For those who may not know, Pittsburgh has a thriving film industry. The city is full of cool and quirky places that filmmakers love to use for filming locations. From Heinz Field in one of Hollywood’s greatest superhero blockbusters to the inside of one of Pittsburgh’s premier UPMC hospitals, there are many iconic filming locations in Pittsburgh to visit during your time here.
The Dark Knight Rises // Diana Velasquez, cultural editor
Pitt students will no doubt visit Heinz Field at some point in their lives. This is where Pitt’s football team plays, which is pretty cool as it’s the official NFL stadium for the Pittsburgh Steelers. And while that is incentive enough to see the panthers play themselves, What if I told you that Tom Hardy entered this field himself? In full super villain Bane regalia? Now there are more reasons to go.
“The dark knight rises””, The third film in Christopher Nolan’s Batman franchise, describes the exploits of an aging and injured Batman (Christan Bale) who battled the Joker in the previous film and turned him into a hated vigilante from Gotham’s beloved crusader. Bane (Tom Hardy) is the villain in the film, and while it’s hard for him to fit in the void Heath Ledger left, there are some really cool scenes in the film.
One of my favorites that I can squeak a bit about while watching is Banes scene at Heinz Field – or, ahem, the Gotham Knights Stadium – where he literally blows up the soccer field and all the players on it to give a terrific terrorist speech in front of a terrified Gothamite audience before locking them up in town with an atomic bomb. It’s eccentric, it’s bombastic, and it’s all I can think of every time I personally go to the stadium.
The Benefits of a Wallflower // Maria Scanga, Staff Writer
Based on the iconic book of the same name by Stephen Chbosky, “The perks of Being a Wallflower” Film was founded and shot in Pittsburgh. The book was essential read for young teenagers – outcasts like me who struggled to make friends during the terrible years of middle school felt vindicated. When the film came out and was an instant hit, that endorsement only multiplied.
The most iconic scene in the film takes place when the three main characters – Charlie (Logan Lerman), Sam (Emma Watson), and Patrick (Ezra Miller) – team up for one final night and drive downtown through the very recognizable Fort Pitt Tunnel. With David Bowie’s “Heroes” in full swing and the nightly Pittsburgh skyline, it’s one of the most memorable scenes in a movie about friendship.
One of the group’s favorite hangouts is also a Pittsburgh staple – the King’s Family Restaurant. It’s the perfect place for diner food. And luckily, they have those iconic wrinkled-faced brownies that every Pittsburgh kid who grew up knows all too well.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl // Jessica McKenzie, Staff Writer
If you were in anything like me middle Schooll Reading lurid teenage books that turned into blockbuster films a few years later was your favorite thing to do. We’re throwing it back to 2015 for this movie when the Sundance film adaptation of “Me and Earl and the dying girl” by Jesse Andrews – even out of Pittsburgh – came out. At the time, I didn’t pay much attention to the setting of the film or book because I had no idea that I would go to Pitt in the end. But after seeing the film again as a panther, I noticed a lot recognizable places.
Primarily the UPMC Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital. The film is about a girl fighting cancer and where better to be treated than our beloved UPMC? The main characters also attend Schenley High School in North Oakland, which is just a stone’s throw from campus. The main character, Greg (Thomas Mann), wants to go to “Pittsburgh State University” – what we can conclude from this is our beloved Pitt.
Overall, this movie stands out for its quirky, nostalgic portrayal of high school – awkward social cliques and everything. Although the genre of terminal illnesses in young adults can sometimes be overstated, this film does a great job of showing it off, Embrace teenagers’ weaknesses and emphasize how much our high school friendships affect us in the long run. So grab your friends and a box of tissues to relive some high school memories while watching.
Happiest season // Kaitlyn Nübel, employee
I swear Pittsburgh felt more gay when Kristen Stewart and Dan Levy were filming in town. “Happiest season. “ The great thing about this movie – aside from the fact that it is a lesbian vacation rom-com that was shot in Pittsburgh – is that it is set in Pittsburgh as well. This gives a lot to the locals Things to watch out for, in addition to Kristen Stewart’s chic wardrobe, of course.
The film was shot in areas like Ross Park Mall and Butler Street and is about the relationship between Abby (Kristen Stewart), a Ph.D. Carnegie Mellon University student and her friend Harper (Mackenzie Davis), a writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Abby visits Harper’s family for Christmas, but things get messy when she realizes that Harper’s family doesn’t know they are together. Basically, it’s any lesbian playing in a dream city’s worst nightmare – talk about harnessing creative freedom.
Watching “Happiest Season” is one of my guilty pleasures, mostly because I can convince myself for 102 minutes that my world has collided with that of gay icons. However, I’ll admit that I found some of the movie’s creative choices a little unsettling, like the fact that Pitt isn’t even mentioned. It’s something I overlooked so I can enjoy the movie.
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