The Ohio Sci-Fi and Horror Marathons

Now that we are moving again, maybe it is time to reflect on particular theater memories of the marathon. We have had "marathon memories" topics in the past, but what I am looking for are specific memories of each theater. For example, how many of you have been to a marathon in each of the six previous theaters? Which one is best suited for the marathon? What are your fondest memories?

I missed the marathon at the Sony Continent, but I have been to one in the other five. Personally, I'm going to miss the Gateway. After years and years of bouncing around, I thought we had finally found our home. The seats were fantastic, the sound and projection capabilities were all top notch, the parking was convenient and reasonable, and the dining options were many. I don't know what happened, but it certainly came as a shock to me when I heard the news this winter. My beloved marathon was in limbo again!

This is especially troubling for someone who doesn't live in Ohio anymore. It felt good when I was able to communicate with those involved who assured me the show would go on. I commend Bruce and Jeff and whomever else for their commitment to keeping this thing afloat.

Let me open up a bit about my background to get to my personal memories of each theater.

I grew up in Ohio and, as I mentioned in another thread, was introduced to the marathon by a film student from Columbus known on this board as "scottcoz." It sounded like a blast and I was immediately hooked. I ended up attending for six stright years, including the last four at the Drexel North and the first two at the Riffe center.

As much nostalgia as I have for the North, I think it may be ultimately a good thing that we were forced to evolve out of it. I think the marathon has grown stronger through relocation. It just shows that the organizers and attendees all have a passion that transends "tradition." I remember the seats being extremely uncomfortable and the crowds being a little rowdier. For goodness sakes, at the Riffe, you weren't even allowed to eat or drink in the theater. And I loved every flippin' minute of it.

What a programming nightmare that must have been, having to rent out the space and get a 35mm projector and a giant white sheet. Then not counting on a whole lot of revenue from consessions. How did you do it, Bruce?

But none of that would work for me today. One of the things that keeps me coming back is the comfort level. Tiny, worn out hard-backed seats is a young man's game. I'll admit, I was pretty miserable two years ago at the Grandview. I still loved the experience, but it's not the type of theater that would keep me excited about ponying up the dough to make the cross country trip each year.

The Grand was nice, but it felt like less of a community experience with the audience split between the ground floor and the balcony. Plus, two of the three years there we dealt with horrible projection problems.

I have flown back each year since 2002 now. It's just in my blood. I have attended each year with my brother, and he was never a science fiction fan. He seems to genuinely have a good time each year, either that or he is just the nicest brother in the world. Probably a little of both. My point being, it is good that the marathon is able to survive all these years and evolve. The "casual" marathon goer, like my brother, and the die hard obsess... ahem... passionate like myself need to coexist. I don't think my brother would attend without me, and if he had to survive through the comfort levels we endured in "the good old days" he would probably tell me I am nuts.

I am anxious to see how our (for now) home works out this year. Anyone who has been to the Bexley theater have any thoughts on the matter?

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

My older sister and a few of her friends went to the first marathon and she was gracious enough to let me tag along. I was only 14 years old at the time and I had a blast. The entrance to the lobby/concession stand was decorated to look like you were entering a spaceship, people were selling t-shirts and buttons in the lobby, people in cool costumes were everywhere, and I loved the fact that you could stand right beside the bathroom doors and still see the screen (that way you miss as little of the films as possible).

My sister though being there for 24 hours was a little too long, so I attended the next 3 marathons with a few of my friends. At that age I was only interested in Star Wars, Star Trek, and ‘80s sci-fi. These marathons gave me my appreciation for all sci-fi, introduced me to the incredible “Killer Klowns from Outer Space”, and I loved participating in renaming “Dark Angel/I Come in Peace”. Life kinda got in my way and I missed quite a few marathons. But I returned last year, so the Bexley Drexel will only be my third theater for the sci-fi marathon.

Long story short, (too late, I know) the above is why the Drexel North was my favorite.

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Remember ... no matter where you go, there you are.

