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Huntington, Marshall Host a Block Party for Movie About Herd: Local Filming Kicks Off Soon

Posted on: Sunday, 2 April 2006, 12:00 CDT

By Amy Robinson, The Charleston Gazette, W.Va.

Apr. 2--HUNTINGTON -- It was no April Fools' joke.

Matthew McConaughey and other Hollywood players affiliated with the Warner Bros. movie "We Are Marshall" were in Huntington on Saturday for the kick-off block party to celebrate local filming, which starts Monday.

A sea of green greeted visitors downtown as the festivities took over Fourth Avenue between Ninth and Tenth streets. Although the action wasn't supposed to begin until 3 p.m., people began arriving around noon.

"I just want to meet Matthew McConaughey and see the bands," said 10-year-old Alexia Lilly of Charleston, who arrived with family members at 12:30 p.m. and stood in front of the Keith-Albee Theater in order to get a good view of the stage.

McConaughey was certainly the biggest draw of the celebrities present, who also included co-star David Strathairn and the movie's director, who goes by the name "McG."

(Matthew Fox was absent, and rumors have it that he will have to fly back and forth between here and Hawaii in order to film the movie and his hit television show, "Lost.")

As reporters roamed the crowd, fans offered bribes for press passes, crazy with excitement at the mere possibility of meeting or speaking to McConaughey. "I'll give you $50 for that," a young man shouted upon spotting one.

Since the press conference with McConaughey, Strathairn, McG and producer Basil Iwanyk was off limits to everyone but the press, fans occupied their time until the group's brief speech to the crowd in a variety of ways.

Radio station The Dawg, which sponsored the event, sold T-shirts commemorating the day as well as special editions of the radio station's Marshall magazine, The Herd Insider. Employees from the Marshall University bookstore sold school memorabilia, and the Big Green Scholarship Foundation was soliciting new members, offering special "We are Marshall" T-shirts and other gifts. The band The Love Coats provided music.

One of the most popular ways to pass the time, though, was waiting in line for the last-minute opportunity to sign up to be an extra.

In the line, which stretched from the Keith-Albee's entrance to the end of the block, were Lauren Raglin, 10, Olivia Adkins, 11, and Emma Johnson, 10, of Ashland, Ky. They sported matching Marshall T-shirts with "I love Matthew" on the back. And although they were excited about the possibility of being in the movie, their clear draw for the day was McConaughey's appearance.

"We really love Matt!" Raglin exclaimed.

"And we really want to be in the movie," Johnson added. "Besides, how many times does Hollywood come to the tri-state area?"

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime event," Adkins agreed.

At approximately 5:30 p.m., McConaughey, Strathairn, McG and Iwanyk took to the stage to ear-splitting cries from the largely female crowd. After a brief introduction from Huntington Mayor David Felinton, the crew was presented with a special-edition Blenko glass water bottle bearing the city's logo and a special M Club blanket, personalized for the movie.

McG served as the unofficial emcee. "Is this Huntington, West Virginia, or not?" he roared upon taking the mic. "Let's go!"

"This movie is sending a message," he said. "We are family. We are neighbors. We are Marshall."

At the mere mention of the popular cheer and movie's namesake, the crowd went wild once again.

Then, McG introduced Strathairn, who, knowing that he wasn't the main attraction, kept his remarks short. "I think McG is going to run for mayor," he joked at one point. This isn't Strathairn's first connection to the Mountain State. He starred as Sid Hatfield in 1987's "Matewan."

Finally, it was time for what the fans had come to see: McConaughey's turn at the mic. "McConaughey's going right back to Texas if you don't bring it right now," he cried before leading the crowd in the "We are Marshall" chant.

He gracefully accepted the fans' applause, which was at least doubled in sound when he stepped up to the mic.

"This is my first time in Huntington," he said. "I've driven through it before, but this is my first time here. I haven't seen much of it, but the more I see, the more beautiful it is."

He closed the remarks with one final round of the "We are Marshall" cheer. After the group left the stage, the party continued until 9 p.m., but many of the attendees started heading back to their cars.

To contact staff writer Amy Robinson, use e-mail or call 348-4881.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Charleston Gazette, W.Va.

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Source: The Charleston Gazette

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