Formal attire: you can't go wrong with pearls, darling!

Casual: perk up your look with colorful scarves, and remember you are never fully dressed
without a smile!

I called and bought the Matinee pass outright and am on the waiting list for the Classic and Essential ones. The main thing is I AM GOING. I want to meet so many of you, too. Now to get going on trsnsportation and wardrobe. See you in April.

"From what I saw on the site the passes are all sold out but the day ones. Is this correct and I've waited too long?" - wouldbestar

That is the rumor I've heard.

The site won't sell you a pass online. But there is also phone number listed for the box office. Go ahead and call it direct and see what they say over the phone. Give it a try. What can it hurt?

Kyle In Hollywood

So I decided to go this year and I hope it's really worth it because it is pretty pricey (my other half almost had a heart attack when he found out the cost. Needless to say he's not going)

Bill,

I don't think you have too worry too much about the Festival living up to your hopes. It will probably do that and a whole lot more!

I am one of the most frugal people in town and have never paid what it costs to attend TCM's Film Festival for any prior festival in Los Angeles or otherwise in my whole adult life (and I am 54), but after been such a huge fan of the channel I begrudgingly decided last year at the last minute to bite the bullet and pay for a Classic Pass. I have to say that though I still was disappointed that it's cost was so inaccessible to so many people, that TCM did a first rate job with EVERYTHING--the classic movie mix, the venues, the live celebrity appearances, the special Q & A's, the free soft drinks, bottled water and free ongoing snacks at the festival pass holders' exclusive Club TCM lounge--not to mention the welcome gathering with some food and wine AND the closing night party with unlimited OPEN BAR, dinner buffet, etc. (and that was open to mid level and above pass holders, not just the top level pass holders).

My only MAJOR complaint about last year is that the festival schedule was like a 3 ring circus--often with 2-3 fantastic movies all scheduled in different theatres at the exact same overlapping time. Though TCM did add some last minute repeat screenings of a couple of those most popular titles, for the ones they didn't festival goer fans were forced to make a "Sophie's Choice" type decision on what they wanted to see. However, on the flip side of that, since I only paid $450 I did not have the privilege at my pass level to attend the red carpet gala screening of "A Star Is Born" at the Chinese, I still had the option of seeing Cecil B. DeMille's "Dirigible" in one of the Chinese's smaller multiplex screens or attending a gala outdoor, pool side "Million Dollar Mermaid" showing with Esther Williams and Betty Garret LIVE in attendance as well as a specially presented LIVE womens precision swim team who performed "mini" Busby Berkley-type swim formations in the Hollywood Roosevelt's illuminated David Hockney embellished swimming pool. Now I thought that whole concept was so wonderfully over the top, that I did not miss being across the street for the red carpet Garland movie. In fact, many of TCM's top brass actually were at the pool side event because I met some of them at the poolside bar.

In addiiton, I could not believe that at night, there were also special mobile vehicles randomly projecting classic movie clips on the outside of various Hollywood Blvd. building exteriors along the route between the festival's venues.

So yes, the cost of admission is high and yes it unfortunately is exclusionary for a lot of TCM fans, but on the other hand I can see that TCM had to spend a lot of money for everything they did put on and I can tell you they were not skimpy.

Over the years I have often attended the non-profit Los Angeles Conservancy's classic film series called "The Last Remaining Seats" at a number of historic Broadway movie palaces in downtown Los Angeles and though the spirit of that series is wonderful and the theatres are architecturally grand, their marketing, promotion and quality of presentation have often slightly lower budget and not as professional as would be ideal to see. Yet they only charge around $20 per ticket for a full evening of entertainment including occasional celebrities, stage entertainment, etc. which is a bargain next to TCM's festival. When standby individual screening tickets were available last year they were not sold until 30 minutes before each screening and I believe they cost at least $25.

In any case, I obviously felt attending was worthwhile overall because I again bit the bullet--despite the high cost--and decided to attend this year's fest. I just hope TCM tries to keep the price at around the same range in 2012 or at some point some of us just won't be able to justify the expense to keep going!

But if you were to attend,you would see that this is quite a lavish, gala event that TCM puts much time, work and finances into, and I could guarantee to you that you would feel you had gotten your money's worth. I don't think the average fan realizes all that goes into the creating of such an event until they experience it themselves, truly a once in a lifetime event for most and if you are lucky enough to attend more than once, you can appreciate the efforts of many at TCM.