The townspeople are perched on folding chairs trying to get a glimpse of star Matt Damon and crew who have turned an old high school gymnasium into a movie set.

If art imitates life — here’s proof. Both filmmakers and the town of Apollo are trying to come to terms with the explosion of natural gas exploration.

“Course it’s a big moneymaker for the farmers, but what’s it doing to the land too?” questions Audrey Thompson, of Leechburg, said.

“I think it’s an opportunity, but there is a lot of controversy over it,” added another onlooker.

The movie script is tightly guarded, but those who have read it say it’s neither anti nor pro-drilling, but does profile a community trying to decide.

Watching the filming is Scott Baer who got a job fracking wells nearby and believes that shale gas drilling is a godsend to the Apollo area.

“Jobs all over the area,” he said.

But Margaret Smith says she’s concerned about the long-term impacts on the environment.

“I think I need more information before I can say, ‘Yeah, you can do that around my area,’” Margret Smith, of Apollo, said. “I mean, we got the little ones to think about. We don’t know what that’s going to hold for their future.”

Behind them, movie extras made up of their friends and neighbors file into the gym to shoot a town meeting scene about the very same debate.

In the controversy about shale gas drilling southwestern Pennsylvania takes center stage as Hollywood now has it’s say, but it’s unlikely that this film or others is going to settle the debate.

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Before the awards are handed out, Kelly’s widow – Patricia Ward Kelly – returned to the city to teach the kids about her husband’s legacy.

“People say young people don’t have any attention span,” said Kelly. “They are right in the palm of your hand, wanting to know if you just take the time. It’s amazing to see.”

She spoke to students at Brashear High School Thursday.

“This was my first year actually hearing about him,” said Kiara Coccaro, a sophomore at Brashear High School. “So, when I heard that his wife was coming, I was excited because know a lot about him.”

The students are involved in theater and music, and just finished their own musical last month.

“At the end, just to see the kids, to see where we had started and where we actually come from and it was just such a great experience,” said Amy Carricato, an English teacher at Brashear High School, “and the kids loved it and we are very excited for next year.”

“They didn’t know they could paint or do sound or set, or they never knew they could sing in front of three or 400 people,” added Rachel Engel, an art teacher at Brashear High School. “They all find something in themselves they didn’t know was there before.”

Kelly was known for his incredible dancing ability, but he was a fine actor and singer, too. Kelly’s widow hopes the work ethic he learned from growing up in Pittsburgh rubs off on the next generation.

“No matter what you are doing – if you are in the arts, if you are in business, if you are in history – it’s that you need to be devoted to your craft and be the best and always try to hit that mark,” she said.

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You can listen to the interview here.

Listen to Mike Pintek weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on NewsRadio 1020 KDKA.

The rusted reminder of Pittsburgh’s steel heritage is the backdrop for a fight scene in a film called “Out of the Furnace.”

“These are Carrie furnaces numbers six and seven that operated from 1907 to 1978,” Ron Baraff said.

He is museum director for the Rivers of Steel Heritage Area. The non-profit, which conducts tours of the old iron plant, is leasing the area to the visitors from Hollywood.

“It’s been kind of hectic, at times. It’s a lot of folks on the site,” he said, “But the main thing is they’ve been really, really, really respectful of what this site is.”

Producer Michael Ireland is a self-proclaimed history buff.

“What’s remarkable about this place is that this is just a small footprint of what used to be here,” he said. “The fact that it used to be so much more expansive and stretched all the way to the trestle bridge where we also shot is just amazing.”

Unlike many other films, in which this region masqueraded as someplace else, in this case, what you see is what you get.

In his quest for authenticity, director Scott Cooper even shot scenes at Hidy’s Cafe in Braddock. He also wrote the script. He was captivated by this region during a previous movie shoot.

The film provides lobs for local freelancers, Rivers of Steel gets funding for Carrie furnace upgrades, and Pittsburgh is portrayed as Pittsburgh. It’s a win-win-win.

“A good movie promoting this region making this region look good and feel good and be presented as itself – you can’t ask for anything more,” Baraff said.

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One of those stories, a previously unknown transcript that was recently found in his notes, is a sequel to “The Godfather” series that tells the tale of Vito Corleone’s rise to power.

Now, Ed Falco – a writer and scholar who studied “The Godfather” story – has finished the transcript and published it as a new book, “The Family Corleone.”

KDKA AM’s Larry Richert and John Shumway talk to Falco about what the book is about, why he wrote it and how hard it was to fill in the blanks for Mario Puzzo. It was an offer he couldn’t refuse.

