This purpose of this blog is to put together a virtual list/collection of memorable (if fleeting) references to the cities of Wilkes-Barre, PA or Scranton, PA in movies/TV/music/Broadway/books (in the script, setting, lyrics, etc).
We'd like to thank everyone for the overwhelming support and suggestions for the Entertainment blog. I'll continue adding these as blog entries as time permits.
It's a wild ride through Scranton in this darkly funny and touching story about friends in their twenties trying to figure out life in their hometown. The boundaries of friendship are tested as one of them hits rock bottom.
Welcome to Scranton paints a portrait of a small town that includes political corruption, a disgraced teacher, and the hilarious antics of young men.
The print edition is available online for $9.95 from Lulu. It will be available from Amazon soon.
Welcome to Scranton is also available for the Kindle device and Kindle App on the iPhone, iPad, Droid, and Blackberry devices for only $4.95.
Turner Classic Movieswill be broadcasting the 1940 Barbara Stanwyck/Fred MacMurray holiday film Remember the Night on Christmas Eve at midnight.
Written by Preston Sturges, Remember the Night tells the story of a repeat shoplifter (Barbara Stanwyck) who goes to Indiana for the holidays with the lawyer who is also prosecuting her (Fred MacMurray). The film also features a brief passing reference to Scranton.
Albright Memorial Library also has a copy of Remember the Night available to borrow on DVD.To place a hold, click here.
Also (and I'm not sure how long it will be up), it looks like someone uploaded the entire film on YouTube. To watch Remember the Night from the beginning (Part 1 of 10), click here. The Scranton reference occurs at the 8:30 spot of Part 8.
Check out the trailer below:
For information on another Christmas classic that features a Scranton reference, click here.
Great news. The MPAA has overturned the NC-17 rating on the Derek Cianfrance-directed Blue Valentine(which was filmed in Scranton and partly at Albright Memorial Library). The film will be given an R rating with no cuts after Harvey Weinstein (head of BV's distributor The Weinstein Company) personally argued his position in today's appeal hearing.
The upcoming limited engagement Broadway revival of Jason Miller'sThat Championship Season begins previews February 9, 2011; the show officially opens March 6, 2011 and will close May 29, 2011 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre in NYC.
This, the first major Broadway revival of Miller's Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning play (set in Scranton, PA), features the stellar cast of Keifer Sutherland, Jim Gaffigan, Brian Cox, Chris Noth, and Miller's son Jason Patric.
This week's issue of Entertainment Weekly (#1136, January 7, 2011) features not only a rave review of Blue Valentine (pps. 50-51) but also takes the #1 spot on this week's "The Must List"--which also states that the film (partly shot in Scranton, with a pivotal scene filmed at Albright Memorial Library on May 13, 2009) will expand to a wider release on Friday, January 14th. So if you can't get to NYC (now playing at Lincoln Plaza Cinema) or LA to see Blue Valentine in its limited release, it will more than likely be playing at Cinemark in Moosic in about 2 weeks.
