Philadelphia Wizard World 2012 Costume Contest June 2, 2012

The costume contest this year at Wizard World Philadelphia was interesting to say the least.  From a female version of the Rocketeer to a group of Naruto character this year had a lot of entries and some great winners. 

The winner of best in show went to a man who I am sure was the actual Loki from the new Avengers film.  The event was once again MCed by the Defuser, winner of the second season of Stan Lee's Who Wants to be a Superhero.  There were several highlights of the event which I actual entered myself and my friend into.  We were both Doctor Who characters, he played the Doctor where as I played Rose Tyler.

Although I do not condone heckling there were two guys there that made the almost three hour event more interesting to say the least.  With over 130 entries, two guys really stood out and they were dressed as Terrence and Phillip from Southpark.  After recieving over sixteen complaints these two have made a reputation for themselves as pranksters and add commentary to almost every panel.  When they were called on stage they used the fake names of King Kong and the Empire State Building to avoid being passed over by the Defuser.  Awesome videos of the dynamic duo!

After they got off stage it was our turn to go up and I took the mic and invited the duo back on stage which the crowd really enjoyed but was not appreciated by the Defuser.  Anyway there was a lot of fun to be had at the event this year.

Before the winners were announced all of the Doctor Who characters raided the stage for a random dance time and also included some of the other contestants into the dance which was fun.

In the end some of the winners included 1950s Arkham girls from Batman, a Skyrim character, Doctor Who enemies, Booster Gold, and of course Loki. 

Although we did not win anything we sure had a fun time covering the event.

 The winners of the 2012 Costume Contest

Can you spot us in this picture?

After the contest I had to do this, sue me!

Check back for more Philadelphia Wizard World 2012 details!

Most of these photos come from Miguel Melendez thanks so much for getting amazing shots!

Wizard World Day 3 - Bruce Campbell Panel June 2, 2012

Day two (or day three for everyone else) was on Saturday.  Because i did so much on Saturday this post is going to focus on the panel that I attended, Bruce Campbell.  We got to the convention a little late and decided to check out the Bruce Campbell panel. 

During the panel Bruce took fans with Evil Dead tattoos on stage to have a contest.  Six people went up and the winner, a man planning to tattoo both legs with evil dead characters won receiving $2 from the pocket of Bruce Campbell.  

Bruce also talked a lot about his upcoming projects including the Evil Dead remake which he, Sam Raimi, and Rob Tapert are all involved in.  The film is being shot now and should be in theaters or at least finished by next year.  He also mentioned that there would not be a lot of CGI in the new film rather they would be using old fashioned makeup effects.  

Bruce also talked about his upcoming project, OZ, which is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz.  The film also stars James Franco as the Wizard and Campbell mentioned that he has a pivotal role.  The film is being made by Disney so he couldn't say too much because they had representatives at the convention dressed as klingons.  

Overall the panel was a great time.  Even if you have never heard of Bruce Campbell (not possible) you would enjoy his panel!  His best line had to Miami - once the face of homelessness now the home of facelessness.

Check back tomorrow for all of the details about the truly amazing costume contest!



BRAND NEW!!  Video from the Panel!!

Wizard World Philadelphia Day 2 - June 1, 2012

Hey everyone! Just wanted to tell you guys everything that I did at Wizard World  The good news is I can post all the juicy details about the event and include some pictures and videos. Just as I have done in the past, each day I will be posting details about Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3. I was only able to go for three days so I will post about everything I did. 

So my first day at Wizard World was on Friday, which is usually my favorite day of all. The convention is never overly crowded on the first or second day and not to mention its just beginning. So we arrived to the convention around 12:30 and this year did not dissapoint. The first day I decided to dress as Claire Bennet from Heroes (aka the Cheerleader). I was especially excited to see all of the great costumes people came up with this year and as usualy they were amazing! I was able to interview a few of the costumed fans which you will be able to see in the videos I make within a week or so.

One of the main aspects that draw people to the convention every year is obviously the star power it brings to the city. Although some of the headlining stars did not arrive until Saturday, that did not mean that there was a shortage of celebrities. If I recall correctly, I do not believe I saw the line to see Stan Lee go under 50 people all weekend. Fans piled into the convention center to meet their favorite stars even if that meant waiting in line for hours to get a chance to rub elbows with the stars.

If fans were not meeting the stars, they were probably checking out all of the toys and gadgets on the floor. One man was even selling a small device called the Sonic Blast which can literally turn a block of wood into a speaker! Other tables were just filled with everything that a nerd could possibly want. Being that the year is 2012, I noticed a great amount of Zombie preperation going on. Everything from zombie t-shirts to actual survival guides were being sold at the convention. I even saw a few zombies at the convention.

I only was able to go to one panel on Friday and I decided to go with Sam Trammell since I am a huge True Blood fan. Sam was very friendly to fans and answered questions about the new season of True Blood without revealing anything at all. He stated that this season is one of the best yet and he thinks he breaks the nakedness record himself this year. He also revealed that there will be a new female vampire this year I believe a daughter of King Henry 8 if I remember correctly. One person asked which man would you want Sam to have a relationship with (odd question) and people yelled out Eric and Jason, of course I yelled out Andy...I have to be different. Sam seemed to like it though.  VIDEOS NOW HERE!

Tommorrow I plan to post some of the things that I did on Saturday, and there is a lot. Stay tuned for information from the Bruce Campbell panel, the superhero cosplay photoshoot, the costume contest, and just general fun! Thanks for reading!

Dead Man Down / Political Animals / Update / Wizard World

Hey everyone! I know it has been quite a while since my last past and I know a lot of things are happening in Philadelphia, however unfortunately for me, my computer broke and I am in the process of getting a new one. Until then, I have to use a tiny netbook for my blog. But anyway, you all want to know about whats filming and not me!

