Never too early!

Whaddya want to see NEXT year?

How can we improve the Marathon and Fesival?

Speak up, Marathoid!

One thing I came up with while doing my big diary post - I dug seeing "2013: NOW" as a caption during Escape from L.A., and wouldn't mind this becoming a sort of tradition - find a movie set during 2014 (when it was in the future!) for SF/39, 2015 for SF/40, etc.

I don't know if it ever got mentioned for this year, since the Somerville Theatre just got digital projection in the main room in time for James Bond in November, but...

Fox has to have Idiocracy on DCP, right?  As much as that is somewhat infamous for having no prints so soon after its release, could it theoretically be back on the table for next year.


(Anyone making the same case for Blast from the Past gets slapped and sent home without supper)

I'd like to see more time between shows, some time for announcements to be made.
Also please bring back a trailer reel or two.   

I doubt Fox has made a DCP of IDIOCRACY (why would they for an occasional midnight show? Plus, Fox hates the movie). But, there may still be a 35mm print if they'll rent it out. Otherwise, it'll be DVD and I'm all for showing it.

I, too, miss the Trailer Reels. It seems like they are the first to go when the schedule gets too packed. The experiment with the short film failed this year. Hopefully, the pre-show Trailer reel will be back next year. And, if we book some shorter features - maybe, another during the 'Thon.

Garen has said that the Foil Hat contest and the Alien Mating Cry get great press and that's why he continues to set aside marathon time for those annoying holdovers from the past.
I can't watch them anymore. I have to leave the theater when they take place. An idea whose time has gone.
And please bring back the trailers. There's a Marathon tradition that never gets old.

What?!! You didn't have to fight through that throng of News Reporters, TV crews and Paparazzi to see the contests this year?

Seriously, if we're only getting THREE contestants for the Tin Foil Hat Contest and maybe one or two that have prepared for the Alien Mating Cry (the rest are obviously just winging it) -- what is the point, exactly?


Caleb451 wrote on Mar 9^th, 2013 at 4:35pm:

Garen has said that the Foil Hat contest and the Alien Mating Cry get great press and that's why he continues to set aside marathon time for those annoying holdovers from the past. I can't watch them anymore. I have to leave the theater when they take place. An idea whose time has gone. And please bring back the trailers. There's a Marathon tradition that never gets old.

L.A. Connection wrote on Mar 8^th, 2013 at 2:48pm:

I doubt Fox has made a DCP of IDIOCRACY (why would they for an occasional midnight show? Plus, Fox hates the movie). But, there may still be a 35mm print if they'll rent it out. Otherwise, it'll be DVD and I'm all for showing it.

I thought the deal with Idiocracy was that there were (infamously) no 35mm prints just a few weeks after it left theaters.

Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a DCP of it available; they've got to have at least a 2K version on a server somewhere.


Caleb451 wrote on Mar 9^th, 2013 at 4:35pm:

Garen has said that the Foil Hat contest and the Alien Mating Cry get great press and that's why he continues to set aside marathon time for those annoying holdovers from the past.

The hilarious thing is, the last time he said something like that, it was about them almost getting coverage!  NPR almost covered it last year!

Not sure how useful it would be, anyway - who's going to buy a ticket because they heard about the Alien Mating Cry contest eleven months ago?

It'd be another thing if the site advertised them ahead of time or included links to this cover--

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Sorry, I can't take the idea of the website actually providing that sort of useful information seriously.

Caleb451 wrote on Mar 9^th, 2013 at 4:35pm:

Garen has said that the Foil Hat contest and the Alien Mating Cry get great press and that's why he continues to set aside marathon time for those annoying holdovers from the past.

The hilarious thing is, the last time he said something like that, it was about them almost getting coverage!  NPR almost covered it last year!

Not sure how useful it would be, anyway - who's going to buy a ticket because they heard about the Alien Mating Cry contest eleven months ago?