This will be my fourth thon. I started at the Arena Grand which will always be my favorite. It was comfortable and I had a great seat and I had Ben and Jerry's in the morning. Can't go wrong with that. Then the next year I went to the Arena only to find out it was at the Grandview. So I was a little late getting in line. Grandview was cool, but had the hardest floors (I know cause I went down hard on my knees during my dance number). It was also not as comfortable and the concession area/bathroom area was way too small. Then the next year I missed, I looked to see when it was going to be on the Monday after the thon had happened. Then on to the Gateway. It was great also, not as good as the Arena, but it had its merrits. I've been back to that theater twice more since the thon and have always been impressed with it. I like the newness and cleanliness. It is also a very comfortable theater.

I live close to the Bexley, but have never seen a movie there. I usually buy my tickets for the thon there. So think it will be a great adventure, but I wonder what the comfort level will be. No matter what its a thon and it is going to be great.

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John
BEND TIME!!!!!
Shamgar is my Hero!
>

This will also be my 4th scifi thon and 4th theater. I was at the Arena Grand in 04, Grandview in '05 and Gateway in 07. I have to say the Gateway was my favorite.

I also attended horror thons in 04 (Studio 35), 05,06 & 07 (all Grandview).

I am looking forward to this year. I have never been to the Bexley. But, I am sure the marathon will be great. And Patricia Neal, very cool.

Photo courtesy of Mark Fontana (http://dp70.dyndns.org/drexel/demise.html)




As much as it warms the cockles of my blackened heart to see the Marathon triumph over the adversity of trial and time, coming back year after year like the zombie that just won’t die…whoops, wrong Marathon…although the same could be said about the Horrorthon…

Anyway, my point is that although it’s great that the Marathon survives, the move from the Drexel North was probably the worst thing that ever happened to the event. Yes, worse than 2001, when the all-night trailerthon was all that a Marathoid had to satisfy their insomnia-addled cinema junkie jones. To wit: at their peak, the Drexel North Marathons were selling out (or coming within shouting distance of selling out) on a yearly basis. SF6, 7 & 8 all sold out in advance and SF9 still drew 500+ patrons. The Horrorthons were never as successful, but they still drew in excess of 500 NightMarathoids most years, including a sell out for the 1990 event (with Frankenhooker’s Patty Mullen in attendance) and a near sell out for the 1992 Stuart Gordon Marathon. Hell, it was considered disappointing when the 1991 Night of the Living Drexel only sold around 500 tickets.

Now sit back and think about those numbers for a second, especially in the context of the modern Marathon, which struggles to draw 300 attendees. Granted, times have changed, home theater set-ups are more advanced, etc. Still, the Boston Marathon regularly draws in excess of 450-500 Marathoids every year, and they’re currently in their fifth theater. One reason? They have the luxury of holding the event in the historic Somerville Theater, which seats 900 in its main house. They also put tickets on sale two and a half months in advance, but that’s a matter for another discussion.

I can’t stress enough how key the Drexel North as a facility was to the success of the Marathon. In addition to its huge capacity (a draw in and of itself,) the North had the funky ambience that fit the Marathon atmosphere perfectly. How many longtime Marathoids still rave about the cool decorations in the North’s expansive lobby? Face it: we’re a bunch of film fans sitting in a dark room for 24+ hours. It’s not Cannes. Hell, it’s not even Sundance. Filth and funk go hand in hand with the Marathon, and no amount of stadium seating and digital sound can disguise them.

I fear that we sometimes value the creature comforts of the theater over the event itself. Yeah, the North’s seats were not state-of-the-art, but they were far from uncomfortable. (I know: I’ve sat in one as a chair at home ever since I bought it at the closing day sale thirteen years ago.) The projection was sometimes faulty, but it was never as bad as it was the few years at the Arena Grand. What mattered was the feeling of community that the event fostered. We were different, and we gathered for our annual invocations of the cinematic gods in a theater that was different. Having the event in a state of the art multiplex, no matter how good the lineup, will always feel a little less special for me.

Now I could prattle on about atmosphere and community and sing Kum Ba Yah ‘til the cows come home, but there are also hard numbers to discuss. In its first year away from the North (in the Riffe Center) the Marathon still pulled in 600+ Marathoids. The next year, that number sank to between 300-400 (granted, the promotional lead time was only a few weeks, and the event was on Super Bowl Sunday) with similar numbers the following year. I would argue that the attraction of a reliable location played a part in this precipitous decline, but I’d also argue that the loss of the North’s atmosphere (and the transition into the sterility of the Riffe) aided and abetted the situation.

