zondag 21 november 2010

Stuck In The Middle With Michael Madsen

One of the coolest actors ever is without doubt Michael Madsen (Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, Species). Although he doesn't make many decent movies, a couple he did make were instant classics. For example I cannot imagine a "Reservoir Dogs" without Michael Madsen playing Mr. Blonde. So you can imagine I was very pleased to hear to he was coming over to out small country to be present at a festival in The Hague. When he arrived at the venue he signed my DVD-covers of Reservoir Dogs and Donnie Brasco and my poster of 24. He was really friendly and chatted away with us. Off course he didn't mind taking a picture with me...
Reservoir Dogs-Michael Madsen

zondag 14 november 2010

Weekend Of Cancellations November 2010

It has been a year since the last Weekend Of Cancellations. The show formerly known as the Weekend Of Horrors this year was ready for some big announcements and even bigger cancellations. The last weekend of cancellations was even cancelled completely due to vulcanic ash, which was only affecting the area of Bottrop, Germany and not the rest of the world.

After the organiser decided he was not going to book flights for a few big guests, and a couple guests decided to cancel themselves there wasn´t really much going on this particulary weekend. But that didn´t matter to the massive amount of visitors who decided to visit the well organised show.
Amongst these visitors were besides myself fellow collector´s Bart, Gregory, Tom and off course Rene.

Legendary director Dario Argento, known for directing movies such as Suspiria, Il fantasma dell'opera, Giallo and Tenebre, was the most important guest for me this time. For 30 euro he was willing to pose for a picture during the photoshoot at the show.

Udo Kier, known for movies such as Halloween, FeardotCom, End of Days and off course Blade, posed for a picture during the photoshoot.

Fred Williamson, known for movies like Starsky & Hutch and From Dusk Till Dawn, posed for a picture during the photoshoot.

Tito Larriva, known for parts in From Dusk Till Dawn, Desperado and Machete posed for a picture during the photoshoot.

I met actor Danny Trejo before, but now he was the main actor in the movie Machete, I decided to meet him again. so was willing to sign my poster of Machete and due to friendly but not so bright crewmember he signed a postershot of Machete as well...for free! I would like to thank this crewmember and I would love to see him next year again!
I also did a grouppicture with every guest who attended the show (except for Dario Argento who went home early). On the picture are (from left to right) actor Fred Williamson, composer Harry Manfredini, Italian actor Fabrizio Jovine, actor-musician Tito Larriva, actor Richard Brooker, actor Tom Savini, actor Kane Hodder, actor Udo Kier, actor Danny Trejo, actress Lisa Wilcox, Italian actress Cinzia Monreale, Italian actress Zora Kerova and actor Ari Lehman.

Celebrities @ Covent Garden Hotel

Two of the biggest surprises of my two day trip were the actors I was lucky enough to meet at the Covent Garden Hotel in London.

The first surprise was actor Colin Farrell, known for his parts in movies such as Miami Vice, S.W.A.T., Minority Report and off course Alexander. When he checked in at the hotel, two minutes after Rene decided he wouldn´t wait any longer and left, he was willing to pose for a picture.

Trailer "Miami Vice"

Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush, known for movies such as Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Quills, House on Haunted Hill, Elizabeth and The Tailor of Panama posed for a picture. Trailer "Quills" (One on the best movies ever made!)

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 World Premiere

Harry Potter... Who doesn't know him? Well the whole world does! And we are coming to it's conclusion too. Enough reason for me to attend the world premiere of the seventh movie (part 1) in London. Although I met a lot of the supporting cast in the years before, the main cast I´ve never met. So let´s see if I´m able to change this...
Rupert Grint, best known off course as Ron Weasley, signed my poster of Harry Potter 7 and posed for a picture.
Tom Felton, best known as Draco Malfoy, signed my poster and posed for a picture.
David Yates, the director of Harry Potter part 5, 6 and 7 (part 1 and 2), signed my poster and posed for a picture.
Helena Bonham Carter is known for many movies but in the Harry Potter franchise she plays Bellatrix Lestrange. When she arrived on the red carpet she signed my poster and posed a picture. as you can see it looks like she escaped from a mental institution naked and puts her hands all over Roy who was standing next to me.
Helen McCrory, known as Narcissa Malfoy, signed my poster and posed for a picture.
Imelda Staunton, known as Dolores Umbridge, signed my poster and after some time she was willing to pose for a picture.
Evanna Lynch, best known as Luna Lovegood, signed my poster and posed for a picture.
Jamie Campbell Bower, known from the movies New Moon, Oorlogswinter and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street plays the new character Gellert Grindelwald. He signed my poster and posed for a picture.
James Phelps, known as Fred Weasley part of the twins, signed my poster and posed for a picture.
Oliver Phelps, known as George Weasley, part of the twins, signed my poster and posed for a picture.
Matthew Lewis, known as Neville Longbottom, signed my poster and posed for a picture.
Devon Murray, known as Seamus Finnigan, signed my poster and posed for a picture.
Natalia Tena, known as Nymphadora Tonks, signed my poster and posed for a funy picture.
Warwick Davis, known as Griphook, signed my poster.
Jason Isaacs, known as Lucius Malfoy, signed my poster.
Ralph Fiennes, known as Lord Voldemort, signed my poster.
Julie Walters, known as Molly Weasley, signed my poster.
Damian Lewis, known for his parts in Life, Dreamcatcher and Band of Brothers. He was willing to pose for a picture.
Trailer "Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part One"

