The Ohio Sci-Fi and Horror Marathons

For the love of all things Megatroid, please, please, please play more than 9 features please. Please. The marathons are always great and I trust Bruce & co. to put together an excellent weekend for us. But I have to say that we need more than 9 feature films. I love the serials, but I don't really need to see how they turn out. 1 or 2 would be just fine, but 5 is too many. And the last thing I wanted to see at 2am is a video of a television pilot from the 80's. The lineup last year was great, but it was very thin. I think it's hard to convince newbies to come for only 9 features. When I first started attending back in 1989, there were always 12-13 feature films along with the trailer, serials and television we all love. Sure the marathons always ran late, but I don't think anyone complained about that. I know that whatever you program, I'll do my best to attend. But I'll go out of my way for 12 films.

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I will second that. 12 features should be easy. Most movies are one hour and forty five minutes. I'd say that's the average, maybe even less when you factor in the older films, which tended to be 1 hour 30 minutes (or even less). So that would leave 3 hours or more (probably more) for trailers, shorts, serials, and breaks. My vote is to cut the breaks. We only need 5 minutes at the most between features. But, whatever, I will come regardless.

I have posted the same response in several different threads. I, too, think that there is too much time between films and that is the main thing that cuts into the schedule. I have also said before that maybe the projectionists and whomever else is involved behind the scenes actually are going as fast as they can possibly go and need the break time as is. I don't know. Maybe someone else here could fill us in.

From my perspective, a marathon would not be the same without a healthy dose of shorts and trailers, but at the same time I understand how 9 or 10 features make it seem less "meaty." I think a greater sense of urgency between whatever is being screened would solve this issue.

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I actually liked the Batman serial's last year and gladly sacrficed a film for them. I like the quirky stuff, the documentary on Telstar a few years ago, the Max Headroom pilot last year, the much maligned local short about robots that read to folks.

I would like shorter breaks, that seems to be where we lose a good bit of time. Towards the end of the marathons, we always seem to survive short breaks. Granted there are fewer folks, but I think if we could shave 5 minutes off each break we could get back almost an hour. A few of those early breaks are taken up with costume contest, etc.

One additional comment, and I think I listed this as a kudos after last year's marathon. We started on time. That helps quite a bit. Hopefully we can do that again this year.

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In addition, there was the thirty minute "bonus" block of Kong trailers from 11:30 to 12 that were probably scheduled for the original program. Had this started at noon, something may have been cut, so that was nice. I think it worked and should be considered every year. Perhaps trailers of the upcoming features may be squeezed in here while everyone is getting settled.

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I agree, more films and shorter break times would be great. From a projectionist stand point you can have 2 films on a platter tier, the one playing and the next one that’s going to play, a good projectionist can thread the new film in a couple minutes and start breaking down the previous film which takes about 30 minutes or so, the prints are probably all built up in advance and just need to be moved from floor to platter which takes only a couple seconds so if there is a dedicated projectionist for the marathon he/she will have plenty of time to breath between films so there is no technical need for 15 minute breaks HOWEVER the need comes in place from a $$$$$ point of view, 15 minute breaks allows time for concession sales and of coarse restroom breaks. This is actually very important if the theatre is not making money than the marathons will stop plain and simple. So as always BUY BUY BUY SPEND SPEND SPEND while at the marathons, for a 24 hour marathon with 300 people everyone should plan to spend no less than 10-20 dollars not including shirts and tickets to ensure future marathons and if we can spend that in 5 minutes between films instead of 15 all the better

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I don't remember break lengths being too excessive. It is nice to stretch the legs a little between features. As long as there are plenty of trailers and shorts before movies then maybe shorter breaks could work. The last two Chicago horror marathons had almost no trailers and 5-10 minute breaks which made going to the bathroom and seeing the beginning of the next feature nearly impossible. I love the shorts and trailers and serials-just not at the cost of 2 or 3 features.

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"I came here to chew bubble gum and kick a**. I'm all out of bubble gum."

I really liked the Batman serials. I hope we get more old crazy serials this year. I think I'm one of the few that liked those short films from Seattle too.Starting on time and even getting those trailers going early was awesome. It turns a 24-hour marathon into a 24 and a half hour marathon. That works for me.

A 5 minute break and 10 minutes of trailers or special programming before the feature gives plenty of time for people to stretch, get concessions, make "lemonade" in the little boys room or whatever. IMHOP.

Don't you mean "make lemonade ON the little boys room?" Seriously. It gets nasty in there.

Anyhoo, I think the break length is perfect. Also, it is precisely the things like trailers and oddities that, for me at least, make the marathon a special event. In this day and age, we can see every one of the movies that will be shown on DVD or other form of home video. The trailers and shorts, however, not so much! Now I'll be the first one to say that last year's interview with Anne Francis went on so long and was so inept that I wanted to claw my eyes out. However, please please PLEASE don't skimp on the trailers and shorter programs!

No, I'm saying the trailers should be consider as PART of the break between features. So if you want to see the trailers, fine, you have 5 minutes after the feature ends to do whatever if you want to see the trailers and/or shorts. If you don't care if you miss the trailers/shorts, then you have about 15 or 20 minutes until the next feature begins.

A 15 or 20 minute break, coupled with 10 to 20 minutes of trailers/shorts is waaaaay to long. That's 30 to 40 minutes between films, which really eats up the time. I actually think it usually ends up being about 40 minutes, but I haven't been there in the past 5 years, so maybe it's different now.

No, Carter, it's pretty much the same. 2 years ago at the Grandview, they had trouble setting up the DVD player for that POS Helix and there was a slight delay, but other than that I don't know of any projection problems.
There are good points brought up here by everyone, thanks for your response. I usually take my potty breaks after the feature has started in most cases, but that's just me. Everyone's different.
I realize that a lot of people like the downtime between films, but I personally feel that 15 to 20 minutes of "dead air" (no trailers, no Host Organism, no contest, giveaways, etc.) is simply too much.
But, as I said before maybe there is Something We Don't Know and there is a reason for the breaks. Or it is also entirely possible that the breaks ARE only a few minutes and we don't notice because we are so drained and/or excited for the next film. Who knows?

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Right you are, sir. More intermission time between movies means more time to order more PANCAKES!!!

...bump

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Aliens? Us?
Is this one of your Earth "jokes?"

you mean the lumpy bumpy part of town?