The Ohio Sci-Fi and Horror Marathons

I plan to join you in Columbus in 2008, so I thought that this would be a good way to introduce myself as well as my SF marathon credentials (I'm no virgin)

It is less than 1 day since Boston's Science Fiction Marathon, and here are my impressions.

First I must saw that this was one of the best Marathons that I've ever been to, and I have only missed 6 since SF4. I should also say that I had expressed a lot of misgivings and anxiety with regard to the film selection when the first partial list was made available. At one point I was concerned that this was the "worst film list ever".

I hope that I've learned my lesson. When the schedule was posted, most of my reservations evaporated. It is quite amazing how much of a difference the order of films can make. When I talked to Garen about this, he referred to it as the "flow" of the movies. All I can say is that Garen is an artist and that I will never underestimate him again.

This was the first year my son came with me to the Marathon. I also underestimated his ability to enjoy and endure the marathon. I thought that he might last for 2 or 3 movies at the most. He made it until the end. He slept through "Slither" and "Chopping Mall" (as it should be) and stayed awake for everything else. It was such a joy for me to watch him participate and to see how much he enjoyed himself. He really gets it.

The mild weather Sunday made the wait in line easier and more sociable.

12:00 FORBIDDEN PLANET: A great starter. This is one of the all time classics of SF film and deservedly so. Set a great tone for the rest of the festival. I've seen this film many times, but never enjoyed it quite so much as I did this time. Story holds up and really doesn't feel dated as befits a classic. FX also hold up over time without feeling the least bit cheesy. Anne Francis is hot.

1:50 Shorts Competition Part I & METROPOLIS: The shorts program really added a lot. It was one of the elements that truly made this year's marathon a festival. I enjoyed all of them and I hope that this program continues for future thons. I also enjoyed Metropolis. Good eye candy even if the story isn't particularly strong. I had seen it before on DVD and thought it was so-so, but I enjoyed it much more at the thon this year. I am by no means an anime fan, but I fail to understand the hatred of all things anime that some of our members express.

4:10 FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE SPACEMONSTER: I had never even heard of this one. Raises (lowers?) the bar for the whole concept of "so bad it's good".

5:30 Shorts Competition Part IV

6:06 Alien Mating Call Contest: Kudos to the marathoners who were brave enough to get up there and do their thing. I actually enjoyed the contest and laughed out loud at some of E.T. love cries.

6:20 PUZZLEHEAD: This was the most thought provoking film this year and I enjoyed it very much. Moody and atmospheric and a good change of pace, especially as it was sandwiched between two slices of cheese.

7:41 Meet the Director of PUZZLEHEAD, James Bai: It was fun to have Mr. Bai with us. Like the shorts program and the various contests, this is one of the things that makes our event more than just a marathon, but a festival.

7:55 ROCKETSHIP: I can't say. I went to Redbones instead. When I got there I found a 1 hour wait so I had dinner at Diva Indian Bistro. The food was fair, not great, but I love Indian food and the quiet low key atmosphere of the restaurant provided a nice temporary refuge from the sensory overload of the thon.

9:07 Shorts Competition Part IV

9:45 Special Sneak Preview and Test Screening: I though this was fun and funny, but just a little too much over the top. Perfect for the marathon, but maybe not appropriate for any other venue. I can not reveal the title or they will have to kill me.

11:15 Tin Foil Hat Contest: Not quite as much fun as the Alien Mating Call Contest, but I admire the men and women who risked (and in some cases, received) riducule for our entertainment. Maybe it's time to retire this contest and come up with something new.

11:25 Shorts Competition Part IV

12:07 SLITHER: I loved Slither. This was another highlight of the thon for me. It was fun, funny, snarky (almost in a Joss Wheedonish kind of way), very gory and perfect for the marathon. This was one of the movies that initially caused concern for me when the partial line up was anounced. I was delighted to be proven wrong.

