Sunday, January 26, 2014

Pulp Fiction! Saturday Night Fever! Grease! Its John Travolta! Autographs! Photos!

If I had to say, John Travolta would be my all-time favorite movie star. Growing up when I was first introduced to movies the one's I remember the most were his, especially SNF Grease and Urban Cowboy. After Pulp Fiction it was official. Needless to say, I get really really excited everytime I see him and I am able to get more photos signed! On this night he was super cool (as always) and I got quite a bit signed!



My quest to get Samuel L Jackson to complete this begins now!







Mr. Orange! Ringo! Tim Roth of Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction! Autographs! Photos!

Tim is in 2 of my all time favorite movies and I get excited whenever I see him as I certainly don't see him much. Couple weeks ago I had a chance to meet him again and get some more photos signed by him and finally got the picture as well!




This has Duane Whitaker, Danny Devito, Samuel L Jackson, Harvey Weinstein, Rosanna Arquette, Steve Buscemi and Tim Roth on it.











Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Heather Graham of Drugstore Cowboy! Autographs! Photos!

Drugstore Cowboy is in my Top Ten Films of All Time. I think it is a perfect film with great performances by everyone and I started a cast shot that I already have Kelly Lynch and Director Gus Van Sant on and I was thrilled to add Heather to it the other day! When she saw it she was surprised and loved the photo.





Wes Krulik AKA Timothy Olyphant of Damages! Autographs! Photos!

I loved the TV show Damages. I have been working on a cast shot trying to get anyone and everyone who was on the show and the other night I lucked out and was able to add Timothy to it. Usually he doesn't sign much so this was a pleasant surprise.


I now have Timothy, Lily Tomlin, Ted Danson and Madchen Amick on this!



Dick Ritchie AKA Michael Rapaport of True Romance! Autographs! Photos!

True Romance is one of my all-time favorite movies and I was so excited the other night to meet Michael again and get some autographs and a pic with him! He signed everything and thanks to a friend even added a quote on one of the photos!









Jacob Lofland of Mud! Photos!

Mud was my favorite film of 2013 and just a couple days after naming it my favorite I was able to meet one of its stars, Jacob Lofland! I really recommend the movie if you haven't seen it and I am happy to report that Jacob was really nice and signed and took pics!


Sunday, January 5, 2014

The Top 10 Best Movies of 2013!

I saw a lot of movies in 2013, too many to count. These were the 10 best!

10. This Is The End - By far the funniest movie I saw this year, a sharp, satirical comedy set against the end of the world in Hollywood featured great cameos, intelligent dialogue and great performances by the leads.

9. Prisoners - This is one that snuck up on me and surprised me. 2 girls go missing and one father does anything necessary and more to find out what happened to them. Hugh Jackman was strong in the lead role and Jake Gyllenhaal gave an Oscar worthy supporting performance as the detective assigned the case.

8. Captain Phillips - Paul Greengrass scored again with this telling of Somali Pirates who hijack a cargo freighter and the Captain (Tom Hanks) who steadfastly remains strong even as peril is waiting him and his crew. Newcomer Barkhad Abdi gave in my mind the breakout performance of the year.

7. Her - Joaquin Phoenix took what was quite possibly the most difficult role of the year and did a stunning job as a man who falls in love with his OS (operating system, voiced by Scarlett Johansson) just as his divorce is finalized. The film has much to say about connection and love in this era of technology and it is surprisingly charming and witty.

6. The Wolf of Wall Street - I'm convinced if Leonardo Dicaprio doesn't win an Oscar for this he might never win one. He gives a tour de force performance as Jordan Belfort, a stockbroker who scams people for a living and lives a life of excess. Scorsese's best work since The Departed.

5. Saving Mr. Banks - Sentimental to be sure, this story of the journey of author P.L. Travers and her character Mary Poppins, is quite simply a great time at the movies. Emma Thompson has never been better and the whole cast shines. This movie made me feel good.

