Blog of the Darned: TCMFF Survival Guide Part 2 – Making the Most of Your Experience

This will be my ninth time attending the TCM Classic Film Festival (TCMFF), held April 18 to 21, 2024 in Hollywood (not counting the At Home editions TCM did during the lock down). In addition, I have been going to Comic-Con and other fan conventions for decades, so I know what it’s like to spend four or five days in a strange city living out of a hotel room and running around from the time you get up in the morning until the time you collapse in your room late at night.

This is the eighth version of this guide, and it's split up into three parts:

Part 1 covers the nuts and bolts of how TCMFF works.
Part 2 (this part) covers making the most of your experience.
Part 3 covers trying to preserve your sanity in the craziness of TCMFF.

I think we're far enough past the pandemic to not have to worry about COVID-19, but it is still around. A friend of mine got it in January. Rest assured that if the situation changes, TCM will take whatever steps are necessary to keep those attending safe.

That said, last year, I tested positive for COVID on Sunday morning and had to miss the entire day. Near as I can tell, none the of the people I interacted with at the Festival got it. The one possible exception is a woman from Chicago I had dinner with on Saturday night. Like me, she tested positive on Sunday morning, but none of the other people we had dinner with got it. I'm guessing we just both got it at about the same time, but not from one another. Still, I plan on getting a booster vaccine before April and will probably wear a mask in screenings, maybe in lines too. That's where you're exposed to the most people in the closest proximity. Also, I'll probably bring a test kit, just so if I'm feeling off, I don't have to run out and find a 24-hour drugstore like last year.

With that out of the way, let's move on.

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Etiquette

This section covers TCMFF etiquette. The most important thing to do is silence your phone and other devices during screenings and do not take them out to post pictures, answer a text, or whatever. You might think it would be cool to take a picture of the screen on your favorite part of the movie.

Don't!!!

There are people sitting next to you and behind you, who it's their favorite part of the movie too. Don't ruin it. Just the light from your phone as you bring it up and try to find an app is insanely distracting in a dark theater. I usually put my phone in both Silent and Airplane modes during screenings. For me, most people who would be trying to contact me know I'm at TCMFF, so if I get a text, I tend to think it's an emergency and worry about it, not that I would be able to doing anything while I'm in Hollywood anyway. Be aware of other phone functions such as Alarms which may still make noises even in Silent or Airplane modes.

It's okay to tweet, post to Facebook, Instagram, whatever while you're waiting in line or sitting in the theater waiting for things to begin. Once somebody starts talking, finish up what you're doing and put your phone away. Taking pictures/video during the intro is fine, but turn off the flash. It's distracting, especially to the people talking, and won't help most of the time anyway.

Be considerate of those around you. It's generally considered rude to leave before the end of a screening, but sometimes it's unavoidable. If you have to duck out early, try to get to the event you are leaving from extra early and get seat on the aisle so you don't have to climb over people. If you know you need to leave at a certain time, wear a watch. A watch screen is way less distracting than your Galaxy S24.

Be aware of the people behind you. If you want to stand a take a selfie, do it before the intro starts. The intro is part of the screening. You might think it's cool to take a selfie with the speakers in the background, but you're messing it up for the people behind you.

I shouldn't have to say this but:

Don't talk during the movie.
Don't take any pictures during a screening.
Don't check your phone for any reason during a screening.

In an emergency, if you absolutely need to use your phone, go into the lobby. You're not going to be able to help anyone from a movie theater anyway.

Planning

If you are a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type of person, I wish you lots of luck. Me, I figure out the entire schedule ahead of time. Then I don't have to worry about it. I usually know any blocks I'm iffy about and will be able to switch gears without dwelling on it in the moment. If you wait until you get out of one movie to decide what you're going to see next, you may be too late by the time you get there.

Once you’ve figured out what you want to see, you should probably try to get to events a half hour ahead of the start time, possibly earlier. If it’s something you’d be crushed if you missed, shoot for an hour early, especially if it's in the smallest theater. This is the theater that is likely to have to turn people away at certain times. They hadn't announced the TCL Chinese 6 theater sizes when I wrote this, so I wasn't sure which theater that would be.

How do you get to the screening a half hour or more ahead of time? You should be able to figure out the end times by looking at the schedule. Anytime you have a longer break between events is a good opportunity to get some food that doesn’t come in a bucket with fake butter and salt. Do keep in mind that the smallest theater is going fill up fast, a half hour ahead of time might not be enough. Try to get there earlier if possible. This also counts for Club TCM events. In Club TCM, there are booths on the side and rows of chairs on floor near the fairly low stage. Toward the back of the room is a bar for standing, but once the room gets full you're may not be able to see well standing in the back.

