No rest of the weary. After Chiller weekend I had yet another wave of meets. Lots of trials and tribulations, lots of failures and successes. As with prior reports, we will divide it in days.
Day 1
This day starts out at the airport. I rushed there fearing I would miss Annaspohia Robb, a want of mine. Thankfully I didn't.
Emile Hirsch showed up first. I attempted to get a photo op but he said no and only signed. I ran back and I see Annasophia just walking around like a lost child with only one pap snapping at her. I then politely ask for a photo op which she does, very nice smile and all. I get two autos. After that more people attack her for combos and she goes through phases were she stops signing and signs again. I managed to get two more between those phases. Took her about 40 minutes till she found her driver, but she finally did.
After her I see Drake Bell who I get a photo op with. Nice as can be. Then a couple of reality stars. After that is another person who I had info for, Rose McGowan. Got her before so this was no huge meet. But upgraded my photo op to no shades. She was nice and signed for people. I got four out of her till she stopped signing. On the same flight was actress Constance Zimmer who I got a photo op with.
After this all the known flights were done. Most graphers and all paps left. Left on the premises was me, a Master combo hunter who we will call Neal, and Neal's graphing partner. There was one flight from LAX coming in and we decided to wait that one out to see if anyone would be on it. Neal spotted both JC Chasez from NSync and Nancy O'Dell from Entertainment Tonight. Both were a nice as can be. Got photo ops.
This day also starts out at the airport. Now I was left with a predicament here. I had info for Jeff Goldblum, Anna Kendrick, Kristen Bell, and Jessica Simpson. But if I did all that I was missing several city events, including but not limited to an event with Robert Deniro. I already had Jeff and Anna, but really wanted Jessica Simpson. There was no feasible way I could do all. So I had to choose what to do. But it was early enough where I could do the airport at least to begin with.
I arrive at the airport and Neal was there already racking. He was getting Rick Springfield. But I had a great photo op with him and had no reason to get a photo op with him wearing a hat and shades. First spotting was Kristen Bell who politely declined for photo ops when I tried twice. She was a huge want of mine so that was heart crushing seeing her walk around while I couldn't get it. From what I hear she never does anything at airports.
First people I did get were Madeleine Stowe who begrudgingly did a photo op, and Ryan Kwanten who was nice as can be. Stowe was a huge unexpected name for me as she was in The General’s Daughter, 12 Monkeys, among others. Next up was Jeff Goldblum. Improved my photo op and got an autograph. Had to chase him down for the second autograph. While getting him Freida Pinto from Rise of the Planet of the Apes arrives and does a combo with Neal. When I ask for a photo op she goes "when I get my bags". I waited and true to her word she did a photo op with me. Now it was decision time. Wait for Anna and Jessica and do nothing else? Or leave? I then received word that Jessica Simpson's plane got delayed and won't be arriving till early morning the next day! Sucks cause that was one of my top wants here, but that made the decision much easier. Already had Anna so she wasn't worth sticking around for. Didn't leave the place disappointed as I got two solid first time female meets.
I tag along with another combo hunter who we will call Jack, and we head to a spot but it didn't look like anything would happen. So we go to the Robert Deniro spot. Apparently he signed going in.
We wait and wait. While waiting I get a photo op with politician Kevin McCarthy 
Now it was time for exits. They drive Deniro's car round back and all of us run around to go to stick with the car. The venue people realize what's going on and order the car to go back to the front. And we then RUSH like rockets to the front. Deniro then signs for everyone and I got two out of him
To the next spot where I see Joresky. Anna Sophia Robb, Dean Norris, Constance Zimmer, Tim Daly, Jeffrey Tambor, Emile Hirsch and others were there.
