"I think the guy in the hat did something terrible."
- Nick CarltonHats, masks, and people in the walls ... this marathon had everything!
I'll just start here by saying that I think this year may have been one of the best marathon showings in quite a few years. The lineup was solid, the premieres were generally very good, and the crowd seemed to enjoy the experience all-around.
I can't really say I've recovered from the exhaustion of attending, but I think I'm coherent enough to discuss a few of the high points and (of course) my thoughts on the films.
First and foremost, as always, a HUGE
HUGE HUGE thank you to all of the people involved, including but not limited to,
Joe, Bruce, Anna, Kevin, Kevin, Mike, Kari, Alan, and, uh ... well, just
everybody . These things are not easy to put on or coordinate and every year is more impressive than the last.
I leave discussion of the theater particulars (decorations, concessions, etc) to others, but would like to encourage everyone to let us know what you think ... many of the improvements you've seen over the last few years have come about directly because of your suggestions, so seriously, let us know what you liked and what you didn't. Bruce and Joe are most definitely listening.
And now ... for THE FILMS!
YOU'RE NEXTI'll be honest, I was kinda done with the home invasion genre a few years ago and truthfully this film didn't change my mind. Generally I think the movie is OK, and the crowd seemed to largely enjoy it, but in the end it just didn't play well with me. Still, it had a decent amount of energy to get the crowd going and I'm all for seeing stuff I haven't seen before.
NOSFERATU THE VAMPYREI'm really a pretty big fan of Herzog's NOSFERATU and this 2k DCP restoration in particular is really gorgeous. Having said that, though, I had just seen the restoration at the Wexner a month or so prior and with it still fresh in my memory (and knowing its length and pace) I opted to step out for a bite to eat. I managed to make it back just as the Count is making his way to Wismar. Still, gorgeous and well played ... hopefully the crowd enjoyed it.
RED LUCKMike's a fantastic editor and I love a lot of his surreal style, but after this (and having heard his narration over
ALL THE MEMORY IN THE WORLD) I'm beginning to wonder about his overall mental state.
Seriously, though, great that he was able to premiere the movie here, and the Q&A was a lot of fun. As I'm sure he'll be glad to hear, the visuals are still echoing about in my brain. Great job, Mike, keep 'em coming.
(But, you know, you might want to see if your health plan covers therapy. All I'm saying is, it's worth looking into ... just think about it.)
HOUSEBOUNDThis was the real break-out gem of the Marathon for me. As premieres go, this is definitely the sort of thing I like to see. Granted, comedic horror is a somewhat easier sell, especially to a large audience, but it's still hard to do well. I thought the film was just the right amount of laughs with a clever story and a nice resolution right about the time it started to feel long. This one definitely gets high marks from me. I can guarantee I'll be picking it up at my earliest opportunity.
Costume ContestKudos to all the entrants this year, especially considering that most of them had well-prepared costumes and very witty staging. Seriously, I don't usually say much about the costume contest but this year in particular seemed better than most. Although, be warned Pan, the bagpipes may win you two contests, but your luck will eventually run out.
THE SHINING"Boy, use your SHINNING!"
"Don't you mean 'SHINING'?"
"Quiet, boy, d'ya wanna get sued?"
There were two films which I'd already seen that I was still keenly interested in seeing again, and this was one of them. I've been in the mood to re-watch this for months now, but I was holding off to see the DCP and MAN I was definitely not disappointed. Every time I watch a Kubrick film I seem to focus on something different, and this time it was the score. Somehow I'd never managed to fully appreciate how wide varying that score is and just how much it amplifies the sense of solitude and madness in that movie.
THE MANITOUI was a bit concerned going in that all the hub-bub about this film was going to be like when we saw THE VISITOR in Boston. In that case, I thought the gonzo crazy aspects were fun but generally I think the film is somewhat monumentally boring. But then I got hit with THE MANITOU and boy were my fears groundless. This movie fully deserves its cult-crazy status in my opinion. It goes off the rails early and just keeps going. Plus, it's the perfect movie for this sort of audience. Very high marks in my book.
THE STRANGE COLORS OF YOUR BODY'S TEARSI'll be honest, I'm not a fan of this style of film. They're intended to be intense visual experiences, surreal trips of fantasy which are meant to evoke an almost visceral response in the viewer, and this film most certainly did that. But as much as I can appreciate that style of film, and as vivid as the imagery is, I find an impenetrable enigma and a conflicting non-sequitur narrative to be, well, a bit grating after a while. I'm glad it showed, and I'm glad I saw it, but it's not one I'll feel the need to revisit anytime soon.
THE SATANISTThis film turned out to be exactly what I thought it was going to be ... and I'm OK with that. Granted, it's a crap film. Granted, it's hugely boring. Granted, the soundtrack is just, well, mind-numbingly bad. Still, I find it an interesting bit of history to see, back when any flimsy excuse could keep a film from being labeled as pornography. Plus, there's a certain appeal to knowing you're one of the only living people to have seen a film ... even if it is crap.
DEMONSI slept through almost all of this. Hey, I have my limits, and I could feel myself drifting off before the title card even hit the screen. I woke up for about the last 10 minutes. I can't really comment on the film, except to say that I'd seen it before a long time ago and I didn't really hate myself for missing it.
TENEBREI don't quite share Joe's absolute devotion to Dario Argento, but I will say that of all of his films this is probably the most approachable for me. I generally like the film, and this was my first chance to see it with an audience. I did drift away in the middle, though, so I'm going to have to go back and watch it once more when I'm more awake. If you're interested in picking it up, I highly recommend this restoration, the recent Arrow Films release. From what I could tell it's the best version that's out there.
THE WICKER MANThis was the other film I'd been really excited about seeing. I've seen this film a dozen times, in all of its various forms, and for me it never disappoints. Granted, the believability gets a little thin in spots, but I found myself being much more forgiving of the narrative than I have in the past. I'm not sure the added footage from the previous director's cut is all that necessary but the remainder of the DCP transfer was really spotless. Plus, y'know, 1973 Britt Ekland gyrating naked against a door is certainly a plus.
THE INVISIBLE MAN and
THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACREAnd here, gentle readers, is where I have to let you all down ... for you see, our merry trio of miscreants decided that we had indeed seen both of these films enough times already. The late hour of the marathon plus our growing fatigue led us to decide "This is the end, my only friend, the end." With a few quick words to Bruce and Joe on the way out, we bid our adieu and made for home.
I have to say, I had a fantastic time and was, as usual, delighted and impressed with the lineup and the offerings. I hope everyone had a good time and again, I encourage everyone to comment here (or Facebook, or email, or wherever you're comfortable chatting) with your thoughts and recommendations for future events.
OK, back to sleep.