Fucking Robert Rodriguez. At least that's what I call him after meeting him at Comic-Con International this past year.
My friend and I found out the Grindhouse gang would be signing at the Neca booth and the only way to get a ticket was to buy a con-exclusive figure from them for $20. Quentin Tarentino, Robert Rodriguez, Rosario Dawson, and Rose McGowan autographs for $20 - we put down our twenties down like they were on fire and got 2 Cannibal Captain Jack Sparrow figures. The clerk handed us mini-posters to Planet Terror and Death Proof. Concerned, I asked what the autograph rules were. We were told it was a strict limit of 1 autograph per person, no personalizing, on whatever we handed them.
Cool - I had a picture of Quentin and Robert from the set of Kill Bill, Rosario Dawson from Clerks 2, and Rose McGowan from Charmed. For the cast that was more obscure, I had index cards (when you go to a convention, you have to roll with index cards just in case you see someone who wasn't announced). I'm a huge fan of those four and the chance to see all of them together was really exciting.
A few hours later we were waiting and a girl came down the line passing out the same posters that we'd already gotten so we refused them. My friend asked her if they were still signing one of anything and she didn't know. We asked another clerk behind the counter and he reconfirmed what we'd already been told.
When we got close to the front of the line, a woman with a video camera saw our photos and told us the cast was only signing posters. When we told her what the two clerks told us. She let us know she was working for the cast, filming some stuff for the DVD, and she didn't think they'd sign but she pointed out that the worst thing they could say was no. As I'd soon discover, that wasn't the worst that could happen.
The signing area was elevated and once we got to the top of the stairs a girl handed us two more of the same posters we'd already gotten. I indicated that I had my own stuff to sign but she insisted I take it "just in case." The cast was divided into two tables - Robert's and Quentin's. Robert's table was first and at the first person I saw was Marley Shelton and I handed her a photo I had and asked her to sign it and she signed it joylessly but she did sign it. Next was Mary Elizabeth Winstead who I gave an index card to and asked her to sign as well which she also joylessly did. Looking back it was tough to determine whether their dead expressions were a byproduct of the chaos or because they knew what the punishment was going to be for daring to bring my own stuff to the signing.
Next up was Rose McGowan - the lovely Rose McGowan - Scream Rose McGowan. I was waiting for her to make eye contact so I could ask for her autograph when someone came right up to me and started yelling at me. I didn't catch the first part of the rant and only became aware of it as he was telling me that I'd been told a 'dozen' times that they were only signing the posters. I lamely protested - something like "no I wasn't" but he kept going, telling me that if I tried that again I'd be thrown out of the line. He snatched the posters out of my hand and I almost dropped the photos I had. He slapped the posters on the table in front of Quentin Tarentino then stormed off to yell at my friend who was doing the same thing. Jesus Christ, I just got fucking hammered in front of Rose McGowan and Robert Rodriguez - two people whose work I've enjoyed and who I was looking forward to meeting.
I stood there struggling with the need to hit that fucker as hard as I could and the desire to stay out of handcuffs when Robert offered a ray of hope. He reached up and pulled the photos I had down so he could see what I had. I tipped the pictures toward him and he saw the photo of him and Quentin. "It's from the Kill Bill set, I think," I offered hopefully. Without a word, he let the photo go and stared down the line, ignoring me completely to watch my friend get his ass handed to him.
Humiliated enough for one day, I moved on quickly to the next table. Quentin had already signed the poster and Rosario was signing it. I'd met her the previous day and she was really sweet and we had talked Rent while she signed a couple of autographs for me. After she signed the poster, she looked up to see I was rocking my View Askew shirt and wanted to know if I'd seen Clerks 2 yet. I promised I would soon (a promise I made good on two days later) and she talked about how much fun she had and how cool Kevin Smith was to work with. She and I were talking while the poster made its way through the last two signers. I was peripherally aware of my friend passing by on his way out of the line after having his posters roughly jammed in front of Quentin. Rosario waved goodbye as she turned to another fan and struck up another conversation. I have no idea to this day who the person next to Rosario was but I picked up the poster in front of Zoe Bell. When I picked up the poster I mentioned that I enjoyed Double Dare (a stunt woman documentary that she'd promoted with Jennie Epper the year before). Zoe had that same joyless, blank stare that everyone but Rosario seemed to have.
I bounced down the stairs and uncharacteristically shoved my way through the throng of rubberneckers without so much as an 'excuse me, pardon me, excuse me.' I found my friend down the row further, stowing shit roughly into his backpack and I followed suit.
Later that day (when the crowd dispersed) I found out that fucker was in charge of the Neca booth. From that day on, fuck Neca and fuck Fucking Robert Rodriguez.
Still, I can't help looking forward to Grindhouse. It looks fucking amazing. I think Robert Rodriguez is an asshole and that was before I found out he was having his affair with Rose McGowan (which probably isn't true, but I'll take any excuse to chop at him). I didn't want to see it opening weekend because I didn't want to add to the enormous opening weekend I expected it to have.
Karma? If not for Rosario, I'd like to think so.
Don't take this the wrong way - I'm not defending Fucking Robert Rodriguez but11 million? These guys' last movies were Kill Bill Volume 2 and Sin City - the movie should have been number one at the box office. Still, this past Monday night, the Grindhouse stars went back to the talk shows: Rose on Leno, Zoe on Conan, Kurt Russell on the Late Late Show, and Quentin went on the Late Late show Tuesday night (last night).
I've met a lot of celebrities but I've learned to separate them from the work. I can hate them but enjoy their movies. Still, Rob's the only one I gave a nifty nickname.