It'd be another thing if the site advertised them ahead of time or included links to this cover--

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Sorry, I can't take the idea of the website actually providing that sort of useful information seriously.[/quote]


Can't help but agree with ya on that last point. Even knowing about the Facebook page getting info about what's going to be shown, tickets etc is hard to come by unless you all ready know where to look (like here.)
Suggestion for next year is put this message boards address plus maybe something about the contests on a small flyer sent out with the tickets.
Ideally I'd really like as a bonus for early bird ticket purchases is getting reserved seats. (Garen mentioned the possibility of reserved seating to me at SF37.) It'd be an extra incentive to buy early.
Another idea to promote the marathon would be making up a design for it, even if it's just a generic one till the official mug/t-shirt design is done. This could be used as a mini poster to be put up at the theater plus could be available to be downloaded for anyone who wanted to promote it locally (at a bookshop, comic shop etc.) Again this could have date, theater, website for ordering tickets on it.

I have long recommended the poster thing.  I volunteered to take thm to any comic shows where I set up and to pass them out. 

The tinfoil hat and mating call need to go away.  I would rather hand out prizes to anumber that is picked from a hat.  We seem to get the same folks up there every year. 

Trailers need to be a part of the marathon. 

One thing that disappeared this year was the trivia quiz, I didn't notice it at the 'thon. I've liked it more than the Alien Mating Call or the Tin Foil hat contest.

Ed did hold the trivia quiz.
He did it as a live Q&A instead of paper ballot to avoid the dreaded Googling to a perfect score.

Caleb451 wrote on Mar 10^th, 2013 at 3:09pm:

Ed did hold the trivia quiz. He did it as a live Q&A instead of paper ballot to avoid the dreaded Googling to a perfect score.

Yeah, and his costume was GREAT! He looked like a Film Critic!

L.A. Connection wrote on Mar 10^th, 2013 at 3:15pm:

Caleb451 wrote on Mar 10th, 2013 at 3:09pm: Ed did hold the trivia quiz. He did it as a live Q&A instead of paper ballot to avoid the dreaded Googling to a perfect score. Yeah, and his costume was GREAT! He looked like a Film Critic!

All of these contests are rather lame.  I was given a wonderful re-issue one sheet from Forbidden Planet from the 50th Anniv.  It was a mail in offer.  The poster is beautiful and framed and I have yet seen anyone do anything so outstanding to deserve this prize.  I keep bringing it to the thon because hope springs eternal.   

Frank wrote on Mar 10^th, 2013 at 5:48pm:

L.A. Connection wrote on Mar 10th, 2013 at 3:15pm: Caleb451 wrote on Mar 10th, 2013 at 3:09pm: Ed did hold the trivia quiz. He did it as a live Q&A instead of paper ballot to avoid the dreaded Googling to a perfect score. Yeah, and his costume was GREAT! He looked like a Film Critic! All of these contests are rather lame.  I was given a wonderful re-issue one sheet from Forbidden Planet from the 50th Anniv.  It was a mail in offer.  The poster is beautiful and framed and I have yet seen anyone do anything so outstanding to deserve this prize.  I keep bringing it to the thon because hope springs eternal.

Sounds like a challenge to me! What to do, what to do?

Lile wrote on Mar 10^th, 2013 at 2:28pm:

One thing that disappeared this year was the trivia quiz, I didn't notice it at the 'thon. I've liked it more than the Alien Mating Call or the Tin Foil hat contest.

I have a great idea for trivia for next year (and beyond if it works)
It's called "The Earth Observer Corps" and would consist of silhouettes of spaceships from sci-fi films. Made into smallish posters with 4-5 ships per poster, and put up in places in the theater, idea would be for fans to ID the ships. That would give 8-10 questions right there.
What do you think?

da_Bunnyman wrote on Mar 11^th, 2013 at 9:31am:

Lile wrote on Mar 10th, 2013 at 2:28pm: One thing that disappeared this year was the trivia quiz, I didn't notice it at the 'thon. I've liked it more than the Alien Mating Call or the Tin Foil hat contest. I have a great idea for trivia for next year (and beyond if it works) It's called "The Earth Observer Corps" and would consist of silhouettes of spaceships from sci-fi films. Made into smallish posters with 4-5 ships per poster, and put up in places in the theater, idea would be for fans to ID the ships. That would give 8-10 questions right there. What do you think?

