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.....