Writes Dargis,

An autograph and collectibles convention, the Hollywood Show takes place four times a year at the Marriott across from the Bob Hope Airport, some 10 miles from downtown Los Angeles. (The most recent ran Oct. 9 to 11.) For three days the show fills an L-shaped foyer and adjacent ballroom, 15,000 square feet of the hotel's convention center. As the event's title suggests, collectibles - vintage movie posters, lobby cards and the ephemeral like - are part of the draw.

And, of course there are the stars, from Debbie Reynolds to Deep Roy (Dargis' husband is right, he was indeed in Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) in full costume, to former child stars, to Twilight Zone cast members. One of the bigger stars was Mickey Rooney.

Deep Roy was in one of the busiest corners because he was near Sean Astin, who tagged after Frodo through the "Lord of the Rings" movies. A second-generation Hollywood actor, Mr. Astin is the son of Patty Duke. William Schallert, who played her father on "The Patty Duke Show," was in the foyer.

To someone like me, who doesn't even want to find out actors' real ages on IMDB lest it impact on my suspension of disbelief, this sounds like about the most unappealing thing imaginable. But, hey, if people enjoy it, get a thrill out of seeing a familiar face, and an older star can receive some accolades and make a little money, why not? And people's reasons must vary; someone who grew up on Andy Hardy probably is reminded of his youth when he meets Mickey. And a rabid Lord of the Rings fan, even if he's not there to meet Sam himself, is still talking to someone who lived the film experience, was directed by the master, can explain the technicalities of the shoot. At least, in theory.

Concludes Dargis,

The truth is that movie love is itself a form of collecting, and to live with the movies, to write and watch and read about them day after day, year after year, is a form of intense worship. The word fan is thought to come from the word fanatic, which derives from the Latin word fanaticus, "of a temple." Hollywood was built on such adoration, with ornate movie palaces that were shrines, and stars whose ethereal beauty made them virtual gods and goddesses.

The contrast with today's celebrity culture - between respectful studio portraits and paparazzi crotch shots - is striking. In a world that's increasingly torn between deifying and degrading our stars, something as straightforward as paying for a picture seems almost quaint. A little weird, perhaps. But it's a safe space - and how often can you say that?

A Fan's Signature Moment [NY Times]

Fisher, the daughter of actress Debbie Reynolds and crooner Eddie Fisher, doesn't leave out any naughty details: her father's terrible facelift, her mother's bizarre, oft-repeated suggestion that Carrie make a baby with her stepfather, her drug addiction, her bipolar disorder — they all get exposed with equal measures of humor and charm. But my favorite anecdote is about her mom's boyfriend in the 70s, Bob Fallon, who inspired Debbie Reynolds to make a "stocking stuffer" into something completely obscene.

When I was about Fifteen, my mother had started dating a man named Bob Fallon, and my brother and I called him Bob Phallus, because he came equipped with exotic creams and sex toys. You know, aphrodisiacs. Well, actually, Anglo-disiacs, because we're white. Anyway, thanks to Bob, that Christmas my mother bought both my grandmother and myself vibrators! As unusual as a gift like this sounds, you have to admit that they are ideal stocking stuffers. I mean, you can fit the vibrator into the long top part of the stocking and still be able to get another cute little gift in the toe! Well, I have to admit, I enjoyed mine, but my grandmother refused to use hers. She was concerned that it would short-circuit her pacemaker. She said that she had gone this long without an orgasm; she might as well go the whole way. (And that pacemaker, by the way, was later recalled).

Also of interest for Paul Simon enthusiasts: there's a lot of bittersweet stuff about Fisher's on-again, off-again relationship with Simon, including which of his lyrics were about her. Turns out that some of my favorite lyrics ever were inspired by Carrie, including this gem from "Graceland": "She's come back to tell me she's gone/ As if I didn't know that/ As if I didn't know my own bed/ As if I didn't notice the way she brushed her hair from her forehead." And if that doesn't interest you, there's also a lot of dirt about George Lucas and the fact that he asked her to lose ten pounds for Star Wars.

Wishful Drinking [Amazon]