used the Pittsburgh area as a backdrop, including his novels Christine, From a Buick 8 and various short stories. In the meantime, Chbosky is a member of the Hollywood Theater Board of Advisers and has "made it his mission" to raise enough money for a new $75,000 digital projector to keep the theater open and running. "It means so much to me," Chbosky told the newspaper. …
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Grindhouse-genre films from around the world will be shown this weekend in a 13-hour marathon at Hollywood Theater.
This weekend, the nearby Hollywood Theater will host 13 hours of gritty drama, in a special that features grindhouse-genre films from around the world. If you've got a strong stomach, a love of cheesy dialogue, and a passion for the underground genre directors like Quentin Tarantino have resurrected, this series is for you. The following movies are scheduled to show: Most films are unrated, but all films being shown during the event are "R" in nature. Children younger than age 17 will not be admitted unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. Admission is $15 for an all-day pass, or $5 for a single movie. Doors open at 11 a.m., and the first feature begins at 11:30 a.m. Vendors will be on hand in the theater’s lobby and lower level, …
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Did Phil see his shadow?
Update 7:30 a.m.: Phil did not see his shadow; Spring will come early. Groundhog Day is on Saturday, Feb. 2 this year, and with the up and down weather of the past week, guessing Punxsutawney Phil's prediction this year is especially daunting. According to the myth, if a groundhog sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter; if he does not, spring is right around the corner. Last year, Pennsylvania's Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter while Staten Island Chuck called for an early spring. Groundhog Day and other similar legends are based on the beliefs of Europeans, but the true origins of the holiday are lost in time. The day originated from the Germans, Scots and early Christian Europeans. It is celebrated …
Friday, February 1, 2013
Those involved with the theater are hoping Tuesday's event is a precursor to being able to show the film frequently.
A special showing of The Perks of Being a Wallflower at Dormont’s Hollywood Theater on Tuesday served as a precursor to what manager Chad Hunter hopes will become a regular event. The viewing was an invitation-only event, mainly for Verizon FiOS customers, to promote the film’s availability through On Demand. But Hunter said as soon as the theater is able to buy a digital projector, he plans to make Perks a regular on the theater’s marquee. “As soon as we get that projector, this movie will be here,” Hunter said. “We want to do a Perks-Rocky Horror double feature, maybe for a one or two-week run.” That plan hinges heavily on the theater’s ability to purchase the projector. Click here for information about that project. Tuesday’s event was …
Thursday, January 17, 2013
The only single-screen, independent movie theater in the South Hills must raise $75,000 for a digital movie projector, or face going dark—for good.
Letting Hollywood Theater’s screen go dark once again isn’t something theater manager Chad Hunter is willing to allow. Unfortunately, that fate is again becoming a real possibility for the Dormont landmark, the only single-screen, independent movie theater in the South Hills, if the theater can’t raise the necessary $75,000 to buy a digital movie projector. “Increasingly, it’s cheaper for studios to produce movies digitally and distribute them that way,” Hunter said. “The writing is on the wall for it … Small theaters are not part of the studios’ financial formula and we’re falling through the cracks.” Hollywood Theater frequently shows movies on 35mm film, a format that used to require 2,000-foot film reels to be shipped and delivered to …
Friday, November 30, 2012
Ian Petrella, who played Randy Parker in the movie 'A Christmas Story,' will make an appearance tonight and tomorrow.
Actor Ian Petralla will return to Dormont's Hollywood Theater this weekend to host two special viewings of A Christmas Story. At 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 2, Hollywood Theater will show the 1983 Christmas classic, and Petrella—who played Randy Parker in the film—will discuss the film at both showings. Petrella visited Hollywood Theater for a similar event last year. During that event, Mayor Tom Lloyd presented him with an honorary Key to Dormont and invited him to visit again, which Petrella said he'd like to do. To read about last year's event, click here. Like last year, a Red Ryder BB Gun will be auctioned at each show. Tickets are $10.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Cast members and Steelers were among those who attended a fundraiser and film event at Dormont's Hollywood Theater on Friday.
With Emma Watson signing autographs on Potomac Avenue last year, and a Tom Cruise movie filming in town last December, Dormont is no stranger to celebrity visits. But Friday's special showing of "Christmas in Compton" brought celebrities to Dormont's Hollywood Theater with a purpose. The event served, in part, as a fundraiser for the Red Cross, to support survivors of Hurricane Sandy. "We didn't expect it to get this big," said Hollywood Theater manager Chad Hunter. "We're certainly not complaining that it did. It's definitely great for the theater, but it's supporting a good cause, too. We couldn't have asked for this. It's wonderful." The movie was co-produced by Paula Gregg and Susan Burig, both Pittsburgh natives, who chose Hollywood …
Friday, November 16, 2012
Parking will be restricted on Potomac Avenue in Dormont today, Friday, after 3 p.m. due to a celebrity event at Hollywood Theater.
A celebrity event Friday night at Dormont's Hollywood Theater is exciting for the borough, but it caused a few parking headaches on Friday morning. Parking meters are bagged on Potomac Avenue between Sugar Cafe and Potomac Bakery. The spaces are reserved for a celebrity event and showing of the film "Christmas in Compton" at Hollywood Theater on Friday night. Parking will be allowed at the meters until 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 16. The spaces are reserved after 3 p.m., and violaters will be towed. Dormont police Sgt. James Burke said the police know the parking situation is inconveninet for local businesses. He said the police are doing everything they can to accomodate the event, the business owners and their customers. This type of event is…
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Stephen Chbosky will speak to students at the Upper St. Clair High School on Friday.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower author and film director will return to the place he graduated more than 20 years ago. Stephen Chbosky will be speaking to students at Upper St. Clair High School on Friday. The highly anticipated movie debuted in select theaters in Los Angeles and New York last week, and will open at AMC-Loews at the Waterfront and the Manor Theater in Squirrel Hill this weekend, according to the Post-Gazette. Chbosky will take questions after the 7 and 8 p.m. shows at AMC-Loews at the Waterfront on Friday. He will also do a book signing at 10:15 p.m. and introduce the 10:45 p.m. screening. On Saturday, Chbosky will do another book signing at 6 p.m. at the Manor. He will take audience questions after the 7 p.m. showing and …
Monday, April 30, 2012
A special presentation of the documentary 'The People Speak' will be held Monday night.
The Friends of the Hollywood Theater will hold a special showing of an inspirational documentary today, Monday, April 30, at the Hollywood Theater in Dormont. “The People Speak,” a 2009 documentary that celebrates possibilities for social change in the United States through our country’s own history, is showing at 7 p.m., and special guests will be on hand to present it. The film’s co-director and executive producer, Chris Moore, will conduct a question and answer session with the audience following the movie. Moore’s filmography includes Good Will Hunting (1997), The Adjustment Bureau (2011) and the American Pie series (1999-2012). Lisa Smith-Reed, a co-executive producer of the film, is a Dormont resident. The documentary is based on …
Duke
4:30 pm on Saturday, February 2, 2013
The movie "Grounhog Day" was the stupidest movie I have ever seen. It insults the intelligence of anyone watching it and wasn't one bit entertaining! more ›