Los Angeles "Big Red One" Event!

I try not to use the blog here to shill for stuff too much. But sometimes things are going on that are simply too cool to leave my readers in the dark. Things like a Ventriloquists concert, or a woman pretending to find a finger in her chili at Wendy's that turned out to have been her friend's finger, severed long ago during an incident with an illegally-housed jungle cat.

And like a major portion of the cast and crew of Sam Fuller's 1980 war classic The Big Red One reuniting for an autograph signing at my video store.

No, really, this is true. Tomorrow night, Thursday, many many people from Big Red One are going to autograph copies of the new 2-disc special edition DVD (enthusiastically praised by yours truly here and here).

It includes a lot of cool, if underutilized, actors from the film, like Robert Carradine. He's terrific in Big Red One, and of course was very memorable in Walter Hill's The Long Riders and that revered 80's masterwork Revenge of the Nerds. Also present will be Kelly Ward, who was Putzie in Grease, and Ken Campbell, who plays a character named Bartlett in A Fish Called Wanda, although I can't remember Bartlett's significance to the plot. (I should really rewatch that DVD, as I love the movie, and if Campbell has a memorable line or scene, it would probably be worth getting him to sign something for me).

And there are a bunch more guys, like Perry Lang and Joe Clark, who didn't have large parts in the movie, but just want to show up and do their part for this terrific movie and for the memory of the legendary Sam Fuller. Which is pretty cool. Plus, TIME Magazine critic Richard Schickel's expected to show, and a bunch of guys who produced the movie and this reconstructed, restored version, and the guy who wrote the score. And even family members of Sam Fuller and the movie's late great star, one of my favorite action stars of all time, Mr. Lee Marvin.

Oh, and there's one more guy who's gonna show up for the signing. A certain Mr. Mark Hamill.

Some of you may remember him as the simple farm boy who must face a chilling secret from his past on his way to restoring order and balance to the galaxy. The movie is, of course, 1991's The Guyver.

NO! I'm speaking of the Star Wars trilogy of films. Now Mark has insisted that he doesn't sign Star Wars stuff any more, and of course this event is all about the new Big Red One, so I'm not saying you should show up at Laser Blazer tomorrow with your light saber and your sweet Stormtrooper standee, because we don't want to see that sort of thing.

I'm just revelling in the idea that tomorrow night, on the eve of the release of the very last Star Wars film, I will get the chance to meet Luke Skywalker in person. I mean, I've met a lot of celebrities, and I don't often go all gooey around them. But there are cases where I kind of lose my shit, I'll admit it. Meeting Terry Gilliam was a huge thrill. Talking briefly to Warren Beatty was pretty exciting. Shaking hands with Al Pacino is the kind of thing that sticks with you. And Tim Burton and Guillermo del Toro signing DVD's for me at the store was extremely gracious...Those are two stand-up guys.

And, I mean, come on, this is freaking Mark Hamill, people. That's just cool.

So if you want in on all this goodness, stop by Laser Blazer tomorrow from 7 to 9 pm. Pick up a few DVD's, meet the stars, try not to irritate your humble blogger, forcing him to ban you for life from the video store in a shcoking abuse of authority. I mean, me. Did I just refer to myself in the third person? How gauche!

Click me for more details!!!

Or click here to read Aint It Cool News' write-up about the event!!!!!