The Ohio Sci-Fi and Horror Marathons

In a way movies are a numbers game. This is why Paramount are still funding Transformers movies with Micheal Bay directing the fourth one. Its profits first in Hollywood. Are the Michael Bay Transformers movies good? Not really but they make money.

Plus Rotten Tomatoes is a highy respected webiste. I can form my opinions but I don't go and see a movie on a whim. I check out the reviewers before I see a movie. Its called being a smart consumer.

According to Box Office Mojo the movie was only released into 39 theaters. Millennium Entertainment didn't have much faith in the movie in the US. Upside Down did better oversees.

What a great way to miss out on some great films. I've seen a lot of amazing films on a whim. The last movie I saw in a theater was pretty great. I saw it only because it happened to be playing when I wanted to see a movie. I had never heard of it before. The last movie I watched on Netflix was a fairly random pick and, while not great, was really good. I used to work in a video store and would pick movies that I'd never heard of simply because they were there. There are a lot of movies I would have never seen if I had waited to see the reviews and a lot of reviews from otherwise decent reviewers that I greatly disagreed with after seeing the film.

One of the things I love about the marathon is that they play lots of films that I've often never heard of. I'm going to go to the marathon and watch some new-to-me films and a few old ones that I love in a great environment and be entertained. The recent drama on this board might make me change my mind about reading this board, but it doesn't diminish the cinematic high point of my year one little bit, even if the changing lineup does sometimes seem like a tease.

I probably wouldn't be a sci-fi fan if I listened to critics.

I have to agree with Topps... As far as critics go:

"a foolish, depressing, overproduced movie that mixes horror with science fiction to make something that is fun as neither one thing or the other. Sometimes it looks as if it aspired to be the quintessential moron movie of the 80s" - New York Times

"Astonishingly, Carpenter blows it. There's a big difference between shock effects and suspense, and in sacrificing everything at the altar of gore, Carpenter sabotages the drama. The Thing is so single-mindedly determined to keep you awake that it almost puts you to sleep" - Newsweek

There are a bunch of other negative reviews for this particular movie, and it's now a classic.

I'm referring to The Thing.

The point is, good, bad, it's all opinion.

I happen to love Manborg, which I saw last year at the marathon. Some people didn't care for it. I now talk to many of Aston-6's team (the people who made it) and I've seen the movie 3 times since. It came out on DVD this week and I'm getting that too. I would have never gotten the proper opportunity to view Manborg on the big screen had it not been for this marathon.

I enjoy the hunt of finding a gem of a film.

At the boxoffice, yes, movies are a numbers game. What I meant was that whether or not you will enjoy a movie is not a matter of percentages. Some people will enjoy a movie and some will not. That's just how it works.

I'm not saying one should never read critics. Of course not. I read critics all the time, but I often disagree with them. If 48% of critics liked a movie, that means almost half of them liked it. Maybe I will agree with the ones who liked it, maybe I will agree with the ones who disliked it. How will I know unless I see the movie? I have enjoyed lots of movies that got negative reviews from critics who I respect. I still respect them, I just have a different opinion than they did. Also, I have disliked films that most critics loved. Just a difference of opinion. But I would have missed out on a lot of movies I really enjoyed if I ONLY listened to their advice. Instead, I watched the movies I wanted to watch and allowed myself to form my own opinions about them. Sometimes I agree with the critics, sometimes I don't.

All I'm saying is, if you are really interested in watching a movie, you shouldn't let someone else's opinion dissuade you. If you are on the fence, then sure, a negative review might keep you from seeing it. But watching a movie is not like buying a car or buying electronics. Different people respond to different things. That's what keeps life interesting.

Also, Millennium Films generally don't give their films wide releases unless they are co-distributing with a larger studio like Lionsgate. They are a smaller company, not one of the major studios.

The OFFICIAL SCHEDULE and FINAL LINEUP has been updated on the top of this message. Go to the top of Page 1 if you have any doubts ...

http://www.scifimarathon.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1569#p13228

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As I looked at the official "final" lineup I can go to dinner during inception witch already seen upteen times.

Yes I did watch the trailer for Space Milkshake and did find it amusing.

Hopefully I will be surpise that the 10:40pm surprise film will be Jason X or Slither. Could be a return of Automatons.

Now I do realise that this year's 24 hourish science fiction marathon did add another NON SCIENCE FICTION FILM to the lineup. Dr Strangelove isn't science fiction. It is a comedy war movie. So this year's marathon have 10 true science fiction films. What's next adding 4 non science fiction movies for SF 31?

I'm glad that Time of the Robots is schedule during the after 2001. Very disappointed that Mega Monster Battle have been dropped and replaced it with an NON SCIENCE FICTION FILM. Now I'm disappointed.