First of all, the film Dead Man Down starring Colin Farrell and Terrence Howard has been filming in the city for the past few weeks and since I was in Florida during the majority of the outdoor scenes, I missed quite a lot of action. Never fear, my good friend, PhillyChitChat was on the scene as usual and managed to get a bunch of great shots and details about the filming. In the end of April, they shot a scene which involved Colin Farrell on a window ledge and he was throw out of the building which I am sad to have missed. Word is that for the next three weeks the film will be on a soundstage.

The other production currently filming in Philadelphia ia a USA network political drama, Political Animals starring Sigourney Weaver and Ellen Burstyn. The show is about a former first lady who divorces her husband and is currently serving as Secretary of State. The show revolves around her job and her family. I got to be an extra in one of the scenes that was filmed last week and it was really great to see such legends in the same room. As usual, I try not to talk too much about projects I work on, but I did manage to take a few pictures of the star which I will be more to happy to post after the show airs in July. The scene I was in I had to dress in business attire and went with a friend of mine.

The scene was inside and there were about 600 extras. I cannot say too much about the scene until the show airs, but I can say that it was a political scene, yea really.  Since the show was picked up for 10 episodes expect to hear more about this one filming in the city.

So, think that two things filming in Philadelphia is cool, well just wait because your head might EXPLODE! Starting in July (right around when Dead Man Down finishes) Harrison Ford will be in town filming a new movie entitled Paranoia. Also in the film is Gary Oldman and Liam Hemsworth. Stay tuned for updates on this project as well.

As a reminder I will be attending Wizard World Philadelphia again this year and I cannot wait to bring you all the great adventures I go on this year at the convention. Hopefully I will be able to edit video, I will make it happen! Wizard World Philadelphia is happening this year at the Convention Center on May 31, June 1, 2, and 3. If you have a chance I strongly suggest you go because each year gets better and better. This year a bunch of huge celebrities are set to appear including Chris Hemsworth, Stan Lee, the entire cast of the original Evil Dead film, William Shatner, and about a hundred more. Check out www.wizardworld.com for more information and I hope to see you there!

Future Weather Update: Help Fund An Amazing Film!

So as I mentioned before the locally produced eco-concious film, Future Weather has been selected to premiere at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival this year. The film has been gathering so much buzz that the screening sold out in only 4 hours! In addition to the screening there will also be a panel with stars Amy Madigan, Lili Taylor, and Perla Haney-Jardine.

Although this innovative film has been accepted into the festival, they need the community's help to raise money to offset some post production costs including among other things festival travel, posters, and a website. Future Weather featured the greener side of the Philadelphia area something rarely seen in modern films which mainly focus on the big city. Lets help this film get off the ground so that the others can see even the smallest stories can have a big impact.

If this interests you as much as it interests me please check out http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/futureweathermovie/future-weather-tribeca-world-premiere?ref=card and donate whatever you can to help the project. Even $5.00 can help. The goal is to get $40,000 by May 9, 2012. Lets show that we care and help get this project rolling.

To hear more about the project and the film, check out the video below

Future Weather World Premiere at Tribeca Film Festival

Back in summer 2010, the independent film, Future Weather filmed around the Philadelphia area. Now the film is being released and premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 29. This film introduced a new and innovative production process as it was a green set and revolved around bettering the environment.

I reported on the film several times back in August 2010 and was invited to the set on a few occasions. It was a very pleasant experience and very interesting to see how a green set works. If you would like to read the report I made back in 2010 check here.

Future Weather was written, directed, and produced by Jenny Deller and produced by Kristin Fairweather. The film stars Lili Taylor, Amy Madigan, and newcomer Perla Haney Jardine. The film is a coming of age story about the relationship of a young girl and her grandmom after her mom leaves her. It tells their story and how they begin to relate to each other during a troubling time in their lives.

To learn more about the movie check out the website Tickets go on sale April 16.

Do No Harm Update - March 21, 2012

Hey everyone welcome back! Finally real things are filming in the city again! For the past few weeks, the new M. Night Shyamalan movie starring Will and Jaden Smith has been filming inside studios in Chester. Although that film may never make it to the actual streets to film, other productions have been invading the city.

I was selected to be an extra on the new NBC pilot, Do No Harm starring Steven Pasquale. Unfortunately I cannot give too much away since I worked on the project, but I am willing to give you some insider details. I was told to be at set at 4:30 and signed in. We ate some food and talked a bit before they took us out to...walk, yes walk! Its what all the cool extras do. So thats the insider details, no I'm kidding, but I really did walk! The production actually turned the Convention Center into 'Independence Memorial Hospital' One thing I thought was weird is that the extra they put into a wheelchair was in full makeup and stilletos, I would look just like that too coming out of a hospital. Sadly, I can't give you any more fun details, but check out PhillyChitChat for all the juicy info! When the show comes out keep an eye out for me and my amazing walking skyllz! If you look to the right of the photo you can see Steven Pasquale (in the tie) and director Michael Mayer (sitting in the chair with glasses). Thanks PhillyChitChat for taking the picture as I could not (although I wanted to so bad!!).

We were finally able to leave the set around 1:30 in the morning. It was a great time and I got to meet some great people!

One interesting person I met on set was a PA, Jackass and CKY star, Chris Raab (Raab Himself). I did get to talk to him in between takes and he is a really nice guy. He told me that he was doing this while working on other projects with Brandon Dicamillo and Rake Yohn.

So thats about all I got for you guys. For more information about the filming head on over to PhillyChitChat. Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more fun filming updates!