vrijdag 12 november 2010

Birdsong @ Comedy Theatre

After I met Ben Barnes (Prince Caspian in the 2nd and 3rd Narnia movie's) several years ago in London, i decided to meet him while he was doing a play called "Birdsong" in the Comedy Theatre. When he came out of the theatre, we saw that Ben Barnes looked more like fellow collector Gregory then like Ben Barnes himself. Even more reason to make a picture with him. Becides the picture the also signed the Blue Ray cover of the 2nd Narnia movie).
Trailer "The Chronicles Of Narnia: Prince Caspian"

Yes Prime, Minister @ Gielgud Theatre

Because Rene decided he was going to pursue some luck for himself after missing Dolph Lundgren completely and getting Michael Gambon only once, he wanted to go David Haig, who is the lead actor in the West End play "Yes, Prime Minister". David Haig is "mostly" known for his roles/cameo's in movies like Four Weddings And A Funeral, Two Weeks Notice and off course A For Andromeda. After he completely made Rene's day and signed two autographs for him he was also willing to pose for a picture with him... And me? Although I didn't want his autograph, I couldn't refrain from collecting a new posed photo for all of you te see. And here it is!

Krapp's Last Tape @ Duchess Theatre

Michael Gambon (Harry Potter's Dumbeldore and also Sleepy Hollow & The Book Of Eli) is the leading actor in the one-man-show "Krapp's Last Tape" which is currently playing at the Duchess Theatre in London. When he departed the theatre through the stagedoor, he refused to sign Harry Potter related items. I didn't regret that, because I met him before and back then he did sign Harry Potter items. Right now he signed two DVD-covers (The Book Of Eli & The Omen) and he posed for a picture.

Trailer "Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince"

An Evening With Dolph Lundgren

The London Film Museum hosted "an evening with Dolph Lundgren", due to the DVD en Blu-Ray release of the movie The Expendables next month. During this evening the action star talked about his carreer and off course his part in the blockbustermovie The Expendables. You could only attend this event if you won tickets in a competition, in which I didn't participate. So Rene and myself decided to try and meet him while he arrived at the museum or left the venue again. Luckily for me, not so lucky for Rene, fellow collector Luke invited me to join him during to talk and the signing session which would follow afterwards. So after leaving Rene in the cold, I entered the warm auditorium of the Film Museum together with Luke. After listening to his enjoyable talk, where he did impersonations of Sylvester Stallone and Christopher Walken, I was the first one to meet him during his free signingsession. For me Dolph signed a postershot from The Expendables. Afterwards he asked me if I wanted to do photo...I couldn't refuse!

Trailer "The Punisher"

Trailer "Masters Of The Universe"

Trailer "Rocky 4"

zaterdag 30 oktober 2010

Unesco Gala 2010

Like last year, this year the annual Unesco Gala was being held in the Maritim Hotel in Dusseldorf, Germany. And like last year a couple of celebrities attended the Gala. So enough reason for me to attend it as well, together with Tom and Roy.

The most important guest this year for me was director Oliver Stone. The three time Academy Award winner directed a couple of classic movies like Wall Street, Platoon, JFK, Natural Born Killers and more recently Alexander. For me he signed the Oliver Stone Collection boxset, containing almost all his movies and the DVD-cover of Platoon. He was also wlling to pose for a picture...



Sienna Miller, the girlfriend of Jude Law, is mostly known due to her parts in G:I Joe (which I really liked) and Interview. The lovely actress was more then willing to pose for a picture.



