Went to the SIFF Tribute to William Friedkin tonight, which included a screening of [b][i]Killer Joe[/b][/i]. As the tribute started, I thought I might be out of luck, because the SIFF director made it sound like they would do the talk with Friedkin before the movie, then intermission, then the film, but at the end of almost two hours of Friedkin talking about his movies and experience in the business (all great stuff, especially his section on [b][i]The French Connection[/b][/i]), they said he (and Emile Hirsch, who was also in attendance) would be back after the film for a Q&A.

When the film ended I moved to the front row next to the stairs leading off the stage, but when the Q&A was over, three publicists formed a human wall to block me (within some four feet of space) from getting to Friedkin before he went into a back area. I figured I was out of luck again, but then I saw him lingering back there, so I made my way around to the area where he was standing and pushed my way down into the crowd. Another human wall stood between myself and him, but I put my DVD over the people trying to block me from getting closer and he looked right at me, took my stuff, and signed it (one for me and one for my friend), possibly because I told him he followed me on Twitter (which he did a couple of days ago).

[img]http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/180295_10151195913989478_1988790150_n.jpg[/img]

I didn't get a chance to get Hirsch's autograph. There was an opportunity, and I had brought my [b][i]Speed Racer[/b][/i] Blu-Ray with that in mind, but, hey, [b][i]The French Connection[/b][/i] is better than [b][i]Speed Racer[/b][/i], and I wanted Friedkin more than Hirsch. So, no big loss.

Interestingly, Tim Blake Nelson, who I got yesterday, showed up to watch the movie. Two days ago, I had no idea he was even coming to SIFF, and now I've watched a crazy William Friedkin film with him. Bizarre.