Ladies. Love. Sho. Sakurai.
And apparently the boys do, too. Way back, overlooking the crowd from what appears to be a bullet-proof, vacuum-sealed booth, Japanese pop idol Sho Sakurai and his handlers observe his loyal subjects below. This was supposed to be a signing to promote his upcoming collabo with famed maverick director Takashi Miike as the star of the live-action re-interpretation of the classic 70s anime, Yatterman. But they, meaning Sho and his handlers, severely misunderestimated the turnout and citing “security reasons,” they scrapped the signing. If only they had read the MediumAtLarge.net announcement of the signing and seen the 70 some-odd comments announcing the travel plans of fans from all over the country to get a piece of Sho, they might have been better prepared. So, you can understand if those fans walked away a little disappointed.
For me personally, this kind of adoration is usually reserved for Miike.
Well, maybe not to that extent but Miike (above, in red) was getting plenty of love. I kept looking for my friend, Robyn, who promised to bum rush the stage during the Yatterman panel in the IGN.com Theatre to sit on Miike’s lap but the panel went by without incident. As for the movie, Miike introduced a trailer and a roughly 5-min intro sequence that felt like 30 seconds as it neared terminal velocity. He said to expect roughly two more hours of that. As with most of Miike, it will require some endurance. Yatterman’s premiere at the Director’s Guild Theatre Friday evening is the first major Japanese release to have its world premiere in the U.S. It is the Con, Miike remarked, where the fans would appreciate it most.
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CI-FI & Fantasy Celebrity Sighting of the Day
In a departure from the usual celebrity sightings, there was no more conspicuous and perhaps surprising guest than New Jersey Nets rookie center Brook López. For what its worth, he walked the floor and waited in line like he was just another guest on the floor, just 7-0 tall and with the physique of a professional athlete. He had a badge. He was wearing a Green Lantern t-shirt. So it seems this was no token appearance, he let his geek flag fly. Here he is waiting in line to get a sketch from the legendary Jim Lee (with hat, huddled over drawing). Brook López, an inspiration to comic book-loving athletes worldwide. But a terrible subject for a balanced composition.
