The Ohio Sci-Fi and Horror Marathons

Well, I saw Black Sheep at the Little Art horror marathon and it was actually pretty good. It reminded me of Evil Aliens and Evil Dead. You know, “comedy horror.” I went into it with very low expectations and now I can’t wait to see it again at the Drexel. Did anyone besides me make it to the Studio 35 Halloween spooktacular yesterday?

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Marathon Vet, tell us more about the Little Art marathon. I don't even know what films they showed.

Well, the Little Art Theater was pretty small, and the bathroom was only as big as the one toilet that was in it, and the concession stand didn’t offer very much … but they did get you Domino’s Pizza if you wanted it. However, the staff was great and a lot of fun. As for the movies …

An American Werewolf in London
The Shining
Black Sheep
The Lost Boys
Jeepers Creepers
Evil Dead 2
The Thing
Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2

… It was a great lineup. The theater was a little over half full, but by the time the last movie played (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2) there was only me and one other guy left. The ticket price was pretty steep as well ($30).

On a final note, the marathon was fun, but … I had seen all of the films with the exception of Black Sheep. I prefer the marathons that Bruce and Joe put on because now, with the exception of Black Sheep, I haven’t seen any of the films. It’s a lot more enjoyable for me to see a more even mix of films I’ve already seen and films I haven’t seen before. With the Drexel marathon only 4 days away now … I’m getting really excited!!

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I am with you man, problem is I have seen so many horror films that I have usually seen most or all the films at the 'thons, but most of them I have not seen on the BIG SCREEN and thats where the enjoyment comes in, I know TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER is a slow movie and most people will either sleep or try to make comments during it but I can't wait to see it on the big screen, I hope this starts a trend of Hammer films at the marathons, most I have only seen on tv and would love to see on the big screen. Also I am just now discovering the glory of Amicus films, I have seen several but never really made the connection it was the same company until recently and now I would love to see more of them at the marathons especially:

From beyond the grave
Vault of Horror
House that Dripped Blood

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I hate to damper the events coming but I got vent a little. Is it just me or is our legendary horror marathon here in Ohio going by the wayside in comparison to the offerings across the country? It used to be that the Columbus 24 Hour Horror Marathon was a tradition in which people from far and wide came to have fun for the epic event. Now it doesn't even seem like an event. It's more like a stop on the way to something else. I started going to the marathons from the beginning back in the middle 80s and now they seem reduced to just a few flicks to stop by and see during the evening. With shows like The Music Box Massacre which is actually 24 hours,has special guests and super lineup I can't help but wonder where has our traditional,funfilled,guest filled,24 hour marathon has gone? It used to be an event. Most people still don't even know about it and it's Tuesday. Back in the day a lineup and flyer would be out 3 months ahead of the date and would most certainly sellout. I know the Drexel North had up near 800 seats but that is still no reason not to have a bangup 24 hour horror marathon with guests and lots of great,rare and not on DVD features. After seeing the line up and guests for the Music Box Massacre and other shows around the country I can't help feeling like Columbus has fallen from grace with a lackluster,thrown together 14 hour marathon that seems pale in comparison to those of the past in the great Drexel name.

Well to be fair, Bruce has mentioned in the past that things are starting to get a little more expensive and that we also have dropping attendance figures, that is a subtle but deadly combination. As for guests, I'm really not sure what to say, have previous guests charged money to appear at the thons? If so, then it goes back to the money issue again. And then there are the stars that Bruce may try to get that just don't care or don't have the time to make an appearance at little events like these. Another thing is that the sad truth is not all genre stars are fan friendly.

As for the lineups? Sometimes film prints are dreadfully expensive to procure, while others can't be found at all. It's just the nature of the beast so to speak.

These however are just a few possible reasons.