Click the link below to listen to the full interview:

And it turns out the winner, Jessica Wynkoop, lives right here in our area. She’s from Kittanning.

KDKA’s Kristine Sorensen presented Wynkoop and her boss with their checks and learned the inspiring story of why she is so deserving.

Jessica and Cody Wynkoop fell in love right after high school and married soon after Cody returned from serving in Iraq for the Air Force.

Over the last 10 years, they had a son – named Mason who is now 4-years-old – and Jessica became the manager at the AT&T store in Kittanning.

But life changed dramatically a year and a half ago.

“He hit a sheet of black ice in last winter; it threw him off the road and into a tree,” said Jessica.

Cody was paralyzed from the chest down and suffered a brain injury.

“It’s changed everything about me,” said Cody. “It’s hard to even talk about. Jess has been there by my side the whole time. She’s a good wife… and no matter whatever happens between us, I’ll always love her.”

Jessica now cares for not only the couple’s young son, but also her husband as he needs help now doing just about everything.

“It’s been rough,” she says. “It’s a full time job whenever I come home from my job. You have to assist him in bathing, getting food, everything, getting dressed, getting in and out of the car is a chore.”

Jessica’s also now the sole breadwinner, managing the AT&T store in town, which is a natural fit for her sparkly personality.

“Everybody knows me by name, knows Cody, asks how he’s doing,” says Jessica. “I love my customers at work. They get me through the day some days.”

Jessica puts on a brave face, remains positive and says she’s committed to Cody.

“I wasn’t willing to put him in nursing home the rest of his life,” Jessica said. “And if he wasn’t with me, and I wasn’t taking care of him, that’s where he’d be. So, it was just something I had to give up for him to have a half normal life.”

Cody understands and appreciates his wife’s devotion.

“You can just tell… she’s a good person,” he said. “She sounds like an angel, huh? She is an angel. Mine.”

Jessica’s boss, Travis Seidel, the district manager for Prime Communications, nominated Jessica, inspired by her unconditional love and knowing she needed the money for all of their unplanned expenses like a sidewalk for Cody’s wheelchair.

Seidel chose St. Jude Children’s Hospital for his $10,000 donation.

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Are boys falling behind academically? What is the right way to punish students for poor grades? You can listen to the interview here.

Listen to Mike Pintek weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. on NewsRadio 1020 KDKA.

Bennett has the talent of making “the unknown into stars and stars into superstars!” Billboard and Rolling Stone magazine has named Bennett the world’s top promotions man.

KDKA Radio’s Robert Mangino invited Peter Bennett and Rick Granati, of the Granati Brothers, into the KDKA studio to hear more about his inspirational career.

Click the link below to listen to the full interview:

Robert Mangino is live every weeknight on NewsRadio 1020 KDKA!

Warner Bros. Pictures released the third trailer online. It focuses on the fate of Batman and the insurmountable threat of the evil villain, Bane.

In addition, we are seeing a little more of Pittsburgh in this newest trailer, including a view of the city from above pans from the top of U.S. Steel Tower toward the Allegheny River and a carefully choreographed fight scene filmed on the steps of the Mellon Institute in Oakland sizzles on the screen.

The plastic snow pellets that swirled around the combatants look absolutely genuine.

Of course, no Batman film would be complete without the chalk-white bat symbol. Now, those “Batwings” are showing up around the world as part of Warner Bros.’ ongoing promotion, including 10 locations in Pittsburgh.

KDKA-TV found one taped to a flower pot on Seventh Street.

Downtown streets and fake snow were suited for a muscular tank called the Tumbler. It was a hot day in August when spectators donned heavy coats for a winter scene at Heinz Field. Hines Ward runs with the ball as explosions erupt all around him.

All in a day’s work in “Hollywood East.”
　
If you want to watch the entire trailer, click here.

“The Dark Knight Rises” hits theaters July 20th.

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Here in this area, the host of American Bandstand was remembered by stars that appeared on his show and those who were influenced by him.

“It’s a thing called ‘Since I Don’t Have You.’ They’re the Skyliners.” With those words, Clark introduced the Pittsburgh group to a national audience. More than 50 years later, lead singer Jimmy Beaumont remembers the host as “very gracious.”

Those thoughts are echoed by the pop star known as Fabian. In his Fayette County home, the one-time teenage idol reminisced about a man who was a mentor and friend to so many and commented on his passing.

“All the people he’s helped, through all the eras, the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s. It’s a horrible, devastating loss,” said Fabian.

