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Robert Englund: Recession-Proof, or Hollywood’s Most Offensive Monster?

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On the heels of Mike Cucinotta’s recent article on how Patrick “Capt. Picard” Stewart and his handlers have the utter gall to charge $100 each for fans to take a picture with him, I felt it absolutely necessary to call out Robert “Freddy Krueger” Englund as well. As an offshoot of a local convention in the Tri-State area, our buddy Robert will appear at a book signing for his newly published Hollywood Monster. He’ll host an early Halloween party in the hotel bar, then sign his book and fans’ items the next day, when he’ll also be available for a special “boiler room” photo op.

All of this sounds pretty sweet, right?Wanna suck face?

Think again. A look at the cost breakdown reveals this to be not such a sweet deal after all.

A ticket just to attend the party is $80. This includes hors de ouvres, and Robert himself will host this. It starts at 9 PM, and ends at 1, though the promoter has stated that Robert will be leaving around midnight. No one is allowed to get anything signed at the party. So that’s 80 bucks to eat some meatballs on toothpicks and spend 3 hours in the presence of an actor who hasn’t made a relevant movie since the mid-1980s.

Then there’s the party/book signing ticket. That one will run you $100 for said meatballs, basking in Englund’s fading glory, and the book with one signature. Oh, and if you already purchased the book somewhere else, you’re screwed. Enjoy the new copy you’re being forced to buy for the signature.

The mother of all packages includes the party/book signing/”boiler room” photo op. I really hope they don’t intend to drag fans down to the hotel’s actual boiler room, but you never know. This package runs a monster $130! So basically, the promoter and Englund’s handlers are asking you to pay 130 bucks for a one-guest convention. This doesn’t even include the price of the hotel, and if you want good old Freddy to sign any of your own items on top of the book, prepare to smack down 30 freaking bucks per item.

One thing that the media has harped on the last year is that corporate greed has put this country in a bad place. We’re in the throes of an economic depression, and it may take years to crawl out of this current downturn. For Englund, his handlers and the convention promoter to charge such exorbitant fees in times like this is not only bad business, it’s tasteless and it’s tacky. And it’s even more disgusting when Englund’s hopping on a plane that Saturday afternoon to run the same party/book signing a second time in one weekend. Mike’s right that some people make a living off the circuit. But Englund’s somehow managed to garner enough cache from Freddy to star in movies some 25 years later, movies that he wants fans to watch. He should treat those fans with a little more heart, and leave a little more in their wallets.

--Phil Fasso


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    Posted by mikec on September 29, 2009 12:46 PM |

    Comments

    Dear Phil,

    I would like to bring to your attention how incredibly ignorant your post about Robert Englund is, and how absolutely disgusted I am. I realize that your careless words have no relevance, you have a right to voice your opinions, and they will not change the fact that Englund is the most beloved horror icon of our generation, but I feel that maybe you are someone who just needs to learn how things really are. You are painting the wrong picture of a wonderful person, and that is the simplest way to put it. If you knew him personally, you would be amazed at how far off you are.

    First off, let's get the convention thing straight. "Monster Mania", the popular convention held in Cherry Hill, NJ several times per year, hosts most of Robert's appearances in the tri-state area. He has an agreement with the gentleman who runs the shows, which means Englund has nothing to do with whatever prices the convention charges for admission - he gets the same payment for his appearances regardless, and they are worked out seperately. Normally, a regluar admission fee to a Monster Mania convention is $30.00 - a price which certainly never broke the bank for me, even during my toughest financial situations. The Hollywood Monster Halloween party which you spoke of in your rant was supposed to be a small release party gig, and almost a VIP type event. It was not a convention.

    I can surely understand why you thought that the price was outrageous, and it was for many of us, but those are people who wouldn't attend because it was not worth it for them. There is nothing stating that they had to. Robert is literally in that area at least once a year for Monster Mania's regular (30.00 admission) conventions, often he will be there two and three times per year. Everyone who knew about the Halloween party knows this - it was purposely announced to only the message board members before the general public. The high price was also meant to keep the event small. It was well known from the beginning, that the show wasn't supposed to be grand and full of interesting exibits, vendors, and movie screenings like the usual. The attendance was low - it was practically board members only, which was the way they WANTED it, because the Halloween party was a long requested event by the message board members. It would be paid for by the people who felt it was worth it to get into the party, and if the recession is hurting you so much, why would you want to go to a cocktail party with a handful of horror fans who pretty much all know each other? Keeping the show small was very much worth it to people who wanted a chance to hang around with Robert without the madness of the usual huge convention, where everyone is pushing and shoving in lines. Robert was wandering the floor, dazzling the little crowds that would gather around him to listen to his stories, and - GASP - taking pictures away from the "boiler room" setting...ones that were free of cost. He simply can't say no to his fans' requests, even when it's "against the rules."

