Wild Weekend! Part Three: Black Sunday (& I don't just mean the movie!)
For anyone who hasn’t seen my posts about the previous days, please read those first!
Day 1 - http://japanesedream.livejournal.com/382408.html
Day 2 - http://japanesedream.livejournal.com/382836.html
Breakfast at the hotel. You don’t need pictures of the hotel, do you? ^_~ I did take some of our room, which I will post if it would make this report more thorough. XD
Actually, breakfast was kind of weird. If you wanted it sent up to the room, you had to hang the little request thingie on the outside door by, like, 1 am, but we got in after 1. :P Would’ve had something in the restaurant, but the only thing they seemed to have was the continental (to my understanding, despite the impression of vastness given by the word “continental” - as if it would be the size of a continent! - a continental breakfast has always consisted of your basic one-bread-product-&-one-liquid-product setup), or the breakfast buffet. Might’ve been nice, but was a tad expensive. So my brother & I went down & asked if we could just take some things in the case on the back counter (bagels, danishes, muffins, etc.) & get charged for individual items. The woman didn’t seem to know what to do with us. XD But we got a few things, including stuff for Mother, & the woman charged us for one continental. We prob’ly could’ve grabbed more, but we didn’t want to push our luck.
After breakfast & getting ready, we gathered up our goodies & checked out. Managed to navigate the u-turns more easily, thus making it back to the Crowne Plaza in good time. We’d decided to do a bit of the day, after all (initially, we weren’t going to, despite my wanting to see Black Sunday, which was being screened at Noon). My mom wanted to say good-bye to Dale, & we thought it would be nice to thank Amelia for her impulsive move the night before. ^_^
Parking space was pretty easily found! And fairly close to the hotel, as well! My mom would later tell me she took this as a positive omen. She was also really glad the crowd wasn’t too bad. Sunday is a busy day, but much more subdued than Saturday. As I said in my last post, I guess Saturday is when most of the 1-day attendees go.
Had a last look at all the goodies, kinda hoping somebody would have the first NOTD on DVD (I have it on VHS, Johnathan has 2 & 3 on DVD) or Pet Sematary (which my mom & I have on VHS, but my mom was hoping to snag it on DVD). No luck (nor did they have any t-shirts or merch for either film, apart from the PS key-chains my mom & I got), but my brother did find an old favourite of his called Clownhouse, which he bought.
Back to the signing rooms. Amelia was in the first room, btw; wasn’t sure if I’d mentioned that. She had a couple people talking to her, but we waited. When she was free, I went up to her & said hi. She was, like, “Oh, hi!” as if she remembered us (we seemed to be hard to forget at this thing! XD). I said, “We just wanted to thank you for last night, ‘cuz that was…” I can’t recall if I said it was awesome or a pleasure or something, but you get the idea. She was really pleased by our gesture, & then she got up & put her jacket on (she was dressed more casually, in a shirt & pants rather than a dress like Sat.), so I thought she was getting ready to leave, but she comes out from behind her table & gives me a great, big HUG!! And not a quickie, it lasted for a bit!! I think I squeezed her a little, & rubbed her shoulder. It struck me as some kind of validation, like maybe afterward (on Sat.) she’d thought, “OMG, should I have done that?!” (I know I think like that A LOT.) When we broke our embrace, we held hands for a sec, & she was, like, “Thank you so much!” in her soft, sweet voice. I think she said it twice. We bid each other good-bye, & I think I was still in a bit of a daze as we were leaving.