One last thing, if you’re planning to change clothes between the daytime and nighttime screenings, figure out which break you’re going to use to go back to the hotel and change.

Ovation Hollywood Mall

The TCL Chinese 6 and the TCL Chinese IMAX are located in the Ovation Hollywood mall. You'll be spending a lot of time there. The mall is sort of a tourist mall. Most malls are fairly easy to get around in. This mall, not so much. It was designed so that you can explore, with an eye toward wandering around and getting lost. This means that you may not always be able to tell what level you're on or how to get up or down one level, or most importantly if you're on the correct level for the TCL Chinese 6. If you have a spare hour before the festival starts, go over and find the TCL Chinese 6 and figure out how to get from there to the Chinese IMAX and how to get in and out of the mall itself. It should be easy. It’s not. Note any stairs and escalators you run across. The time you get lost is bound to be the time you have the least time to spare. If you see any interesting fast food, see if they have a To Go menu. It might be the only hot meal you get some day. Note that there may be construction going on at the Ovation Hollywood mall. They just did a major revamp of the mall, so they should be done. Then again they might not be. Fortunately, things like stairways and escalators are very expensive. You don't just rip them out or move them willy nilly, but you never know. They might be resurfacing or changing the hand rails.

If you cannot do stairs or escalators, I strongly suggest you go to the mall ahead of time and find the elevators. I've never taken them, but they have to have some.

Hollywood Blvd

Hollywood Blvd is a nightmare. Okay, let me clarify. Hollywood Blvd is a tourist trap, and that makes it a nightmare, especially on Friday and Saturday night. The worst part of it is the stretch between N Orange Dr, where the Roosevelt is, and N Highland Ave. Yes, Hollywood Blvd does have its charm. Okay, charm is putting it a bit strong. The first time I was in Hollywood was in the early 1990s, and the bloom was gone off the rose even back then. I do get that there is some appeal to Hollywood Blvd like the history and the Sidewalk Stars, but during TCMFF, you're better off avoiding it as much as possible, though considering that all of the venues are on Hollywood Blvd this year, that's not going to work super well.

I avoid it simply because there's too many people in the way, people taking selfies, Party City Spiderman and others of his ilk trying to get you make a donation to take your picture with them, people trying to sell tours you don't have time for, panhandlers, you name it, all in your way when you're trying to get somewhere. Last year, I got stuck behind a homeless man, who was wearing a king-size comforter like King Charles' coronation robes. I didn't want to step on it because after all, the guy's homeless and has enough trouble, but with the length and width of the thing and the other people on the sidewalk, I couldn't get around him for two minutes. It's almost always better to find another way if possible.

Right in the middle of that stretch of Hollywood Blvd is the El Capitan Theatre. The El Capitan is Disney's flagship theater. In 2022, the El Capitan was used for one screening (The Jungle Book, 1967). It would be great if they did something like that again like that this year. Still, the El Capitan could be a problem. Mid-April is the start of the blockbuster movie season. Since Disney owns everything, there may be a premiere or some event has nothing what-so-ever to do with TCMFF as has happened in years past. The sidewalk might be closed or they might have you cross the street when you don't want to, another reason to avoid Hollywood Blvd if you can.

To be honest, west of Orange Dr and in particular east of Highland, Hollywood Blvd gets better and is worth exploring, just you won't have much time during the Festival. I think the best advice I can give is if you are going to or from the Ovation Mall, try to enter from the sides, the back, and the entrances closest to Orange Dr on the west and Highland Ave on the east. That way, you spend the least amount of time dealing with the Hollywood Blvd craziness.

Getting Around at TCMFF

The following map that is mostly to scale. The size of the buildings in relation to the streets could be off by bit. The map makes it look simple. It isn't. The TCL Chinese IMAX is on the street level. The main level of the mall is up one level from street and the TCL Chinese 6 is up one level from the main level, I think. From different parts of the mall you may need go up more than one level to get to the same place. It's weird, but that's just the way it works. Note that the numbers in blue circles are entrances/exits to the mall. These are my numbers, just so the map would make sense. If you go up to someone in the mall and ask where entrance 5 is, they won't have a clue what you're talking about. There may be other entrances/exits, but I think I have all of them now. These are the ones I know about or could see from a Google Maps. I'm pretty sure there is an entrance to the mall from the Loews Hotel; if staying there, I would find that and figure out how to get to the TCL Chinese 6 and IMAX that way before everything starts. On the map, entrance 2 is a tunnel that goes from the mall to where Orchid ends. If you turn right after leaving the mall at entrance 2, you'll go past some entrances to parking garages and come out about where entrance 3 lets out.

