John Lithgow and Peter Weller – No Joy

With the long string of successes, it’s inevitable that I’d come up empty.  It happens and it’s frustrating as you do get spoiled after a nice run that I’ve had.

John Lithgow was in town to accept an award. Whoever was presenting the award had arranged a Red Carpet event where several other celebrities attended, including Peter Weller. My fellow hounds had some success getting theses signatures and a few other celebrities that attended the ceremony.  After hearing success I thought it was a sure bet I would come home with a photo signed by one of these guys.    

The next day, the Angelika Theater was doing a special screening of Buckaroo Banzi where John Lithgow and Peter Weller would be hosting a showing of Buckaroo Banzi and then a Q&A afterwards.  While my associates were concentrating on John I was focusing on Peter, who was the lead in this movie.

I first saw this movie while in college.  I haven’t heard a thing about it at the time.  The daughters of a friend needed me to drive them to it and of course I had to stay to drive them home.  Of the three of us, I was the only one that laughed.   They weren’t amused.  I was thoroughly entertained.  This is one of my all-time favorite movies and one of the few I have on DVD.   My dear sweet underappreciated wife actually tried to track down the soundtrack because she knows I enjoy the movie so much.  Even though it’s silly and fast paced and very quirky, it’s not a movie that everyone appreciates.

I had thought about buying a ticket to watch this screening. Seeing a movie at home is fun but sometimes it’s more fun to watch a film with a crowd.  You find things that didn’t notice was funny before or some detail comes out that you missed but the crowd picked up on.  Also a chance to listen to two of the stars in a Q&A is very rare and hard to pass up.  I debated and decided that seeing the movie would reduce my chances of getting an autograph.

Since you never really know when the celebrities will show up, I arrived a few hours before the screening and hung out with some of the more sociable hounds.  We talked for a while and lamented that we should have attended the Red Carpet event. 

About 30 minutes before the movie started we learned that John Lithgow had to cancel. That was disappointing.   That was one less autograph I can get and it meant everyone else would be focusing on Peter Weller too, which would diminish my odds of success.

Peter arrived a few minutes before the movie was to start and was whisked inside without signing for anyone.  Ugh.  Now we had a long wait until the end of the movie and Q&A before we would get another chance to see him.

The adrenalin was elevated for all of us.  Hounds started to paced. The little groups that were separated co-mingled as they hoped to learn some new tidbit of gossip.  People shook their paint pens and tested them to ensure they wouldn’t clog or blot. Others looked through their photos to see which one they wanted signed first. Some nervously chatted to unhearing friends to pass the time.

The clock finally clicked to the point where the movie was over.   Some of the audience left.  We all gazed into the theater hoping to catch sight of Peter, hoping to get a clue when he was leaving and we would have our chance.  More people left.  After 30 minutes we started to notice people leaving with signed items.  Peter Weller had finished his Q&A and started signing for people in the theater.  Double ugh.

I felt really stupid for not attending the screening.  I knew he was not likely to sign for the fans that waited outside. The few hounds that did buy tickets are now showing off what they got signed. Can I admit to feeling outfoxed/envious/stupid?

We waited outside – just in case. We waited more – just in case.  But no Peter.  We waited even longer – just in case and Peter still hadn’t left the building.  Or had he?  A few hounds had camped out in the parking lot by the car they expected was Peter’s. When we saw those hounds leaving we knew that Peter had left the building.

I spent about 4 hours at the theater that day.  I hoped for one or maybe two autographs but ended up with nothing.  At this time, a lot of the other collectors were moaning about a wasted morning or trying to put a brave face on even though you could easily see their disappointment.  While I was also disappointed, I tried to remember I got some quality time with some people I enjoyed hanging out with.  

Aw, who am I fooling?  I moaned all the way home too.

AH