The Ohio Sci-Fi and Horror Marathons

first and foremost , i am inconsequential. ive attended maybe 6 sci fi marathons and maybe 8 or 10 horror marathons (and one trailer thon). i missed the sci fi one this spring.

ive been to a few other marathons , at the phoneixville theater in pa , and one near chicago.

ive been slowly escapeing ohio. at this point , im in milwaukee ( waiting for cinematic titanic and gwar ) and i will be in colorado in november.

ive had a really good time at all those events, and between joe and bruce , ive been severely disappointed at any other marathon ive been to. the columbus ones are the most fun , have the best variety , and the greatest attendees.

im not sure if i can make it to the horror marathon this october or not. it will depend on the film line up. but - it kind of comes to that, the "only" reason , im even thinking of visiting a place i grew up in, is because of the horror marathon. because they have always been such a good experience. some people take it for granted, and may act like they are "deserved" something better. but getting your mind wrecked for a day with a bunch of twisted cine geeks and going through that process is awesome. and every time ive been to one, i feel like ive walked out a better person for it.

kudos to joe and bruce for bringing such joy to so many passionate people for so long.

I have to agree that my favorites are the Columbus marathons, despite Chicago doing them for 7 or 8 years now and this being the second year with 2 marathons in town. But the thing I keep begging the Chicago organizers for is more trailers between the movies. Chicago is great at making the marathons run like a machine. They've never had to drop a movie due to time constraints but sometimes it's just too efficient. We need more than 2 minutes between movies and if that's all you're going to give us, run some trailers so people can at least go to the bathroom without missing the beginning of a movie-but nope sometimes it's literally just 2 minutes. Bruce and Joe are the best hosts and the atmosphere is more communal in Columbus-maybe because they've been going on for so long now. I love the running gags at the marathons. I've seen Duck Dodgers, Spaceboy, and Gravity dozens of times now and it's always a blast with the crowds. I doubt I can make it this year, but wish I could.

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

Cool news! I'll be picking up my tickets when I'm in town in a few weeks.

If Joe's excited, then I'm excited. (Don't take that the wrong way...)

I'm just glad people are talking about the marathon here, and that there's a marathon to talk about. Rather than other subjects which are not relevant.

I want to know more about this Snack Nazi. What is the story behind that? Someone please explain in more detail. I love crazy marathon stories.

Well some people still doesn't understand that movie theaters make so little from ticket sales that they need consessions to stay open. If people don't like the rules that theaters put forth then don't go. It doesn't matter if its a not for profit or commercial movie theater.

The Drexel consessions isn't all that great. I still bought that sub par pizza and PBR during the SF Marathon so the theater stay open. True Drexel have other revenue sources but consessions sales do help.

Well I'll be at the Drexel tommorow around 1030 to 1100 AM to pick up my ticket. Just live about a mile from the movie theater.

Now if you want to hear a marathon story there was a girl that sat next to my pounding back the PBR's during that awful mexican sci fi movie.

I want clues! I want teases! I want candy!

Yesssssssssssssss



Seriously can't wait, I've been to three sci-fi marathons and no horror marathons, so it's gonna be one HELL of a Halloween for me! Joe and Bruce and errbody, don't let the hater(s?) get you down.

Last year, in addition to circling the theater during the movies with her little glow wand looking for people eating outside food, I witnessed Size 16 poking her way through people's bags when they would leave their seats. Like a pig sniffing for truffles.

Look, I'll buy some concessions, but when you're spending an entire day in a movie theater, forgive the customers if they want something other than expensive popcorn, Twizzlers, and nachos.

Yet people still doesn't get it.

http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/ ... ution2.htm

Unless your name is on the deed to the Drexel then you can bring outside food. I'm guessing it isn't. Follow their rules. No outside food. Outsode food does hurt the small indie theaters. Without them then there will be no marathons. There are other places one can go to get a decent meal. Look at the schedule, pick a movie that you don't care for or have seen several times and go out to dinner. Then come back.

Ah, I see. Thanks for the explanation. I wasn't aware of that at all.

I thought it was someone trying to steal snacks from people when they weren't in their seats! Seemed pretty odd to me. So what would they do if they caught someone with outside snacks, throw them out? Seems a bit harsh. Though I never bring in outside food myself and I always buy concessions. Some people are on strict diets for health reasons and can't eat junk food, for example. So what are they supposed to do? Just not go to the marathon? Not trying to argue, just making a point.