Going to Chinese IMAX

The thing you need to think about with the Chinese IMAX is the way they run the lines. The Spotlight VIP line is in the Courtyard, and probably most of it, if not all, is contained there. The other passholder line starts in the courtyard, but only accommodates the first 40 or 50 people. After that, it restarts at the top of the escalator from the Chinese IMAX and winds through the mall and out entrance 1, down the traffic circle and back toward Madame Tussaud's. At least, that's the way they ran it previous years. Don't worry if it goes back that far. It's a huge theater. You'll probably still get in.
If have a Spotlight pass or if you're getting there an hour early, just go to the front of the theater on Hollywood Blvd, though if you're coming from Highland, you might still be better off going through the mall.
If you're coming from the Roosevelt/Orange Dr and you don't have a Spotlight pass and you're not getting there an hour early, come in through entrance 1. You'll probably hit the end of the line about the time you're coming into the mall.
If you're coming from Highland Ave, you're probably still better off coming through the mall (just to avoid Hollywood Blvd) and head toward the Chinese IMAX. You'll probably hit the line before you get there, and if you have a Spotlight pass, you can take the escalator down, show your badge, and get through that way.

Going to TCL Chinese 6

From the Roosevelt, if you cross N Orange Dr and Hollywood Blvd, you'll be standing in front of Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. If you follow the sidewalk to the left of the wax museum (north on Orange Dr.), you'll come to a traffic circle where tour buses line up. Coming from Franklin Ave., take Orange Drive south to the same spot. Follow the traffic circle around to the back, and there's an entrance to the mall up some stairs (entrance 1 on the map). If you go in this way, where you come into mall, there will two sets of stairs going up on the left. One goes to the mall business office. The other goes to the same level as the TCL Chinese 6, about 30 feet from the door. Find this stairway. It will save you a lot time.

From Orchid Ave, there is a tunnel (entrance 2) that enters the mall right where Orchid Ave ends that will put you into the mall on the main level.

From the Loews Hotel, if staying at the Loews Hotel, there is an entrance to the mall directly from the hotel. I've never stayed there, so I don't know how it works. Thus, it's not on the map, but if you're staying there it's worth the trouble of finding.

From East of Highland Ave (closer to Hollywood Blvd), go in through either Entrance 4 or 5. Entrance 6 will work as well, but it's longer, and you'll spend more time dodging people on Hollywood Blvd.

From East of N Highland Ave (closer to Franklin), simple, entrance 3. You should be able to see this entrance as you're coming south on Highland Ave.

Going to Egyptian Theatre

The Egyptian Theatre is about four and a half blocks east of the Roosevelt Hotel on Hollywood Blvd, depending on how you count blocks (not all of the north-south streets go through).

From the Hollywood Roosevelt or Chinese IMAX, you're probably better off just biting the bullet and going all the way down on Hollywood Blvd. The sidewalk is much wider on north side of the street, but there's always more people on that side, so it's probably not any better than the other side. If you're already on Hollywood Blvd, it's probably not worth the trouble going north or south to a side street to avoid Hollywood Blvd.

From the TCL Chinese, exit the mall from 4, 5, or 6 on the map above, and go to Hollywood and Highland. At the corner of Hollywood and Highland, there is a diagonal crosswalk that let's pedestrians cross once every light rotation. You'll probably want to cross diagonally because the Egyptian is on the other side of the street from the TCL Chinese and Ovation Mall.

If you coming from north or south of Hollywood Blvd, you might want to take side streets (Hawthorn and Selma Aves to the south and Franklin Ave and Yucca St to the north) then take McCadden Pl to Hollywood Blvd. That way, you don't end up overshooting the theater. Just make sure that you have a good place to cross the major streets. Traffic in LA/Hollywood, when it moves, moves really fast, and Highland Ave is an insanely busy street. I don't think I would want to cross either Hollywood Blvd or Highland Ave without a Walk signal. Also bear in mind, that east of Highland, Hollywood Blvd is much less crowded and easier to negotiate, Church of Scientology notwithstanding.