My memory is a bit out-of-order at this point, please forgive me. We must’ve gone into the other signing room before the film, but we didn’t talk to Dale until afterward, ’cuz that’s when we had the Barbara Steele moment. Maybe Dale’s table was crowded, or he was on another pee break. XD And I can’t remember how it came about, but the guy working Barbara Steele’s table (was it him, or a different guy/staffer? I’m not sure) must’ve heard us talking about the movie, ’cus he told us she was leaving soon. I thought it kind of sad she wasn’t going to at least catch her old film when it screened (I think I said something aloud about that), or - wishful thinking here - do something like Amelia did on Sat. night. ^_^
I believe my mom & brother grabbed a spot of lunch at this point, at the little a la carte burgers-&-hot dogs table. After that, to make sure we got good seats for the movie, we went in a little early. (I think Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman passed us, on his way out, as we were walking toward the screening room.) I snapped this picture of the menu on the projector screen. Sadly, there weren’t a whole lot of people there - either ‘cuz it was Sunday & it wasn’t as crowded, generally speaking, or they didn’t know the film. I certainly hope it was the former, since I’d been wanting to see that movie for years, & even though it might not meet today’s high genre standards, in terms of gore or whatever (apart from the mask that gets nailed to Barbara Steele’s face at the beginning of the film, there isn’t much if any blood to be seen), it’s a classic; Mario Bava’s first as a director, & (I’d always heard) the one that put Ms. Steele on the map. Or, at least, the horror map. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n2At1J0tko
So we watched the film, which was, of course, excellent. There was a moment where I was observing Barbara Steele on-screen, wondering what kind of life she’d lived, what kind of person she was then & had become now. I can only guess what kind of adventurous time she may have had in Europe (she’s British, but this was an Italian film), although it occurred to me that, perhaps, she was a very solitary person, & had not been adventurous at all.
I felt really accomplished when the film ended, another of my long-held missions at last completed. My mom thought the movie a bit familiar, as if she’d seen it long ago (it had been on Turner Classics, like, once, that I know of - but it was a weekday & I was working, so I missed it), & my brother remarked that Ms. Steele looked really pretty back in the day. I don’t think he’d known much (if anything) about her before seeing the film (I had seen some of her other work, but not Black Sunday). One thing she’d always been known for were those eyes.
Had to hit the road soon, so now it was time to help my mom accomplish her goal of saying good-bye to Dale. We made our way back into the 2nd signing room, where Julian Sands seemed in better spirits, grinning as he took photos with fans (we didn’t talk to him, but my mom said he was looking in our direction at one point, prob’ly ‘cuz we’re the most indecisive & hesitant people on the planet, LOL!! My brother later joked that they prob’ly told him to “straighten out” XD). My mom was a bit nervous going up to Dale again, & we had to wait while he talked to & took photos with some staffers). Barbara Steele was still there, looking less stern than the previous days, & I debated whether to speak with her while we waited for Dale.
We agreed that if I helped my mom with Dale, she would help me with Ms. Steele. So after the staffers left, we went up to him. Much like Amelia, he appeared to remember us. “Oh, hi!” My mom did most of the talking this time, saying we were just getting ready to go, but we’d enjoyed the convention & hoped he had, too. Something to that effect. He got up & gave my mom ANOTHER HUG, again calling her “so sweet”, & she wished him luck with his career. We said we hoped we might see him again, at another convention, & he bid us a safe trip home. “You, too!” my mom said. I shook his hand & said, “It’s been a pleasure, sir.” He thanked me, & we bid him good-bye.
As you can imagine, my mom was a bit giddy after this! (Heck, she’s still on Cloud 9 about the whole experience. XD) But she’d vowed to assist me with Ms. Steele, so on we went. I debated for some time about which photo to get, ‘cuz there were some nice ones. I definitely wanted something from Black Sunday, to commemorate my seeing it. But I said what the heck, let’s go all out, & for $5 more than a photo, I bought the DVD. I was getting kinda shaky at that point, from nerves, I guess, & the guy working her table said, “Don’t worry, she’s more nervous about meeting you than you are about meeting her.” There was a guy in line in front of us who was telling her how he had to track down some of her movies, since they were hard to find, & how disappointed he was when she had to cancel a previously-scheduled appearance at a convention (I think it was one of the Monster-Mania cons, but I’m not sure).