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Yeah, lets face facts: most folks just don't care about seeing films in the theater any more. There are always going to be people like us who giggle like little girls on a sugar buzz about it, but we're in the definite minority. With the easy availability of previously rare films on DVD and (relatively) cheap big-screen televisions, the average film-goer is just as happy to stay home. Heck, people still bitch and moan about wanting fullscreen versions of DVDs instead of "those damned black bars" so do you think they really care about seeing these old films in a theater? It's a miracle that the marathons still happen at all. That's why I go to as many of the Columbus ones as possible; because they won't be around forever.

To paraphrase Eliot:

This is the way the marathons end...
This is the way the marathons end...
This is the way the marathons end...
Not with a bang but a whimper.

Be it 24 hours or 14 hours, guests or no guests, a packed house or only a few in attendance … Bruce and Joe really know how to put on a show and provide an entertaining and memorable experience. This is why their marathons are the marathons I look forward to the most all year. (Horror and sci-fi)

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I wish I had been able to go to the Little Art. I've been hoping for years that TCM2 would play a marathon, then when it does it's at one I can't make it to.

Well, I have to say - They do a commendable job for a 14 hour event. I would make the journey back to the Midwest if it were 24 hours. I just can't do it for an all-nighter.

I would love to see the marathon go back to a 24 hour event with guests, but 14 is better than nothing.
Hopefully it will return until then I do my best to get the word out to new people to help support it.

One thing I've wondered about for the last few years is why the sci-fi marathon gets a full 24 hours at the shiny new Gateway, while the horror marathon is relegated to 14 hours at the Grandview. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bitching - I have a great time each year at the Grandview. As has been said, Joe and Bruce always put on a fantastic show. I'm just genuinely puzzled as to why horror gets less of a deal than sci-fi.

Why is the horror not a 24 hour event? Well, I think....If I had to guess, it is simply because Jeff Frank (The owner) is more of a science fiction fan than a horror fan. I don't want to speak for him, but if I remember correctly, that is the case.

The event is a big undertaking and calls for a lot of energy, so I think that he is willing to put forth the effort for the sci-fi, but not the horror. I also think that he believes that the horror attendance never does as well as the science fiction....not that I necessarily agree that it CAN'T do well - with the proper promotion, I think the horror can do as well or better than the sci-fi marathon, but I think in the old days of the North, the Science Fiction marathon always outsold the Horror marathon.

Don't forget Bruce and Joe are only part of the event. I think if the Drexel decided to do a 24 hour event, Joe and Bruce would be more than happy to do it, in fact, I would be willing to bet that they too would prefer the longer format. It's just a business decision made by the theater.

One other point I would like to bring up. Infra Kid said:



Well, this is simply not true. The earliest that the flyer has ever been distributed was maaaybe 5 or 6 weeks in advance. Certainly not 3 months! Also, the Horror Marathon never sold out. Not once! It is only the science fiction marathons that sold out. This is one of the reasons why I think the Drexel owners are reluctant to do a 24 hour horror event - they never did as well as the sci-fi, however this does not mean that they can't do well now.

I do agree that earlier publicity and more publicity would help the event. I also think making it 24 hours would help....afterall, I would make the trek for a 24 hour event....so I guess you would have at least one more person attend.

Even though it is 14 hours. I think that the Drexel still puts the best lineup up forth of all the 12 hour + events. When I look at the Music Box lineups over the past few years...they just don't seem as balanced as the Drexel lineups. This is entirely a personal judgment.

Wish I could be there......

Maybe not the Drexel but Studio 35 sold out...

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Unless you know what the different house sizes of the Drexel North vs. Studio 35 are, that's kind of comparing apples to oranges. Now, it may be the case that Studio 35 seats more - I don't know, but if it seats less, than selling it out isn't really an indication of why you should be able to sell out the Drexel.

The Studio 35 'thons also had some amazing guests for a few years running. Attendance almost certainly went up when people saw that Joe Bob Briggs was going to be there, or Romero. But that costs money to bring people like those in for the events, and if the marathon doesn't make money to begin with, it's hard to justify investing more money into it.