The Ohio Sci-Fi and Horror Marathons

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PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 9:23 am 
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The last 2 years I've stayed awake all 24-hours. This year (for some reason) I had a pretty hard time. I had numerous head-jerks through 2 of the films and (unfortunately) I slept through the majority of Battle in Outer Space.

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PostPosted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 9:24 am 
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I dozed off during Battle in Outter Space and was shocked when I woke up because I never fall asleep at the marathons...mainly because I can't get comfortable in the chairs. I dozed off again during Galaxina.

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PostPosted: Thu Apr 22, 2010 2:37 am 
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I was pretty good during BiOS...but Galaxina knocked me straight out. :lol:

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PostPosted: Sat Sep 11, 2010 9:25 pm 
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L.A. Connection wrote:
Been going to Marathons since...gulp...1979 and have never fallen asleep!


You are a master. I am a wimp.

I've been going to horror-thons since 2001 and am still striving to reach the perfect "no sleep" score.

The best I ever did was at the 2003 Nightmare at Studio 35, the zombiethon with Romero. I nodded off a bit, but no prolonged snoozing. (I managed this mostly by watching a lot of the second half of the 'thon from a stool in the concessions/bar area.)


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PostPosted: Tue Sep 14, 2010 10:15 pm 
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Ah, everyone has to start with a first one. Hope the horror 'thon goes well.


Cody wrote:
L.A. Connection wrote:
Been going to Marathons since...gulp...1979 and have never fallen asleep!


You are a master. I am a wimp.

I've been going to horror-thons since 2001 and am still striving to reach the perfect "no sleep" score.

The best I ever did was at the 2003 Nightmare at Studio 35, the zombiethon with Romero. I nodded off a bit, but no prolonged snoozing. (I managed this mostly by watching a lot of the second half of the 'thon from a stool in the concessions/bar area.)

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PostPosted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 9:37 am 
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Cody wrote:
L.A. Connection wrote:
Been going to Marathons since...gulp...1979 and have never fallen asleep!
I nodded off a bit, but no prolonged snoozing.

I know this isn't the "cool kids" position, but my answer to "How to stay awake the whole 24 hours" is ... don't.

I've said this before, but it bears repeating. I've been at this since 1990 pretty consistently. I've had 24-hour runs where I never nodded off, I've had runs where I slept mostly through as many as 1-2 films.

I've had countless films be ruined because I was just too tired to actually watch it. I've had any number of films get missed because I was "so focused on staying awake" earlier in the night that by the time I eventually did crash it was right in the middle of something I wanted to see. This has happened at both 12 and 24-hour marathons, btw.

If you have that much trouble staying awake, cat-nap for 15 or 20 minutes during a film you really just don't care about (or have seen a million times.) Believe me, a quick cat-nap can go a LONG way toward letting you stay awake for the next film.

Part of why I go to Marathons is so I can actually REMEMBER the films. ;)

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PostPosted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 12:35 pm 
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You make it sound like you can't stay awake AND remember the films. You CAN do both.

Mind over body. Mind over body. Mind over body....

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PostPosted: Wed Sep 15, 2010 3:41 pm 
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L.A. Connection wrote:
You CAN do both.

Galaxy of Terror and Galaxina are both good examples. I remember more about what was going through my head trying to keep myself awake than I remember about the films themselves ... and I actually WANTED to see both of those (believe it or not.)

All I'm saying is that a 30 minute nap through Star Trek (which I had already seen in 35mm THREE TIMES THAT YEAR) would easily have prevented my memory of Galaxina being tinged with "can't sleep, clowns will eat me ... can't sleep, clowns will eat me ..."

I'm all for marathon sleep-deprivation if that's your goal, but if you're intent is to get as much out of the movies as you can, a little planning can go a LONG way. That said, however, my eyes (unfortunately) betrayed me and stayed wide open through Starship Troopers at SF12. Luckily, it didn't blur my memory of Day of the Triffids as a consequence. :)

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PostPosted: Thu Sep 16, 2010 11:43 am 
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I'm fully in support of the 'know your body' rule. Still, my over-arching point was that far too often marathoners succumb to "I will fall asleep" thoughts BEFORE the marathon even begins.

Personally, I find the 3 to 6 AM hours my favorite part of the event. The yahoos in the audience who like to make Metallica shoutouts, lame puns and, the worst of all - the I Laugh At Any Old Black & White Movie crowd - are usually tuckered out by the wee hours. The theater is fairly sedate and you can concentrate on the movies without having to shush the lout who thinks he's auditioning for Mystery Science Theater.

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PostPosted: Mon Dec 13, 2010 4:09 pm 
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Perhaps it's my age (fogey) perhaps it's my different background - 22 years of the 30 hour CWRU Science Fiction Marathon - but I am beyond the possibility of staying awake 24 hours straight.
Coffee doesn't work.
Extra sleep previous days doesn't amount to much.
I always look at the schedule and decide which movies to sleep through. Then psyching, walking around, talking about movies during the previous intermission - FORCING myself to sleep during the duds - all help to the level of only having to sleep through 2-3 movies (in 32 hours)
Sometimes I rest by going out for a quick breakfast. That can be more reviving than sleep.
Hope to go to Columbus this year.

