This ego-maniacal Oscar telecast watcher
made his marathon bow in 2004 at SF21!
I will never forget my first: SF6 in 1992. If every first time marathoid had the same visceral experience as I did, there would be more of us. This included my first ever viewings of
Dune, Metropolis, 2010, A Clockwork Orange, and
Planet of the Apes. Wow, talk about an initiation! My eyes were opened to a brand new world of Science Fiction beyond
Star Wars and
Star Trek. My only gripe was that I slept alot. But, even considering all that, I still wouldn't classify that year as my "favorite." And for me, that's what makes these things so special year after year.
If you put a gun to my head and made me choose my favorite, I would say SF7, the very next year:
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Creature From the Black Lagoon
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Blobbermouth
The Crawling Eye
The Abyss (The Director's Cut)
The Mysterians
Plan 9 from Outer Space
The Dark Half
Robocop 2
Battle Beyond the Stars
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
There are many different reasons why things in our lives are special to us, just as there are many reasons why a particular marathon may be your favorite, not just because of the film selection. I can't really pinpoint one thing about it, but first of all, I did not slepp a wink other than the occasional 5 minute nod. Secondly, there was a very cohesive ebb and flow to it.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers and it's remake are two of my favorite films of all time, so those book ends were a treat.
Blobbermouth was a hoot.
The Dark Half, while underwhelming, was a last minute surprise not even on the program and I was a huge King fan at the time.
The Mysterians quickly became my favorite Japanese Monster Movie, a genre I don't really like. Being amongst the first in the world to see the Director's Cut of
The Abyss in a time before the saturated DVD market was very special, and a rare case in which the new cut is a hugely satisfying different experience. That year we were also presented with the rare discovery
12:01PM with Kurtwood "you dumbass" Smith, the short film that inspired
Groundhog Day.
So many memories...
That's not to say I haven't liked the 10 other marathons I have attended since. Last year's came really close,
Automatons notwithstanding. From beginning to end as a cohesive unit, last years marathon was as solid as could be. Think of
Automatons as just a bad piece of lettuce on an otherwise tasty burger. It was the largest number of features in a while (keep it coming, Bruce!), and probably the best final film in Marathon history in the rousingly upbeat
Flash Gordon, although one could make a case for the equally thrilling overlooked gem
Equilibrium.
Now on to the bad. Do I have to?
Well, every marathon has it's good points, but the marathon I was most miserable during was the final Night of the Living Drexel in 1994. I give you exhibit A:
THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES
THE TINGLER
A CHINESE GHOST STORY 2
PUMPINHEAD 2
DAWN OF THE DEAD
MOSQUITO
HAUNTED SYMPHONY
VAMPYRES: DAUGHTERS OF DRACULA
SCARS OF DRACULA
SPIDER BABY
IT'S ALIVE
THE FOG
You're saying "Are you crazy? What about
Dawn of the Dead?" Yeah, what about it? To keep the analogy going, it was like a good slice of tomato on an otherwise crappy burger. I was so angry with the so-called "premeires" that I still to this day consider
Vampyres: Daughters of Dracula my least favorite film of all time. At least I was awake enough to appreciate the other good slice of tomato in the lineup of
Spider Baby. If you haven't seen that one, check it out. it's available on DVD.
To keep on the subject of Science Fiction Marathons, i think the one I was most disappointed with was SF8. Although it began with a bang, one of my all time favorites
Close encounters of the Third Kind, it went downhill from there. I like
Buckaroo Banzai, though not as much as some, but I was knocked out by the time it rolled around and missed most of it.
T2 is a good ender, but it was kind of played out at the time. After the giddy excitement I felt after my first two marathons, this one was a big letdown.
There was a time in the mid nineties when the "premeires" forced on us were nothing short of garbage (see
Mosquito, Haunted Symphony, above). SF8 had the direct to video trite
Knights, and SF9 included
Digital Man and
Mind Ripper in an otherwise stellar lineup. If you take
Helix...Loaded!, and the aforementioned
Automatons out of the equation, I think the premeires have been much more hits than misses since back in the final years of the Drexel North. i think we could all agree that most have been at least interesting and marathon worthy, even if they are not your personal cup of tea.
They have announced less than half of the films so far, and I am still giddy with anticipation. Here's to keeping the momentum going this year!