Armin Mueller-Stahl', the German actor, is mostly known for his parts in international acclaimed movies like The X Files Movie, The International, The Game and recently Angels & Demons. For me signed the DVD-cover of The Thirteenth Floor and the Blu Ray-covers of Angels & Demons and The International. After that he posed for a picture...

vrijdag 29 oktober 2010

Jackass 3D Premiere @ Amsterdam Arena

For me it was the first time I attended a premiere in the Amsterdam Arena. When I arrived a little bit late due to working commitments, I experienced a lot of people there which was not very pleasant espescially because they occupied the complete first row. So me and Tom decided to wait inside, where we met ll of them after waiting only 20 minutes...
Johnny Knoxville, creator of Jackass, is also known from his parts in Men In Black 2 and The Dukes Of Hazzard. For me he signed the DVD-cover of the second Jackass movie and he was willing to pose for a picture...luckily!
Bam Margera, also a true Jackass phenomenon. He also had a solo TV program called Viva La Bam. He also signed the DVD-cover and posed for the picture.
Director Jeff Tremaine, directed everything the Jackass guys ever did. He posed for a picture....

maandag 25 oktober 2010

F.A.C.T.S. 2010

Europe's biggest annual movie-event is F.A.C.T.S in Ghent, Belgium. This event is getting bigger every year and this year thee were two big halls (So twice as big as LFCC!) filled with movie related stuff and one big hall filled with game related stuff. Among the attendees are children, autograph hunters, people who want a lot of attention, psycho's and devotees. Among these people I went up to the stars to meet them...again.

Jewel Staite, known for her starring role in Firefly and Serenity, posed for a picture with a little help from Stjepko.
Robert Picardo, known for his roles in Star Trek: Voyager, Stargate SG-1 and Mega Shark vs Crocosaurus posed for a picture woth a little help from Raphael. Billy Dee Williams, known for his parts in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Batman and Nighthawks, posed for the picture, this time wthout a wheelchair.
Noah Hathaway, known for his parts as a kid in Battlestar Galactica, Troll and The Neverending Story, posed for a picture wearing his funny hat. Luckily it wasn't a German Soccer Team Cap...

dinsdag 19 oktober 2010

Tim Robbins @ Amsterdam

For the second time in one week I was going to try to meet Academy Award winning actor Tom Robbins, most known for movies as: The Shawshank Redemption, Mystic River and Arlington Road. Last week when I met him I wasn't able to get a picture with him because he just didn't want to do it, but instead he signed my Blu Ray cover of The Shawshank Redemption. So this time I didn't go Germany but to our capital Amsterdam instead. While walking through the citycentre, I spotted him riding a bicycle. When he stopped to smoke a cigarette I approached him to ask him for a picture with him. This time he was ok with it, and this is the result.
One of the best movies of all time...

His Academy Award winning performance...

For all the Sci-Fi geeks :-)

vrijdag 15 oktober 2010

Tim Robbins @ Luxor Cologne

After a two weeks vacation without any celebs, it was about time that I was going to meet at least one. And so I did. Only because Tim Robbins is one of many actors who turned into singer, he came over to Cologne to perform in the Luxor Theatre, right in the middle of Cologne's ghetto, amongst dead rats and people you don't want to bump into in a dark alley...sometimes even a light alley. When the Oscar winning actor arrived at the, not zo, beautiful venue 6 collector's were waiting for him, including myself, Bart and the always present Rene. Tim decided he would sign one each and unfortunately no pictures with... :-(
For me he signed the Blu-Ray cover of The Shawshank Redemption. And as with most celebrities meet-ups Rene almost mist him but managed to get a quick autograph right before he walked in.
So, not the best experience of my life, but it was an experience after all...

zondag 19 september 2010

Movie & Comic Event 2010

After a long time the Movie & Comic Event in Bottrop Germany was finally being held again. Even more then previous years, this edition suffered from more cancellations then visitors. It all looked like a private signing with maybe only 50 visitors, and I am not exaggerating at all. But except for one cancellation, everyone who I wanted to meet was at the convention to sign, pose, talk and (most of the time) do nothing.

Robert Knepper, known from the hitseries "Prison Break" and "Heroes", signed my Heroes-Artwork and posed for a smiling picture!
And for a serious one as well...



Michael Beck, mostly known for his starring role in the classic movie The Warriors, posed for a picture.


Deborah Van Valkenburgh, also mostly known for the movie The Warriors, was also one the female leads in the Christopher Lambert-movie Mean Guns, which I think is the Lambert ever made...


David Rasche, known for his role as Sledge Hammer in the series Sledge Hammer. He posed for a picture...



Marilyn Burns, known as the female lead in the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre posed for a picture. All cosy with a chainsaw, something different as being cosy with a small child.



After these private meet & greets we drove back home.