I’m next up to her, & tell her it’s a pleasure to meet her, & she’s smiling & thanking me. I said we’d just come from the screening of Black Sunday. “Was it a good print?” she asked. Soon as she said that, I loved her!! XD Didn’t have the heart to tell her it was a DVD - actually, it didn’t even cross my mind that it had been anything other than a projected film. XD I told her yes, it looked wonderful, & she was glad. ^_^ I asked her what it was like to make the movie, & how it was to work with the director, Mario Bava (I’ve seen some of his other work, & admire him as a film-maker). She said it was a wonderful period in her career & in film-making, that she’d enjoyed it very much, & that Bava was great to work with.
She asked if I wanted her to personalise the signature on my DVD, & I said, “That would be lovely,” so she asked my name & I told her. “You’re going to have to write that down,” she said, “‘cuz I don’t want to screw it up.” XD So I wrote it on a post-it for her, & she complimented my handwriting! 8D
I thanked her, & asked if I could get a photo with her. She said sure, but I’d have to come ‘round to her side of the table & sit next to her.
I’m thinking, DUDE, I AM SITTING NEXT TO BARBARA STEELE!!! XD And she’s leaning in, & being nice, & here I was, afraid of her for the last 2 days! XD
But the best is yet to come: Johnathan takes the photo, & as we’re getting ready to leave, she asks me, “Is this your boyfriend?” I said no, it was my brother, & in her lovely British accent, she goes, “Oh, your brother!” Then she says, “I want a picture with your brother.” O.o So I took a picture of Johnathan with - as she may be forever known after this - (OMG) BARBARA F***ING STEELE!!! :D
I made sure he was smiling for this one. XD My mom & I are still joking that she was a cougar & was sweet on him. XD
We thanked her & bid her good-bye & now we, are, like, SO crazy & over-the-moon happy, & we figured we had to end things there on that super-high note. Grabbed some drinks at the little café for the trip back, & made our way toward the exit, when who should be walking toward us but Felissa Rose!! She was with one of her people, & holding a baby, which we’d seen her do the other days, as well (tho’ someone else must’ve had it - I think it’s a boy - when I talked to her Fri. night). We assumed it was hers, & I did look at her website after I got home, reading that she’d had her 3rd child not terribly long ago, so that must have been the one. My mom said good-bye to her, & then I said, “Bye, Felissa!” & like Amelia & Dale, she seemed to recognise us. She said bye & that it was nice meeting us, & I said, “You, too!” & we said good-bye again, & that was it. Out to the parking lot, where we sat for a couple of minutes, trying to take it all in.
We hated to go, but we couldn’t have topped those moments if we tried! XD
I was hoping to try to make it back to my mom’s without the perilous trek through Philadelphia, but no dice. In fact, this day was worse, ’cuz I’d brought MapQuest directions for each route (hotel to hotel, hotel to/from my house, hotel to/from my mom’s house), none of which suggested Philadelphia as a direct route. I usually hate MapQuest, but since I’m terrible with directions, I wanted a back-up in case Maggie (my GPS) didn’t suffice. Unfortunately, in my attempt to follow the non-Philly path, what does she do, but take me through CAMDEN (for those of you who do not know this city, if you have seen ‘the Newark song’ - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U7kuqow3gg - Camden’s reputation is a WHOLE LOT worse!!), & THEN through Philly!!! I ended up getting lost, taking wrong turns (likely ‘cuz nobody would let me change lanes again, just like on the drive down), & now here I am, in tears, panicked, & terrified that I’m gonna be driving in endless circles around Philly for the rest of my life. XP
Eventually, we got back on course, & I calmed down. The rest of the drive back to my mom’s was light-hearted, filled with conversation about our escapades. We did hit a few rain-showers, one quite heavy, but they were brief, for the most part (I hate driving in rain, but did okay). Once we got back, we regaled Matthew (one of my other brothers, for you new friends - I have 3), as well as a couple of my mom’s neighbours, with tales of our exploits, showing everyone the photos on my camera, then passed out for a bit. Watched some of the movies we’d come back with over the course of the evening, as well as a bit of tv, & had some dinner. Next day (Mon.), Johnathan had to work, so my mom & I did a bit of shopping, then hung around until Johnathan got home. Not long after, I took a photo of Mattie (below) before heading back w/my mom to NJ. I had Tues. to get ready for!