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PostPosted: Fri May 18, 2012 9:02 am 
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My annual bump.

Take care folks. Hope at least a few of you make it.

Androids Unite!


:mrgreen:

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PostPosted: Fri May 18, 2012 9:37 am 
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"The Last Push" may be a hard one to stay awake thru, I almost fell asleep watching the trailer, I am hoping it's more energetic than the trailer makes it out to be.

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PostPosted: Fri May 18, 2012 10:35 am 
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If you need to dose off just pick a movie you seen countless times. I seen Battle Royale many times. This is my goto for napping if needed.

Try to limited alcohol consumption. I will have my one can of PBR during Spaceboy. A cheap beer for a awsomely awlful short. Plus one of the lessons I learn from Blue Velvet that Heineken is for p****es.

Now I do agree to move around during breaks. Go outside and breath some fresh air.

Please lurkers wear clean clothes and shower. Not some five minute one a good twenty minute one.

Plus don't recreate the restroom from trainspoting. The horror show marathon is in October I don't want to see a preview. I mean think of the employees. Make their jobs as easy as possible.

Now have fun. Its ok to riff. Just don't do it every second.


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 2:01 pm 
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My Guide On How To STAY AWAKE all 24 Hours! 2014 Update

I added a new tip! Tip #6


Been going to Marathons since...gulp...1979 and have never fallen asleep! And, this February in Boston kept that streak alive.

First, I know that it is NOT A MUST to stay awake. This is a guide IF you wish to try (Only an IF). Second, yes, know your body. If you can take gallons of coffee and greasy spicy food at 4am - go for it. But, these are some tried and true suggestions....

Tips:

1. GET SOME REST before the Marathon. Easier said than done sometimes, I understand. Particularly, if the Marathon starts at Midnight! But, do your best. Also, I start a Vitamin, Echinesia, Zinc pill-popping regimen the week before the Marathon to be as illness resistant as I can.

2. LIMIT CAFFEINE. One year, early on in my Marathon career, I thought popping No-Doz and drinking coffee was a good idea. It wasn't. 3/4 of the way through, I thought I was having an ulcer right smack in the middle of DEMON SEED (that 'demon' was in my stomach!). More importantly, the constant ups and downs eventually catches up to you (same goes for excessive Sugar intake). Some folks have a higher built-up tolerence, but go easy.

3. Wear COMFORTABLE CLOTHES. That Klingon mask and paraphernalia might seem cool at noon, but by midnight, it likely won't. Also, a pillow or neck/back support might be in order.

4. EAT as LITTLE as possible. Again, early on, I looked forward to the Marathon as a 24 hour junk food party. Over the years, I have seen many Marathoners "go down for the count" long before the finish line due to upset stomachs. Pizza, burritos, Chinese, Indian, Thai food are all favorites of mine, but I would stay away from them. I eat a big breakfast. Then nibble, nibble, nibble all day and night with only 1 warm meal (usually just a chicken sandwich without fries, shakes or too many condiments). Maybe , something warm for breakfast. Otherwise, it's pretzels, chocolate covered raisins, several Power/Energy bars and lots and lots of water. Boring? Yup, but this post is about SURVIVAL!!

5. GET UP AND MOVE AROUND!! I pop out of my seat after EVERY SINGLE MOVIE and move around. If you think to yourself, "Oh, I'll just grab a little 5 minute nap between movies" - you're likely a goner. That walk around will do you much more good than a 5 minute nap. Longer naps are another story (for wimps!), but this post is about staying awake the whole 24.

6. JOIN IN! If the audience ritually claps - CLAP ALONG! If the audience bursts into applause - do the same! Cheer on contestants in the contests! Give thanks to Bruce, Jeff Neff and the many others who help put on the show, especially the Theater Staff. All of this not only helps the spirit of the Event, but, it also helps YOU become involved and raise your enthusiasm level!

Most important tip:

7. PSYCH YOURSELF UP!! Come on, this is one (long) day a year! ONE! You can't get psychologically tuned up to stay awake one little night a year?! Think of all the cool movies and shorts you are going to see! All the bad puns and callbacks you'll hear! The fun you have reminicing with fellow Marathoners throughout the year! The pride and honor of being a 24 HOUR SURVIVOR! You CAN do it!! I ain't into any of that New Age mind over body holistic hooey - but, in this one instance where it makes sense; I think a LOT of what defeats Marathoners IS in their head. If you say to yourself, "That slow draggy movie at 4am is going to KILL ME" - then it will happen. Instead, repeat to yourself - "I will stay awake, I will!"

That's it. 7 simple rules to follow, and you can join the Android brigade like myself! You'll never miss a single ray gun shooting, alien attack, day for night scene, cheezy line of dialogue, CGI overloaded frame, vintage trailer or Bruce quip again!!

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 6:40 pm 
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Saturday's weather is going to be in the high 30's to the 40's in the eveing to early Sunday morning. A blast of cold air could help.

I did limited my food consumption during Shock Around the Clock 5. It helps alot.

It does help if you stay away from the heavy foods. Example pizza.

L.A's right when it comes to clothing. It is still winter in Ohio. It will get cold. If you want to wear a t shirt and shorts fine. Don't complain when you are freezing your ass off during the night. March in Ohio is not like March in the south or the west coast. It will get cold.


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