The Ohio Sci-Fi and Horror Marathons

Chicago's Music Box Massacre 4 has been announced with an awesome lineup and 24 hour schedule that puts our Columbus marathon to shame. Guest is Joseph Zito and films include F13th Pt.4;The Final Chapter,Pieces,The Old Dark House,The Exorcist,Phantom of the Paradise and much more. THE PLACE TO BE!
Why is our Columbus tradition of coolness being hijacked by the Windy City? We need to get back to our original 24 hour format that made the Night of the Living Drexel an EVENT!

I now need to figure out how I can get to this.

Look like they do a fall and winter event, the winter even has FRIDAY THE 13th and HALLOWEEN III, we need HALLOWEEN III at our horror marathon

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Jaws3dfan®
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What an incredibly asinine thing to post on this board. Is Columbus in some sort of competition with Chicago? So, their marathon seems sexier. So what? You are welcome to travel to the Windy City and partake in the festivities. But don't come in here and talk smack about our little gathering that a hard working LOCAL theater owner and his friends have tried mightily to keep afloat amidst vastly changing economic times.

The marathons are what you make of them. Higher attendance in larger venues in the past does not make the marathons more "eventful." Trust me, a marathon in the third largest city in the United States with enough money to throw at a big name special guest is not trying to "hijack" anything from Columbus, Ohio.

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Aliens? Us?
Is this one of your Earth "jokes?"

Hey,I've been to every marathon that Columbus has put on since the beginning and don't like to see our local tradition falter while big cities take over and put on better shows.
We were the leaders at one point and now seem to be trailing behind. I've been to EVERY marathon since the beginning and will continue to go and actually helped start up the Horror Marathon at Studio 35 and hosted The All Night Shriek O Ramas in Delaware cause of my love of horror. I've been to almost every horror convention this year and have traveled far and wide to do so.
I was just pointing out and listing the great lineup and such for the Chicago 24 Hour Marathon which seemed supercool to me. If I can get away for a few hours from Chiller Theatre and HorrorHound Weekend I may even be there to check it out.
I wasn't talking any smack but just pointing out the fine job they did in Chicago and keep doing. I haven't seen anyone else here attacking me so I guess other people must think it is super lineup and will hopefully attend the Chicago marathon AND our local(formerly big)marathon. I will try to do the same.

Hi Vince, I think he was pointing out the line above, I understand your dedication to horror and the marathons however the wording is a little harsh however those of us that know you know you meant no harm. I would love nothing more than a return to 24 horror marathons but it seems the Drexel is going through a tough time right now. Who knows what the future will bring but I do know a strong showing at this years Horror Marathon will go along way in getting the Horror Marathon back to the 24 horror event it used to be. I hope everyone brings a guest and spreads the word, a sold out Horror Marathon will really help Bruce and Joe convince The Drexel Management to go back to the 24 hour format.

AND SPEND $$$$ AT THE EVENT...DON'T SNEAK IN FOOD BECAUSE IT SAVES YOU A DOLLAR OR TWO....

By a T-SHIRT, buy a pizza, buy lots of snack foods especially popcorn and soda pop because those have the highest margin of profit for the theater. BUY BUY BUY SPEND SPEND SPEND....

If the Management sees a sold out event and everyone is supporting the snack bar it will certainly help the 24 hour cause for next year!!!

REMEMBER: Just like going to a concert or a sporting event, you should always plan to spend more $$$ than you would if you went to a store, it's all part of the event and nothing taste better than a $8.00 hot dog at a baseball game, so show up to the marathon hungry and with cash in hand

THE REST LIES WITH BRUCE AND JOE, I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT MOVIES THEY PLAN TO SHOW.....A GREAT LINE-UP WILL CERTAINLY HELP DRAW IN THE HORROR FANS....

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Jaws3dfan®
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While you do have a point about buying some extra I believe all of these comments have been made in the past. I can think of 2 people that can really answer why we don't have a 24 hour event and they haven't bothered to speak up. I have attended the event in Chicago, while it was not as fun as the Columbus event at least it was 24 hours. Maybe I am biased since I started out attending Joe's 'thon though. Maybe if we stopped going to the 14 hour event they would return to the 24 hour format? Isn't that the same type of logic?

All due respect, Vince, but you didn't help start up the Studio 35 Horror Marathons. I started them with John Conti in 1999. You did provide some financial support for ticket and flier printing for the 2001 Marathon, but that's a big difference from starting the event.

As to the eternal million dollar question of "Why isn't the event 24 hours?":

As I've stated several times (on this forum and, specifically, in front of the audience at last year's Marathon), Bruce and I would love to return the Horrorthon to 24 hours. We've discussed the possibility several times. However, two major factors have prevented this from happening.

