My 2017 Toronto International Film Festival hits & misses Days 5 thru 9

Day 5 of TIFF started for me later than I wanted it to, but when I did get started, boy did it pay off.

I first made my way over for the premiere of Jim & Andy featuring Jim Carrey. In recent years, Carrey has become a major name that you just dont see around much, so this was a big one to go for. Thanks to some good position scouting from another Vancouver hound, I ended up with a great spot, and managed to get 2 autographs from the comedic legend.

From there, I momentarily went to the Ryerson Theatre before I realized I had something far bigger I wanted to go for than a premiere with notoriously fan unfriendly brie Larson at it. So I went right back to the venue I just left to try for the next premiere there.

I managed 1 autograph each from Travis Fimmel, Charlie Plummer & Steve Buscemi on the way in for Lean On Pete premiere. Shockingly Chloe Sevigny refused to even acknowledge the people waiting before she headed in.

Afterwards I went around back to try and get Mr. Carrey again, and I would have, if the autograph hound he told "no blue pens, just black" had actually handed him a black pen. Instead he handed him a blue, when Jim saw that, he signed 1 item & annoyingly tossed the pen back and left. Those on the far side were luckier, as he signed for everyone on that side.

The next premiere at that venue, Downsizing, unfortunately downsized their red carpet names. Only Christoph Waltz showed up out of the several people attached to it. I managed two autographs from the 2X Academy Award winner, but the no shows of Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig definitely left a bit of a disappointed feeling at that premiere.

Next up for me was a Javier Bardem sighting at his 1 on 1 conversation event. I managed two autographs from the Skyfall & most recent Pirates Of The Caribbean star. 

I then hurried over to the Princess Of Wales theatre to get a spot for the Hostiles premiere. While I managed 3 Christian Bale autographs there, the disappointment that Rosamund Pike avoided signing autographs for anyone with an item for her was a tad displeasing. I helped someone there get an autograph from Wes Studi, but I never brought anything for him myself.

I hurried back to the venue I spent most of my day at to get Alicia Vikander leaving the premiere of Euphoria. The new Tomb Raider star was nice enough to do two autographs for me as she left there.

I ended my evening going for what I assumed would be the easiest event of the day, and instead was the hardest. The Midnight Madness premiere for The Disaster Artist. It had a massive cast list, but only four names were on the confirmed list, and unfortunately only 3 of them showed. The massive 4-7 rows deep crowd that went all the way to the back door made it hard to get any of them, and I only managed 1 autograph from Alison Brie at almost the last possible moment, while the Franco brothers eluded me due to the density of the crowd.

GRADES
A+ Javier Bardem
A+ Christian Bale
A  Jim Carrey
A Alicia Vikander
B+ Christoph Waltz
B- Wes Studi
B- Alison Brie
C+ James Franco
C+ Dave Franco
C+ Travis Fimmel
D+ Rosamund Pike
F+ Brie Larson
F Chloe Sevigny

Day 5 Total Autographs - 16
TIFF 2017 Total Autographs - 80

​Day 6 got off to a late start for me, and I didnt do anything till the press conference for the new TV program Alias Grace, based on a Margaret Atwood novel. While I managed to get Canadian actress & director Sarah Polley on the way in to the event, much of the cast however, either didnt come, or didnt have to sign going in. On the way out, I managed an autograph from the surprisingly hard Edward Holcroft, as well, I got 1 from Margaret Atwood. Had I done my homework more efficiently, I would have made more for her, unfortunately I didnt know she was also attached to multiple Emmy Award winner, The Handmaids Tale.

After the presser, I made the foolish decision to go to the premiere of Racer & The Jailbird. While Matthias Schoenaerts was nice, and the director Michael Roskam was nice too, the actress in the movie, two time TIFF worst interaction list finalist Adele Exarchopoulos soured most that were there on ever giving this film a chance. Even with 1 of the other autograph hounds & myself being given tickets for free, we had little ot no interest in seeing it, and much of that decision was based off Exarchopoulos terrible attitude the last two years at TIFF.

I did the arrivals of In The Fade to get my 1 Diane Kruger photo I had with me signed. I got it, turned around and headed off to do the next premiere.

Midnight Madness premiere for Brawl In Cell Block 99 unfortunately only brought 3 cast. One was Udo Kier, who was nice enough. Unfortunately, longtime unhappy to see fans actor, Vince Vaughn was 1 of them, although to his credit he did put in a few minutes meeting fans...even if he did put "W"s on items he signed. The worst however, was former 1980s star Don Johnson. The mostly unknown in the last generation TV actor strutted the carpet like he was still in the 80s and treated requests for his autographs or photos with like he was handing out his own blood. Definitely one of the least classy examples shown in all of TIFF.

I salvaged the evening by making it back to Loving Pablo departures where I got two autographs from Javier Bardem before he walked on foot to his movies after party near by.

GRADES
A+ Margaret Atwood
A+ Javier Bardem
A  Matthias Schoenaerts
A- Sarah Polley
B+ Udo Kier
C+ Edward Holcroft
C+ Sarah Gadon
C  Diane Kruger
C  Vince Vaughn
F  Adele Exarchopoulos
F  Don Johnson

Day 6 Total autographs - 12
​TIFF 2017 total autographs - 92

Day 7 was unusually light compared to the final days. With only 5 potential events on the day, I chose to work 3 that were all close together.