Pittsburgh rocker Joe Grushecky said American Bandstand fostered the dreams of his youth.

“I watched it constantly. I was just totally enamored with the music thing. I couldn’t get enough of it. And music was very rare on television in those days,” said Grushecky.

Fabian had the final word.

“I don’t think there’s a person out there in our business that’s lasted so long, given breaks to so many people and didn’t want anything in return,” Fabian said. “And he should be remembered for that.”

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A vigil was also held Wednesday night outside the American Bandstand in Branson, Mo., a theater Clark founded in 2006.

As the host of “American Bandstand,” Clark introduced some of music’s biggest acts for decades including Fabian Forte, who was a teen idol back in the 1950’s and 1960′s.

Fabian, who now lives in Fayette County, says Clark gave him his big break.

He says he was devastated by news of the legend’s death.

“Someone called, a friend of mine, and told me; and it’s like your heart stops,” said Fabian. “It’s just your heart stops for a second, because like my wife and I feel that you never think Dick Clark would ever leave us. It’s shocking.”

Clark had mostly dropped out of the public eye since suffering a stroke, but still appeared each year on his New Year’s Eve special.

He died of a heart attack at the age of 82.

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Promoter Pat DiCesare Remembers Dick Clark (4/19/12)
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Through his rich career, Clark was a radio broadcaster, producer, TV host, a creator of countless television programs, and for decades was the official host of New Year’s Eve.

He was a pioneer in music, bringing music styles and acts to the forefront of American culture with “American Bandstand,” and was a trailblazer in shaping television into what it is today. Yesterday, he died at 82 from a massive heart attack.

Dick Clark even had influence in Pittsburgh. KDKA AM’s Larry Richert talks to legendary promoter Pat DiCesare of DiCesare-Engler Productions, about the legacy of Dick Clark, as well as some personal anecdotes.

Click the link below to listen to the full interview:

Matt Damon, John Krasinski and director Gus Van Sant are set to shoot the feature film “Promised Land” right here in our hometown over the next few weeks.

And as excitement ramps up for filming, a casting call has now been put out for extras.

The open casting call is set for this Saturday, April 21 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It will be held at Tiger Gym at the old Apollo High School on North 2nd Street.

They say they are looking for men, women, teens and children of all ages and ethnicities for one-day or two-day shoots and possible multiple day shoots in Apollo, Avonmore and other surrounding areas from late April to early June.

According to casting officials, they are looking for “great character faces,” including farmer looks, senior citizens, baseball and basketball players and cheerleaders.

No acting experience is required.

If you plan to attend the casting call, casting officials are asking that you fill out a form, which can be found at this link, and attach a recent color photo of yourself.

RELATED LINKS:
Bale Returning, Damon Coming For New Movie Projects (3/7/12)
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As the host of American Bandstand, he brought music to millions of teenagers in the 1950s without alienating their parents.

Dick Clark Productions created thousands of hours of television, particularly awards shows such as the Golden Globes, Daytime Emmy Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards.

Clark suffered a stroke in 2004.

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Friday afternoon, crews worked to turn an empty building into a daycare which will be used when stars like Christian Bale, Forest Whitaker, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck and Zoe Saldana begin shooting.

The film is described as a gritty, dramatic thriller set in a mill town rebounding after a devastating slump.

Mayor John Fetterman says Braddock is the perfect setting.

“I think it can only be a good thing to have people in those circles experience the hospitality of the area but also see the challenges that we face here in the Mon Valley and bring more attention and resources to the region,” he said.

Even the youngest Braddock natives say they’re excited to see the community come together to promote their town.

“There’s still something here – joy here, you know, love here, you know, things that bring people back together,” Jakeem Booker said.

The other benefit is boost to the local economy as the cast and crew uses the city’s amenities.

“Hotel rentals, car rentals, people buying food and it can be for six months long, hotels, everything you can think of, so it just gives Pittsburgh business,” Aaron Streiner, a set dresser, said.

North Braddock, Rankin and other parts of the city will also be featured in the film.

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Not just a new thrill ride, but something specifically for the 21 and over crowd. For the first time since 1898, the historic amusement park plans to sell beer.

“I think it’s a good idea,” John Rezes, a park-goer, said. “I like beer.”

Some people do have reservations.

“It would be nice to go to Kennywood and have a beer, but I just don’t think it’s right for that type of environment,” Alex Meneely said.

If the state liquor control board gives the go-ahead, beer would be sold and consumed in a fenced “beer garden” near the lagoon.

