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My Review of the Marathon:
Overall, I think this was one of the strongest, and more importantly, diverse slates we've had in Boston in many many years. The only real tinge of a downside is that we didn't have one unassailable Great Classic film. A lot of good movies, a lot of fun films, a good sample of interesting oddities, but no out and out masterworks. The audience was very respectful for the most part with only the inane shhhh-ers during QUIET EARTH crossing the line (1 or 2 shhh's were ok, but, it dragged into much of the first reel ).
On the other hand, we were perhaps a bit too subdued for my taste during some of the schlockier moments in BATTLESTAR, LADY TERMINATOR etc..
On to the program:
STAR TREK - Still like it. Fun, fast and, for the most part, successful re-launch of the series despite reservations about the time line. Sure, the plot was needlessly too complicated with the time warp to and fro and those ##$$ing light flashes already date it, but, most seemed to really enjoy it.
20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA - I guess I liked this more than many of the posters here. It's a pretty impressive early silent in the breadth and scope of production. Sure, the underwater scenes drag a bit, but, as others have noted, this was likely the first time people of the time actually had seen underwater footage. The last minute backstory of Nemo was the first of several Marathon films that brought in exotic myths into the realm of SF. Having been to all the silent films at the Boston SF Marathon with live music, I must add that Jeff Rapsis' accompaniment was the finest and most apropos of them all. Yes, they've all been good and highlights of their respective 'thons (particularly the Alloy Orchestra's rocking work on AELITA), but Mr.Rapsis really nailed it!
METROPIA - Not bad amalgam of 1984, BRAZIL and any number of dystopian tales, with some interesting animation, particularly in facial detail (though as others have noted, they moved in an odd THUNDERBIRDS puppet gait!). If it weren't so relentlessly dour and had at least of modicum of color and light, it would have been more effective. Can't help but notice that IRON GIANT is playing Boston soon (I lobbied for it this year) - why do recent Marathon animated films have to always be so serious?
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA - A fun bit of 70s cheez whiz. It wasn't any good when it first aired (I was watching!), and the big screen with a good print didn't do it any favors. The noticeable matte lines and tinny sound really stuck out. Of course, in 1978 when most folks were watching on a 25 inch TV with a single speaker the size of your fist it was just accepted - too bad for the folks who shelled out $3 to see it in a theater! If press releases are to be believed, this actually cost MORE than STAR WARS to make! There are some decent elements to the end of mankind as we know it scenario, and some good actors involved, but it never quite works. The Casino sequence (a lame STAR WARS Cantina knockoff), the "Socializers" and Muffit the robo-dog are classic cornball material. BUT, it was a fun nostalgia trip for the Marathon and I'm glad we finally got to show it even if it wasn't the archive print from 2003 that played in Ohio and L.A..
Aluminum Hat, Alien Mating Cry & Trivia Contests - There were a couple of creative Hat entries. The Mating Cry wasn't as awful as in past years, but that is saying VERY little. Ed S did a good job with the Trivia, despite the tech woes.
MST3K - THE MOVIE - I guess I was one of the folks who, back in '96, who despite being HUGE fans of the MST3K crew was a bit offended by the use of the pretty good THIS ISLAND EARTH as the target of the crew. Time heals most wounds I suppose, but this was a heck of a lot of fun at the Marathon. The barbs were pretty evenhanded and rarely actually mocked the film itself, but were just more general jokes. It runs out of gas before its abbreviated running time and I was never a big fan of the non-movie parts of the TV show (truth be told, I usually fast-forwarded thru them on VHS).Too bad a sizeable part of the crowd skipped out to have dinner as the laughter would have been even louder. And, no, I am not revising my belief that THIS ISLAND EARTH is an above average 50s SF film.
Short Films:
Superior Firepower: After the somewhat witty faux 'reviews' opening, this quickly degenerates into what looks like a failed pilot for a video game.
Second Unit: I got to meet Forry J. Ackermann many times. I loved seeing him in person and on screen. But, this short was the nadir of the entire marathon. Awful. I would rather have seen the 3 seconds of Forry J. on youtube.
F**K me Ray Bradbury - Fun energetic video that livened things up.
THE HOST: This is one oddball movie. As noted, I am a huge fan of Director J.H.Bong's MOTHER from this past year (and it may very well end up on my Top 10 List if I ever get around to finishing it!). Still, this was the biggest disappointment of the Marathon for me. The effects were good, the acting solid. I found all of it interesting, and I enjoyed its shifts in pace, plotting and tone (not to mention it's "No way in a USA Blockbuster" ending), but it doesn't add up to more than just pretty good. The teaser opening was like one of those "White Guys" sections of 70s blaxploitation films with poor caucasian actors being made to look as feeble and inept as possible.