A huge plus that the North’s size also provided, one that is often forgotten, is the control over ticket pricing it allowed. When you have 700+ seats to sell, you can afford to keep prices reasonable, opening the door for younger fans to attend and possibly grow into loyal veterans. A 300 seat theater dictates a necessary rise in prices, and the possibility that a chunk of you audience will be priced out of a good time, especially in times of economic hardship. The only way an event like this remains vital and viable is by cultivating new audience members, something that is more difficult to do in this context.

I could go on and on and on (“DUH!” say a good number of you; laugh it up) but I think I’ve stoked the flames of debate. Here, then, are my theater-specific memories:

DREXEL NORTH

-Walking into the theater for the first time at SF7 and realizing how big the place was. Then, sitting down (five rows from the front) and seeing a beach ball being swatted around the theater. That simple act of community fun immediately informed me that I was in for something completely different than what I had expected, and remains somewhat of a microcosm of the Marathon for me (call it my AMERICAN BEAUTY plastic bag moment.)

-My cohorts and I hearing the crowd call out for Big Sister during several of the early intermission breaks and asking some of those people what they were talking about. “You’ll see” they winked. Never thought that, five years later, I’d be in a live production of this little film I knew nothing about. And while we’re on the subject of Marathon shorts…

-My first screening of NIGHT OF THE LIVING BREAD. Sweet Jesus was that a blast! I feel a bit guilty now, knowing I was one of those cads who would was bread into a ball and chuck it into the ether, but hey…youthful indiscretion, right?

-SPOILER WARNING!!!!!
Donald Sutherland, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS and the final image of that SF7. My best friend at the time now lives in New York (he played Professor Thornton Waxman in GRAVITY: IT’S ALIVE!) We only talk once a year or so, but every time the Marathon comes up we still marvel at that final haunting image and how much power it lent the end of the Marathon.

-And if that wasn’t enough, I had the whole summer of 1993 to gear up for my first Night of the Living Drexel. I’d known about the Marathons since I first saw Marvin the Martian on the cover of Hoot #3 (remember that, Marathoids?), but I’d always thought I was too young to attend. Many years later, my mom told me that she probably would’ve let me go if my older sister had taken me. GAH!!! Anyway, the Hoot ad that really piqued my childhood interest was the one for the 1st Night of the Living Drexel, with its amazing lineup (see my analysis here: http://www.scifimarathon.com/phpBB2/vie ... c&start=15) and taboo allure. Being a childhood classic horror junkie, attending the ’93 Horrorthon gave me my crash course in hard adult terror, with personal first screenings of THE SHINING, THE EXORCIST, EVIL DEAD 2, ARMY OF DARKNESS, HALLOWEEN and TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE.

-Being one of the privileged few to attend the 2nd (and final) SCHLOCK AROUND THE CLOCK. Maybe the sparse attendance should’ve warned me not to attempt the PSYCHORAMA FILM FESTIVAL at Studio 35 in 2000.

-DAWN OF THE DEAD at the final Night of the Living Drexel, one of the seminal film events of my lifetime. I’d seen NIGHT many years before, but I always figured that DAWN was a cheapo sequel. Needless to say, I was slapped upside the head something fierce. Never before had I realized the ability of a horror film to simultaneously thrill, frighten, amuse, shock and educate at the same time. For months after, I practically memorized the Republic VHS copy of the theatrical cut. I often think of how key the convergence of this film and its spot in what was, for the time, the final 24 Hour Horror Marathon was in cementing it as my favorite movie. And on that note…

-Reading about the cancellation of the Horror Marathon in the Dispatch on Friday January 13th, 1995. I immediately wrote an impassioned three page letter to Jeff, imploring him to bring back the event for at least one more year, to give it the proper sendoff it so richly deserved. That day marked the beginning of my intense desire to resurrect the event, a yen that devoured a lot of my life for the next four years.

