Friday 20 August 2010

CELEBRATION V: STAND OUT MOMENTS OF MIRTH AND MADNESS!


STAR WARS AFICIONADO list its favourite moments of surprise, mirth and madness from the latest CELEBRATION event.

You know you're going to a STAR WARS convention when you travel down a highway named "Goldenrod Road"!

A fan asking Carrie Fisher to marry him during her autograph signing! She politely turned him down.

The shocked looks on the faces of the OFFICIALPIX's coupons booth staff as the sound of a huge STAR WARS sound effects explosion rocked the main hall- I still have no idea exactly where that sound came from!

A young fan trying to get Dave Filoni to reveal more about the new season of THE CLONE WARS and telling him, "Don't hide what's inside!" That line brought the house down and made Filoni a quivering wreck- so much so that he joked that the kids always asked the most difficult questions and that, from now on, like a theme park roller coaster ride, there should be a height requirement for anyone wanting to enter the questions area!

The STAR WARS commitment booth and speed dating areas. And the Slave Leia belly dancing lessons on the Digital Stage. Nuff said!

Mark Hamill returning back to the autograph line and stopping for a photo to be taken by some kids in the VIP line. Instead of just smiling, Hamill pulled a gurney face at them and made the kids laugh, saying "How's that for your profile picture!"

Lucas attending the RAIDERS OF THE LOST TEMPLE OF DOOM show at DISNEY FILM STUDIOS and lightsaber duelling with Mickey Mouse.

Myself getting lost in the empty convention centre at 12.30 at night after a digital film screening, but hearing James Arnold Taylor's soothing pre-recorded words as Obi-Wan over the tannoy system telling me where to go! Very surreal.

Ashley Eckstein being freaked out one late night (after all her hard work on her new clothes range) outside the convention centre car park-not by the sight of me and two other fans by her car wanting to talk and say hello to her, but by a large spider on her car door. She hates spiders!

James Arnold Taylor's brilliant vocal abilities tested to their whirling dervish limit, and to great crowd pleasing success, in THE CLONE WARS VOICE ACTORS PANEL.

Waving hello to Matthew Hood in the hotel lobby one evening and getting a return wave back! Guests there also included Peter Mayhew, Kyle Newman and Jaime King (who looked lovely wearing her silver sequined top at breakfast one morning, but almost blinded me with its brightness at the same time!). And I saw FAMILY GUY's Seth MacFarlane looking very cool and relaxed in the car park, too!

Kudos to the sweet little girl who, despite being totally overwhelmed, was able to ask her heart-throb, Matt Lanter, a question about Anakin Skywalker during the CLONE WARS VOICE ACTORS PANEL. Bless!

A fan in the main hall actually stopping me - this really happened, no lie!- and asking if I was an actor in a STAR WARS film! Believe me, I would have loved to have said, "Yes, I was. I played young Ben Kenobi!"

Above art: one of the jolly posters for Celebration V in Orlando, by Randy Martinez.

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