4. Gravity - Visually stunning, this 2 man film starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney is the best use of IMAX and 3D I've ever seen. Director Alfonso Cuaron should take home an Oscar for this.

3. The Place Beyond The Pines - Ryan Gosling and Bradley Cooper carry this film about a stunt motorcyle rider who turns to bank robberies and the cop who tracks him down. Film has a stunning shift in narrative and plot and yet Director Derek Cianfrance takes bold chances and succeeds.

2. Out of The Furnace - A bleak, dark film about a blue collar worker (Christian Bale) in a blue collar town who's life forever changes one fateful night. A strong supporting cast led by Woody Harrelson and Casey Affleck help set the tone but its Bale who gives one of the best performances by anyone this year.

1. Mud - 2 boys head down the Mississippi River and come across an island where they meet Mud (Matthew McConaughey), a man on the run who longs to meet up with the love of his life, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon.) Their chance meeting sets events in motion that will forever change all their lives. This is an audacious, bold, daring film with a career defining performance by McConaughey.

The Top 10 Worst Movies of 2013!

I watch a lot of movies, its something I love to do, but unfortunately while doing this I come across many that are awful so I decided to do my list of the worst movies that I saw of 2013.

10. The Internship - There was a time when a movie starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson was a big deal. That time has passed. Their routine is old and dull now and neither seems to know how to play more than one role.

9. Jobs - I was looking forward to seeing the movie based on Steve Jobs' life until I heard Ashton Kutcher was playing him. Still, I decided to give it a try and my worst fears were confirmed, Ashton is not capable of playing dramatic roles. He tries to impersonate Jobs and worst yet the film doesn't focus on the products that brought Apple back to glory.

8. Kick-Ass 2 - Ultra-violent, this film about violence glorifies it and worse yet tries to make Chloe Moretz into a sex symbol. She's not and shouldn't be portrayed this way. The filmmakers should be ashamed of themselves for this dreck.

7. Lords of Salem - I am a fan of Rob Zombie. I loved House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil's Rejects. So I was surprised when I went to see this film and it turned out to be a recruiting video for Satan. It is well made but too real for my tastes. This film just unnerved me.

6. Oldboy - I never saw the original this Spike Lee remake is based on but I'm certain anyone who did would not want to see this. Lee has never been strong on plot, he's good at characters, but in order for this film to work there needed to be a strong plot and a driving narrative focus and Lee was not up to the task.

5. Evil Dead - This new breed of Horror film needs to die in my opinion. The best Horror films work when we feel for the characters and not root for their deaths. I have no interest in watching Torture porn.

4. Fast and Furious 6 - It never ceases to amaze me what the general public will eat up in their attempt to be mindlessly entertained. There is not a shred of intelligence or style or originality permeating through this.

3. Spring Breakers - An ugly looking film with morally vacuous characters about 4 girls who at the drop of a whim decide to lie cheat steal rob murder and sell drugs and not necessarily in that order. They are despicable people who do despicable things and the director tries to make it look cool. He failed.

2. R.I.P.D. - It's not shocking to me that a movie starring Ryan Reynolds would be one of the years worst especially since every time he makes a film there is a good chance that will happen. What is shocking is that Jeff Bridges signed up for this drivel ripped off from Men in Black and possessing about as much charm as a plane crash. Don't watch this, seriously, don't watch this!

1. Only God Forgives - It is said that Man is an unforgiving species and only God forgives. Well, I am curious if God would forgive this. Starring Ryan Gosling, an actor I love, this hyper stylized, ultra violent orgy of meaningless violence and sex is one of the most stupefyingly bad movies I have ever seen and earns the title of the Worst Film of 2013.

Bradley Cooper of The Place Beyond The Pines! Autographs! Photos!

Many people may not have saw it but The Place Beyond The Pines was one of the best films of 2013 and I have been wanting to start the cast shot and was finally able to when I got Bradley to sign it! Bradley has been more difficult lately so I was happy to get this signed by him.



Tom Hanks of Saving Private Ryan! Autographs! Photos!