While at this spot I had a photo of Annasophia Robb when she was little. Joresky jokingly asks if I was getting that signed for 
after which a Japanese girl bursts out laughing and says in her Japanglish accent "Josh like young girl"
after which a Japanese girl bursts out laughing and says in her Japanglish accent "Josh like young girl"
Unfortunately there's too many people at that spot and security were being real 
about it. To a point where I lashed on them for putting a hand on me by telling "HEY DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME". When one security guard denied a wrong doing to another grapher I said "YES YOU DID I SAW YOU" he replied "I'm right here why are you yelling" and I said "I'M YELLING BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE LIARS".
about it. To a point where I lashed on them for putting a hand on me by telling "HEY DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME". When one security guard denied a wrong doing to another grapher I said "YES YOU DID I SAW YOU" he replied "I'm right here why are you yelling" and I said "I'M YELLING BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE LIARS".
Sadly, out of this spot all I managed to attain was Constance Zimmer upgrade from my shot the day before (she has no hat) and a photo op with Joe Morton from Terminator 2.
After this me and Jack called it quits for this. But Jack suggested we go for female rapper Iggy Azalea. I had never heard of her but went along. He even gave me an 8x10 that I could get signed for myself.
We wait and she comes up. She starts signing and her guard says they will ebay it. I ask for a photo op she goes "sure" then when I approach the guard gets physical with me and attacks me! Jack then suggests I should press assault charges on him. So I tell the cops my story, they go inside, bring him up, and start interrogating both sides. Jack said what he saw, and the venue people lied about what they saw. I told the cops I was outright assaulted after Iggy herself consented to a photo op with me. Conventiently, they told the cops the security camera that was there was broken! At one point one guy who works with the venue began to threaten me as he said he will hunt me down after he knows my name via the court case. I yelled to the cops saying I'm being threatened. Essentially the reaction of the venue was this: How dare he goes to the cops after he got assaulted. One of the cops that came into the scene even said he was a Lieutenant. One thing led to another, over an hour passed, and the Lieutenant suggested I go on my way and this ends. Cops being the lazy cops they are didn't want to do paperwork 
As Jack put it, "another security guard gets away with assaulting someone". While that may be true, I'm pretty sure after the hour plus ordeal I put both him and the venue through, they probably all wished they waited 5 more seconds for me to get my consented photo op.
As Jack put it, "another security guard gets away with assaulting someone". While that may be true, I'm pretty sure after the hour plus ordeal I put both him and the venue through, they probably all wished they waited 5 more seconds for me to get my consented photo op.
I was so tiered after this, I was thinking of doing the early morning flight of Jessica Simpson, but decided against it cause I was afraid to wear myself out with a full grueling day ahead of me only to have her say it's too early in the morning for photo ops.
Day 3&4
Day 3 starts early. As I arrive at the first spot I find out I missed Patrick Duffy going in! Damn. Not a good start. Goes to show you that in combo hunting you snooze you lose. Besides that I got a combo from Jonathan Groff from Frozen, Matt Walsh, Scott Foley, child actor Sean Giambrone, among others. At one point when security kept pulling celebs away one Master combo hunter went off on them and yelled and threatened to "take down the barriers" if they kept on doing that.
I then joined up with Joresky at the next spot. Was feeling hungry and one combo hunter suggested I go down the street for subway. I said I'd probably miss the action if I did. About five minutes later things started to go down. Got photo ops with Emile Hirsch, Dean Norris, Jeffrey Tambor, and a combo from Joe Morton. Also got an autograph from Annasophia Robb. Remembering me she goes "didn't I sign 10 for you?" I truthfully said she didn't. She wouldn't sign the photo of her as a little girl but signed another photo I had.
The next spot is where we traditionally racked some good scores going in, but unfortunately the setup was designed as every combo hunter's nightmare!
First off Dean Cain was doing photo ops with all who asked. But I had no reason to bother cause I got him non-bearded and he was sporting a beard. I managed to score a Sage Kotsenburg photo op and a couple of Brad Paisley autographs. On a slightly humorous but disappointing note, the waiters there actually remembered me "running around" from a year ago. Damn, not good 
Kristen Bell, Kimberly Williams, and many others did nothing. Nancy O'Dell did photo ops but I had her. I also missed Gloria Estefan signing (already have a photo op) and I missed a possible chance at a Jessica Simpson photo op (she signed for a combo hunter who already had her). At one point I managed to get Armie Hammer to stop for a photo op, and Joresky asked him not once but TWICE for a photo op and due to this he is looking down to respond to him and thus my photo op got botched 
This is just as bad as graphers asking for an autograph when the celeb is posing, only this time it was a photo op! I was so upset as Armie Hammer was a want of mine and getting celebs to stop in that setting was like pulling teeth!
