The Ohio Sci-Fi and Horror Marathons

I'm a little surprised that so many people are against children being at the marathons at all. I just think films like ASF or Irreversible can be too much, but I think in the long history of the marathons, there have been very few films that 13 year olds couldn't handle, especially in 2011. We do want the marathons to grow in size, right? The best way is to get people hooked when they are young. There's a couple of scenes of violence in House of the Devil, but those kids talking, were probably bored because they're used to the pacing of Saw 6 and not a thoughtful, deliberate paced film like that. Horror is a genre for the young. It's about seeing the forbidden at that age. When I was 8 and told I couldn't watch Friday the 13th on TV, it made me HAVE to see every Friday the 13th I could and every other horror movie I could find. There's a lot of great horror released since I was a kid, but my favorites, the ones I keep returning to every year, are the ones that scared or shocked me as a kid. And the marathons are a great way to find "new" classics. In 1989, I was 13 and begged my parents to let me go to my first marathon. I was so excited about seeing Re-Animator and Hellraiser on the big screen, despite having seen them repeatedly on VHS. Now maybe if my horror-hating mom had seen the "head" scene in Re-Animator, I wouldn't have been able to go. But I also wouldn't have gotten a real appreciation for older films like Pit and the Pendulum, Bride of Frankenstein, Curse of the Demon, etc... I wouldn't have been introduced to the strange world of David Cronenberg either. The marathons shaped my love of film into an obsession and now a career as a location scout on films and I write screenplays in what little down time I get. Would I do that without the marathons as part of my life? Maybe. But maybe instead of seeking out challenging films and classics, I'd just be getting excited about the next Fockers movie.

I understand that all kids are different and parents need to make their own judgment calls about what they can and cannot see, but out of the whole history of the marathons, I'd say maybe 5 films have played that I wouldn't want my imaginary under 16 year old to watch. Hellraiser, The Hitcher, The Beyond, etc... are tame compared to any of the Saw films that kids LOVE. And any kid who wants to go to a 24 hour horror marathon would be able to handle those films just fine. And as Joe discussed, the internet has desensitized us as a culture so I think it's just weird to pretend that kids can't handle a movie like From Beyond. I was a teenager when Tetsuo premiered, and despite it being a mindf**k film, it also has some graphic, disturbing imagery in it and you know what my girlfriend and I did? We went outside and smoked like the "rebels" we were. Don't you guys remember being a kid? Even at 13 or 14 I had the sense to know that I didn't have to stay in the theater and watch a movie I didn't want to see. Why did so many adults seem to forget that this year?

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

deleted by the "Real" Marathonoid88

Honest question though, what if next year's lineup played nothing but genuine classics with nothing more graphic than Dawn of the Dead would you still skip it because of the one movie that played in the past? No rape, no child abuse, nothing but good old fashioned monster movies. Did the simple fact that this movie disturbed you so much this year really mean you will never go back regardless of the lineup? That's the part I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around. I get it (though I don't agree) if you want to sit out future marathons where Martyrs 2 might play, but if it's nothing but Fright Night, Poltergeist, Creepshow, etc... you'd really sit that out? If so, then I'm sad to see you go. I would try to persuade you to go on a case by case basis, but if you're mind is made up I guess I'll just see you at the sci-fi marathons.

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

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Deleted by the "Real" Marathonoid88

I'm certainly not going to argue with anyone that they are wrong in how they feel about certain things. But there is a huge difference between "presenting" and "endorsing." Not only are those lines being blurred too much, but as Joe said earlier, it's insulting. I understand Jaws3Dfan's "escapism" theory a lot more, though I don't personally agree with it.

One of my favorite horror movies of all time makes me uncomfortable every time I attempt to watch it. It is brutal, unrelenting and features numerous disturbing situations and imagery. Most of these scenes also feature a minor child being severely abused and even sexually violated. This is also one of the most critically acclaimed films of it's generation and was nominated for ten Academy Awards, winning two.