    Robert is the most considerate and friendly guy you will ever have the honor of meeting. Many times goes to conventions for appearances, the staff gets annoyed because he costs them money and time by taking "too long" to be personal with each and every fan. At the book signing the day after the Halloween party, we heard the staff saying "we're not going to have any of that where people come behind the table....NO PICTURES"....I was on the other side vending all day and guess what we saw? Englund taking time to let every fan get a free photo, even though the convention guys told him not to. My husband and I were laughing about it, because we know him and that is such a typical thing for him to do.

    As far as selling books and autographs, when he was in the show, he is under contract to abide by the convention rules. Conventions make their money by making everyone pay the same price for said benifit, whether it is an autograph or a picture that is included in the admission price. Robert shows up and makes it happen. Catch him outside of a show and watch how quick he will be to stop what he is doing to talk to you, sign whatever, and thank you for being supportive. Furthermore, the thing that Robert was selling on his own - his first
    book (and as a writer, you will be absolutely mad if you say that he shouldn't have people pay for his books...) - he was only charging the cost of the book, and not a penny more, for the book with a signature as well as a friendly chat and a picture.

    Ever been a clerk in a supermarket and have a customer get angry at YOU for the cost of Twinkies? That's how you sound when you blame actors for the cost of conventions.

    I could easily go on to tell you the countless great things that Robert has done for his fans, but each one of those is a story in itself. For years he has been going out of his way, stepping over rules and regulations at events, taking time during his busy schedule (just because it isn't mainstream teen-audience Hollywood garbage doesn't mean it isn't "significant". Some of us still see the art in horror films) just to make somebody's day. He has been doing everything he is able to do just to see the eyes of kids lights up, and older fans grin that ear-to-ear smile when they've just hung out with their hero. Robert Englund is a great person, and calling him greedy is practically an oxi-moron. He is a fantastic actor, who always puts the benifit of his fans first in any case. I wish you would rethink your judgement, or at least learn a little bit about somebody before you try and convince your audience of something negative.

    Asia

    Posted by: Asia Eriksen | November 21, 2009 08:00 PM

    Dear Asia,

    I respect your opinion, but I also respect my right to disagree with it. You make it sound like Robert is running around, signing things for free, just so he can get a smile from the fans. Nowhere did you mention that Englund has a hefty retainer that he gets paid; if he does not reach that retainer, the promoter still pays the difference. While I'm sure that Robert enjoys meeting his fans-- Hell, I met him once, and he was an affable guy-- he's doing conventions to make money. Convention appearances are a job, and even if he doesn't set the price on the Twinkies, he's getting paid from the Hostess cake profits. Even if he's only charging the price of the book, that's the wholesale price, and he's turning a profit.

    Secondly, you consistently mention how the promoter sets prices, yet you make no mention of how I question them alongside Englund and his handlers for charging such prices. To charge $130 for one guest and a small party is an insult in these economic climes. I understand that a small group decided to pay these sums, and for them, I hope they had a great time. But I also understand that for a couple to go, attend the party and spend a night at the hotel, it cost well in excess of $300 to meet one guest that couple will very likely have the opportunity to meet at a future convention. If that's not the definition of "price gouging," I don't know what is.

    I find it hard to believe your defense of the high price of the event, that the event's promoter wanted to keep the event small. This goes against any practical business sense, as conventions, just as any other business, exist to make money. Do you really think that if 500 people had paid for the party, the promoter would have said, "Sorry, but this is an intimate affair?" I find that idea totally incredulous.

    As for abiding by convention rules, he is the main attraction, and he can say "no" to any demands he doesn't like. It would be naive to think that he's been strong armed by convention promoters into anything.

    I'm sure there are plenty of Englund's fans who thought it was well "worth it" to them to go for a party/book signing, but just could not afford to. I know from talking to promoters over the years that Robert Englund charges an exorbitant sum before he so much as sets foot into a convention. If that's not greed, I don't know what is.

    Posted by: Phil Fasso | November 23, 2009 07:27 PM

    never in a million years will i pay money to get an autograph i have more of a chance to meet the guy dead or alive.

    Posted by: roseann sorrentino | December 14, 2009 05:12 PM

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