My friend and I found out the Grindhouse gang would be signing at the Neca booth and the only way to get a ticket was to buy a con-exclusive figure from them for $20. Quentin Tarentino, Robert Rodriguez, Rosario Dawson, and Rose McGowan autographs for $20 - we put down our twenties down like they were on fire and got 2 Cannibal Captain Jack Sparrow figures. The clerk handed us mini-posters to Planet Terror and Death Proof. Concerned, I asked what the autograph rules were. We were told it was a strict limit of 1 autograph per person, no personalizing, on whatever we handed them.
Cool - I had a picture of Quentin and Robert from the set of Kill Bill, Rosario Dawson from Clerks 2, and Rose McGowan from Charmed. For the cast that was more obscure, I had index cards (when you go to a convention, you have to roll with index cards just in case you see someone who wasn't announced). I'm a huge fan of those four and the chance to see all of them together was really exciting.
A few hours later we were waiting and a girl came down the line passing out the same posters that we'd already gotten so we refused them. My friend asked her if they were still signing one of anything and she didn't know. We asked another clerk behind the counter and he reconfirmed what we'd already been told.
When we got close to the front of the line, a woman with a video camera saw our photos and told us the cast was only signing posters. When we told her what the two clerks told us. She let us know she was working for the cast, filming some stuff for the DVD, and she didn't think they'd sign but she pointed out that the worst thing they could say was no. As I'd soon discover, that wasn't the worst that could happen.
The signing area was elevated and once we got to the top of the stairs a girl handed us two more of the same posters we'd already gotten. I indicated that I had my own stuff to sign but she insisted I take it "just in case." The cast was divided into two tables - Robert's and Quentin's. Robert's table was first and at the first person I saw was Marley Shelton and I handed her a photo I had and asked her to sign it and she signed it joylessly but she did sign it. Next was Mary Elizabeth Winstead who I gave an index card to and asked her to sign as well which she also joylessly did. Looking back it was tough to determine whether their dead expressions were a byproduct of the chaos or because they knew what the punishment was going to be for daring to bring my own stuff to the signing.
Next up was Rose McGowan - the lovely Rose McGowan - Scream Rose McGowan. I was waiting for her to make eye contact so I could ask for her autograph when someone came right up to me and started yelling at me. I didn't catch the first part of the rant and only became aware of it as he was telling me that I'd been told a 'dozen' times that they were only signing the posters. I lamely protested - something like "no I wasn't" but he kept going, telling me that if I tried that again I'd be thrown out of the line. He snatched the posters out of my hand and I almost dropped the photos I had. He slapped the posters on the table in front of Quentin Tarentino then stormed off to yell at my friend who was doing the same thing. Jesus Christ, I just got fucking hammered in front of Rose McGowan and Robert Rodriguez - two people whose work I've enjoyed and who I was looking forward to meeting.
I stood there struggling with the need to hit that fucker as hard as I could and the desire to stay out of handcuffs when Robert offered a ray of hope. He reached up and pulled the photos I had down so he could see what I had. I tipped the pictures toward him and he saw the photo of him and Quentin. "It's from the Kill Bill set, I think," I offered hopefully. Without a word, he let the photo go and stared down the line, ignoring me completely to watch my friend get his ass handed to him.
Humiliated enough for one day, I moved on quickly to the next table. Quentin had already signed the poster and Rosario was signing it. I'd met her the previous day and she was really sweet and we had talked Rent while she signed a couple of autographs for me. After she signed the poster, she looked up to see I was rocking my View Askew shirt and wanted to know if I'd seen Clerks 2 yet. I promised I would soon (a promise I made good on two days later) and she talked about how much fun she had and how cool Kevin Smith was to work with. She and I were talking while the poster made its way through the last two signers. I was peripherally aware of my friend passing by on his way out of the line after having his posters roughly jammed in front of Quentin. Rosario waved goodbye as she turned to another fan and struck up another conversation. I have no idea to this day who the person next to Rosario was but I picked up the poster in front of Zoe Bell. When I picked up the poster I mentioned that I enjoyed Double Dare (a stunt woman documentary that she'd promoted with Jennie Epper the year before). Zoe had that same joyless, blank stare that everyone but Rosario seemed to have.
I bounced down the stairs and uncharacteristically shoved my way through the throng of rubberneckers without so much as an 'excuse me, pardon me, excuse me.' I found my friend down the row further, stowing shit roughly into his backpack and I followed suit.
Later that day (when the crowd dispersed) I found out that fucker was in charge of the Neca booth. From that day on, fuck Neca and fuck Fucking Robert Rodriguez.
Still, I can't help looking forward to Grindhouse. It looks fucking amazing. I think Robert Rodriguez is an asshole and that was before I found out he was having his affair with Rose McGowan (which probably isn't true, but I'll take any excuse to chop at him). I didn't want to see it opening weekend because I didn't want to add to the enormous opening weekend I expected it to have.
Karma? If not for Rosario, I'd like to think so.
Don't take this the wrong way - I'm not defending Fucking Robert Rodriguez but11 million? These guys' last movies were Kill Bill Volume 2 and Sin City - the movie should have been number one at the box office. Still, this past Monday night, the Grindhouse stars went back to the talk shows: Rose on Leno, Zoe on Conan, Kurt Russell on the Late Late Show, and Quentin went on the Late Late show Tuesday night (last night).
I've met a lot of celebrities but I've learned to separate them from the work. I can hate them but enjoy their movies. Still, Rob's the only one I gave a nifty nickname.
which is dumb.. cause they all did it for friggin titanic (ewwwww).
But it was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO good. planet terror was my fav.
Screw whops a jerk or who isn't in hollywood. the movie is amazing. i am going to see it a third time. cause it's aweeesssooommmeee
and the "thanksgiving" and "don't" trailers had me rollin with laughter.
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