9:30 AM - Lining Them Up And Packing Them In...
The inside of the Arclight has been deocrated with posters from the flicks, we've definitely taken over the place. Here's
a few photos of what's on display today.
The line outside the lobby and snaking around the street is growing anxious, as a bunch of us are milling around just
inside the glass doors, visible in the lobby yet that barrier between keeps them from getting into the show. It's a great
opportunity to catch up with Kevin, Mewes, and Bryan Johnson. Taking a walk down the line, Brian Lynch, whose "Big Helium
Dog" will open the Thon, is hanging out with a small group. I take a moment to grab a photo of the dude, scan the line,
and move back to the front, where doors are about to open and the fun's about to begin.
Doors opened right on schedule, with Kevin and Jay manning the post and greeting each and every fan wearing a t-shirt
ticket. Every attendee is getting a yellow bracelet slapped on, which will serve as their readmission ticket throughout the day.
The line's long, 850 people DO take a while to get through, but moving along at a nice clip. At its greatest length, it
spanned around the entire perimiter of the Arclight and next door, around the back parking garage, and back up towards
the street.
Kevin and Jay started in tandem, yet after a while Jay took to greeting the fans, and letting others smack on the bracelets
for a while, as he took a cigarette break. However, after a while, Jay was back in full swing, but Kevin's line was
getting all the attention, prompting a "What The Fuck?!!? OVER HERE!!!" from Jay. Everyone loved it.
It's just after 10 AM now, the line's almost through, and we're about to get started. Enjoy the photos, and we'll be back
later with more!
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8:00 AM - Vulgarthon Is Imminent...
It's about an hour before doors open here at the Arclight Dome, and we're inside the dome with the crew watching the setup
happen. Man, what a cool theater this is. There's not a bad seat in the house, just as they say. We've set up shop just
behind the railing in the right center of the main level.
A line of a couple hundred has already formed around the outside of the theater. We chatted with a few of the folks at the
front of the line -- Apparently, the crown of first went to a group who came at 11 PM last evening. The main group there
apparently hit the local bars, then camped out right around 3 AM. Some folks are huddled in blankets and shivering, after
the rain that fell for a couple hours late last night, but most look energetic and ready for day of View Askew magic.
As we speak, they're running tests on the various copies of "Big Helium Dog", finding the best looking version, adjusting
color, etc. It's a beautiful operation they've got going here. A crew of around 20 strong is setting up cables, lighting,
and sound. 5 director's chairs have been set up along center stage, where Q&A's will take place.
Kevin and Jay have arrived, and we just said a quick hello and given a handshake to Kevin, who's stopped into the Dome to
make sure that setup is going smoothly. There's a long day ahead, but we're all excited and can't wait to get those doors
open. It won't be long now...
5:30 PM Sunday
We always like taking a day out to play tourist when we're in town, so today we brought the cheese to new high levels.
First up, we decided to seek out some famous film and TV houses in the area for photos. We learned that it's quite a
surreal experience -- Sort of like the first time we saw the tattoo parlor and the neighborhood that surrounded the Quick
Stop and RST video. Film only shows you what they want you to see...So when you see the surrounding stuff, it's a very
different experience.
Case in point: Our first stop. The house from "Nightmare on Elm Street". First off, the street it's on is NOT called Elm
Street (okay, that's asking a lot, I guess) -- And the place has busted out windows and neighbors REALLY on top of one
another. Looking at the place in person, we weren't totally sure we had the address right, but looking at the photo...Yep.
This is the place where Nancy lived. And it realy does look pretty much the same. Definitely the best of the bunch.
From there, we drove under a mile to get to 2 houses used onscreen in "Halloween". These are a little less obvious, but
having the address helps -- One was featured more than the other. Again, a very tightly-packed rural neighborhood...Very
close to downtown Hollywood, but quiet and very little traffic passing by...Oh, except for that Star Tours bus in front of
us on the street that's obviously looking at the same place. We consider following the bus to see where they end up next,
but stick to our own schedule.
Two more places on Sycamore we decide to do the drive-by on are apartment complexes. The first is within walking distance
of Mann's Chinese, and is the exterior of the apartments used on "Alias". Easy to find, just around the corner off
Hollywood Avenue. And finally, further down Sycamore, the exterior of Betty's apartment in Mullholland Drive.
Finding famous movie houses sure works up an appetite, and since we're still feeling east coast time effects, we hit the
Hamburger Hamlet on Hollywood for a spot of lunch. Pretty freakin' good burgers. An interesting choice for an Easter
dinner, but hey, it's open. AND they validate parking (though we later end up missing the return time by 20 minutes AND
get charged the FULL SEVEN BUCKS by the attendant). Fantastic.
Alright, now let's talk about one of the worst ways to spend 12 bucks in Hollywood - The Hollywood Entertainment Museum.
Yes, this place touts that you'll get to see sets from Star Trek, the Cheers bar, and more. You assume you're going to
get a LOT more -- What you end up with is a very poorly run tour with very little to see. A girl who obviously knows very
little about movies (her big line was "Everyone remember...?" filling in the blank with the most obvious things. Such as
"Everyone remember the X-Files?" or "Everyone remember Star Trek?" We just stood there dumbfounded.
So, we made the best of it and took shots of what was in there. The three "highlights" of this 30 minute tour are, in
order, Star Trek's Next Generation transporter and "bridge" (you can sit in the captain's chair...oooh...Which I suppose
some Trekkies would die to do)...Fox Mulder's X-Files office, complete with the "I Want To Believe" poster and the pencils
in the ceiling, which was admittedly neat to see, and finally the actual bar set used on the Cheers TV show. Yes, this is
where it's gone to die. Not only that, but you can actually RENT THE PLACE OUT and have a party there. It's certainly not
the fanciest place, it's basically a spartan setup, but the idea of having a party with a fully working Cheers bar set
(yes, the taps WORK)...Would be a good story to tell. Wonder what that costs.
And yeah, I couldn't resist sitting in the Norm seat. No one really could. So there ya have it. Been there, done that.
Completing the tourism trifecta, we thought it'd be neat to take a ride up the famous Mullholland Drive. Wow, what a
fantastic idea. It's sunny and in the 70's today, and traffic's light due to the holiday, so to be the best decision of
the day. Mulholland's one of the most scenic drives you can take in the city, and the views are breathtaking. There's
stops all over the place which allow you to overlook the city. Best views of LA you can get. It's gotta cost a fortune
to live anywhere around here. Remarkable. If you've got an hour or so to take this drive on a clear day, do it.
And so ends our day of Los Angeles tourism. With Vulgarthon tomorrow, we're calling it an early night to catch up with
this update, check out HBO's Sunday night lineup, pick up some Chinese takeout, and rest up for the BIG DAY!
If you're looking to spot us tomorrow, we'll be somewhere up front on an aisle, writing updates. Think I'm wearing my
"I Vote For Happy Hour" t-shirt. Say hi. We love you all.
Everyone be safe tomorrow, have a nice drive into the Arclight, get a good night's sleep, and we'll see you soon. Again,
if you're missing the fun, watch this page for the big announcements and lots more, all day and all night. Yahoooo!