QUIET EARTH - The best film of the marathon, hands down. Gratified that it held up though I hadn't seen it since the '86 Marathon! No classic, but this deserves more attention than it has outside of cult SF circles (and even most younger fans probably don't know of it). As my cousin Lou said - "it's pure sci-fi". I think the acting by the trio hits just the right notes. The direction, effects and art direction, while minimal, service the film. The ending may be a bit too obtuse and enigmatic for its own good (and I've seen it 3 times now including during its original brief theatrical run), but this is a hidden Marathon gem. Kudos again to Frank U and David K for pulling off the film to dvd changeover!
MONSTERS: Certainly an impressive achievement on a miniscule budget. The leads are asked to carry the film and do so fairly well (though Scoot McNairy isn't quite charasmatic enough). I am a fan of slow burn type films which build through character, space and location, and MONSTERS certainly does those compellingly. Still, for such a film to really sing, it has to have a payoff that really ignites. Here, it just sort of peters out. I had the feeling that director Edwards was trying to make an allegory about immigration, but it's never made clear. Further, the viewer is asked to recall the minute or two length prologue to glean the possible fate of its main characters. I just re-watched it on DVR and you Still can't tell for sure. This slow burn just never caught flame. A good calling card for Edwards and actress Whitney Able, but not essential SF.
VIDEODROME: This was never my fave Cronenberg, but I hadn't seen it in over a quarter century so I was willing to give it another shot. Although it's tech is certainly dated - Big Dish Satellite TV? VHS Tape!? - Cronenberg's film actually makes more sense now than when it was released with the proliferation of the internets and other social media. He truly was ahead of his time in many aspects. Debbie Harry isn't the surest of actresses, but her sexy presence is effective. Unfortunately, the last third drags and gets bogged down in one level of (un)reality too many with the "Long Live the New Flesh!" stuff. And, this must be one of James Woods' weakest perfomances - he never seems sure of what the hell Cronenberg expects of his character. The dark ending is brave and nasty, but, the film had already lost its way by then. Still, chilling.
LADY TERMINATOR: Hail Bruce Bartoo for unearthing this treasure of exploitation cinema! Awful, silly, uncontrolled, violent, sexy, nasty, idiotic, gratuitous, downright stupid. In other words, the perfect Marathon film! Another bizarre angle is the Orient Myth somehow turned into a ripoff of THE TERMINATOR! WTF??!! And, who can forget the classic lines, "I am not a lady. I am an anthropologist! " and, "It says here all three of these guys died with their cocks bitten off. Could be a small animal."? Sublimely bad!!! Smiley
LAST WOMAN ON EARTH: The second of the Marathon's triangle of survivors tale (it seems there are usually more male survivors than women going back to films like FIVE, DAY THE WORLD ENDED and WORLD THE FLESH AND THE DEVIL). Roger Corman found himself in Puerto Rico shooting another film and quickly had future major screenwriter Robert Towne whip up one more film out of thin air (sorry for the pun... Embarrassed). The proviso was that to keep costs down, Towne would have to be IN the film as well. Towne not only turned out a decent script, but is pretty good as an actor as well playing Martin the younger man (as Edward Wain). Towne acted in a few other films, but admitted later that he couldn't believe he wrote himself such a demanding part with lots of dialogue and shifts in emotion. The SF elements may be minimal, but this is a modestly intriguing morality play.
MOTHRA: Great print. A rare chance to see the original Japanese theatrical version on the big screen. It takes too long to get to the action, however, and some of the plot machinations get repetitive. Another myth meets SF varient with all the stuff with the princesses (oh, so adorable) and the islanders. The New Kirk and Rolisica pseudonyms are amusing remnants of the Cold War. And, that song still echoes in my head a week later!
ZONAD: Here's a prime example of a film working at the Marathon which would likely fall flat outside of it. As astutely noted, this is an SF takeoff on Playboy of the Western World, but full of gross Farrelly Brothers/Apatow humor. Some of it is just so stupid it works, but other bits, like the aforementioned urination bits (THREE TIMES?!!), fizzle. You can easily see why that despite being the follow-up to the superior ONCE, it has sat on the shelf for two years stateside (outside festival appearances), and is destined for a low key DVD release here. Dumb but painlessly brief at 75 minutes, it was a liteweight way to end a great Marathon.
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Long Live the Orson Welles Cinemas
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