To state the obvious: Movies are made for movie theaters. Whether you’re watching a timeless classic or an under-appreciated quirk of cinema history, the art form comes ready for a big dark room full of people. Fortunately, Pittsburghers have plenty of options for repertory showings; there’s always a bit of the past gracing local screens (alongside those sparkling new releases).
Pittsburgh Movie Events Happening in April and May
The Big Heat with Pittsburgh Classic Movie Club
Andrew Carnegie Free Library, April 13
Think of the Pittsburgh Classic Movie Club as a live, in-person Turner Classic Movies, presenting classic films at (mostly free) events throughout the region. The group, which focuses on films from the silent era through the 1960s, hosts events on screens small (the back patio of the Northern Tier Regional Library in Gibsonia) and large (the Rangos Giant Cinema) — including at the stately Music Hall at the Andrew Carnegie Free Library. (That’s the Carnegie Carnegie, to avoid any confusion.) The club’s Femme Fatale series continues this month with The Big Heat, directed by Fritz Lang, the German auteur turned American emigre and film noir specialist. Look for Jocelyn Brando, sister of Marlon, as Katie.
Asphalt Legends: The Driver
Harris Theater, April 17, 18 & 22
As unlikely Best Picture nominee F1 demonstrated, we love watching automotive action on the big screen. The Harris Theater’s Asphalt Legend series continues with The Driver, a latter-day Los Angeles noir from 1978 starring Ryan O’Neal, Isabelle Adjani, and Bruce Dern. The Harris — part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust — typically has several ongoing series active. Right now, they’re also in the midst of the newspaper-film series Print It! (including a showing of Call Northside 777 on April 19) and their continuing International Art House Classics run, featuring several upcoming showings of the Italian genre classic Bitter Rice.
The Silence of the Lambs
Various Cinemas, April 26 & 29
When it looked like a certain 2025 vampire flick had a shot at winning Best Picture, you might’ve heard that Sinners would be the first horror movie to win the top prize at the Oscars since The Silence of the Lambs. Well, Sinners lost that race to One Battle After Another — so Hannibal Lecter is still on his throne.
Silence of the Lambs is also one of only three films to win the “Big Five” at the Oscars — Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director and a screenplay award — alongside It Happened One Night and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. If you’ve seen the film, you know why it was so lauded; as tense as it is artful, it’s one of the best thrillers ever made. If you’ve never seen it, do so on the big screen; Fathom Events will revive director Jonathan Demme’s classic for its 35th anniversary. Watch out for its Pittsburgh locations, which include the old, old airport and Soldiers and Sailors Memorial.
The Spirit of ’76 with Sewickley Valley Historical Society
Lindsay Theater, April 30
The Lindsay Theater wraps up its series of events in honor of America’s 250th with a bit of an oddity. The Spirit of ’76 is a sci-fi comedy about a visit from time travelers: A group of history seeking explorers from the year 2176 aim to visit America’s founding, but miss it by 200 years and wind up in the groovy ’70s. Lucas Reiner who is the son of Carl and brother of Rob, both of whom appear in the film, directs this feature. Plus, it’s co-written by the director and Roman Coppola. Sewickley Valley Historical Society programs this series and will be on hand at the screening.
Five Films by Hayao Miyazaki
Rangos Giant Cinema, May 1-29
The films of animation auteur Hayao Miyazaki are known for whimsical, surrealistic settings, memorable characters and deep wells of emotion. No surprise, then, that they became beloved by anime aficionados passing around VHS copies and early DVD releases. Miyazaki’s films also look fantastic, though, making theatrical screenings a vital experience for those who have only seen them at home. The massive screen at the Kamin Science Center is an appropriately grand venue; in May, you can catch favorites My Neighbor Totoro (May 1), Ponyo (May 8), Princess Mononoke (May 15), The Boy and the Heron (May 22) and Spirited Away (May 29). The latter two films both won the Academy Award for Best Animated Film. Each movie only screens once, so get your tickets in advance; despite the size of the theater, some recent screenings have approached capacity.
A Celebration of Mel Brooks
Row House Hollywood, May 8-14
In advance of the legendary director’s 100th birthday, Row House will revive a trio of Mel Brooks’ best comedies. (And they’re doing so at one of the few cinemas that actually predates Brooks’ birth.) Brooks made the definitive parodies of both the classic western and the early monster movie — Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein — and he did so in the same year, as both films were released in 1974. Thirteen years later, he would lovingly skewer the runaway success of the Star Wars franchise with Spaceballs; a sequel to that film is due out next year.
By Sean Collier
Photo Courtesy of Kamin Science Center
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