-The entirety of SF9, the final Drexel North Marathon. I previously mentioned the importance of the Marathon’s communal aspect; well, this was the first one I attended where I truly felt that I was part of the family. Ironic, considering the announcement which came at the end of the 24 hours. A few sub-events do stand out for this Marathon: seeing the trailer for FASTER PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL! At 4am and thinking “that CAN’T be a real film!”…..seeing DR. STRANGELOVE for the first time…and then delivering an absolutely pathetic George C. Scott impersonation during the ensuing contest, eliciting a “what the f*ck was that?” from the aforementioned best friend…whoever yelled the sarcastic “Gee, thanks Bruce” at the conclusion of THE ATOMIC CAFÉ, which was billed on the flier as “achingly funny”. Yeah, especially that footage of post-Hiroshima survivors…trying to stay awake during SECRET ADVENTURES OF TOM THUMB by standing in the back of the theater, and almost collapsing from exhaustion, finally returning to my seat and succumbing to Morpheus’s embrace.

RIFFE CENTER

-Once again, entering the theater for the first time at SF10, but for a very different reason than in 1993. The possibility of the Marathon dying had been very real for the past year, so just knowing that the event would live and being there for the commencement was inspiring and exhilerating.

-Seeing FORBIDDEN PLANET for the first time.

-Gamera Attacks! Quite possibly, the most memorable costume contest moment in the history of the Marathon. I still kid the guilty parties about it whenever I see them.

-Bolting from the theater at the start of the end credits for each film after midnight, refilling my coffee mug, chugging it down, and running back to my seat before the next movie. Ah, for the days of no food in the theater. Not something I’d want to do again, but still memorable in its own twisted way.

-Getting my name in the program for the first time at SF11. Quite the feat for a young and obsessive Marathon freak.

-ALTERED STATES on the BIG SCREEN! WOW!!!

-Yes, GRAVITY: IT’S ALIVE!!!...even though it took a lot of film watching time away from me…and caused me to miss INFRA-MAN (which I’d wanted to see for years) in order to get drinks with Wechter, Nankin and Michelle Stacey. Still quite the surreal experience.

SONY CONTINENT

-Overall, I think this was one of the strongest Marathons of the post-Drexel North era. Great premieres of all stripes (ENTERPRISE, eXistenz, MIGHTY PEKING MAN), solid classics (TERMINATOR and T2, TIME BANDITS, KRONOS) and a cool house that evoked memories of our maiden theater. And yeah, the genesis of the great Upside Down and Backwards era.

My fingers are giving out, so I’ll have to stop here for now. Hopefully, I’ll post more sometime soon. You can also read these comments and more in my upcoming memoir NO COFFEE FOR YOU: MY LIFE AS A MARATHON JUNKIE.

I tend to agree with Joe that losing the North hurt the marathon to a fgreat exxtent. owever, what I think hurts it more is the lack of a consistent weekend and the fact that we don't have a good holiday weekend to use.

I always enjoyed Jenny Reeder's artwork at the North and later at the Riffe. I went to elementary schoold with jenny, though it likely is one of those cases where I remember her more than she would remember me.

My memory is a bit fuzzy, interestingly I tend to lump the marathons together. The first 5 at the North are one lump, the rest of the North (when my now wife went with me are another lump) the Riffe years are a third, the COntinent and the trailerthon stand out. The Grande marathons and the Gateway marathons are alos lumped together. I can recall a film was at a specific theater, but without the cheat sheet I ususally can't nail down the year.

I remmeber the first year I sat with a guy who in later years ran the badge and button table that sold stuff. I sometimes wonder what became of him. I think he was at the Riffe, but haven't seen him since.

I also sadly recall the pop can throwing incident at the North and that was really the only time I ever really recall seeing Bruce angry.

I remember it taking weeks to get the signed marathoid certifcate for SF-1. I also recall having to go out in the lobby after evry movie or maybe it was every other movie to get my ticket stamped so I could get a signed marathoid certificate. Unfortunatley that stuff is all in storage at the moment or I would perhaps bring some of it to celebrate the "25th" anniversary. I wish I would have bought shirts every year, but the budget did not often allow for it.

I think my favorite memories are the ones that are not site specific. I have always said everyone should come and get in line around 7 am or even a bit earlier at least once. Before the Internet, this was the only place you could find thoughtful discussions about sci fi, animation, anime, movies in general, comics, etc. And it is often a fascinating study of free association. You have to be willing to introduce yourself, or at least interject yourself into a conversation but it is a great way to pass the time.