1. To this date Jeff Frank has expressed no interest in returning to a 24 hour format. I say this in the most unjudgmental manner possible. After all, it's his theater, and now (especially after losing the Grandview) he has every right to be selective with what he does with his screens. It's great that we've had the Grandview as a venue for the event, but as long as we continue to work with him, I doubt that the Horrorthon will go back to 24 hours.

2. I can't speak for Bruce, but I don't want to resurrect the 24 hour 'thon unless there is a distinct possibility of long term existence. When I was organizing the Studio Marathons, I promised myself that I would walk away from the event if anything threatened to turn it into a mediocre or compromised festival. That's the main reason why the then owners and I split. The same still holds true. One year of a 24 Hour Horrorthon would be great, but if it collapsed after that the venture would be futile. Part of the appeal of these events is the long term identity associated with them, and I don't want to damage that reputation by resurrecting the Horrorthon at less than full strength.

My above post was in no way a personal attack, if it was percieved that way by you because of my harsh language, then I apologize. As pointed out by Tim, I was merely upset about the syntax. I am tired of posters griping about things that are beyond the realm of possibility when it comes to the Marathons. With the state of the Drexel the way it is, at this point beggars cannot be choosers. Keeping these things going after losing the Grand, AND the Gateway, AND the Grandview is a miracle unto itself.

Joe, as always, your response and reasoning are very precise and eloquent. I hope everyone listens.

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Aliens? Us?
Is this one of your Earth "jokes?"

Actually, that should read "Keeping these things going after losing the Drexel North, and then having Marathons at the Continent and the Riffe Center and losing the Grand, AND the Gateway, AND the Grandview is a miracle unto itself."

Not to undercut what you said, but to show that really Joe and Bruce and Jeff have moved Heaven and Earth to keep these events happening at all.

I agree with AEinhorn. I would be happy if the Horror-thon start around 8 or 6 pm. Just for some sort of compromise. Since the horror-thon is only 14 hours long just try to stay away from the movies that last 3 hours. I like The Shinning but it would be better for a 24 hour thon than a 14 hour one. (Plus The Shinning is showing on A&E around that time for multiple showings.)

We are lucky that there is a sci-fi horror thons in Columbus Ohio. My first horror thon was at Studio 35 with guest Joe Bob Briggs and my first Sci Fi thon was at the Arena Grand. I missed the 3rd Two Headed Marathon due to moving to a new apartment and was called in to work.

I treat every marathon as the last one. Please spend money at the theater. this is how they make their money.

The only issue with this idea is there is usually a movie playing in that theater in it's initial run and the 7pm time slot for new movies is enforced by the studios so it would not be easy to drop a new film to start the marathon sooner. With a 24 hour marathon you plan on having an empty screen all day and book movies accordingly.

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Jaws3dfan®
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Indeed,Joe,I did help out on the end with finances. Sorry,to say I actually help "start" them up again. You are correct on that end. I did do the All Night Shriek O Ramas which were so much fun and exist as the laid back tribute they are to the Kingman Drive In of years ago.
It just kind of gets to me to remember the original days of the first marathons and what it has become now. Having been to EVERY horror,sci-fi and Schlock marathon, it just doesn't seem the effort or passion is there anymore and places like Boston,LA and Chicago are doing them up better and with more attention to the fine and fun details.
I'll always love the Columbus marathons but it certainly isn't the fun and good time it was back in the 80s and early 90s. Ah,the memories.

I along with other Columbus refugees exiled to Chicago (Carter9000, ScottCozz, etc...) spent manyyears trying to convince the Music Box management to take a chance and put on a 24 hour event. Four years after moving here, and four years ago this October they finally took a chance and had their first 24 hour horror marathon. It only sold about 110 pre-sale tickets. But the day of the event, they ended up selling about 600 tickets. The next year they sold about 600 tickets until midnight when they sold out because so many people came in just to see The Thing and maybe stay for Night of the Creeps. The next year one of the originators of the marathon was no longer involved. But it sold out early the day of (about 700 tickets) despite what many of my friends and I thought to be a lackluster lineup. This year they have a better lineup and for the first time some feature length premieres like Midnight Meat Train and Jack Brooks Monster Slayer. I'm sure it will sell out in advance.

Even in a city with 3 million people, it was hard to sell 700 tickets the first couple of years. It wasn't until the fourth marathon that they got premieres. Joe and Bruce do such a great job with the marathons and are such warm hosts. With all the obstacles and theater hoping, it's a miracle that a show of shear will power, that these things happen at all. Not to knock Chicago or any of the organizers, but Bruce and Joe are just the perfect host organisms for these events and the bar that I will judge all future hosts in whatever cities for anything similar. I haven't been to a Columbus horror marathon since the first 14-hour. I fear that if there's a Columbus marathon it will be on the same day as Chicago, just by looking at a calander. If it's a different weekend though, and I don't have to work, I will go. I freelance which is why I've missed at least 2 of the last four, but I'd really to show my support this year. I just heard about the Grandview. R.I.P.

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