1:45 CHOPPING MALL: Typical cautionary 1980s tale: Teenage sex causes death by monsters or aliens or robots. I enjoyed the first 40 minutes and the my eyelids started to droop..

3:05 STEPFORD WIVES: Curled up in my sleeping bag and slept.

5:03 Surprise Film: This was yet another high point in the festival. A modern classic of SF. A film with real gravitas. If I told you anymore they'd have to kill me.

7:04 DARK STAR: The print was in rough shape, but this one brings back very fond memories for me. The first time that I saw "Dark Star" was at SF4 Night Flight, my very first marathon. A funny film about the effects of claustrophobia on four self centered dysfunctional astronauts. I love it, but all the same, put it in deep freeze with Commander Powell until SF47 or so.

8:30 MONSTER HOUSE: Another film that I was concerned about. I didn't think that it would fit at the thon, but again I was wrong. Garen, I'll never doubt you again.

10:10 ROBOCOP: This was the perfect closing film for a perfect SF32. Funny, violent, dystopian satire. Guns, guns guns!!!

Other highlights for me: meeting many of my SF board friends face to face for the first time and seeing my marathon crew, some of whom I only see once a year at the thon. Also, discussing my planned trip to the Columbus festival in 2008 with Bruce who was generous with his time and advice. (Thanks for the goodies Bruce, they will whet my appetite for the Drexel event.)

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I will not be aboard Starship Somerville in 2008, which is the reason for the aforementioned trip to Columbus. See you all in Columbus in 2008!!!

Thanks for the report. I think you'll enjoy the Columbus gathering. I know I look forward to it every year.

I will try to make it to Ohio in 2008 as well. I was planning to attend this year but the New Jersey Chiller convention is on the same weekend and I have to make some money....

It was a great marathon, certainly one of the best since the Orsen Welles days...

I was so glad to see Bruce again and to catch up on some old times and new times.....

I have attended the thon since SF 3 back in 1978. I have not missed any since then and my wife starting attending with SF4 and she has not missed any either.

I donate and hand out the prizes at the marathon. I am also part of the decorating committee.

My impressions this year.

12:00 We commence the countdown as led by host organism Major TOm of the MLO, we pop the atomic firebal and we begin with Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 century: this has long been the start of the marathon. We go right in to
FORBIDDEN PLANET: This and the original Time Machine are my favorite science fiction films of all time - they are a big part of why in my 51st year of life I find myself attending my 30th marathon.... You guys got it last year and it certainly needs no introduction.

1:50 Shorts Competition Part I & METROPOLIS:
The shorts are a big part of what elevated the thon this year. It was a great surprise (a mini-thon within the thon as we had elevenshorts spread out over four blocks).

METROPOLIS: what can I say, most anime is not my cup of tea and this was no different. The backgrounds were wonderful, the characters drawn so-so and the story was light. I have to admit that I bailed on it rather quickly... My wife stayed and she seemed to enjoy it although she felt that the story was light...

4:10 FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE SPACEMONSTER: Great fun, When they announced that this was replacing The Crawling Eye I was extremely happy. I have seen it on TV many times but I was looking fdorward to seeing it on the big screen at last. As an entertaining wonderful mess of a low budget movie it really delivers the goods. It is almost three films in one.


5:30 Shorts Competition Part II

6:06 Alien Mating Call Contest: Nuff Said........ it was pretty good this year. Soem folks actually thought it out before attempting the ludicrous. It's like karaoke without the music or alcohol.

6:20 PUZZLEHEAD: A great film. Deliberate and slow paced, it unfolded wonderfully.... Another element that helped to elevate this year's thon.

7:41 Meet the Director of PUZZLEHEAD, James Bai: A truly nice guy. He was here even though his family was sick back at home. He really did not know what to expect of our festival but he was elated with the reception his film received. Directors are always happiest when their film is viewed by the people who "get it". He intended to go home right after and ended up staying over an hour and a half longer as he held court in the lobby.