This is just as bad as graphers asking for an autograph when the celeb is posing, only this time it was a photo op! I was so upset as Armie Hammer was a want of mine and getting celebs to stop in that setting was like pulling teeth!
Time passed and Anna Kendrick was sick so she decided to leave early. Via following her I managed to get two photos signed. I wanted to get a photo op upgrade but sadly it was all blurry so it's no good. Oh well at least I got that photo op before.
On exits, we had our best friend on our side, none other than Mr Total Chaos himself. With that, I managed to get some good scores. My best score photo op wise was Will Poulter from the third Chronicles of Narnia movie and We're the Millers. I got a photo op with Chris Christie, Scott Foley, Eric Stonestreet, among other things. I saw Gloria Estefan who I wanted autograph wise. She signed my vinyl and an 8x10! And I got Rosario Dawson to sign me some 8x10s. She was as friendly as always.
One notable failure was improving my Madeleine Stowe photo op. She was dressed all nice but couldn't get her to properly pose. Not a big deal as I got her the day before. Another one was seeing Sofia Vergera for the millionth time and still failing to get her to stop.
When this spot seemed tapped out, it was off to a new spot that not too many knew about. All we knew was that all the top names would be there. I arrive to find the top combo hunters waiting there. But unfortunately there was absolutely no access there. We all called that spot. I really hope this spot is not regularly used.
To the last spot for the evening, where I manage to score some good coin. I get a Rose McGowan upgrade where she is dressed all nice and showing cleavage, plus autographs. I also get a photo op with Mae Whitman from Independence Day and voice of April O Neil in the new TMNT cartoons. Got football player Andrew Luck but but photo op is blurry. Among the other celebs I see but didn't get cause I had were Will.I.Am, Jonathan Groff, Tim Daly, Annasophia Robb, and Drake Bell. We see Steve Guttenberg but he does nothing. Not a big deal as I had him.
On a humorous note, I saw people taking photo ops with an elderly couple. I just went with the crowd but turned out to be the parents of Joel McHale
The final day would arrive shortly after the third one ends. Me and Joresky set out to get Armie Hammer after I barely get 2 hours of sleep. We arrive and Joresky's super spotting abilities see Richard Marx! This was a VERY good score for me cause I didn't have him and I remember the song "Right Here Waiting". We wait and Army Hammer is sadly running late. He is literally RUSHING but we manage to successfully plead for photo ops. I had no time to ask for autographs or ask his wife Elizabeth Chambers for photo ops.
Joresky leaves and I decide to take a nap. I had other flights but had already got the people in question so rejuvenating my body was more important. Though I also had a Kristen Bell flight I figured sleep is more important than being told no. So I aimed to simply try for Jessica Simpson later in the day.
As I wake up and go back to the airport, a pap and grapher are there. Apparently Kristen Bell posed for a candid shot of the grapher's shitty disposable camera indicating that if I had asked her for a photo op *maybe* I would have had it!
indicating that if I had asked her for a photo op *maybe* I would have had it!
But the witching hour for Jessica Simpson came, and she wasn't looking to stop despite there being just three of us. Via intense begging I scored a photo op! First one didn't come out cause of movement but she did a second
Then via more intense begging I tried for an autograph but to no avail.
Then via more intense begging I tried for an autograph but to no avail.
After all the rough patches I went through the past few days, my reaction to getting a photo op with one of my top wants of all expected celebs at the very end of the 11th hour truly was this face 
as I thanked the combo Gods.
as I thanked the combo Gods. 
No comments:
Post a Comment