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The wages of sin are royalties.

Hey Donnis, it's JOE not Jeff. Come on now, how long have we known each other?

As always, Joe, you make a very compelling argument. I did not mean to imply that the marathon was "better off" by losing the North (but, in rereading my post, that is pretty much what I said). I wanted to recount my experiences on a personal level, and how I was able to adapt to the changes in the marathon as well as in life in order to remain a loyal attendee. I think the point I was trying to make is that I have "outgrown" a lot of things I did in my youth (Rock Concerts, Rocky Horror, etc...). I have yet to outgrow the marathon and who knows if I ever will.

I was not aware of many of the facts that you wrote about in regards to attendance, but the numbers make a lot of sense. The loyal throng following the marathon to the Riffe in 1996 and dropped off significantly according to your numbers. This was a MAJOR change for us to adapt to, not being in a real movie theater, not being able to eat, not to mention all the little quirks and perks we loved about our beloved Drexel North. That was the 10th marathon, so maybe some regulars felt that was a "good one to go out on."

It is a shame, we will never know how attendance would be if things were different and large single-screen movie houses were able to economically survive.

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

There is no way that any theater can touch the magic that was the Drexel North. My first marathon was the 2nd Night of the Living Drexel in 1989. I was 13 and a horror fanatic. My experience there turned me into a film fanatic. I suddenly appreciated those "boring" old black and white movies like Bride of Frankenstein and I was a Teenage Werewolf. I was hooked immediately. I don't remember if there was a beach ball involved at this one, but I can definitely relate to Joe's memory of that. I think the first bit of celluloid I saw unspooled there was a B&W short film called "A Trip to the Movies" all about theater etiquette. I knew by the hoots and howling that I was in for a cinema experience like no other.

As for the theater itself: 700 seats, near sellout crowds with the occaisional sell out. I remember the smoke filled lobby and people sleeping in the aisles. (Maybe some things have improved) The decorations, the line wrapping around the theater. The walk over to Rally's for lunch, the Dominos for dinner. Jolt Cola. I loved the bathrooms in the back of the theater, so you would miss as little of the movie as possible. Sometimes in the middle of the night, I'd go to the back of the theater and just lean against wall back there, so I could stay awake.

By the time the Drexel North closed, I was a sophomore in college and busy drinking, and getting laid, and making my own short films. I was thrilled that the marathons survived but to know that food and drink were not allowed in the theater, made me think twice. I stopped going (which sucks because some great lineups played there). I was always more of a horror fan and the combination of events was too much for me to overcome: I had convinced myself that I had outgrown them.

Then my friend Steve called me in October 1999 and asked if I wanted to have my short film MEAT play at a newly resurrected horror marathon at the Studio 35. Once again I was hooked. The Studio 35, I think has been the best substitute for the Drexel North Columbus has offered. I've been to most of the sci-fi marathons since, and they've been a blast. But it must say that it just doesn't feel right to have them at multiplexes. Yeah the seats are more comfortable, the screen and sound are usually better (except the occaisional projection problems), the food options are better, etc.... But that stuff was never what the marathons were about. It was about spending time with the "others". The "others" who-just like me-loved the idea of isolating themselves for a weekend to simply watch a dozen movies with hundreds of anonymous friends.

I've posted before, but if anyone else wants a Drexel North like experience again, the closest I've found is in Chicago at the Music Box Theatre. They've done three 24-hour horror marathons now, usually the middle weekend of October. It's a beautiful old theater that seats 700 people and they've sold out the last 2 years. The host does a serviceable job, but he can't compare to Bruce and Joe. He usually gets some kind of guest, but no premieres. There aren't many trailers or shorts, but he generally gets 13 films. Despite the differences, it has that real community spirit you only get from 700 film fans together for 24 hours.

