On November 11, 2023, I went to Monster-Mania 57 in Oaks, PA, to meet David Arquette and Michael Ironside. I’ve been going to Monster-Mania for years, and this was yet another fun excursion. Read on for details regarding what it was like meeting these legendary actors.
The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA, is massive. Before Monster-Mania 57, I had been there in the past for Too Many Games, a video game convention, and the All Things That Rock Festival to meet Peter Criss and Ace Frehley of KISS. When I arrived on November 11 for Monster-Mania 57, I had forgotten how gargantuan this facility is. It was packed with thousands of fans and several rooms as large as mansions. The craziest part is that I was only in one section of the convention center. Despite being located in a suburb of Philadelphia that most people don’t know, The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center serves its purpose.
I first bought a ticket for this convention when I heard that Michael Ironside would be there. I grew up playing the Splinter Cell video games, and his voice brought the main protagonist, Sam Fisher, to life in an indelible way. Aside from voicing Sam Fisher in the majority of the Splinter Cell games, Michael Ironside is an accomplished movie and television actor who is known for playing villains because of his innate ability to embody sinister characters, not to mention his booming voice that is immediately recognizable and ideally suited for his roles.
I got in line for a professional photo with Michael Ironside, knowing I was getting a photo immediately afterward with David Arquette. As always, I chatted with the people in front of me about the actor I was about to meet and used the front-facing camera on my iPhone to check that my hair was perfect more times than was necessary.
When it was my turn to get a photo with Michael Ironside, I asked him, “Can we switch sides? This is my good side,” letting him know I wanted him to the right of me. He said, “Let me see,” and I turned my left side toward him so he could get a nice look. He replied, “That is your best side!” We laughed, put our arms around one another, and posed for the photo. I shook his hand and told him I’d drop by his table later to chat.
Then I got in line for a professional photo with David Arquette. I’m a big horror fan, and I remember first seeing David Arquette in the Scream films as Dewey. I recently completed the fantastic horror video game The Quarry, and David Arquette has a starring role in this unique interactive narrative experience. I also enjoyed the You Cannot Kill David Arquette documentary about his professional wrestling aspirations. While watching this movie, I learned that we have a mutual friend, Diamond Dallas Page and that we both do DDP Yoga.
When it was my turn to get my photo with David, I knew it would be brief because his line was extremely long. So, I shook his hand and said it was nice to meet him, and he said the same; we put our arms around one another and took a great photo. I wished him well afterward, patted him on the back, and was on my way. He wasn’t returning to his autograph table later, so I knew we wouldn’t have an opportunity to speak at length. However, I came into the show expecting this. David has been to Monster-Mania before, and I’m sure he’ll be back again. When he returns, I’ll bring my photo to get signed, and we can talk about Scream, wrestling, DDP Yoga, and more. Until then, I got a great photo, so I’m happy.
On my way to Michael Ironside’s table, I spotted Griffin Dunne, who played Nicky Pearson on the brilliant TV show This Is Us. I stopped by his table, shook his hand, and told him how incredible his performance was as Uncle Nicky and that my wife and I never missed watching the show. Surprisingly, I learned he is an accomplished film actor who has worked with legends like Martin Scorsese. I told him I’d check out more of his work and wished him well.
When I got in line to speak with Michael Ironside, I overheard him saying to a fan, “I wouldn’t piss on William Shatner if he was on fire!” This line made me laugh hard as I quickly realized Michael Ironside is a no-nonsense guy. When it was my turn to speak with him, I shook his hand, introduced myself, and told him how I grew up playing the Splinter Cell video games. Michael then hilariously explained to me how the French company that made the games, Ubisoft, “literally means soft shit.” Yet again, he had me laughing. He told me that many people at Ubisoft got rich off of Splinter Cell and how one of them bought an island with the money. Michael said he’s still friends with several people at Ubisoft. I asked him if he’d return as Sam Fisher, and he replied, “I think they’re done with the games.”
When I told Michael Ironside my last name and spelled it out for him, he said, “Sicily?” I told him that my family was from Sicily and Abruzzo in Italy. I thanked him for all his time, shook his hand, and said, “Goodbye.” As I write this, Michael Ironside has been announced as a guest at the next Monster-Mania in Cherry Hill, which is excellent because I wanted him to autograph my photo and my copy of the original Splinter Cell for Xbox. So, I’ll make that happen in March.
Meeting Michael Ironside and David Arquette at Monster-Mania 57 was a great experience. I got what I came for and more. I always enjoy myself at these shows because, in a world that is divided by so much, it is refreshing to come together as one for our love of the magic of movies, television, and acting. We all need a little escapism, and Monster-Mania always delivers.