Okay, I usually do this, so here are my thoughts on every movie, in order of which ones I enjoyed the most.
Possession - This was just awesome. These two people went so crazy, and it was an awesome kind of crazy. Whether its playing with electric carvers in the kitchen, or just swivelling in a chair in an office, the crazy didn't stop. The level of mess at various times in their apartment was fantastic, the not very subtle private eye, the inimicable Heinrich, and just pretty much everything else about that movie made it all kinds of entertaining. This movie really established that it was going bat-shit crazy, and it really raised the ante of "anything can happen" to a whole new level. Any efforts at trying to predict what could happen in the next scene would likely prove to be futile, and yet the next scene wouldn't just feel random, it would feel like it was progressing the story too.
Phantom Of The Paradise - This really isn't my type of movie, but it turned out to be so entertaining that I just may have to watch it again some day. That said, seeing it with friends and a marathon crowd made it extra special. Funny characters with a couple of amusing twists to the story. I had it pegged as one of the movies I'd enjoy the least, and I couldn't have been more wrong. Now admittedly, the cornier elements really appealed to me, and who knows how those would hold up, but for one marathon viewing, it worked great.
Something Wicked This Way Comes - Yet another movie that I didn't think would work for me. Did a really great job making it creepy and having a dark atmosphere without needing to veer into R-rated territory. These marathons don't offer too many tales of a father and his son, so it made this one feel different.
An American Werewolf In London - Just an absolute classic, and would've been ranked higher here if I hadn't already seen it. Totally worth sticking around to the end to watch it again.
Dead Alive - I don't get it. If you're going to build giant robots to fight giant monsters, why not just make your robot big enough to step on the giant monsters?
The Devils - Wow, this movie looked beautiful. It looked like it was just made a few years ago. Fantastic sets. I'm glad we watched it the way we did, as I'm sure I would've enjoyed it a lot less if it was some crappy-looking, color-fading, falling-apart print.
The Abonimable Dr Phibes - Ah, the old catapaulting unicorn trick, gets 'em every time! A little too predictable at many times throughout, but the goofy police certainly didn't hurt. A lot funnier than I thought it would be. Now what in the world was going on with that lady who was helping Dr Phibes throughout?
The Last Circus - I'm really not sure where this one belongs on the list. I still haven't formed a definitive opinion on this movie. Parts of it were really great, and there were times when you felt like they were going to go over the top, but then they didn't. I certainly didn't foresee the climactic scene happening on that giant cross. This movie might actually go a lot higher on the list with more time, or with a second viewing. There was a lot to like about it. Some of it just felt a little off though.
Kill List - As stated previously, I think I would've liked it a lot more if I could've understood more than half the movie. This was probably the scariest movie in the whole marathon, and it had a decent story. Unfortunately (for me) I found the ending to be extremely predictable.
White Zombie - Good movie, great atmosphere and pacing. Not precisely my cup of tea, but I don't mind watching one or two of these every year. We have to remember where we came from, after all, to understand where we are.
Videodrome - The only reason its so low is that this is the movie that I slept through at least 30 minutes of. My eyes would open and close a bit for some of the other movies, but this is the only one that I really slept during. Fortunately, of course, I've seen it before. Its a classic, for sure, and I wish I could've seen more than half of it this time, so I may have to watch it again sometime soon. It really is a great movie to play in the middle of the night. Great to drift in and out of, feeling like you may have a slightly less than 100% grip on reality.
Werewolves On Wheels - As they said in The Crow, "Here's to you, T-Bird!" (or was it T-Bone?)
That said, I found all 12 movies to be watchable and enjoyable for their own reasons. Great lineup this year. I know Bruce and Joe won't want to hear this, but this was yet another one of those marathons that left me wishing that Bruce and Joe could find room in the calendar for a third marathon every year. They do such a wonderful job with these things, and it's not just with the planning and organization, but it's always a set of 12 movies that I just love having seen.
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