Mural Dilemma

A local church needs help saving an artistic treasure

• by Kate Giammarise

Body Language

It isn't just Paul Spadafora's fists that do the talking

• by Sean D. Hamill

First Offer

Union head calls initial P-G contract proposal an 'insult'

• by Chris Potter

Not a Banner Day

Pitt students ordered to remove sign protesting Obama

• by Chris Young

Asylum Coffee Bar

Escape to Uptown's new coffee bar.

• by Robert Isenberg

BabyFace's Carnegie Grill

The burger is king at this Main Street café.

• by Angelique Bamberg and Jason Roth

Storm King's pagan-prog-metal sound sets it apart on Angels of Enmity

Andy Kichi's blistering leads and Scott Massie's assertive attack make it clear that the No. 1 influence is now Slayer.

• by Manny Theiner

Play'r Productions' local compilation rings with the sounds of the suburbs

"I like bands like Donora, but they wouldn't fit well on the comp, and neither would The Clarks."

• by Manny Theiner

A Conversation with Bill Deasy

"As you get older, you can hopefully develop a little more compassion toward yourself."

• by Aaron Jentzen

The Last Hope's Manifesto advocates worldwide uprising but offers few talking points

The youths, with their patches and ripped jackets, still think they have the power to improve the world, and they probably do.

• by Manny Theiner

Local band Big Hurry offers smart, danceable pop on debut EP Silver Screens

"I was throwing raves in Pittsburgh in 1996 and going to Anti-Flag shows at house parties, which is not the experience that my bandmates had."

• by Manny Theiner

Emcee Jack Wilson collaborates with indie superstars -- not that they know yet

"This ain't making anybody rich or getting dishes did / just a bit of spittin' from a motivated Pittsburgh kid."

• by Aaron Jentzen

Invictus

Clint Eastwood's film tells the story of South Africa's national rugby team, which, in 1994, transformed itself from a symbol of its country's ugly history into one of a more hopeful -- and inclusive -- future. The team's new fortunes rest on the persuasive powers of President Nelson Mandela (Morgan Freeman) and the rugby captain Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon) – plus winning some matches. While Invictus depicts some of Mandela's other challenges, this is neither explicitly a political film nor a character study of the statesman. It's an inspirational sports drama wrapped in some admittedly historic political and cultural shifts. Unfortunately, Eastwood doesn't trust his capable actors, or the compelling story, enough. He falls back on the rah-rah tropes and cheats that define road-to-glory bandwagon films. But Invictus is, at its core, a heart-swelling, sports-transcends-bad-stuff movie, and grumblers like myself are quickly sidelined. This isn't Eastwood's best film, but it's clearly a story he's emotionally invested in, and his enthusiasm is palpable. (Al Hoff) [2.5 out of 4 stars]

• by Al Hoff

Two bands perform an evening of live film scores for nine silent shorts.

The rising musical maelstrom becomes something more complicated: moaning guitars and truculent drums the score for rapid, wrenching images of natural disaster and warfare.

• by Bill O'Driscoll

Julien Maire's Matter and Memory explores the media that carry the messages.

Meanwhile, the camera's pre-programmed cuts -- close-ups, wide shots -- confer seeming significance upon what are really unmotivated views of the miniature scene.

• by Bill O'Driscoll

An exhibit documents the making of a Hitler youth.

The age of the German soldiers "is the age of the middle school and high school students."

• by Lucy Leitner

School Bullies

This isn't just about balance sheets. It's about the balance of power.

• by Chris Potter

This Just In: December 17 - 24

Highlights from the local TV news: The Bug Bandits

• by Frances Sansig Monahan

Breaking Up

Director Don DiGiulio wisely keeps the blissfully cast Tressa Glover and Jody O'Donnell rooted in the everyday-ness of the story.

• by Ted Hoover

Kiesha Lalama-White's The Bench is a late highlight of the local dance season.

The brilliantly crafted work is one of the best dance works Point Park University has produced and one the best of Pittsburgh's 2009 dance season.

• by Steve Sucato

A Kodachrome Christmas

Watching someone sitting in a chair looking at projected images really isn't what you might call rich theatrical paydirt.

• by Ted Hoover

On its 50^th-anniversary tour, famed improv-comedy troupe The Second City returns to the Public.

"We'll look at political things and relationship things and we look at them through our Second City goggles."

• by Lucy Leitner

Short List: Week of September 17 - 24