Next up...Dir en grey!! Check it out here: http://japanesedream.livejournal.com/383333.html
Day 1 - http://japanesedream.livejournal.com/382408.html
Day 2 - http://japanesedream.livejournal.com/382836.html
Breakfast at the hotel. You don’t need pictures of the hotel, do you? ^_~ I did take some of our room, which I will post if it would make this report more thorough. XD
Actually, breakfast was kind of weird. If you wanted it sent up to the room, you had to hang the little request thingie on the outside door by, like, 1 am, but we got in after 1. :P Would’ve had something in the restaurant, but the only thing they seemed to have was the continental (to my understanding, despite the impression of vastness given by the word “continental” - as if it would be the size of a continent! - a continental breakfast has always consisted of your basic one-bread-product-&-one-liquid-product setup), or the breakfast buffet. Might’ve been nice, but was a tad expensive. So my brother & I went down & asked if we could just take some things in the case on the back counter (bagels, danishes, muffins, etc.) & get charged for individual items. The woman didn’t seem to know what to do with us. XD But we got a few things, including stuff for Mother, & the woman charged us for one continental. We prob’ly could’ve grabbed more, but we didn’t want to push our luck.
After breakfast & getting ready, we gathered up our goodies & checked out. Managed to navigate the u-turns more easily, thus making it back to the Crowne Plaza in good time. We’d decided to do a bit of the day, after all (initially, we weren’t going to, despite my wanting to see Black Sunday, which was being screened at Noon). My mom wanted to say good-bye to Dale, & we thought it would be nice to thank Amelia for her impulsive move the night before. ^_^
Parking space was pretty easily found! And fairly close to the hotel, as well! My mom would later tell me she took this as a positive omen. She was also really glad the crowd wasn’t too bad. Sunday is a busy day, but much more subdued than Saturday. As I said in my last post, I guess Saturday is when most of the 1-day attendees go.
Had a last look at all the goodies, kinda hoping somebody would have the first NOTD on DVD (I have it on VHS, Johnathan has 2 & 3 on DVD) or Pet Sematary (which my mom & I have on VHS, but my mom was hoping to snag it on DVD). No luck (nor did they have any t-shirts or merch for either film, apart from the PS key-chains my mom & I got), but my brother did find an old favourite of his called Clownhouse, which he bought.
Back to the signing rooms. Amelia was in the first room, btw; wasn’t sure if I’d mentioned that. She had a couple people talking to her, but we waited. When she was free, I went up to her & said hi. She was, like, “Oh, hi!” as if she remembered us (we seemed to be hard to forget at this thing! XD). I said, “We just wanted to thank you for last night, ‘cuz that was…” I can’t recall if I said it was awesome or a pleasure or something, but you get the idea. She was really pleased by our gesture, & then she got up & put her jacket on (she was dressed more casually, in a shirt & pants rather than a dress like Sat.), so I thought she was getting ready to leave, but she comes out from behind her table & gives me a great, big HUG!! And not a quickie, it lasted for a bit!! I think I squeezed her a little, & rubbed her shoulder. It struck me as some kind of validation, like maybe afterward (on Sat.) she’d thought, “OMG, should I have done that?!” (I know I think like that A LOT.) When we broke our embrace, we held hands for a sec, & she was, like, “Thank you so much!” in her soft, sweet voice. I think she said it twice. We bid each other good-bye, & I think I was still in a bit of a daze as we were leaving.