I did something similar a few years back with screen shots from various movies.  Let me tell you there were no runaway winners.  This is not a bad idea at all except we would have to limit prizes to the top ten winners or something along those lines.....

"I did something similar a few years back with screen shots from various movies.  Let me tell you there were no runaway winners.  This is not a bad idea at all except we would have to limit prizes to the top ten winners or something along those lines....."


It'd be like the trivia of past years where the earliest entries get the prizes.
OR
1-2 ships per poster and change posters after certain movies (Major Tom could announce posting will happen after next film.)

Not averse to any of the suggestions so far.

But, I think the problem is more basic - not enough advance notice and promotion (that word, again).

I'd don't think the contests were ever really mentioned on Facebook or the Main Site. So, if you didn't go to the Marathon before, you probably wouldn't even know about the contests in advance.
Further, although Frank is the man as far as cool prizes go, there are other events where the Costume Contest winner will get hundreds of dollars worth of prizes. Free passes to the next year's show. Photographs touting the winners on the website and in promotional materials  etc etc. If you want somebody to spend real time, money and effort to put together a top flight costume, they have to know about it well in advance and make it really worth their while. And, as Frank mentioned RE: the FORBIDDEN PLANET poster, most of the entries we get aren't really worthy of such a top prize.

Otherwise, you get a situation where THREE people (out of 500+) grab a roll of Reynolds Wrap, fold it,  and plop it on their head the morning of the show.

I would like to go on record as saying I hope that the costume contest (or any of the contests) doesn't get expanded into a bigger production. I vote we stay focused on the films. That's the reason I'm there, the rest is just noise.

L.A. Connection wrote on Mar 12^th, 2013 at 9:30pm:

Not averse to any of the suggestions so far. But, I think the problem is more basic - not enough advance notice and promotion (that word, again). I'd don't think the contests were ever really mentioned on Facebook or the Main Site. So, if you didn't go to the Marathon before, you probably wouldn't even know about the contests in advance. Further, although Frank is the man as far as cool prizes go, there are other events where the Costume Contest winner will get hundreds of dollars worth of prizes. Free passes to the next year's show. Photographs touting the winners on the website and in promotional materials  etc etc. If you want somebody to spend real time, money and effort to put together a top flight costume, they have to know about it well in advance and make it really worth their while. And, as Frank mentioned RE: the FORBIDDEN PLANET poster, most of the entries we get aren't really worthy of such a top prize. Otherwise, you get a situation where THREE people (out of 500+) grab a roll of Reynolds Wrap, fold it,  and plop it on their head the morning of the show.

Hundreds of dollars???? sure at large cons where there are thousands of people attending.  I don't see that happening here.   It should not happen here either.  The contests do not need to be expanded into big deals.  I also don't think that we should up the ante in order to imporve the contests.  If the contest generates no interest, jettison the contest.  The contests have always been a pleasant diversion and should stay that way. 

Problem with trying to do a costume contest is either the person is stuck in that costume for the entire marathon or we need to provide a place to change.
Tinfoil hats and alien mating call may be silly contests but they're easy for someone to put together even if it's after they arrive at the marathon. Plus they're easy to judge, just leave it up to applause.

Trivia does require someone to judge answers.
If we can commit to some advance promotion I can think of a couple of easy contests.
I think Frank does a fantastic job on the prizes and the goodie bags (a bit messed up this year because of the storm and early opening.)
Actually I think there was supposed to some prizes awarded at random just for people signing up for the e-mail list, lack of announcements may have kept the sign ups down in number.

da_Bunnyman wrote on Mar 13^th, 2013 at 5:48pm:

Problem with trying to do a costume contest is either the person is stuck in that costume for the entire marathon or we need to provide a place to change. Tinfoil hats and alien mating call may be silly contests but they're easy for someone to put together even if it's after they arrive at the marathon. Plus they're easy to judge, just leave it up to applause. Trivia does require someone to judge answers. If we can commit to some advance promotion I can think of a couple of easy contests. I think Frank does a fantastic job on the prizes and the goodie bags (a bit messed up this year because of the storm and early opening.) Actually I think there was supposed to some prizes awarded at random just for people signing up for the e-mail list, lack of announcements may have kept the sign ups down in number.