Research

Take the time to read everything you can find on the website, http://filmfestival.tcm.com/. Search for blog posts like this one. A good source of info is Twitter/X, follow @tcm and search on the #TCMFF hashtag. There will be lots of good tips there. Also on Twitter/X, the #TCMParty hashtag is good to monitor as well. A lot of TCMFF folks use that to live tweet/talk about whatever is playing on the network at any given time. Also you might want to join the Going to TCM Classic Film Festival! Facebook group (link at the end of this post). I'm sure other social media platforms have similar. Google the people being listed as guests and follow them on social media if you find them. You never know, you might be standing next to one of them at Starbucks, and it will give you something to talk about. If they are showing one of your all-time favorites, read the Wikipedia and IMDB pages about the film. You’re sure to pick up some interesting tidbits that most people don’t know. You can look smart to other people in line.

Smartphone App

Each year, the festival does a smartphone app for iPhone and Android. Download it. They probably won't post it until about a week before the Festival, and it seems to me the iPhone version is usually up a day or two before the Android. Just know that it will be posted and get it when available. The smartphone app will contain pretty much everything you need to know about TCMFF, plus things like updates of late additions/changes and the titles for the To Be Announced (TBA) slots on Sunday once they are known. If you don't have a smartphone, now might be a good time to join the 21st Century and get one, because...

The TCMFF Guide Book Is No More

Last year, there was no guide book, and I assume there won't be one again this year and going forward. The cost of printing and paper has gone up insanely since COVID. Also, I can pretty much guarantee that TCM threw away/recycled hundreds if not thousands of copies at the end of each Festival. Also a printed book locks you in about 3 or 4 weeks out. Anything that changes after that needs to be corrected on the web/smartphone apps anyway.

I know that a lot of people miss it. I'm one of them, but I do understand the point from a waste/cost point of view. Not printing a guidebook is one of the things that has allowed TCM to keep the cost of the passes from going up, when I know that their costs have gone way up.

Last year, there were printed copies of the schedule grids, I assume there will be the same this year.

Travel and Packing

By now, you probably have already made arrangements for travel, so it's probably too late to change it, but for future reference, I would recommend coming in on Wednesday (or earlier) before the festival and leaving Monday (or later). There are lot of people who build vacations around TCMFF. You will make friends, and the extra time will allow you to hang out with your old movie cronies before things get crazy, as well as get to see something of LA/Hollywood besides the four or five blocks around Hollywood and Highland.

Earlier I said, read everything you can. Well, I know how you can get busy and time can get away from you, especially when preparing for a trip/vacation. Most people are going to have a good 5 or 6 hours travel time getting to TCMFF. Make some printouts or save copies to your tablet or whatever to read in the airport and on the plane.

Are you the type who likes to buy souvenirs? If so, are they going to fit in your suitcase? You might want to consider bringing a Priority Mail Flat-Rate box. If you’re worried about items getting lost or damaged in the mail, you can always mail home your dirty clothes.

Post offices:

1615 Wilcox Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028 (hours, 9 am to 6 pm, Mon to Fri; 9 am to 3 pm, Sat; closed Sun), about 6 blocks east of Highland and half a block south of Hollywood Blvd.

1425 N Cherokee Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028 (hours, 9 am to 5 pm, Mon to Fri; 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, Sat; closed Sun), about three blocks east of Highland Ave. and a block south of Sunset.

Other shipping options:

Mail and More on Hollywood, 7095 Hollywood Blvd. (hours, 10 am to 5 pm, Mon to Fri; 10 am to 3 pm, Sat; closed Sun), much closer, about two blocks west of the Roosevelt. It is a private shipping place, so you may pay more. Then again, it's much closer to the Festival than either of the Post Offices.

FedEx Office Print & Ship Center, 1755 N Highland Ave, Hollywood, CA 90028 (hours, 8 am to 5 pm, Mon to Fri; closed Sat/Sun), about a block north of Hollywood and Highland.

It might even be worth calling your hotel and see if they can mail for you.

Pick Up the Phone

We get very used to using the internet to look up just about everything, but face it, web pages don't always give you the info you need to know:

Say your hotel's web page says free internet, but you want to make sure it's in the room, not just in the lobby, call them.
You're traveling partner has food allergies, and you want make sure the restaurant you're planning to go to the night you arrive can accommodate, call them.
You know you're taking an extra bag, but the shuttle service from the airport's doesn't say anything about extra-baggage, call them.

