The Poster Memorabilia blog

Returning to My Happy Place

Hook, three signatures across three cities, and one that will always be missing.

By an anonymous Hollywood insider

Movies are my happy place. I watch one every time I feel down, tired, and need a pick-me-up. You can never go wrong with a good film and popcorn, especially after a hard day's work or on a rainy night. And the movie that always cheers me up, no matter how many times I watch it, is Hook (1991).

What's better than seeing Robin Williams go back to a magical land where he was Peter Pan, leading the Lost Boys to victory against Captain Hook? The movie is an emotional roller coaster I don't mind riding again and again, especially with that awesome cast, including Dustin Hoffman, Julia Roberts, and Dante Basco.

The movie only works because of these actors. It's all thanks to Williams' monumental talent, Hoffman's flair for theatrics, Roberts' signature charm, and Basco's realistic adolescence. This isn't Disney's Peter Pan with all its vintage sparkle and pixie dust. It's a deeper and more mature retelling that touches on adults' fantasies of going back to childhood.

“Hook always gave me a high that no other film could.”

Even after Williams passed away and it became hard to watch his movies, Hook always gave me a high that no other film could. How I wish I had gotten his autograph when he was still alive. Even if it were on a used napkin, I would've cherished it like a family heirloom.

I'm at least happy that the other three are still with us. And I'm even more grateful that I managed to have them sign my Hook movie poster.

It obviously wasn't easy, but it was worth the effort. Seeing them in Hook always put a big smile on my face, but I never would've imagined that meeting them in person was even better. I was so happy to discover that they're all very nice people in real life.

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I met Dustin Hoffman and got his autograph at the premiere of The Meyerowitz Stories at the New York Film Festival in 2017. Even at his age, he was still as boisterous as ever. I saw him borrow one photographer's camera and start shooting back at the photographers and his co-stars, to the delight of everyone on both sides of the rope. He seemed to be having a lot of fun that night, and I loved that for him.

Julia Roberts also gave me her autograph when I saw her at the New York premiere of her 2018 film, Ben Is Back. Though she grew into an elegant woman, her smile still had that pixie charm that made her Tinker Bell so memorable. I could look at her for hours and never grow tired.

It took me a couple of years to finally meet Dante Basco, especially with COVID shutting everything down in 2020, but I finally did at New York Comic Con 2021. He appeared at the Avatar: Braving the Elements LIVE! event and met with fans there.

I felt relief when he signed my poster. After years of going to all sorts of events, I finally got the main leads of Hook to sign this memorabilia. I still regret I didn't get Williams', but these were more than enough.

Some things you watch. This one you keep.

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