That random prizes bit was never passed on to me so it never happened.  Too bad, I had a ton of smaller goofy stuff to hand out.  Well we learn from our gaffes hopefully.

[/quote]
That random prizes bit was never passed on to me so it never happened.  Too bad, I had a ton of smaller goofy stuff to hand out.  Well we learn from our gaffes hopefully. [/quote]


Yep, was not blaming anyone, just mentioning it.

Course the purpose to doing that would have been to collect e-mail addresses which in turn could be used for sending info for next year.

I was blown away this year at how perfectly the items in my goody bag fit my personality.

It wasn't until after I got back to NY that I noticed my name written in small letters on the back of the envelope.

Frank, your attention to detail, the love you and Fran bring to this event in terms of decor and prizes, and your friendship are among the things I hold most dear about the Marathon!

Thanks for gurly pictures!

It has been a pleasure and a privilege to be able to give something back to an event that has brought me joy since 1978.   The thon has led to some great friendships over the years. It's what I love most about the event and why the crows is as important to me as are the movies. 

Yeah Frank, add me as another big fan of the goodie bags. Over the years I've found everything from a DVD to a bag of plastic dinosaurs in them. Plus always some fun old random comics to look through. Opening them is something my friends & I look forward to as soon as we find our seats.

BTW, just for history, what year did you start them?

I started loaning posters at SF 10.  At SF13 someone stole a couple of original lobby cards, including one of my favorites from It! The Terror From Beyond Space,and I stopped.  I then started giving out prizes at SF27.  I started loaning the posters out again at SF 29.  When we moved to West Newton I began the loot bags figuring I could give everyone something.  I have been handing out the loot bags since SF29. 

Frank wrote on Mar 15^th, 2013 at 9:02pm:

I started loaning posters at SF 10.  At SF13 someone stole a couple of original lobby cards, including one of my favorites from It! The Terror From Beyond Space,and I stopped.  I then started giving out prizes at SF27.  I started loaning the posters out again at SF 29.  When we moved to West Newton I began the loot bags figuring I could give everyone something.  I have been handing out the loot bags since SF29.

Hey, so SF39 will be the 10th anniversary of the loot bags. COOL!
Just a thought, maybe next year do a random drawing for a special one as part of the prizes.

da_Bunnyman wrote on Mar 15^th, 2013 at 9:50pm:

Frank wrote on Mar 15th, 2013 at 9:02pm: I started loaning posters at SF 10.  At SF13 someone stole a couple of original lobby cards, including one of my favorites from It! The Terror From Beyond Space,and I stopped.  I then started giving out prizes at SF27.  I started loaning the posters out again at SF 29.  When we moved to West Newton I began the loot bags figuring I could give everyone something.  I have been handing out the loot bags since SF29.  Hey, so SF39 will be the 10th anniversary of the loot bags. COOL! Just a thought, maybe next year do a random drawing for a special one as part of the prizes.

I will keep that in mind and as always your contributions to the prizes is always appreciated.  A few folks have kindly donated prizes to me to give away. 

[/quote] I will keep that in mind and as always your contributions to the prizes is always appreciated.  A few folks have kindly donated prizes to me to give away.  [/quote]


I just like giving a little something back to an event I've enjoyed for more than half my life now. :)
Plus it's fun looking for interesting videos at cheap prices.

Okay getting back to films for SF39, Frank posted a nice link to The Brattle's Schlock Around The Clock weekend. http://brattlefilm.org/category/calendar-2/special-engagements/schlock-around-the-clock-2013/
Of special interest is them showing 35mm prints of "Dr Who & The Daleks" and "Dredd" (At least according to the schedule.
I know we're always looking for those increasingly rare film prints.
Plus also they're showing "Trailer War" (digital) from Alamo films which also might work out for us. I have a DVD copy and it's pretty wild even if not totally sci-fi.