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

There are individual reasons for the decline in attendance at both the Columbus and the Boston Marathons. But, there are some overlapping ones as well. In Boston, sales have leveled off after several years of decline, but are still not back to the heydey at the Coolidge, let alone the Sold Out years at the Orson Welles. Some thoughts:

1. LOCATION, LOCATION. Both Ohio and Boston have gone through theater moves. Each time the event moves, you lose folks. Sure, you pick up a few here and there who live closer to the "new" home, but the overall cost of moving a location (particularly a beloved one) far outweighs that handful of newbies. Like a TV show that moves timeslots over and over, eventually the audience just gives up trying to "find" it. Nobody likes a moving target (and a permanent date helps).

2. REVIVE THE REVIVALS. Back when the original Marathon began, there was a literal network of Revival houses throughout the country - not to mention a "support system" to maintain them (prints, distributors etc). Now, those houses are far and few. In many cities, only Colleges or Museums ever show old movies anymore. This doesn't just affect print availablity, but it also has a dampening effect on the AUDIENCES. Generations of younger filmgoers have Never (or only rarely) gone to see an old classic on the big screen. This means the idea of seeing vintage prints at the Marathon means little to them (not necessarily their fault - they just haven't been properly exposed).

3. THEM SHINY DISCS. Hard to believe, but when the Marathon first began, it was the ONLY place you could actually SEE some of these movies at all. If your local TV stations (or Revival House) didn't have access to a particular title - that was IT, you NEVER could see the movie. Period. Videotape went a long way to rectifying that situation and thousands of older titles became available to view. By the time DVDs came into play, the revolution was complete. Now, anyone could see virtually any movie, any time. Great. However, the law of unintended consequences comes into play: A. Local TV stations have essentially stopped showing older movies (particularly B&W and small B movies). B. With access (or ownership) of DVDs, folks can now watch "their" movies when they want to, how many times they want to. The urge to sample fare outside your "comfort zone" may get dampened (not for everyone - especially those on this Messageboard, but the general public). If you didn't like "old B&W" movies, then, forget about 'em! You don't ever have to watch one again! I'm gonna watch BLADE RUNNER Version 67 instead - again and again!! Just like with Revival Theaters, we now have generations of folks who are so used to watching what they want, WHEN they want to in the comfort of their home, that the idea of sitting in a movie theater for 24 hours to watch a pre-programmed schedule of films (What?! A SCHEDULE!!?), might seem....well, prehistoric.

All of this is not to say, that "The Marathon" is not a great concept. All of us on the messageboard, know and love the event(s). It's just that it is increasingly difficult to expand the audience. As Meatfish points out with the Chicago example, there are some similar events that can have success (in L.A. last year, a "Grindhouse Fest" was huge; it was a Festival, not a Marathon but had that vibe). But, it takes hard work by the organizers, help by the local media, a little luck in timing, AND the word of mouth from each and every one of US.

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Long Live the Orson Welles Cinemas

Grrr. Fixed. Sorry about that. I'm going to blame it on working with someone named Jeff yesterday. The 800 other times I've done it, I'm still working on an excuse.

AQnd Karma got me back. This is the sentence from an email I swear I got at work today.

"Denise I’m sorry but the work could not be completed because of the Approval process was not complete"

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The wages of sin are royalties.

Since most of the marathons are blurs to me I can remember the following. One year when they show the Cafe Flesh trailer and some one yelling Thank You Bruce. The Studio 35 horror thons was my faves. I cherish my pics of Romero and Bruce Campbell. When I went to my first Sci Fi thon at the Arena Grand where I saw Gravity and the infamous Spaceboy for the first time. The year when The Apple was screen. The year I missed seeing Bural Ground and rent the flick from netflix. Bural Ground and the creepy groping scene.

Holy crap!! You did MEAT? I was at that marathon and I loved MEAT! Great work.

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Remember ... no matter where you go, there you are.

A belated bump to this topic, one of the more interesting one of past years. Consider it a companion thread to Gotta Get Back in Time, although focusing more on the theatrical venues themselves. Now that some time has passed and we've switched theaters again, this might be a good time to revisit the discussion, or for new folks to give their two cents.

At least I am consistent. I am still splitting the Drexel North years in half, pre and post girfriend/later wife, etc. Hopefully this time I'll remember to call you Joe. Now if I was allowed to have a browser with a spell checker or allowed to add on a spell checker. <sigh>

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The wages of sin are royalties.