If you are unsure about something and don't like surprises, pick up the phone and try to talk to a real person. Yes, sometimes, it's hard to find a phone number, and a lot of places send right to voicemail, but businesses like restaurants, hotels, etc. still have phones and expect the people working there to answer them.

Use Social Media to Your Advantage

Me, I only do Facebook, Twitter/X, and a little bit of Intstagram, so I can only speak to these with any authority. On Facebook, I suggest joining the Going to TCM Classic Film Festival! group. It's a great place to meet people, make plans, and ask questions (link below). TCM has a very active presence on Twitter/X. Even if you have never been on Twitter/X, it might be worth the trouble of creating an account just for TCMFF. I know what your thinking. Twitter is so 2013, but what made it popular in the first place was it's immediacy, and that hasn't changed. Make sure that you follow @tcm and monitor the #TCMFF hashtag. There is also a #TCMParty hashtag that a lot of people use to talk about classic movies and live-tweet to whatever is playing on the network. Twitter/X still is a good platform for interacting with others in close to real-time. I'm sure if you are on TikTok, Snapchat, or other social media platforms, you can find similar by searching for TCMFF. If you do meet people on social media and click with them and think it might be fun to have lunch or something, make plans early. People's schedules fill up quick. For years, I have been joking about a TCMFFr app, so you can swipe right for film festival hookups. I swear one of these years I'm going to do it.

Choose You Own Path

Different people enjoy TCMFF in different ways. Some people like to discover new films or see special presentations that you can only see at the Festival. Some people want to see as many Film Noir or Pre-Code screenings as possible. Others want to relish in old favorites they have seen a hundred times before. In the past, I have attended with my daughter, and I tended to pick films that I know she would like or should see. She's working full-time and won't be attending again this year. She's all grown up. I'm verklempt. You may run into others who have a different approach to TCMFF than you. Don't feel bad or think you need to reevaluate. There is no one right approach except for the one that works for you.

Be Flexible

Despite all of your planning, leave yourself a little wiggle room. Each year, they leave four or five TBA slots open on Sunday to repeat films that turned people away earlier in the Festival. The TBAs will be announced fairly late on Saturday. This could be your chance to see something that you had to skip or got locked out on earlier. On the TBAs, bear in mind that certain things probably will not be repeated. A silent film with a live orchestra may not be repeated just because the musicians would have to be available on short notice. Also, I don't see them repeating a film that overflowed the 900-seat Chinese IMAX. Showing it again in a 200-seat theater probably wouldn't make enough difference to be worth the trouble.

In 2018, we were about 20 people back from getting into a rare screwball comedy, but it didn't look like we going to make it into the theater. The TCM Festival staff announced that another screening of a French-language film noir still had plenty of seats. We switched gears and that turned out to be one of our favorite films that year. It’s perfectly okay to switch things around. You might be late getting to a screening and get shut out. Check the schedule, you might be able to get into something else. Maybe, you figured that you’d be too tired for any of the midnight movies, but you get out of that last screening and feel really pumped and want to keep going. Go for it.

Maybe, there is a block that you’re not particular enthused about. This is the perfect chance to get a real meal or even sneak back to the hotel for a nap. A couple years, my wife and I weren't psyched on anything in the late Friday evening block and decided to get a late Italian dinner at Micelli's. We ended up running into Ruth Mundsack from the Facebook group along with a three people from Chicago (Ruth knows everybody). We joined them for dinner. We had just come from a screening of The Letter that Alicia Malone had introduced and interviewed a woman who had been Bette Davis' personal assistant toward the end of her life and written a book about it. Alicia Malone was good, but the interview was terrible. This woman didn't want to talk about Bette Davis. She wanted to talk about her own life as it pertained to Bette Davis. No matter what Alicia did to try to get her back on track, this woman was having none of it. It turns out Alicia was having dinner at Micelli's as well. She had seen Ruth in the audience and came up to our table to ask if she had done anything wrong or could have done anything different. We were all supportive. She did fine. No, that woman wanted to talk about herself and not Bette Davis. The end result was my wife and I had a great meal, good company, and got to get a picture with Alicia Malone, all because we took a break.

Just remember, you’re there to have fun. It’s almost assured that you’re going to be running around a lot, but there is nothing that says you have to. It’s okay to take a breather.