I can't say I have ever had "fun" watching The Exorcist, but I would whole-heartedly endorse it's inclusion in any horror marathon lineup. I'm sure I would have a genuine, visceral reaction as I always do. A lineup with ten movies that make me uncomfortable would definitely not be enjoyable, but what I appreciate specifically about these events is the wide-ranging sorts of emotions and reactions one can experience within the same genre over a short time period.

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

You know, you almost had me at "let's agree to disagree", but then you toss this in. Look, I'm fine if you've made an ironclad decision not to come back to the event. But why do you continue to include dire predictions about the future of the event when you have absolutely no idea about what that future will entail? We'll NEVER go back to showing films like CREEPSHOW and FRIGHT NIGHT? Excuse me?

So let me get this straight: because we screened SERBIAN FILM, which features one climactic, horrible, gut-wrenching scene in which a child is sodomized, a scene that is meant to show the final and ultimate degradation of its main character, a scene that is an absolute renunciation of everything that happens therein...because of that, Bruce and I are now smut peddlers who will never go back to showing classic films (which, by the way, composed 95% of this year's event) and will constantly seek even worse things to show?

I'm sorry, but I don't pretend to be able to judge your moral compass and future actions, and I would expect you not to throw out these wild charges against Bruce and I. Saying that we're now out to push things more and more every year is insulting.

And yes, I agree with Jack'sUserID. For instance:

THE EXORCIST: a film that somewhat graphically depicts a young girl masturbating with a cross.

FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN: a film that depicts (at least in the uncut version) a man having sex with a corpse.

THE DEVILS: a film long considered blasphemous by many for its non-stop depiction of nuns warped into a sexual frenzy.

And Tim, I love you man, but I think you're looking at past Marathons through slightly rose-colored glasses. Remember JACOB'S LADDER, an ultimately realistic film about a war-shocked Vietnam vet that showed at the 3rd Night of the Living Drexel? Or FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELEVET, which showed at that same event and is a very realistic thriller? How about ROSEMARY'S BABY? Aside from one fantastical conceit at the end, it's a completely realistic film about a woman stalked by a cult! Those films didn't seem to ruin their respective Marathons for you. Yes, fun is a major component of these events. But I think your definition of fun might be closer to that of frivolous or lightweight, and the history of the Horror Marathon is littered with films that don't always fit this definition. As we've always said, it's the balance of genres and tones that's made the Marathon successful.

As I've said elsewhere on this forum, Bruce and I never sought out to pursue more realistic horror films when we restarted this event three years ago. It's been a convergence of factors that have led to these films showing the last three years. That's it, nothing more.

Yes, the film did "cross a line". For you. That's your opinion. Opinions are not facts. The film does not CONDONE children being raped, any more than it condones anything else that is shown in the film. It is meant to disgust you, so you are having the appropriate reaction to the film. I assume you have watched a lot of horror films. Did you believe that each one of them condoned murder, rape, torture, cannibalism, etc? Have you ever seen Law & Order: Special Victims Unit? Did you decide not to watch TV at all because of the content of that show?

You seem to believe that because the film was "twisted" that somehow makes the Marathon twisted as well. This is completely illogical. Joe and Bruce did not make the film. Just because they showed the film, that does not mean they endorse the acts that are portrayed in it. To believe otherwise is irrational. If you go to a theater and see a film that you are offended by, do you blame the theater for showing it? Do you vow never to go back to that theater, no matter what they show? I'm sorry, but that makes no sense. If you don't like the film, blame the filmmakers! Is the projectionist also to blame for running the film through the projector? Do you blame the concession stand workers for selling food and drinks during the film? How far does this go?

It's one thing to say, "I don't like these kinds of films and I wish the Marathons wouldn't show them". Again, that's an opinion, but fine. It's another thing to say, "I'm never going back to the horror marathon because they showed a film that offended me". For the 437th time, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO WATCH IT. You were warned several times, and you could have taken 3 minutes to investigate the content of the film on the Internet so you would know EXACTLY what you were going to see. This is not a film that comes out of nowhere - it has been discussed on film sites for what seems like forever now. If you weren't aware of it, you should have made an effort to make yourself aware when the film was announced.

