While this isn’t a new show for us, last year the Columbus Moving Picture Show moved from downtown Columbus to the northside of the city, which I have to say was a huge improvement, if just on the cost alone! Downtown was really nice but just a bit too pricy. I do miss our regular visits to Dirty Franks, but we’ve found a new great place. But more on that in a bit!

The main reason for this post is to remind some movie collectors about this show. It is old-fashioned memorabilia show, with tons of posters, lobby cards, half-sheets, 8×10 stills, and so much more. What it doesn’t have is a ton of celebrities with overpriced photo-ops and autographs. That is what sets this apart from most conventions these days and is one of the reasons why we love setting up there. And even though it’s not just horror, there is still a lot of cool stuff to find, though you may have to do some searching. Then again, that is part of the fun.

We’ve been doing this show coming up on 10 years in a row now and have always come home with a few cool pieces. There might be a table full of $10 half-sheets, or 8×10 stills for $1 each, that you’ll have to dig through to find something you’re interested in. Then the table next over might have lobby cards that run $500 to $1000 per card, so it really runs the gambit on collectibles and prices. Sometimes the real joy is not finding what you’re looking for but finding something cool that you weren’t expecting to even see! There was a dealer with a couple of tables with tons of half sheets piled up there, all $10 each. I only dug through a small section but found one for the 1961 film Bloodlust starring Robert Reed, which is a variation of The Most Dangerous Game. Not in perfect shape but again, only $10! And who would have thought I would have stumbled across that one! Also found this incredible looking Belgium poster for one of my childhood favorites (and still is), I Was a Teenage Frankenstein (1957). That was a little more than $10, but still worth the money.

While they don’t have the type of guests like most conventions, they do have guests. They usually have a few authors there promoting their latest book. This year, Steven C. Smith will be there with his latest book, Hitchcock & Herrmann, which deals with the many collaborations they did together. Smith will also be doing a seminar on their work together. A couple of years ago, I picked up Smith’s book on Max Steiner, which he graciously signed for me… for FREE! I’ve already got my copy of his new book and will be bringing it along for him to sign.

One of the things about this show that is different as well from most shows is the film room. They screen films from 16mm all weekend long, from silents to sound. Every now and then they throw in a horror title for me! Last year it was Bowery at Midnight with Bela Lugosi, which is a lot of fun. While they are still working on this year’s full program, they have already announced Boris Karloff’s The Man Who Lived Again (1936), which I’m very excited about. Something cool about sitting and watching old classics from actual film prints.

If you’re looking for a different kind of show, where you can find some really cool treasures for your collection and just have fun browsing through and seeing what is out there, look into coming out to Columbus in May. It takes place from May 21st to the 24th, at the Crowne Plaza North Hotel. You can find all the updates about the show from the show’s website HERE.

AND… if you are coming out, let me recommend an amazing place for breakfast. We stumbled across this last year and ended up going there every day for breakfast! It’s called Fitzy’s Old Fashioned Diner, and a great looking 50s style, with some incredible food! Their biscuits and gravy are amazing. It’s only about a 5-minute drive from the hotel and I know we’re planning to be there every morning while we’re there!

Hope to see you there!