Try Something New

To a certain degree, this is going to vary from person to person to person. Maybe, you've never been to one of the midnight or poolside screenings, try to find a way to make that happen. Maybe, you've never seen a silent film with live accompaniment or a nitrate film. Maybe, you're the type of person who puts a premium on seeing films you've never seen before over old standards that you've seen a bunch of times. Know that seeing something like a world premiere restoration of The Searchers at the Egyptian in a packed theater with an audience who knows and loves the film like you do is a way better experience than seeing it on the big screen at the multiplex at a Fathom Events screening with 30 people.

My second year at TCMFF, they did a special presentation on the history of Technicolor. I thought it sounded really cool, but I decided on something else instead. Afterwards, everybody was raving about how cool the Technicolor thing was. The next year I decided to not make the same mistake twice and went to a similar presentation on Vitaphone, and it was awesome.

Just try to step outside of your comfort zone at some point during the Festival. Maybe, it's great. Maybe, it doesn't work out so well. Just know that it's actually kind of hard to make a bad decision at TCMFF.

Try to See Something Besides Inside of a Theater

Even if you only have a couple of hours to spare, take advantage. Maybe you can squeeze in one of the tours. If you keep going east on Hollywood Blvd, things start to get less cheesy and you'll find things like vintage clothing stores and cool bars and restaurants. Also it seems like more of the sidewalk stars that direction are Golden Age Hollywood people. Me, I love going to Amoeba Records. In the last couple of years, Amoeba Records moved to a smaller location (6200 Hollywood Blvd), but trust me, it's still a very good record store and quite likely has a better selection than similar places where you live. They also have a great selection of Blu-rays and DVDs. It is close to a Trader Joe's (1600 Vine St) if you need supplies and a minor classic film landmark (Chateau Alto Nido Apartments, 1851 Ivar Ave, William Holden's apartment in Sunset Blvd). All are very close to Hollywood Vine Metro station if you want to save the 1 mile walk.

About 4 blocks east of Highland on Hollywood Blvd (about two blocks from the Egyptian) is Larry Edmunds Bookstore, great bookstore, specializing in movies and theater, and they will ship if you don't want to make your suitcase heavy with a bunch of books.

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is now open and well worth the trip. I didn't go last year, so I'm probably due for another trip. The Museum does have a café, and I heard good things about it from just about everyone who went there. Maybe, that's in the cards this time as well.

Last year, I did the walking tour of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. This one had been on my TCMFF bucket list for some time, and it was awesome.

If there is somewhere you want to go, it might be worth it to call and see that they are still there, or that their hours haven't changed, especially post-COVID. Several years ago, I did a series of posts on my favorite TCMFF Sidetrips, and half of them are no longer there. See links at the bottom of this post for the ones that are still relevant.

Talk to People

You probably wouldn’t know but I’m kind of an introvert. Oh, I’m fine talking to people if I feel have a reason to or if I think I have something in common with them, but in many social situations, I clam up or spend the whole time talking to the people I already know. Know that pretty much anybody wearing a TCMFF badge is someone you have something in common with, probably way more than most of your friends back home. This is your tribe. Revel in it. By Saturday, almost anyone you talk to has seen at least one of the same movies you have over the course of the Festival. At any given time, there are about five or six things going on at once. If you’re standing in line, everyone else in that line has just passed up four or five other things that under normal circumstances they would love to see. If that’s not something in common, I don’t know what is. If you’re shy, try the following conversation starters:

What have you seen so far? A lot of the time it’s things you saw too or something you really wanted to see, but had to skip for something you wanted to see more. If it’s one of those rare titles, you can find out whether it was worth it. This may help you decide on those TBA films on Sunday.
What’s your favorite thing so far? You might get some great stories: Eddie Muller was very funny in such and such. Or I was standing in line for coffee with Ben Mankiewicz.
And don’t forget the standard ones: Where are you from? How was your trip?

Festival Boutique

No word at this time, but I'm sure there's going to be a place to buy Festival t-shirts etc. In years past, they have taken over part of a shop in the mall. Last year, there was a stand in the courtyard of the Chinese Theater. I'm sure there will be similar this year. Check the website for details as they become available.