Now since the Drexel only using consumer grade 2K digital projection witch have a lower resolution quality of 35mm film stock. Now if they spend the money and gotten a proper 4K system then 2001 will look great. 2k is basically watching an upscale Blu Ray Disc. 2k digital projector systems start at 2000 dollars. About the pricing of a mid range PC or Mac.

Okay, so the scheduling/announcement mishaps this year have been beyond ridiculous. You have comfortably set the bar low regarding plans falling through. This is especially surprising considering you don't have to deal with 35mm print availability anymore.
That being said, now that things are (probably) finalized, I hope everyone is as excited about it finally happening as I am disappointed I won't be there.

I hope for your sakes that the unannounced feature is something cool and respectable.

I don't wish to continue the argument about what can or can't be strictly 100% defined as "science fiction," or whether or not it even matters for a Marathon such as this (for what it's worth, in my opinion it doesn't)...but...
Regardless, how could ANYONE complain about the opportunity to watch Dr. Strangelove in a theater with a crowd? Especially on the same day you get to watch 2001?

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Well it would nice to see Dr Strangelove with a crowd. Here is the thing is that I pay for a ticket for a 24 hour Sicence Fiction Marathon. I expected that all of the films are true science fiction movies.

Happy Accidents is more of a SF film than Safety. Dr. Strangelove is a war satire NOT SF. Heck what's next Harley Davidson and the Marlbro Man just because the license plates are bar codes?

Here is a link to for the SF films of the 1960's

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ ... _the_1960s

Dr Strangelove isn't listed. How about that.

I shouldn't really.....nah, I'll jump in anyway and try to end this before it begins.

DR. STRANGELOVE is not strict sci-fi.

However, it played to great acclaim at the 1995 IT CAME FROM THE DREXEL NORTH (the final Marathon at our dear, departed home).

It also played at the Boston Sci-Fi in 1995.

The Marathons have a long history of playing films that push at the boundaries of genre.

If you want to pick apart any of the current films, there are FAR better ones to bitch and moan about than STRANGELOVE.

Thanks and all that.

There's a small bit of a light sci-fi element to Doctor Strangelove. It doesn't really come in until near the end, but it is there. I'm certainly not going to complain about a chance to see two Kubrick films on the big screen within 24 hours. I'm a bit disappointed that only two of the films I was most interested in seeing survived from the initial announcement to the current schedule, but it still looks like a decent lineup.

I am also very happy about the Strangelove addition. Two Kubricks on the big screen = one happy customer here. The Monolith Monsters and Dr. Cyclops will be enjoyable, and having now watched the trailer, I'm also eager to see Safety Not Guaranteed. I was very annoyed by the schedule changes, but I'm now happy I kept my tickets.

And in a perfect world where I always get what I want, another classic as the mystery film would just be sensational. Forbidden Planet or Invasion of the Body Snatchers (either the 50s or 70s version) would just be too much to hope for. Planet of the Vampires would be a hoot. And I still think Plan 9 from Outer Space is the funniest sci-fi movie ever made.

As I stated before I would LIKE TO SEE DR STRANGELOVE WITH A CROWD. I even have a copy of the film on Blu Ray.

Now if we and I mean the royal we that if we keep lowering the bar when it comes to the type of films that get booked at future SF marathon then it will be films that are hardly SF. Or the lineup will be lopsided from films from one particular decade or year. See this year's lineup. What's next an episode of The Late Late Show just because Craig Ferguson have a robot skeleton sidekick? I like The Late Late Show but its not SF.

I expected to see true SF films real SF films. Not SF lite.

I hold the SF Marathon to a very high standard. I don't lower my standards when it comes to SF films.

Not one but two Kubrick films?? Argh, of all the years to get sick. It wouldn't bother me one bit if you added Lolita, Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut to the lineup as well.

Hey, does anyone know what exact percentage of critics gave positive reviews to Dr. Strangelove when it came out? Better yet, does anyone care?

Unsurprisingly, somewhere else on Wikipedia it is listed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_fiction_film

Some random guy on the Internet says Dr. Strangelove is the 27th best Scifi movie of all time. Since it is on the Internet twice, I think that makes it true.

Of course if we want to save ourselves the trouble, they had this argument in 2002 on some other website and shockingly, the two sides decided to agree to disagree.

On a more serious tone, it is borderline, it fit well at SF9 because of the theme of that Marathon. The science fiction handbook lists it as sci-fi.

I'm not sure I want to end on it, though, but Bruce sometimes likes to close on a bit of a downer. It is a great film; I just would prefer to leave the theater on a happier note

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