From what Ned said while introducing Carnival of Souls Friday night, it sounds like he/the Brattle purchased the IB Technicolor print of Doctor Who and the Daleks  that they're showing, so it might not be hard to dig up in the future (though I may have mis-heard).  Supposed to look pretty nice, at least - for a Schlock-Around-The-Clock weekend, they've had some pretty nice prints.

The DR.WHO screening has been duly noted.  ;)

And, speaking of CARNIVAL SOULS, my writing partner and I have just completed a long piece on the story behind the film. I will update when it is published.

How about a fireball competition?  See who can hold 5 fireballs in their mouth for the longest time.  The 'thon could become the home of the world record.  I'm betting it would average about 5 minutes each year. :D

Don't want to rush things, but.
One thing we might want to do for SF39 is print up a checklist of ALL films that have played SF1-39.
"Bob" willing  (I am a SubGenius minister y'know) 2015 will see the marathon turning the BIG Four Oh. Having the crowd vote on what films they'd like to see would be nice. Plus a good way to add new e-mails to the database. 

It's a solid idea. It hasn't been done formally since SF/10, I believe. I also do know, that some of the survey results did affect later programming.

And, we long-time Marathon attendees have to keep in mind that a good percentage of Marathoners haven't attended longer than a decade. So, some of the films we feel may be rehashed and a bit tired, might still be fresh to the relative newbies.



da_Bunnyman wrote on Apr 18^th, 2013 at 8:25pm:

Don't want to rush things, but. One thing we might want to do for SF39 is print up a checklist of ALL films that have played SF1-39. "Bob" willing  (I am a SubGenius minister y'know) 2015 will see the marathon turning the BIG Four Oh. Having the crowd vote on what films they'd like to see would be nice. Plus a good way to add new e-mails to the database.

Question to LA & any other relevant organism.
What sort of suggestions would be of real help to the selection process?
Most of us here can make wacko suggestions, suggest themes or otherwise exercise our egos/preferences to a level that would be of little help but significantly fill cyberspace.
Some have access or knowledge of rare stuff in ways that could be of real utility (not me.)
But are there any other ideas/ suggestions that would be of real help? Want something researched?  Prefer ideas now, not 8 months from now, when they are really too late? Want lists of every Hammer, Roger Corman epic or some other piece of information that would help you fill a hole in the schedule? I have made a few suggestions previously and do have an inclination to post repeats of what I would like ti see. But is there anything that would actually help you do your work?

Mostly, it's a wish list kind of thing. Occasionally, there will be a groundswell of support for something that has been overlooked or is timely to show (i.e. SHRINKING MAN this year, 12 MONKEYS, FORBIDDEN PLANET after Anne Francis' passing etc.).

HOWEVER, the most helpful of all suggestions are those that have a screening attached to them with, especially, a 35MM PRINT being noted. Web links to the screening and the movie theater are greatly appreciated.

keep watching the screens!


pogo wrote on Apr 20^th, 2013 at 3:46pm:

Question to LA & any other relevant organism. What sort of suggestions would be of real help to the selection process? Most of us here can make wacko suggestions, suggest themes or otherwise exercise our egos/preferences to a level that would be of little help but significantly fill cyberspace. Some have access or knowledge of rare stuff in ways that could be of real utility (not me.) But are there any other ideas/ suggestions that would be of real help? Want something researched?  Prefer ideas now, not 8 months from now, when they are really too late? Want lists of every Hammer, Roger Corman epic or some other piece of information that would help you fill a hole in the schedule? I have made a few suggestions previously and do have an inclination to post repeats of what I would like ti see. But is there anything that would actually help you do your work?

This is not the real forum for suggestions if you are trying to get to Garen.  What happens here is you get to Tony or someone else who can get to Garen and it gets passed along.  You best best IMHO is to post it here and repeat on the Boston Sci-Fi Fest facebook page.  No guarantees but two chances are better than one. 