Also, while I'm here I'd like to remind people that it's not cool to steal people's seats. After last year's incident I'd just like to quietly bring that up. I know it wasn't any of the regulars here, but if anyone happens to see this who might be inclined to do that... Seats that have people's stuff in them and on the floor under them are clearly TAKEN. So don't sit there. That's just common sense. And if you do take someone's seat, please MOVE when you are asked. Have some consideration for your fellow audience members. I wouldn't take your seats, so please don't take mine or my friends' seats.

Dig what's being said about needing to make $$ from the concessions, but I still think going through my stuff while I'm in the crapper is off limits. If I came back and caught someone doing that, I'd make a scene thinking they were searching for theftables, employee of the theater or not. Also, I did bring in a liter bottle of home made juice last year--nonalcoholic, as I don't drink--and don't particularly feel guilty--but promptly turned it over when asked to do so.
I don't have much disposable income (I save up to come to this event, not just for tickets but all the other goodies too) or a car. In fact, last year I took 2 bus trips to get to the theater and walked the 5+ miles home afterwards with both arms full. So this is obviously something I really look forward to attending. However, I do have some minor health issues, and maintaining the dr's prescribed diet is key to ensuring they stay minor. Hence the homemade stuff I brought along--if I make it myself, I don't have to worry about anything finding its way in there that could cause problems for me (like I do in restaurants). By the time it was 'confiscated' I'd ingested enough to get something healthy in my system.
The last thing I want to do is make trouble for the marathon, the theater (whichever one is hosting all of us), or any of the hosts/employees/participants. But again, I catch someone going through my stuff and I think I have the right to assume they're up to no good. If they want to search bags they can let us know ahead of time, or do it while we're sitting there watching. Even the TSA doesn't go through your stuff while you're taking a piss.

I think most attendees would be happy to fork over to the theater a $5 or $10 "Cover Charge" in order to be allowed to bring in their own food. Or, at the very least, bring in some decent stuff just on Marathon day. I understand the economics of theaters, but, this is a special event that happens only one or two days a year. If they really need the money, at least be up front and just add it to the ticket price. Nobody will be uncomfortable if they have to go without for 2 hours, but, 24 is a whole other ballgame.

As I wrote after the by-many-many-accounts disappointing SF marathon on the subject: " Food. In Boston, there have NEVER been any restrictions on bringing in food (save for alcohol, bottles etc). It makes a difference. You're stuck in a theater for 24 hours, you need light healthy snacks to go along with a couple of heartier meals. Pizza, burritos are brought in and sold, and, sometimes, sandwiches and the like have been sold from the concession stand along with the traditional Popcorn etc... Since just about everybody has a decent home theater nowadays, if you are going to convince folks to get off the couch and watch stuff at a theater for 24 straight hours, you better allow them their creature comforts!"

Full post: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=1602#p13825

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Long Live the Orson Welles Cinemas

My friends bought the coffee mug last year for the "endless" coffee. They were out most of the night, so we went next door in the morning. She stopped us on the way back in and wouldn't let us in. So, should we have to throw our $3 drinks away to get back into our movie to then wait 40 minutes in the lobby for a free refill. I think most of us understand that theaters need candy sales, but she was over the line.

So, just a few quick thoughts on the food issue (not that I expect to change anyone's mind):

#1: I know how important concessions are to a theatre's bottom line.
#2: I'm on a pretty strict diet. There is now almost nothing in a standard theatre's concession stand that I can eat.
#3: I will go without, or leave the theatre to eat, but I'd really rather not.
#4: I, too, would be willing to throw an extra $5-10 at the theatre to be allowed to bring in food, rather than leave to eat it.
#5: It was easier to patronize the theatre when they had "real food" offerings. (We miss you, Radio Cafe.)
#6: In the olden days of the Drexel North, you were permitted to bring any food you wanted. It came as a shock to us the first year it was at the Riffe Center, to not be able to eat in that theatre.

Not really saying anything new here, but it is generally my opinion that the "search to make sure you're not bringing in food" is annoying, and for the most part, pointless. I don't think there are a lot of people who buy concessions just because we're not allowed to bring other food in - I think people just leave.

True I've my issues with the Drexel. Since there is four indie movie theaters left the marathonoids don't have that much of a choice these days. I'm guessing the indie movie theaters have liquor licenses just to stay open.

I'll still finding amusing that Drexel charges $3.50 for a can of PBR while their soda prices are higher.

If they put in a surgecharge for people who want to bring outside food I too don't mind. They have to issue out some wirstband ID'ing the people who paid the surgecharge.