My memory is a bit out-of-order at this point, please forgive me. We must’ve gone into the other signing room before the film, but we didn’t talk to Dale until afterward, ’cuz that’s when we had the Barbara Steele moment. Maybe Dale’s table was crowded, or he was on another pee break. XD And I can’t remember how it came about, but the guy working Barbara Steele’s table (was it him, or a different guy/staffer? I’m not sure) must’ve heard us talking about the movie, ’cus he told us she was leaving soon. I thought it kind of sad she wasn’t going to at least catch her old film when it screened (I think I said something aloud about that), or - wishful thinking here - do something like Amelia did on Sat. night. ^_^
I believe my mom & brother grabbed a spot of lunch at this point, at the little a la carte burgers-&-hot dogs table. After that, to make sure we got good seats for the movie, we went in a little early. (I think Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman passed us, on his way out, as we were walking toward the screening room.) I snapped this picture of the menu on the projector screen. Sadly, there weren’t a whole lot of people there - either ‘cuz it was Sunday & it wasn’t as crowded, generally speaking, or they didn’t know the film. I certainly hope it was the former, since I’d been wanting to see that movie for years, & even though it might not meet today’s high genre standards, in terms of gore or whatever (apart from the mask that gets nailed to Barbara Steele’s face at the beginning of the film, there isn’t much if any blood to be seen), it’s a classic; Mario Bava’s first as a director, & (I’d always heard) the one that put Ms. Steele on the map. Or, at least, the horror map. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n2At1J0tko
So we watched the film, which was, of course, excellent. There was a moment where I was observing Barbara Steele on-screen, wondering what kind of life she’d lived, what kind of person she was then & had become now. I can only guess what kind of adventurous time she may have had in Europe (she’s British, but this was an Italian film), although it occurred to me that, perhaps, she was a very solitary person, & had not been adventurous at all.
I felt really accomplished when the film ended, another of my long-held missions at last completed. My mom thought the movie a bit familiar, as if she’d seen it long ago (it had been on Turner Classics, like, once, that I know of - but it was a weekday & I was working, so I missed it), & my brother remarked that Ms. Steele looked really pretty back in the day. I don’t think he’d known much (if anything) about her before seeing the film (I had seen some of her other work, but not Black Sunday). One thing she’d always been known for were those eyes.
Had to hit the road soon, so now it was time to help my mom accomplish her goal of saying good-bye to Dale. We made our way back into the 2nd signing room, where Julian Sands seemed in better spirits, grinning as he took photos with fans (we didn’t talk to him, but my mom said he was looking in our direction at one point, prob’ly ‘cuz we’re the most indecisive & hesitant people on the planet, LOL!! My brother later joked that they prob’ly told him to “straighten out” XD). My mom was a bit nervous going up to Dale again, & we had to wait while he talked to & took photos with some staffers). Barbara Steele was still there, looking less stern than the previous days, & I debated whether to speak with her while we waited for Dale.
We agreed that if I helped my mom with Dale, she would help me with Ms. Steele. So after the staffers left, we went up to him. Much like Amelia, he appeared to remember us. “Oh, hi!” My mom did most of the talking this time, saying we were just getting ready to go, but we’d enjoyed the convention & hoped he had, too. Something to that effect. He got up & gave my mom ANOTHER HUG, again calling her “so sweet”, & she wished him luck with his career. We said we hoped we might see him again, at another convention, & he bid us a safe trip home. “You, too!” my mom said. I shook his hand & said, “It’s been a pleasure, sir.” He thanked me, & we bid him good-bye.
As you can imagine, my mom was a bit giddy after this! (Heck, she’s still on Cloud 9 about the whole experience. XD) But she’d vowed to assist me with Ms. Steele, so on we went. I debated for some time about which photo to get, ‘cuz there were some nice ones. I definitely wanted something from Black Sunday, to commemorate my seeing it. But I said what the heck, let’s go all out, & for $5 more than a photo, I bought the DVD. I was getting kinda shaky at that point, from nerves, I guess, & the guy working her table said, “Don’t worry, she’s more nervous about meeting you than you are about meeting her.” There was a guy in line in front of us who was telling her how he had to track down some of her movies, since they were hard to find, & how disappointed he was when she had to cancel a previously-scheduled appearance at a convention (I think it was one of the Monster-Mania cons, but I’m not sure).
I’m next up to her, & tell her it’s a pleasure to meet her, & she’s smiling & thanking me. I said we’d just come from the screening of Black Sunday. “Was it a good print?” she asked. Soon as she said that, I loved her!! XD Didn’t have the heart to tell her it was a DVD - actually, it didn’t even cross my mind that it had been anything other than a projected film. XD I told her yes, it looked wonderful, & she was glad. ^_^ I asked her what it was like to make the movie, & how it was to work with the director, Mario Bava (I’ve seen some of his other work, & admire him as a film-maker). She said it was a wonderful period in her career & in film-making, that she’d enjoyed it very much, & that Bava was great to work with.