Unofficial Events

Officially, TCMFF runs April 18–21, but unofficially there a number of events that happen in conjunction with the Festival that are not sponsored by TCM. Most of these happen before or after TCMFF just because most people are too busy during to do much of anything besides watch movies and possibly eat and sleep:

The big unofficial event is the Going to TCM Classic Film Festival! Facebook group TCMFF Pre-Fest #15 Party, April 17, 3:30–7:30 PM. You will need to join the Facebook group, which you probably should anyway. There is a $35 fee that goes toward rental of the facility, the Hollywood Heritage Museum and pizzas/light snacks, etc. Space is limited, so if you're interested, it would be best to make arrangements for this sooner rather than later.
Hollywood Forever Cemetery Tour, guided tour of celebrity graves by Karie Bible ($28, + $1 service fee for online booking). I went on this one last year

April 17, 10:00 AM (Special 100th anniversary tribute to M-G-M and Columbia)
April 18, 10:00 AM
April 20, 10:00 AM

TCMFF Unofficial Opening Party, April 16, 9 PM–??? This is one I put together, and it's about as unofficial as it gets. It's basically, anyone who happens to be in town on Tuesday, we'll be gathering at Boardner's. Just show up, and look for people wearing old movie stuff.
Larry Edmunds Bookstore usually has author signings of classic film-related books, nothing on the April calendar yet, but check later this month.
Fashion in Film of TCMFF, April 17, 7:30–9:00 PM, fashion film historian, Kimberly Truhler will give a talk about the fashions represented in the films screened at this year's festival with an emphasis on the Most Wanted: Crime and Justice in film theme. Held at the Hollywood Heritage Museum following the Facebook group soiree. Actually, this one sold out by the time I got this posted.
Other screenings, LA has a really good film scene. At the very least, it's worth checking what is playing at the New Beverly Cinema, for the time you are there. The New Beverly is the theater owned by Quentin Tarantino. It skews pretty heavily town 70s/exploitation movies, and of course his own films, but they have been known to schedule classic films the week of TCMFF. They will post the schedule for April late this month, and that's just one theater of many in LA that screen classics.

There may be other events. I know I saw something about someone doing a walking tour of Hollywood, but I don't remember who or any of the details. Check the various social media platforms. You never know what you'll find.

Swag

I like to think of TCMFF as Comic-Con for classic film fans. At Comic-Con, you can't walk 20 feet without having someone give you swag. For those not in the know, swag is cool free stuff, though the reality is it's often just free stuff. There is not a lot of swag at TCMFF, but it does exist. TCM sometimes holds events for things like the TCM Wine Club. Will there be swag there? I honestly don't know, but there might be. Of course, maybe you'll have to be a member of the Wine Club or join to get it, but if you were planning to anyway, it might be cooler than what you would get otherwise.

Most years, Beth Accomando and Miquel Rodriguez of Film Geeks San Diego, do some sort of swag and/or cookies for the midnight movies, but you have to go to the midnight movies to get them. My favorite were the Sean Connery, banana hammock gingerbread cookies for Zardoz back in 2017:

Roughly 98% of the swag at TCMFF is buttons. Before TCMFF several years ago, I made rather flippant remark on Facebook about buttons. I said, if you didn't get any buttons at TCMFF, it's because you didn't try. Of course, several people responded, I didn't get any buttons. How do you get buttons? Well, here you go.

A lot of people make buttons to give out at TCMFF. Maybe they are promoting their classic film blog or podcast. Maybe they're doing it because they like John Garfield, or think Now Voyager is the best melodrama ever. It is. Anyway, if you want buttons, find someone who has some buttons, tell them you like them, and ask where they got them. Maybe they ordered them online before the Festival. Maybe they got them the year before. Maybe they got them the day before from a guy wearing a Buster Keaton hat. Then again, maybe they got one from the woman over there in the green dress, and she still has some. You go up and ask her, and she gives you one. Yea!

You may need to ask five people, ten people, twenty people, thirty people. Maybe you will get some buttons. Maybe, you won't, but what if you don't. Is it bad that you talk to 20 or 30 people you wouldn't have talked to otherwise? If you see someone with a lot of buttons, ask them. Often the reason people have a lot of buttons is that they are giving them out and got them in return. They probably have some on them and would be happy to give you one.

Another way to get buttons is look on social media. A lot of the people who order buttons to give out at the Festival will post pictures of them on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or whatever ahead of time. "Hi everybody, my Alfred Hitchcock buttons came in today." When you see things like this, like them. Post comments about how cool they. Follow or friend them. Send them a direct message. When it gets closer to the Festival, figure out which events they are going to and find them and ask for a button. See what I did there? I just recommended that you cyberstalk someone to get an Alfred Hitchcock button. Don't worry. In the realm of cyberstalking, this is about as benign as it gets.

