San Gabriel Valley : MOVIE MAGIC

A production company has began shooting a new John Cusack movie in the Old Town section of Monrovia, transforming Myrtle Avenue between Lemon and Lime streets into a Detroit suburb known as Grosse Pointe, said Gerard Averill, assistant location manager. Filming is expected to go on until Feb. 10.

The inside of an abandoned gymnasium is now a convincing radio station, and stucco storefronts have been covered in fake brick to affect a Midwest-suburb feel.

The film, scheduled to open late this year, will go on location to several San Gabriel Valley cities, including Arcadia and South Pasadena, said Ann Riley, public relations director.