While Tom has notoriously been a difficult autograph to obtain over the last couple years (ok, even longer) I must admit over the past 2 months I have had great luck with him! I have gotten him 3 times lately and this past time I finally added him to my Saving Private Ryan cast shot that I've been working on! If this last time had been in 2013 he would of made my best signers list.


I now have Tom, Tom Sizemore, Ted Danson, Matt Damon and Janusz Kaminski!

Gary Oldman of JFK! Autographs! Photos!

I personally think Oliver Stone's JFK is one of the greatest movies ever made so of course I started a cast shot that I bring out whenever I will see someone from the movie and the other day Oldman was out and I was able to add him to it which also has Michael Rooker and Kevin Bacon on it.


Meeting The Edge of U2! Photos!

I was at an event that The Edge attended and I didn't expect him to sign or take pics with fans but boy was I wrong! He came over and signed basically anything put in front of him and took pics with a bunch of people! Just goes to show you never know when it comes to a celebrity!


Meeting The Ice Truck Killer! Christian Camargo of Dexter! Photos!

I need to get around to getting caught up with Dexter, especially now that its over! I watched the first 4 seasons and of course remember the ice truck killer and the other day while out I spotted him and told my buddy (as he said he needed him on a poster and of course didn't bring it!) but anyways, Christian came right on over and took pics and was really nice.


Saturday, January 4, 2014

The Best Signers in Hollywood 2013 Edition!

My List of The Top Ten Best Signers in Hollywood 2013

Welcome to my 3rd Annual list of the best signers in Hollywood!


Let me preface this list, my list, by saying that not everyone who does what I do always shares the same opinion on who is and who is not a great signer. This list comes from my experiences and mine alone so without further hesitation here goes:

#10 - Jessica Chastain - Haven't seen her in a while but when I did she was as nice as can be. Didn't matter when or where she always signed.







#9 - Robert Downey Jr. - Was an Iron Man at the box office and the same with his fans. He signed up a storm on multiple occasions while promoting Iron Man 3. He may be the biggest star in the world but was down to earth this year.




#8 - Russell Crowe - One of my all time favorite actors is a class act with fans. Seemingly hundreds show up for him and he takes the time to meet each one individually.





#7 - Kevin Bacon - Kevin provided by far what was the most impressive thing I saw all year from a celebrity. At an event earlier this year he dropped in a different spot than where me and a few others were waiting and we all said he won't come over cause it was so far. Honestly, I wouldn't of blamed him, it must of been at least the distance of a football field. Instead, after he finished press, he came over and signed everything and talked to everyone and seemed like he was having a great time with us. If I had seen him more he would be much higher on this list.




#6 - Rosario Dawson - Only saw her one time this year but that one time left quite the impression. She signed and took pictures for about 20 minutes even as security kept telling her to stop. Every person that day left a bigger fan of Rosario's then they already were.





#5 - Brad Pitt - One of the biggest stars on the planet is actually becoming a better signer than he already was. I am a huge fan of his and everytime I meet him I am more impressed with how he handles fame.




#4 - Jon Bernthal - Forget just being one of the nicest celebrities I have ever met, this guy is one of the nicest people I have ever met. I will watch anything, ANYTHING, he is in in order to support him.




#3 - Tom Cruise - Few celebrities bring out as big a crowd as Tom does and few satisfy all those fans like Tom does. Will show up over an hour early to a premiere to spend all that time with fans and his love of his fans is genuine, he loves interacting with him and talking to them and signing and posing for pics. I will always be a fan of this guy.





#2 - Steven Spielberg - This guy may be worth billions but you would never know it by the way he carries himself. Earlier this year he showed up to an event and was mobbed on the way in so security rushed him. He then came back out the same door, by himself, got mobbed by fans, had security telling him to go in and he said no and stood there and signed. As good as it gets.




#1 - Al Pacino - This man is a legend. An icon. One of the greatest actors ever. One of the greatest movie stars ever and yet he took out time, alot of his time in fact this year to earn my spot as the best signer in Hollywood for 2013!