Finally, if you really want buttons, go out and get some. Find an image you like, ignore the fact that you don't own the copyright. Yes, I know this is wrong, and illegal, but you're probably not going to get caught, though to be safe, I would stay away from Disney. Then order some buttons. If you're not real tech savvy, find someone to help you. You probably have a nephew who can help. If that is too much trouble, just do one with text. Most button making sites will allow you to type in the text you want to put on the button. Say you like, When Harry Met Sally, do buttons that say, "I'll have what she's having."

The reason everyone does buttons is that they're cheap and easy to do. Figure on about 50 cents each for 100 buttons, which is plenty. If you get a button-making kit, you might be able to do better by printing them at work, though it seems to me that the cost of the button making kits has gone up dramatically since COVID. At this point it might be better to just order them. Probably allow for 2 weeks or more for delivery.

If you give out a hundred buttons, you're probably going to get some in return. Are you going to get 75? Maybe not. You might only get five, but likely you'll get quite a few. You're definitely going to get one, because you're going to keep one for yourself. And it's going to be one you like, because you picked out what to put on it. You got a button that you love, and it only cost you a 50 cents (or 50 dollars), depending how you look at it. Score (or not).

Anyway, nowhere is the old adage it's better to give than receive more true than with buttons and TCMFF. The point is not getting buttons. The point is giving them. Where else can you make people happy for 50 cents. If you give a homeless guy 50 cents, he's going to look at you like you just took a dump in his sleeping bag. If you like buttons, order some. You'll get one, and you'll make 99 other people happy. It's the best 50 bucks you'll ever spend in your life. By the way, if you do make some buttons, it's probably better not to put the TCM logo on it. TCM is in the business selling stuff with their logo on it. They probably wouldn't confiscate them or anything, but it is their pool we're playing in. We should respect that.

If you decide to do swag, now, would be the time to figure it out. You need to allow time to get them ordered and delivered. You wouldn't want to have them arrive the day after you leave for Hollywood. I am probably doing some sort of swag this year, but I'm not sure what. I did these in 2022 to give out at The Sting.

In 2019, I did temporary tattoos. I gave one to an older woman that I'd interacted with on Facebook. When I gave it to her, she said, "I have a tattoo." She then showed me this very fine black line in the crook of her hand between her thumb and forefinger. She said that she did it herself with a needle and India ink. "When I was a kid, all of the good-looking bad boys in the neighborhood had these crucifix tattoos on their hands there," she explained. She and a girlfriend tried to give themselves tattoos to impress them, but it hurt too much so she only got the one line done. When I sent her a message on Facebook to ask if I could share this story, she said I could and that the the bad boys were called Pachucos, a name for Mexican-American gang members in the 1950s. That's one of the most hardcore things I've heard in my life. This woman who looks like the perfect grandmother and always posts Christian memes on Facebook was giving herself a home-made gang tattoo to impress the bad boys in the neighborhood in the 1950s. I wonder if her kids/grandkids know.

Several years ago, I did these. I got a really great smirk from Ben Mankiewicz when I handed him one.

If they ever show A Place in the Sun, I'll probably do them again.

One last thought on swag, another option for swag that most people don't think of is badge ribbons. These are ribbons with a sticky strip that will stick to the back of the badge that will hang down below the badge with obscuring any of the important parts. The standard size is 4" by 1 5/8", which will fit the standard size badge for most conventions. Bear in mind that there is a possibility that TCM will redesign their badges, and the standard size ribbons may not work well if that happens, but honestly, I don't see that happening. I know that TCM is trying to keep costs down, and that usually means, don't do anything nonstandard, because that usually cost more. The following is what a badge ribbon looks like (similar to ones I did the year they showed Arsenic and Old Lace):

There is a link to PC/nametag below. I've ordered badge ribbons from them in the past, and it was fairly simple. Looking at their website just now, it look like it looked like they were about the same price for 100 ribbons as it is for 100 buttons. I haven't ordered any ribbons since before the pandemic, so there may be better companies out there for ribbons.

Swag You Really Don't Want

One last word of warning. As you wander Hollywood Blvd, people are going to try give you stuff. Don't take it. Once a young man came up to me and said, "Here, have a free CD." In a moment weakness and exhaustion, I accepted. He then proceeded to ask me for money for the free CD he had just given me. And then didn't want to take it back when I said no. Trust me, you don't need that kind of headache.

Shameless Plug

A couple years ago, I broke down and ordered some enamel pins (to sell). They came out really nice, but I still haven't broken even on them.

I will be selling them in-person at TCMFF, $10 cash.

Reel Gags

Friday, March 8, 2024

TCMFF Survival Guide Part 2 – Making the Most of Your Experience