She asked if I wanted her to personalise the signature on my DVD, & I said, “That would be lovely,” so she asked my name & I told her. “You’re going to have to write that down,” she said, “‘cuz I don’t want to screw it up.” XD So I wrote it on a post-it for her, & she complimented my handwriting! 8D
I thanked her, & asked if I could get a photo with her. She said sure, but I’d have to come ‘round to her side of the table & sit next to her.
I’m thinking, DUDE, I AM SITTING NEXT TO BARBARA STEELE!!! XD And she’s leaning in, & being nice, & here I was, afraid of her for the last 2 days! XD
But the best is yet to come: Johnathan takes the photo, & as we’re getting ready to leave, she asks me, “Is this your boyfriend?” I said no, it was my brother, & in her lovely British accent, she goes, “Oh, your brother!” Then she says, “I want a picture with your brother.” O.o So I took a picture of Johnathan with - as she may be forever known after this - (OMG) BARBARA F***ING STEELE!!! :D
I made sure he was smiling for this one. XD My mom & I are still joking that she was a cougar & was sweet on him. XD
We thanked her & bid her good-bye & now we, are, like, SO crazy & over-the-moon happy, & we figured we had to end things there on that super-high note. Grabbed some drinks at the little café for the trip back, & made our way toward the exit, when who should be walking toward us but Felissa Rose!! She was with one of her people, & holding a baby, which we’d seen her do the other days, as well (tho’ someone else must’ve had it - I think it’s a boy - when I talked to her Fri. night). We assumed it was hers, & I did look at her website after I got home, reading that she’d had her 3rd child not terribly long ago, so that must have been the one. My mom said good-bye to her, & then I said, “Bye, Felissa!” & like Amelia & Dale, she seemed to recognise us. She said bye & that it was nice meeting us, & I said, “You, too!” & we said good-bye again, & that was it. Out to the parking lot, where we sat for a couple of minutes, trying to take it all in.
We hated to go, but we couldn’t have topped those moments if we tried! XD
I was hoping to try to make it back to my mom’s without the perilous trek through Philadelphia, but no dice. In fact, this day was worse, ’cuz I’d brought MapQuest directions for each route (hotel to hotel, hotel to/from my house, hotel to/from my mom’s house), none of which suggested Philadelphia as a direct route. I usually hate MapQuest, but since I’m terrible with directions, I wanted a back-up in case Maggie (my GPS) didn’t suffice. Unfortunately, in my attempt to follow the non-Philly path, what does she do, but take me through CAMDEN (for those of you who do not know this city, if you have seen ‘the Newark song’ - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U7kuqow3gg - Camden’s reputation is a WHOLE LOT worse!!), & THEN through Philly!!! I ended up getting lost, taking wrong turns (likely ‘cuz nobody would let me change lanes again, just like on the drive down), & now here I am, in tears, panicked, & terrified that I’m gonna be driving in endless circles around Philly for the rest of my life. XP
Eventually, we got back on course, & I calmed down. The rest of the drive back to my mom’s was light-hearted, filled with conversation about our escapades. We did hit a few rain-showers, one quite heavy, but they were brief, for the most part (I hate driving in rain, but did okay). Once we got back, we regaled Matthew (one of my other brothers, for you new friends - I have 3), as well as a couple of my mom’s neighbours, with tales of our exploits, showing everyone the photos on my camera, then passed out for a bit. Watched some of the movies we’d come back with over the course of the evening, as well as a bit of tv, & had some dinner. Next day (Mon.), Johnathan had to work, so my mom & I did a bit of shopping, then hung around until Johnathan got home. Not long after, I took a photo of Mattie (below) before heading back w/my mom to NJ. I had Tues. to get ready for!
Next up...Dir en grey!! Check it out here: http://japanesedream.livejournal.com/383333.html