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Candid Jamie Kennedy

Comedian comes back home for slasher film anniversary

Jamie Kennedy, in town to promote SCREAM and make an appearance at Wes Craven's Halloween Nightmare chats with Jenny DeHuff at the Ritz Carlton.
Jamie Kennedy, in town to promote SCREAM and make an appearance at Wes Craven's Halloween Nightmare chats with Jenny DeHuff at the Ritz Carlton.Read moreEd Hill / Staff Photographer

HE MAY be "Malibu's Most Wanted," but Jamie Kennedy hails from Upper Darby - where he's wanted, too, but in another way, and mostly by those of the female persuasion.

The "Scream" star sat down with me for a few minutes Friday to talk about the 24th annual Philadelphia Film Festival and to plug a hair-raising night that paid homage to his late pal and former director Wes Craven.

The Prince Theater (1412 Chestnut St.) opened its doors for "A Very Scary Sleepover: Wes Craven's Halloween Nightmare," which played a horror marathon Saturday night into Sunday, for Halloween (and in recognition of the two decades since 1996's "Scream").

Kennedy had humble beginnings, working in restaurants, and told me that it felt so good to land that "Scream" role, thus finally setting him on the road to stardom.

"I don't have to think about a light bill or how I'm going to eat," he said.

As for movie production and comedy, "It's all about the right material," he said.

Asked about any love interest in his life, he said, "I may have someone."

Director Michael Moore was also in town for the festival for "Where to Invade Next."

Disney's new 'masterpiece'

Richard Kind's wheels have been reeling on high speed since "Spin City."

Originally from Bucks County and popular from the Michael J. Fox sitcom and "Mad About You," Kind has also enjoyed success in voice-over work.

Pixar's "Inside Out" is his latest endeavor, in which he lends his voice to "Bing Bong," a young girl's imaginary friend. It'll be available on DVD and Blu-ray tomorrow.

"It is truly a masterpiece," said Kind. "For its genre, it's a masterpiece."

Asked his favorite thing about working for Pixar/Disney, Kind joked, "The checks all clear."

Kind has been working in film, TV and on Broadway since the 1980s.

'Abolish Feinberg'

The Republican candidate for Register of Wills has an interesting slogan for his campaign.

"I am candidate Ross Feinberg running to abolish the Register of Wills office and to abolish myself right out of a job," he said. "Hire me with your vote so I can do what needs to be done in City Hall."

Using this strategy, Feinberg would absorb the office into the Orphans' Court, thus saving millions of taxpayer dollars, he says. The Committee of Seventy and PICA both agree.

Election Day is tomorrow.

Wiseguy's new flick

Though probably best known as ballsy former mob boss Jackie Aprile Sr. in the HBO series "The Sopranos," Michael Rispoli has now written and stars in the new movie "Friends and Romans," which debuted in theaters Friday.

He met local cheesesteak king Tony Luke back in 2005 when Rispoli was filming the sports-drama film "Invincible."

"We've remained fast friends ever since," he said.

Rispoli was here this past weekend to plug what he describes as a "beautiful, charming, funny independent film" about a group of guys who are affiliated with the mob but disprove mob stereotypes.

Wedding bells

Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz got married Oct. 25. He wed Sherry Auerbach, from Bucks County. I'm told they met on a blind date set up by Sherry's sister-in-law and Glenn's cousin, who are best friends.

Walk for a good cause

6ABC's Nydia Han and CBS3's Kate Bilo came together yesterday to join about 3,000 participants in the 10th annual Philadelphia Free to Breathe 5K Run/Walk. Han and Bilo both lost their moms to lung cancer, and have been advocates of fundraising for lung cancer research ever since.

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