The Ohio Sci-Fi and Horror Marathons

I have always enjoyed comic relief, especially after a series of blood & thunder epics or dystopias. I don't mean films that are so bad that they are fun to ridicule. I'm talking genuine comedy.
Here are links to two lists of SF comedies.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_comic_science-fiction_films and http://io9.com/5278117/the-10-greatest-science-fiction-comedies.
My personal favorites are Groundhog Day & Dr. Strangeglove - but I've seen them a million times.
From the 10 best list, Tremors, Army of Darkness or Earth Girls are Easy wouldn't be half bad.

_________________
Thar’s only two possibilities: Thar is life out there in the universe which is smarter than we are, or we’re the most intelligent life in the universe. Either way, it’s a mighty sobering thought. - Walt Kelly

Hmm, how about Beastmaster II? In my opinion it have the same plot as Masters of the Universe. How about any of the Ator movies? The Ator movies are worse than Beastmaster II.

Some of that Wikipedia list already screened at past Science Fiction and Horror marathons. I like to see The Star Wars Holiday Special.

I'm pretty sure George Lucas would sue the marathon out of existence if the Holiday Special was shown. But if we really want a good laugh, let's show Phantom Menace in 3D.

When watching The People vs George Lucas that there was a theater that did screen the SW Holiday Special. They advertise that they were screeing said special. George Lucas have to acknowldge the Special but would he want to do that? True the animated Boba Fett is on the SW Blu Ray box set.

How about Lenord part 6? The Gobot's movie if you want a bad sci fi animated movie.

Well, now George says he's retiring, so maybe he'll ease up on the lawsuits from now on. He says he's tired of all the criticism from the fanboys (who have made him a billionaire many times over).

Someone needs to wish him a Happy Life Day.

Another good one from the 80's: Enemy Mine. Haven't seen that one in a long time.

When George Romero was a guest at one of the Nightmares at Studio 35 there was a well known Romero film that was screend after Night of the Living Dead. It was a 16mm print. I "can't remember" what was the movie name.

Hardware could fill the science fiction-horror slot. Its very gory.

Just to clarify, because I am a Marathon nerd (though only technically a crafty minion to chief nerd Neff), that showing of Dawn of the Dead was actually licensed and advertised, unlike it's first canonical appearance 9 years earlier at the Drexel. How could it not have been with the director himself in attendance?

But you are correct, there have been a handful of unlicensed "surprise" screenings in the marathon's history, including that Moon substitute just a couple years ago, so things like that are not out of the question.



I agree! Another underrated gem that seems to have slipped through the cracks somehow. And speaking of Dennis Quaid and underrated '80s movies, how about Joe Dante's Innerspace or Jimmy Caan and Mandy Patinkin taking the whole buddy cop fad to the extreme in Alien Nation?

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

Just to clarify, because I am a Marathon nerd (though only technically a crafty minion to chief nerd Neff), that showing of Dawn of the Dead was actually licensed and advertised, unlike it's first canonical appearance 9 years earlier at the Drexel. How could it not have been with the director himself in attendance?

But you are correct, there have been a handful of unlicensed "surprise" screenings in the marathon's history, including that Moon substitute just a couple years ago, so things like that are not out of the question.

Actually Dawn of the Dead was not advertised. It was advertised a "surprise classic" both at Studio 35 and the 1994 screening at the Drexel North. At the Studio 35 marathon we were instructed to refer to it as Don't Look Now Part 2. Since it's been a number of years and Studio 35 has no affiliation with the marathons, I figure it's fine to refer to it now. George Romero himself was there during the screening, but that doesn't mean he owns the rights. Last I knew, Richard Rubinstein owned the rights and has not been generous with those rights. Joe or someone more knowledgable will have to fill in the gaps, but it certainly was not advertised in advance as I'm looking at the original flier now.

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

Not that you'd ever get me to admit on the record that we screened Dawn of the Dead, but......I'll at least tell you a possibly side-related story.

As some of you know Richard Rubinstein was George Romero's partner in Laurel Entertainment for almost ten years. During that time, they orchestrated classics like Martin, Creepshow, Day of the Dead, and, yes, Dawn of the Dead. They also produced Knightriders, which for my money is the most unjustly unheralded work of Romero's career and the film that's quite possibly the most accurate representation of George's life and artistic philosophy. AND the old Anchor Bay DVD edition of it has one of my all-time favorite audio commentaries.