7:55 ROCKETSHIP: what can you say about the Flash Gordon compilation. It is never boring, that is for sure.... Also, can an yone on M ongo find a poair of pants. All the guys ran around wearing those oh too tight and too short shorts. I also learned that a Jacob's ladder will hold up a floating city and that fuel that keeps the city afloat is solid radium shoveled in to furnaces.... Oh yea there is a secret to killing an orangopoid that saved Flash when it was revealed to him: you stab it in the chest with a pointy spear.

9:07 Shorts Competition Part IV

9:45 Special Sneak Preview and Test Screening: It was funny but not as funny as it thinks it is.........

11:15 Tin Foil Hat Contest: FOlks are getting better and better at this every year. Te winner hands down this year was the guy in the tin foil dreads.

11:25 Shorts Competition Part IV

12:07 SLITHER: It a fun movie.... I liked it quite a bit, not as much as say the original Tremors but it has Fillion, Rooker and Banks and any film with Mal, Henry and Betty Brant can't be all bad and oh yea Gregg Henry....

1:45 CHOPPING MALL: Jim Wyrnorski can only mean that at some point we will be seeing bare breasts and he does not fail to deliver. This is enjoyable 80's trash with a few things going for it ... Barbara Crampton, Kelli Maroney making reference to Dad was a marine ala Night of the Comet, Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov in cameos reviving Paul and Mary Bland from Eating Raoul, the great Dick Miller in a cameo playing who else Walter Paisley, as well as many references to old movies, we even get to see Attack of the Crab Monsters on the tv. It's probably the closest that we are going to get to watching that old Corman film at the thon.

3:05 STEPFORD WIVES: I gave this one a big pass. I know that it never played the marathon and that it was a 70's hit but so what big deal. It is little more than a bad 70's movie of the week and once you have seen it and I have more than once, it loses something on repeated viewings... Reddish print did not help either.

5:03 Surprise Film: Sworn to secrecy here. I can only say that if you get it, it will not fail to please.

7:04 DARK STAR: I really liked this film but the last time it played, I did not care for it. After watching it again, I realize that it was the poor digital process that we had at the Coolidge those many years ago ruined it for me. We had an emergency and we shy oine film so Dark Star was played through digital projection and it was bad. However, seeing it on 35mm again, I appreciated it once more. It is funny and has a lot of good moments.

8:30 MONSTER HOUSE: It went over big as I thought it would but it still does not belong. Garen, I will argue the point forever. It was never about it being bad it was about it not being SF. I propose that we show Goodfellas next year as it is a wonderful movie.

10:10 ROBOCOP: It has been a while and I had my dounts but I had forgotten that this is a great movie. In a sea of a lot of bad 80's science fiction movies, there were many great ones and this is one of them.

Clean-up/pack-up and good byes. As always it is a bit of a bummer at the end.... However, I will be sending Bruce a ton of goodies to give away to reciprocate the favor he did me.........

I really hope to get out to Ohio one of these years. I admire Bruce a great deal and his dedication to the marathon is second to none. We all bow before the master.....

Also, I am sorry that I did not get a chance to chat with the Ohio contingent.....

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Frank - Boston Sci-Fi festival prize guy and lobby decorator

Wow! That would be cool to have you. I haven't been to the Columbus sci-fi in 5 years myself. It's been 2 years now for Boston. It was fun reading the debriefing reports on the message board at Boston's site. I really like the Sommerville and it sounds like they have made improvements. I have been trying to convince LA to come out to Columbus. If not this year, maybe 2008. That will be the year that Boston INVADES!

Hope to get to Boston one of these days. Perhaps when my son is older we'll do a father son trip.

I still think the end of the anime Metropolis is one of the best uses of music in a film. I enjoyed the rest of the film, the end is what makes it worth watching, imho.

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The wages of sin are royalties.