That's a big 10-4, Frank!

;)


Frank wrote on Apr 21^st, 2013 at 2:28pm:

This is not the real forum for suggestions if you are trying to get to Garen.  What happens here is you get to Tony or someone else who can get to Garen and it gets passed along.  You best best IMHO is to post it here and repeat on the Boston Sci-Fi Fest facebook page.  No guarantees but two chances are better than one.

Yeah I figure this is a good sounding board for ideas especially for movie titles. Rather than trying to throw a long list at Garen we can post it here and get comments on it.
Plus as you said, Tony can pick out interesting titles to pass those on.

2012 Oscar Nominee,
TIME FREAK!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_DLkVR7hK0

da_Bunnyman wrote on Apr 21^st, 2013 at 7:58pm:

Yeah I figure this is a good sounding board for ideas especially for movie titles. Rather than trying to throw a long list at Garen we can post it here and get comments on it. Plus as you said, Tony can pick out interesting titles to pass those on.

As someone who also has G's ear I can tell you that this is a tactical error.  Garen likes to have indivuidual suggestions.  It goes over much better when separate suggestions for the same film are sent into G.  As always, do as you will.  Besides, no one is suggesting throwing a long list at Garen.  Suggest one or two folms that you would really like to see or something that you have a line on......

pogo wrote on Jun 26^th, 2013 at 10:58am:

Someone has to start it. Since I expect to make the long trek to see the Boston Thon again next year, I have a particularly vested interest. The American Astronaut (2001) Absolutely non-genre and perhaps annoyingly odd, it certainly suggests almost no other film. Got nominated for a few prizes. Perhaps Josh Whedon was influenced by it? Here's a description.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_American_Astronaut Note: I know where there's a 35mm print.

Note: Post combined with existing thread - Admin

L.A. Connection wrote on Jun 27^th, 2013 at 2:22pm:

pogo wrote on Jun 26th, 2013 at 10:58am: Someone has to start it. Since I expect to make the long trek to see the Boston Thon again next year, I have a particularly vested interest. The American Astronaut (2001) Absolutely non-genre and perhaps annoyingly odd, it certainly suggests almost no other film. Got nominated for a few prizes. Perhaps Josh Whedon was influenced by it? Here's a description.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_American_Astronaut Note: I know where there's a 35mm print. Note: Post combined with existing thread - Admin

I don't know about this one.
The Wiki description sounds kinda scary in a bad way.

Here's the trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uujG1ADn2zk
And an excerpt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rikiGMGhKVw

I'm guessing Pogo liked Johnny X   :)

IIRC, it's briefly entertaining but painfully stretched at feature length, annoying enough that I saw no need to see writer/director/songwriter/star Cory McAbee's follow-up Stingray Sam when that came around.  It sounds like a lot more fun than it is.

hey. i was listening to some conservative talk radio and the host was talking about "the green mile". was it ever considered? you guys surely know that the big black guy is from outer space. right?

For what it's worth STINGRAY SAM was a smash hit at the 2010 edition of the Columbus SF Marathon, although it's episodic nature (it was literally shown in segments throughout the event) may have been to its advantage.  But overall, that format also prevented it from seeming like the overlong short that JOHNNY X became.

Now that being said, I haven't seen AMERICAN ASTRONAUT.  But hey, what I've seen of McAbee's output makes me think that he has Larry Blamire's love of genre, but also a deft sense of absurdity and timing that's sorely lacking in the Blamire oeuvre.

if we get "the man who fell to earth" i will enter the alien mating cry contest and say "mmawwh"

Since it seems to be disappointing at the box-office might I suggest Pacific Rim for our usual big budget recent film?

I understand there are even some 70mm prints around.

If by "70mm" you mean "IMAX" (which are printed on 70mm film, but probably shouldn't be run through a 70mm projector), I imagine there are a few for the giant-screen theaters that haven't done a digital downgrade yet.


