Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker movie premiere-

Did mention I was at the premiere of the new Star Wars movie that just happened?  Yeah, I was there... right out in front on of the Kodak Theater, on Hollywood Boulevard, trying to sell art skate decks.  I didn't sell any that night, and the other vendors didn't sell much either.  The whole block of Hollywood and Highland was blocked off, and there was a huge white tent right on Hollywood Blvd. Everyone coming to the premiere entered the tent at the end of the block, and there were bars and things to see, and places to hang out inside it.  All of that was hidden from view from tourists and people walking by. 

I worked at the company that did the lights and red carpeting for most of the movie premieres back in the late 90's, and I worked at a couple of them.  But this Star Wars premiere was HUGE.  They probably spent a million bucks just on that event, it was insane and took over the whole area.  And Hollywood boulevard is a really expensive area to take over. Here's a few pics from that night.

As all the celebrities, and people invited to the premiere, left the big tent, and they had to cross this open area, basically to walk across the sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard.  The little tented thing above is the tent over the sidewalk, which had to be kept open for tourists and everyday people.  So the guards would block off the sidewalk for a few minutes, and the dignitaries at the premiere would walk through, into another tent leading up to the entrance of the Kodak Theater.  So this is tourists, phones in the air, trying to see and get photos of famous people walking by.  Somebody said Adam Driver walked by about the time I snapped this shot.  Woooo.  Famous people.  Whatever.

Here's my little set up, earlier in the evening, trying to sell my two Harley Quinn fan art skate decks.  I got a lot of interest, several people commented on them, but none were ready to throw down money.  The guys just past me were selling bracelets with names on them.  You can see the big tent, that all the premiere attendees went through, on the left.

 Here's a huge canvas, an original painting of an orangutan getting glammed up, left on the boulevard by the artist.  I saw another canvas by this artist a couple days earlier.  Some guy was standing next to it, so I figured that was the artist.  In my time hanging out and selling (or usually not selling) art on Hollywood blvd., I made friends with several of the "characters."  People, some kids from the hood just trying to make money, and some actors looking to make extra cash, dress up as well known characters, and take photos with tourists for tips.  So I got to know Edward Scissorhands and Freddy Krueger pretty well, along with a few others.  Both thought my artwork was pretty cool. 

Anyhow, the night of the Star Wars premiere, Freddy told me this artist was painting these huge canvases, and just leaving them on Hollywood boulevard for some one to pick up and take home for free.  A little free marketing to promote his work, I guess.  So these huge canvases, like five feet high and twelve feet long, just sat there.  This one, and the one below, Freddy said, had been sitting there for three days.

This painting, of zebras fucking in the rain, was sitting about 30 feet from where the tourists were watching for celebrities.  Obviously, it's hard to miss a twelve foot long painting of zebras fucking, and lots of people were checking it out, it was getting all kinds of reactions.  Later in the evening, maybe 10:00 pm or so, a couple of young women, maybe 19 or 20 years old, were checking this out and taking selfies in front of it.  The two were dolled up, high heels and all, out with their boyfriends for the evening. 

I told them, "Hey, the artist left this here for someone to take home, it's free.  I said that to several people that night, just joking around.  Much to my surprise, the two girls just looked at each other, picked this huge painting up, and walked down the street with it.  They were both maybe 5'2", and the huge painting dwarfed them, and they were in high heels.  But they decided they needed fucking zebras on their living room wall, and just walked off with the painting.  It was pretty funny to watch. 

About ten minutes later, some young guy who panhandles there, asked where the painting went.  For a minute, I thought he was the artist.  I told him that I told some girls it was free, and they walked off with it.  He was pissed.  "Man, I was trying to sell that thing."  What can I say, Hollywood boulevard is a weird place.  It's actually as crazy as Venice Beach these days, I think, maybe crazier.  You never know what you'll see there.

I still haven't seen the new Star Wars movie.  Or the one before that, for that matter.  Maybe I'll get the chance.