Before going to LA I consulted a Master on some good random spots to wait at. He suggested to me a spot. After a little bit of sightseeing I planned to go there. However my traveling buddy in his infinite wisdom wanted to go see a movie. Really? Go to LA and see a movie? So I drive him there and before we arrive he remembers that he saw this movie. So I turn back and head to the spot. I'm 2 minutes from the spot and he tells me he wants to go back to the theater we turned away from cause he just realized there's a series of documentary shorts he wants to watch.
Since there were several paps at this spot, much to his dismay I didn't want to leave at this point as it would be 45 minutes for the round trip. In foresight that's a lot of time to miss somebody. I suggested he ubers there and I pick him back up. He goes "they could be waiting for anybody" and I respond "anybody" would be good as it's more than I have now. I should add he is an autograph guy so photo ops do nothing for him. While he didn't know it at the time I actually did him a huge favor essentially by forcing him to stay here. More on that in a bit.
So we wait and eventually Ali Larter walks out. I get another photo op with her. I then hear that Danny DeVito is inside. So while my traveling buddy is sulking in the car I inform him of this. He brought several screen roll books to get signed at Hollywood Show. He looked up Danny DeVito in one of his books and sure enough he found something.
Eventually Danny comes out and I get another photo op with him. I can't call this an upgrade but it's different than my other photo op. And also it's taken with a better camera though he has a cap on. So maybe it is an upgrade and it isn't. When this was done sure enough I asked for thanks for making him miss his movies cause he wound up with a Danny DeVito autograph before ever going to the con!
Wait some more and someone else comes out. An older guy. I grabbed a photo op not knowing who it is. Turns out it is 78 year old Neil Sedaka. I'm actually familiar with a couple of his songs so I'll take it. First fresh LA photo op.
Shortly after I had to leave to make a show that was ending. This was for actress Lauren Velez. Show ended and she was nice as were the barely valids. I went back to the original spot but the paps had cleared out. I probably did miss someone leaving, sadly. Also on my way there I saw pap cameras go off at another place (someone was rushed to a car, don't know who).
With that, I got some Subway for food, parked close to the Hollywood Show hotel, went inside to shave and brush my teeth, then back to the rental car for some sleep.
Danny DeVito
Neil Sedaka
Full list of LA street photo ops
Wake up and it's time for Hollywood Show. My first encounter was with former markedout board member Jeff AKA evilgenius. Conversed with him which was a fun start to the morning. I tried to get a photo op with him later on but unfortunately failed on that front. Throughout the Hollywood Show I would also see current board member TODD!
Thanks to someone I befriended while meeting the Scorpions in NYC I was hooked up with admission for the show! So that was nice.
Shockingly, I would wind up getting FOUR autographs at this show. Though most were not by choice. Here are the autos I got:
Tommy Kirk: Always a treat for a Walt era Disney name. He was the child in Old Yeller, one of the Hardy Boys in the original Mickey Mouse Club serial, and in Swiss Family Robinson. In true virgil fashion he was sitting by himself doing nothing. That's how many of these shows he has done. I actually felt bad getting a free photo op and walking away. But he had a vintage Disney Hardy Boys comic on his table. I paid his auto price, got that signed, and got the photo op. Not a bad deal.
Celeste Yarnell: Gave me a free signed postcard with a purchase
Lewis Smith: No combo price it was auto price free photo op
Lou Diamond Phillips: Towards the end of the show I showed him my photo op at Chiller and told him I traveled from the East Coast and wondered if I could get a discounted rate on the auto since I got him at Chiller. He said "absolutely" and I got the auto on my Young Guns laserdisc signed very nicely in silver. I generally hate paying for autos but at least this is my third autograph on the laserdisc.
You can see everyone I went for in the list of photo ops. But besides autos some other highlights:
Either Lisa Jane Persky or Judy Greeson - I forgot which one - had the hots for me and secretly returned my photo op money (I think it was Lisa)
Someone was getting Sonny Chiba to sign a Samurai Sword. I asked if I could use it for the photo op. I got one with the sword one without. I like that photo op because him holding the Samurai sword is ethnically correct.
Got the dual op with Diahann Carroll and Troy Byer then wanted to try and mooch single shots. I mooched one with Diahann but was halted when I tried to mooch a Troy (and more money was demanded of me). Ahh well I can crop her out easily anyway.
The Happy Days actors came very late. I didn't think they were even gonna show up but thankfully they did. They are virgils in this show.
Was not going to get Daniel Lee Truhitte but I bit because he was suited
Mitchell Ryan was a jerk but gave us a deal because my traveling buddy was getting 5 things done. Though when he wanted to take a picture OF him he goes "now you're asking too much". Though I honestly hope we are all as fortunate as he he was when we break the 90 mark.
Lesley-Ann Down was shocked at my age and thought I was no more than 28.
Quite a few left early including David Faustino.
Unfortunately this show wasn't without a couple of PUNCHES. Besides the cancellations I missed two names. One was Melora Walters who I know best from The Butterfly Effect. She had cancelled so I removed her from my list then unbeknownst to me she got re added. By the time I found out the show was over. A second was Michelle Johnson from Blame It On Rio who left before I got to her table but she has been added to Chiller so I should make that one up at least.
Besides that Ron Jeremy showed up randomly walking around the Hollywood Show. I got him before but I got a photo op just for the hell of it. He is apparently the virgil of all LA events. This would end up being my final LA photo op. After the show sitting in the hotel ordering food was Larry Thomas who was just visiting friends at the Hollywood Show. But I have a photo op so I had no reason to bother him while he was eating.
Barbara Bain
Lynda Day George
Peter Lupus
Bruce Dern
Bruce Davison
William Daniels
Mitchell Ryan
Lyle Waggoner
Carel Struycken
Tommy Kirk
Daniel Lee Truhitte
Lisa Boyle
Sonny Chiba
Full list of Hollywood Show photo ops Part 1
Full list of Hollywood Show photo ops Part 2
Full list of Hollywood Show photo ops Part 3
Autographs obtained
With that we returned our rental car and left for the airport. We were then hit with a FOUR HOUR delay! I guess for what I paid I can't complain too much. However, the plan was to do Fairpoint con so that delay didn't affect us too much. The only thing I wanted to do that I wasn't able to was mooch some breakfast and by the time we arrived it was too late for that. Technically it may not have been mooching though cause I parked my car at a hotel for $5 per day which was much cheaper than the airport rates (then took the shuttle bus back and forth). So I would have been having breakfast where I paid money to park my car.
Back in my car it was off to Fairpoint in Hunt Valley. Quick in and out for Matt Frewer who I know best from Watchmen and Honey I Shrunk the Kids. Mooched some food at the con and it was time to drive back.
Matt Frewer
Funny story, I couldn't actually finish my drive so I pulled over at an Econolodge to get some sleep. In front of where I parked there was a room with an open door. I just walked in there to take a piss. Went back to the car to sleep, then when I woke up I just went back inside to piss again! In hindsight I could have slept in the room no one would have ever known!
No comments:
Post a Comment