One which I would recommend every year until it actually plays:  "Voices of a Distant Star", Makoto Shinkai's first 20-minute short that is quite possibly the best bit of hard sci-fi to make it on screen in the 21st century.  The issue is figuring out who has the rights; they were with ADV when they went out of business and nobody else has re-issued it since.  It should be easy to fit into a schedule and I suspect even those who shrink from Japanese/animated films would find something to like about it.

I'm going to see it in 70mm. I'm fortunate that there's still a 70mm theater within 10 minutes of my house!

After MAN OF STEEL, I asked to see the theater manager. I asked him why they weren't advertising that they were showing movies on 70mm FILM?! (you had to did deep on their website to find out) Good news is that they actually listened. And, now all their 70mm shows are listed in their newspaper ads!  :) :)

P.S. As to the Marathon and 70mm. Who knows. This has been in the works for years at the Somerville. And, then, of course, there's the whole matter of securing prints, insuring them and shipping costs etc. etc.





da_Bunnyman wrote on Jul 14^th, 2013 at 9:42pm:

Since it seems to be disappointing at the box-office might I suggest Pacific Rim for our usual big budget recent film? I understand there are even some 70mm prints around.

I based my American Astronaut recommendation on a rave review/ announcement of a showing at the Cleveland Cinematheque - which I attended this week.
Well - - -I like oddball and particularly appreciate the mix of stuff including independent and non-linear stuff shown at both the Columbus and Boston Marathons.
The person I attended the showing with thought it was hugely creative and particularly brilliant in it's use of black & white photography & would be a great change of pace at a marathon.
I thought that the casting and specific scenes were unique -in a good way.
But when a film continues in its lengthy creativity to the extent that you are hoping that it will finish soon so that you can get the hell out of the theater, then  you probably should not recommend it to others.
I respectfully withdraw my nomination.

From Fantasia last night:  Bounty Killer, a post-apocalyptic action-comedy where the title characters hunt down the white-collar criminals responsible for the devastation around them.  Action packed (10pm-or-later for the mayhem) and funny without mocking its genre.  It hits video in late October (there may be a quick theatrical/VOD release in September), but might not get a lot of notice.  Fun, though.

Another one from Fantasia that would probably slot better into the festival: OXV: The Manual, a very nifty alternate-reality story from the UK which starts as a romance between two people that the universe is trying to keep apart, gets bigger, but never loses track of them.  Sort of like Dimensions, but contemporary and with more payoff to its cleverness.

It has been a pretty great week for sci-fi here in the surprisingly chilly North.  I finished the day off with The Machine, a pretty fantastic bit of smart cyberpunk action out of Wales that is harsh and dark without being anti-science or stupid.  It's also got a nifty turn by Denis Lawson (best known as Wedge Antilles in the Star Wars movies) as the villain.

Didn't start out quite so great, as I wasn't a big fan of I'll Follow You Down, although the guy I saw it with raved.  Nice cast for the time travel drama, with Haley Joel Osment, Gillian Anderson, Rufus Sewell, and Victor Garber.

Also, I'm not sure which made my mind rebel more:  Grown-up and hairy Haley Joel Osment or the kid they had playing his character as an elementary-schooler, as he really doesn't look much like what HJO looked like at that age.

Thanks for the reports.



Jay Seaver wrote on Jul 26^th, 2013 at 12:16am:

It has been a pretty great week for sci-fi here in the surprisingly chilly North.  I finished the day off with The Machine, a pretty fantastic bit of smart cyberpunk action out of Wales that is harsh and dark without being anti-science or stupid.  It's also got a nifty turn by Denis Lawson (best known as Wedge Antilles in the Star Wars movies) as the villain. Didn't start out quite so great, as I wasn't a big fan of I'll Follow You Down, although the guy I saw it with raved.  Nice cast for the time travel drama, with Haley Joel Osment, Gillian Anderson, Rufus Sewell, and Victor Garber. Also, I'm not sure which made my mind rebel more:  Grown-up and hairy Haley Joel Osment or the kid they had playing his character as an elementary-schooler, as he really doesn't look much like what HJO looked like at that age.