First up was a 1 on 1 conversation with Glenn Close. I had gone for Ms. Close in the past and found her to be pretty unaccommodating, so this was an important one for me. This time, Glenn was quite good. Despite being late for the start of her event, she found the time to squeeze out about 4 autographs on the way in, and in that were my two items. I heard from many others, she was also quite good leaving as well.

Next for me was the premiere of Kings with Halle Berry, and another of the major TIFF no shows this year, Daniel Craig. Luckily I managed to get 1 autograph from Halle, which doesnt even come close to making up for the FIVE previous times I have seen her and never managed to get her...but at least this time she signed one for me.

Last event of the evening for me was The Tragically Hip documentary Long Time Running. With the absence of their lead singer Gord Downie, who is battling terminal brain cancer right now, the rest of the band showed up, and all four members Johnny Fay, Paul Langlois, Gord Sinclair & Rob Baker signed some items­. Thankfully the two I needed the most signed near me and helped finished an item I started ten years ago. I managed three autographs from that premiere, which was a few less than I anticipated, but since I got the two I needed the most, I consider it a major win. Also seen at the premiere was Canadian TV personality Mike Holmes, who came across as a bit unfriendly and full of himself as he just zipped by most people asking him to stop for an autograph or a selfie.

GRADES
A- The Tragically Hip
B+ Glenn Close
B  Halle Berry
C- Mike Holmes

Day 7 Total autographs - 6
TIFF 2017 Total Autographs - 98

Day 8 was a bit busier, but only slightly. I started by going for the premiere of The Wife. Just getting Glenn Close the day earlier, I was really there for Christian Slater.... who surprise surprise, NO SHOWED. Luckily I had a photo for Annie Starke, or else I would have went away from that premiere shut out. Ms. Close was again terrific, signing anything she could physically get near.

Next was the premiere of Three Christs. Everyone had hopes of Peter Dinklage from Game Of Thrones there, and of course, like many others from this fest, no showed. Richard Gere arrived and signed a fair amount, but stopped literally 1 person short of me, and Walton Goggins signed but missed me by maybe 3 people. So I left that theatre with a whole zero autographs. 

I then dragged my mostly defeated self over to the back end of the Alias Grace premiere. I still had hopes there of 4 or 5 autographs, but with Zachary Levi no showing, it severely reduced my hopes to two. Rebecca Lilliard signed both items I had thankfully, minimizing the terrible day that I had. Both Sarahs, Polley & Gadon signed for most everyone there, but newcomer Edward Holcroft, like he did at his press conference, signed sparingly & missed many.

GRADES
A+ Glenn Close
A- Richard Gere
A  Annie Starke
B+ Sarah Polley
B- Walton Goggins

Day 8 Total Autographs - 3
TIFF 2017 Total Autographs - 101 (yay, finally limped over the 100 mark)

Day 9 of TIFF turned out to not be too bad for me. It actually outdid the last two days before it combined & then some.

I started with the premiere of 55 Steps. Helena Bonham Carter bucked the recent trend for TIFF and actually showed up...thankfully. I managed two autographs from the actress before getting ready for the next event.

The premiere of My Days Of Mercy was next, and I managed autographs from all 3 actresses that arrived. I got former The Killing actress Amy Seimetz to sign the 3 photos I had for her while the rest of the carpet was busy desperately trying to get Kate Mara and Ellen Page to come to them. Eventually Ms. page made her way to me and I got 1 on a photo I had previously signed by Drew Barrymore. Then Kate Mara came by and put a `K -`on my photo. Then I managed to salvage 1 more Page autograph after she did an interview on the stage they set up on the carpet. 

From there, I went to the departure of the premiere for Plonger. There I managed to get 4 autographs from Melanie Laurent, which really helped turn an òk`day into a `good day`.

My final event of TIFF would be the Midnight Madness showing of Downrange. With a cast full of people I didnt previously know, it was interesting to meet people still early in their careers. I managed to get all 3 photos I had for that premiere signed. First, getting Stephanie Pearson, then her cast mate, and my final autograph of TIFF 2017, Kelly Connaire, who was telling me and the other person asking her how she created the costume she was wearing in our photos herself. I then hung around a few minutes to see the other autograph hound there get autographs from Alexa Yeames, Jason Tobias & the director Ryuhei Kitamura. All in all, probably the nicest cast of TIFF was where my 2017 Toronto International Film Festival ended.

GRADES
A+ Melanie Laurent
A  Kelly Connaire
A Stephanie Pearson
A  Alexa Yeames
A  Jason Tobias
A  Ryuhei Kitamura
A  Helena Bonham Carter
A- Ellen Page
B+ Kate Mara
B+ Amy Seimetz
C+ Rebecca Lilliard
C- Edward Holcroft
C- Sarah Gadon

Day 9 total Autographs - 15
TIFF 2017 Total Autographs - 116 (3rd highest total for me ever)

​For Days 0 thru 4 go HERE