But enough of my motorbike mania and unbridled Ed Harris love. Per Rubinstein's commentary on AB's excellent Dawn of the Dead: Ultimate Edition, he and George split as business partners mainly due to RR's desire to build a Corman-esque league of young talent (according to him, George decided that he needed a more intimately engaged producer/partner/advocate.) But as a result of this divorce, Rubinstein retained rights for those Laurel productions (although Warner Bros. still distributes Creepshow.) In subsequent years, he has authorized screenings for most of these films (although his curren New Amsterdam Releasing company only lists Dawn and Martin as available), but only on video. And in the pre-DVD days, this was (ahem) a slight impediment.

Over the years, many venues have asked Rubinstein for a 35mm print of Dawn. He has usually responded by stating that he has the elements but has no current interest in renting them out (I know: I've seen a fax from him.) So said venues were left with the option to screen these films on video. If they tried to show them on film, RR was known to be a bit peeved...in the proprietary sense....read from that what you will.

And I must add that for the longest time I viewed RR as the villain in this story, depriving audiences of a modern classic in the theatrical setting. But after listening to his commentary, I gained a newfound respect for him. I still think that his hoarding of the Dawn prints is wildly counterproductive. But that doesn't change the fact that he's a fierce advocate for the artists he works with. Not a bad thing to have in this industry.

Interesting story, huh?

I thought of an idea to have the 2012 sci fi marathon be all apocalyptic films, playing off of the whole "doomsday in 2012" theories. Here is my list:


The Last Man On Earth
The Omega Man
I Am Legend
Know1ng
The Day After Tomorrow
The Quiet Earth
The Rapture
Deep Impact
Armageddon
The Core
Doomsday
2012


It could be called "THE LAST SCI FI MARATHON ON EARTH", not only because it would be appropriate, with all apocalyptic films being shown, but also, the title is a reference to the first film on my list: "The Last Man On Earth". I understand if any of you don't like this idea. lol I just thought it would be interesting, since there's so much buzz about 2012 being the "end of the world" and whatnot. What a fun idea it would be to mock these theories with a marathon, yes?

_________________
"Two possibilities exist: Either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying."
- Arthur C. Clarke

What a Micheal Bay film? At the Science Fiction Marathon? Are you mad?

I'm being insulted for just mentioning a Michael Bay film? I'm not saying Michael Bay is the BEST director, but Armageddon is FAR FROM the worst apocalypse movie ever made. It has pretty great special effects, no matter how bad you hate it. Is it the BEST movie I've ever seen? No. Michael Bay's movies aren't about realism. They're about action. There are plenty of apocalyptic films out there that are more dramatic fare. Keep in mind, I DID mention "The Quiet Earth". That's not an explosive, action packed film by any means. I am absolutely, positively NOT the spokesperson for the Columbus Sci Fi Marathon. My ideas aren't guaranteed AT ALL to show up at the marathons. It's not up to me what movies get shown. I'm just throwing out ideas. How about if we just show ONE apocalyptic movie? I just think that the whole 2012 buzz would be a fun thing to take a jab at. Should not the movie marathon take notice of this once in a life time event? Besides, end of the world movies are my absolute FAVORITE. To my knowledge, the Columbus Sci Fi Marathon has never had a theme before. That's to say, all of the films having something in common.

_________________
"Two possibilities exist: Either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying."
- Arthur C. Clarke

While I wouldn't be opposed to Armageddon or any of the films on that list, showing them all in one sitting would probably get real old real quick.

The Columbus marathon has always been best served by variety, and while you could program a generous mix of the old and the new with a theme like that, those movies would really start to run into each other pretty fast.


Now, having said that, anyone else heard about the new Tom Cruise sci-fi movie? (Called Horizons or something like that, in fact I think the title hasn't been finalized yet.) He apparently stars as a soldier or worker stationed on some post-alien invasion devastated earth. Sounds like it would fit in quite well with that theme. The movie probably won't be out until 2013 though.

And speaking of newer movies, I kind of wanted to see Another Earth and I really wanted to see Melancholia (NO SPOILERS PLEASE FROM THOSE WHO'VE SEEN THEM, I do not want to know just how sci-fi they actually are). And I saw Kirsten Dunst again in the trailer for Upside Down, which would also be welcome as a newer movie. None of those three may even be realistic possibilities for the 2012 sci-fi marathon, but it never hurts to mention them.

It probably wouldn't hurt to mention The Time Traveler's Wife either. I've seen that one, but I'll bet some marathon attendees would enjoy it. I'm sure a lot missed it.

I kinda like the apocalypse idea, though an entire marathon of said films would get tiresome. Maybe 2 or 3 scattered throughout the lineup. Or we could just show a bunch of Roland Emmerich trailers in a row for the same effect.