The Ohio Sci-Fi and Horror Marathons

Anyone going?

I'm strongly tempted.

I think a couple of the regulars are going to try to make it. I MAY be there, if my current automotive difficulties are fixed in time.

For anyone interested in more information:

http://films.cwru.edu/sfmarathon36/index.html

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David A. Zecchini; Creature of the Wheel, Lord of the Infernal Engines
"Damnati Im Ludum" (VitruvianZeke@att.net)

So, I did go, and I saw Joe there, but if there were any other regulars in the crowd, I missed you.

I've written up a full review over at my site:
http://www.comicheronews.com/?p=15809

Overall, my thoughts are that it was a fun time, and had a good line-up. The CWRU crowd is rowdier than the Drexel group, with more snarking and less of a taste for classics. They also show fewer trailers between films, and don't have a host organism or contests between films.

The space is fun, and feels very guerella theatre. People who remember the Drexel North days will get the vibe immediately, I think. The crowd is *very* enthusiastic, and that was kind of fun.

The only thing that was really hard for me was the timeline. Their marathon starts at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, and goes until 2:00 a.m.-ish on Sunday. That's a lot rougher than noon-to-noon, and if I return next year (and I think I will), I'll be taking that Friday off work. I hit the exhaustion I normally have around 4 a.m. right around the middle of the first film, and that made the event overall less fun than it should have been.

On the other hand, the event is cheaper overall, both in ticket prices and concessions, and they let you bring in your own food, so that was a bonus.

Read my review, and if you've got the time next year, certainly consider hitting this one. It's not too far from home, and for all of my growing pains with the event, it was a lot of fun.

And it made me eager for our home event in April (we hope).

@AEinhorn Good review, makes me wish I had gone. I would boycott any marathon that actually listed Battlefield Earth on the program so it was a good thing they didn't list it.

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Jaws3dfan®
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...says Tim, whose only Boston Marathon is the one he attended with my cohorts and I in 2001, which prominently listed in its advance advertising AND in its program the inclusion of....BATTLEFIELD EARTH!

It's okay. If I was sane, I might've blocked it out as well.

If you remember right I was sick that weekend also and missed several hours of the marathon. I think it was because of BATTLEFIELD EARTH.

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Jaws3dfan®
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Sadly, the car was not fixed in time for me to make it up for the event. Believe me, after writing out the check for the repair, I wasn't in much of a mood to go anyway.

But a big-hearted thanks to Joe for texting me the Surprises. Softened the blow of not being able to be there quite well.

Though admittedly, between Battlefield Earth, Armageddon, and the Abrahams Star Trek YET AGAIN, I might not have been able to hold it together. But Time Bandits would have helped a LOT.

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David A. Zecchini; Creature of the Wheel, Lord of the Infernal Engines
"Damnati Im Ludum" (VitruvianZeke@att.net)

I agree, Time Bandits is a classic. I would love to see it make an apperance at the Columbus Sci-Fi Marathon

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Jaws3dfan®
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It's only been a little over 10 years since it aired. (SF17 - the year we were at the Continent, and the birth of the retrograde presentations)

That said, despite having seen it just 48 hours ago, I'd be more than happy to see it at our local marathon.

...and here's my concurrent take on all things Cleveland.

Thanks, Joe.

As much as I love the Marathon experience (L.A.'s had a couple, too), the sheer amount of snarking that Joe and others describe coming out of the Cleveland college event would just ruin it for me.

We've all had a good time riffing with some schlock classics such as ROBOT MONSTER and PLAN 9, but to just automatically start ripping any B&W film is not just annoying, but outright rude. It shows a contempt for history and the arts - two things you'd think would be part of a college education.

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Long Live the Orson Welles Cinemas

I will say that the crowd does vary. Of the 2 or 3 times I've been able to make it, at least one of those was *almost* tolerable.

And they do sometimes have a wickedly good sense of programming. Several lineups have been much more fun than they seemed on the surface.

Plus, I love it when the Surprise is actually worthwhile, and occasionally it's in rare form. Dark Star had me stoked from the very first frame.

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David A. Zecchini; Creature of the Wheel, Lord of the Infernal Engines
"Damnati Im Ludum" (VitruvianZeke@att.net)