“And it’s important to note that all the beer sold and consumed at Kennywood will happen in this particular area, so it’s by no means the entire park and it’s not all around the park,” Kennywood spokesman Jeff Filicko told KDKA’s Kym Gable.

Sales would likely start in late June. Beer sales have been one of the most common guest requests over the years.

“People have asked us for it and we can do it in a responsible manner that offers our guests beer to enjoy responsibly, but also maintains that atmosphere of family fun that people come to expect from Kennywood,” Filicko said.

The parent company of Kennywood already has a license to sell beer at Sandcastle and for a special annual event at Idlewild.

They’re calling this summer at Kennywood a trial run for beer sales.

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Trophies will be handed out to the best of the best at the 47th annual Academy of Country Music Awards Sunday evening on CBS.

We’ve put together some links where you can catch up with your favorite artists, find out more about the show and get an inside look as the stars prepare for the big night!

• ACM Awards Coverage on Y108
• Follow Y108 on Twitter
• Y108 on Facebook
• Latest ACM Awards Updates on Twitter
• ACM Nominees
• The Academy of Country Music Awards on CBS.com
• Academy of Country Music

For more entertainment news, visit our entertainment section here!

“That’s all I am, is just a regular guy who happens to play songs,” said Jimmy Roach, who is returning to Y108.

And one who has seen it all in Pittsburgh radio.

Roach is coming back to Y108 where he will be reunited with his old partner, Monty.

“Coming back is always something that I always had in the back of my mind and getting a chance to work with Monty again is just wonderful,” said Roach.

The official announcement comes Sunday night during the ACM Awards, and it didn’t take long for the fun and games to begin when they gave us a sneak preview Friday.

“This is not his real voice. It’s several octaves higher. It’s kind of like a Pee-wee Herman voice. He affects it,” laughs Brian Montgomery, Roach’s partner – Monty in the Morning. “Also, he is also 4-foot-8. These are platform shoes.”

For 32 years, the high school drop-out has been waking people up on the radio.

“You get in the shower and you say, ‘I’m gonna do this one more day. This is it. I’m gonna hang it up,’” said Roach.

Instead, Y108 is giving country music fans two of the best in the business starting Monday morning at 5 a.m.

“For a long time, I have been driving in in the morning listening to “Monty in the Morning,’ and dial around to see what some of the other radio stations are doing. I love what Jimmy has been doing in this market for a long time,” said Mark Anderson, of Y108. “To be able to put them together, on one radio station in the morning. We really think that is going to be something special.”

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The new Christian Bale movie being filmed in Braddock is holding a casting call today for extras for “Out Of the Furnace.”

Casting agents are looking for people 18 and older.

A casting call started at 11 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. at the Braddock Employment and Training Center on Braddock Avenue.

There’s another open casting call on Saturday at the Braddock Community Center on Library Street. It also runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

RELATED LINKS:
Bale Returning, Damon Coming For New Movie Projects (3/7/12)
Other Casting Information
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The 3,800-square foot contemporary home sits tucked away in a quiet, little valley of Canonsburg.

It is a three-bedroom, 2 ½-bath home in a suburban setting.

KDKA’s Rick Dayton rang the bell, but no one was home.

The real estate agent who represented the rapper confirms that he bought the house in January, and the former owners said they sold their home to the famous rapper.

KDKA got photographs of the interior of $900,000 house. Brazilian hardwoods are a prominent feature, as are stainless steel appliances and granite countertops in the kitchen.

Khalifa’s given name is the only name on the deed registered at the Washington County Courthouse, but the name of his mother – Katie Wimbush – appears on the mortgage papers, suggesting it could be a home he bought for his mom.

Regardless, it will be a beautiful place for him to stay when he comes back home to follow his favorite teams.

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I have been attending this festival religiously for over 20 years for a number of reasons. Among them:

• The quality of the films that are often screened at other festivals like Sundance and the Toronto Film Festival
• The selection of films including everything from feature films, to foreign films, to documentaries, to short subjects. In other words, a chance to see movies that you might not see anywhere else in the area
• The proximity to Pittsburgh; only about two hours away by car
• The convenience of seeing a number of movies within the same multiplex, which is adjacent to a food court, restaurants (including a Morton’s and Hard Rock Café) and two adjoining hotels (The Renaissance and Ritz Carlton)
• The availability of underground parking at Tower City Center, where all of the above are located
• The opportunity to attend Q&A sessions with filmmakers immediately following some of the screenings.

Among the movies I’d recommend from this year’s festival:

“Nesting” by John Chuldenko, which had its world premiere at CIFF. A funny contemporary comedy about a twenty-something couple trying to salvage their marriage by buying a used Volvo and revisiting happier times and places from their past.

