Pittsburgh may not be America’s entertainment capital, but it has been the background for more than a few films. These 10 films came the closest to encapsulating the Western Pennsylvania experience, presented in chronological order.
Angels in the Outfield (1951)
Director: Clarence Brown
Pittsburgh Pirates manager Guffy McGovern gains the assistance of a team of angelic all star baseball players to bring the Pirates out of the basement of the National League in exchange for better behavior from McGovern.
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: Not Available
Starring: Paul Douglas and Janet Leigh
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / Via corndogchats.blogspot.com
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
Director: George A. Romero
This movie is the root of all zombie-based entertainment. The Living Dead series of films still draws people to western Pennsylvania to see the places where the films were made. There's even a Zombie Museum located just outside of Pittsburgh in Evans City, Pennsylvania.
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 96%
Starring: Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea and Karl Hardman
Market Square Productions / Via moviehousememories.com
The Deer Hunter (1979)
Director: Michael Cimino
The Deer Hunter is one of those movies that should be required viewing for everyone. The film weaves together the story of a group of Russian steel workers from south of Pittsburgh as they live their lives at home and go off to face the Vietnam War.
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 92%
Starring: Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Savage, John Cazale, Meryl Streep and George Dzundza
EMI / Via dvdactive.com
Flashdance (1983)
Director: Adrian Lyne
Alex Owens, welder by day and exotic dancer by night, represents the hopes and dreams of a generation of Pittsburghers that felt trapped by the mills and hoped to escape one day for something better.
Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer: 30%
Starring: Jennifer Beals and Michael Nouri
PolyGram Filmed Entertainment / Via supertran.net