I am truly sorry if you decide not to return to the Horror Marathon. I hope you will reconsider. But if not, I believe you have only yourself to blame, not Joe and Bruce. Viewers need to take responsibility for what they choose to watch - just because something is put in front of you doesn't mean you are obligated to watch it. If you don't know what a film is about, make a little effort to FIND OUT. Do some investigating and decide for yourself if a film is right for you as a viewer. If you decide it is not, then DON'T WATCH IT. Don't blame Joe for your lack of information. That's what this all boils down to - you didn't know what you were getting into when you watched the film, then you decided it's the Marathon's fault that you were offended. It's not. You chose not to heed the warnings. That's your fault. You didn't know anything about the film beforehand. Also your fault. It's YOUR job to choose what you will and will not view. It is not Joe and Bruce's job to physically eject you from your seat and make you leave the theater. Nor is it their job to protect your sensibilities from being offended. Take some damn responsibility.

You raise a fair point here. I didn't mean to say that kids should NEVER be allowed to go to the horror marathon. I think it would depend on the age, and the kids themselves. In the case of these kids watching House of the Devil, they didn't seem like they wanted to be there in the first place - I suspect they were dragged to the event because the parents could not or would not get a sitter. They did not seem like budding horror fans - they just seemed bored. I agree that video games are far more violent than most movies these days. But I still think 10 is a little too young, unless they have seen a lot of horror films already (most kids today haven't) and are used to the experience. And when I say "they couldn't have been more than 10" I mean they probably weren't even that old.

My nephew hasn't seen a lot of horror films, but he could probably handle most of what shows at the marathons. On the other hand, I feel like he should familiarize himself with the genre more before he dives head-first into a 24-hour marathon. He's never seen Psycho, Night of the Living Dead, etc. I just don't want to get into a position where I'd have to take him home halfway through and then I'd miss half the marathon! I want to make sure he's ready for this. Also, he has school obligations on weekends anyway that he can't get out of, and us being from out of town makes it inconvenient. But in a year or two, if he's up for it and excited to go, sure, I'd love to bring him along.

Deleted by the "Real" Marathonoid88

Two days ago dozens of rare, exotic, animals were shot dead by police after their caretaker unlocked the animals' cages, wrapped himself in meat, and shot himself in the head. His corpse was half eaten when found. An image of the massacred animals, including 18 of the less then 15,000 Bengal Tigers in the entire world, was posted all over news and social media sites.

Yesterday a brutal, abusive and tyrannical dictator was dragged down the street, tortured, and murdered. At the high school where I was subbing, apolitical freshman students were laughing while watching the video of the event, via yahoo news, on their cell phones.

While I found A SERBIAN FILM greatly disturbing, I was far more outraged by the aforementioned actual atrocities. Atrocities I can attempt to process and come to some sort of nebulous understanding with, in part, because of reconciling analogous themes and events in works of art (yep, I said it) like A SERBIAN FILM.

Unlike movies, reality doesn't come with repeated warnings to avoid potential repulsion...and there are rarely opportunities to walk out.

I agree, ten might be too young, and not necessarily because of the films' content but often because ten year olds get restless easily. Not having my own kids or nephews, I forget what a difference there is in maturity between 10 and 13 (though some 10 year olds are more mature than 20 year olds I meet). I think the Sci-fi marathons might be a better warm up for kids, though the cheese factor is usually a lot higher at those, and often there are more old films that might turn youngsters off. Depends on the kids though. I'm glad to report that my friend's 2 teenagers loved the marathon and want to bring their friends in the Spring to the sci-fi marathon. Hope to see your nephew in a couple of years.

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

And as for the personal attacks of taking responsibility for myself and my actions; that can be argued from so many varied angles and can be a long and drawn out argument. Too much for this board. So I'm just going to ignore it. Once again, I'll just chalk it up to "let's agree to disagree" and move on.

You're absolutely right, personal attacks should not be tolerated here. So I'm glad the personal attacks against Joe and the marathon (and its audience) will end here.

Sorry you were forced to watch that horrible, horrible work of fiction.

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Jaws3dfan®
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Jaws3dfan®
Follow me on Twitter