Lawrence Kasdan’s “Darling Companion” starring Diane Keaton a middle-aged wife and mother who rescues an injured dog on the side of a freeway. It’s not long before “Freeway” (the dog) is rescuing the members of this disconnected family in this delightful ensemble comedy from the director of “The Big Chill,” and “The Accidental Tourist.”

“Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel” is a spellbinding look at the life and times of one of the titans of the fashion world throughout the 20th Century. Diana Vreeland was an unstoppable force who became the fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar, the editor of American Vogue, and consultant to the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The movie is an eye-popping look at her influence on the worlds of high fashion and timeless fashion photography that is both entertaining and enlightening.

One of the big discoveries for me at this year’s festival was filmmaker Kurt Kuenne, a multi-talented young filmmaker with an impressive resume of work. His films include “Drive-In Movie Memories” made in 2001—an entertaining look at the drive-in movie phenomenon in America that covers the design of the outdoor screens and concession stands, the food, the snacks, the gimmicks, and of course, those clunky, scratchy-sounding speakers that patrons had to be reminded to remove from their car windows before exiting the parking lot.

Four of Kuenne’s short subject, black-and-white comedies preceded “Drive-In Movie Memories,” showcasing his talents as a clever comedy writer who also shoots, edits and even scores his projects. What ties the four films together are the interconnections between the recurring characters that jump from minor supporting roles in one film to become the stars and centerpieces of other films in the series. His ability to interweave characters and story elements is masterful.

What is impressive about Kuenne’s body of work is the diversity of his projects. Pittsburghers in particular will be interested in his more serious and sobering documentary called “Dear Zachary: A letter to a Son About His Father” (2008). It is an in-depth look at the infamous Andrew Bagby murder case that began near Latrobe back on Nov. 5, 2001, when a young doctor was found shot to death in Keystone State Park. Kuenne, a childhood friend of Bagby’s, started out making a tribute film that was intended to be shown one day to the son that Dr. Bagby had fathered with the woman suspected of being his killer. The case suddenly took a bizarre and tragic turn that will leave you questioning the Canadian court system. “Dear Zachary” is a tale that is both fascinating and infuriating — one that is tough to stop thinking or talking about.

To round out Kuenne’s talents, the festival included his latest movie “Shuffle” (2011) about a 26-year-old man who jumps back and forth in time each time he falls asleep and wakes up. In what amounts to “The Twilight Zone” meets “Groundhog Day,” Kuenne creates a complex journey of a man on a mysterious mission to save someone, as soon as he figures out how to save them and who, exactly, he is trying to save. “Shuffle” is a complex puzzle of a movie reminiscent of “Memento,” another movie I discovered years ago at the Cleveland International Film Festival. “Shuffle” is a black-and-white independent film oozing with creativity and craft and it leaves you wondering what’s next in the deck of Kurt Kuenne’s upcoming projects.

The 36th Cleveland International Film Festival runs through April 1, 2012, at Tower City Cinemas in Cleveland.

For more details, visit www.clevelandfilm.org

“The final cause of death has been established as drowning due to atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use,” Craig Harvey, chief coroner in Los Angeles, said.

“I think the medical examiner’s office in Los Angeles is being very gracious,” Forensic Pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht said.

Wecht claims the Los Angeles coroner is downplaying the amount of drugs found in Houston.

Besides finding cocaine, there were also marijuana and at least three prescription drugs in Houston’s blood stream – Xanax, an anxiety drug, Flexeril a muscle relaxant and Benadryl, an anti-histamine.

“If they’re not that high such as to have produced death or even a deep state of stupor or coma, then I find it hard to believe that she would not have been able to lift her head up after it slipped under the water,” Wecht said.

Houston’s body was found submerged in the bathtub of her Beverly Hills hotel room on February 11th, the night before the Grammys.

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Scores of children and parents gathered at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh to listen to members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and meet with a frequent guest of the “Neighborhood.”

David Newell, dressed in the mail carrier garb of “Mr. McFeely,” carries on the tradition of his mentor.

Television programming was already undergoing rapid changes at the time of Fred Rogers’ death. But Newell says he resisted the trend toward fast paced edits and five second sound bites.

“When he asked a question, he’d wait for the child at home to reflect on what was said. And he did not change. He didn’t. He knew that things were fast paced, but I think it still works for the very young child. He respected childhood and children and I think they got it.”

“Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” may still be seen on the web at PBSKids.org.

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