Bushido Man:  Not really that science-fictional in itself (there are references to a SF-ish world, but they don't really affect the story), but an apt reminder that we really should play the director's Hard Revenge Milly pair sometime.  It'd be fun - the original 44 minute part toward the start, the 72-minute follow-up "Bloody Battle" later.

Vessel:  A fairly decent Aussie entry in the "may be science fiction, may be mental illness" genre.

Just out for limited theatrical run and flying under the radar is Europa Report.
Got some very good reviews, though a few have said it's a bit slow because it tries to show a space mission realistically.

Trailer here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mUfKTjJGq0

It's opening here on Friday. But, strangely only on one small arthouse screen.

My biggest concern is that it's another "found footage" film. A subgenre that is getting a ridiculous number of entries........



da_Bunnyman wrote on Jul 30^th, 2013 at 11:37am:

Just out for limited theatrical run and flying under the radar is Europa Report. Got some very good reviews, though a few have said it's a bit slow because it tries to show a space mission realistically. Trailer here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mUfKTjJGq0

Scheduled to open at Kendall Square in Cambridge on 9 August.

Antisocial:  More horror than sci-fi, but does have a nice twenty-first century spin on the zombie/infected tropes.  I mention it mainly because one of the main characters is named "Mark" and I am reasonably sure that I would murder someone by the end of any marathon showing.  So, please, maybe consider it for next year's festival, but not the thon unless you want blood on your hands.

(Though I argue the dead man would have had it coming)

MARK!

Approximately, how many times do they utter Mark's name? Not sure if we outta make up a small-midsize-or large "MARK" sign!

:-X



Jay Seaver wrote on Aug 1^st, 2013 at 12:29am:

Antisocial:  More horror than sci-fi, but does have a nice twenty-first century spin on the zombie/infected tropes.  I mention it mainly because one of the main characters is named "Mark" and I am reasonably sure that I would murder someone by the end of any marathon showing.  So, please, maybe consider it for next year's festival, but not the thon unless you want blood on your hands. (Though I argue the dead man would have had it coming)

L.A. Connection wrote on Jul 30^th, 2013 at 11:48am:

It's opening here on Friday. But, strangely only on one small arthouse screen. My biggest concern is that it's another "found footage" film. A subgenre that is getting a ridiculous number of entries........

This one does make some sense though since there is no shaky hand held type footage. The found footage is just the cameras in place to record the mission.

kirok wrote on Aug 1^st, 2013 at 6:03am:

MARK!

Yes, annoying people would be yelling that out because it was briefly funny twenty plus years ago.  Thanks for demonstrating.

The Dead Experiment: Possible festival fodder, mildly interesting for being done by someone with an actual science background rather than someone who took Physics for Poets in college and got a C.  It's pretty dry, though, and  of the sort where afterward you basically say it's not bad for beginners with no money and hope the second feature where they hopefully have some more resources goes better.

More from Fantasia:

HK: Forbidden Super Hero: Only barely sci-fi if you want to squint a little, but this story of a mild-mannered son of a detective and a dominatrix who gains superpowers by wearing panties on his face is as funny as it is in bad taste.  Plus, plenty of beefcake for the ladies and guys whose interests run that way.

009 Re: Cyborg:  Pretty darn good new animated version of a 1960s manga meant to play off American superhero comics.  It keeps a lot of the mythology (without requiring it) but re-imagines it as something very contemporary and action-packed; I liked it a lot.

5-25-77:  A work-in-progress cut of this movie about how director Patrick Read Johnson became the first Star Wars fan, which will apparently finally see release next year after shooting in 2005-2006.  It's sweet and often very funny, with a ton of manic energy in the first half or so before kind of running around in circles a bit in the second, but I think it will play well for the 'thon audience in 2015.

I think these are the last sci-fi films I have on my Fantasia schedule.  Well, for seeing here; I've got screeners to go through, too.

Go Down Death: Technically sci-fi, as I gather it's supposed to take place in a post-apocalyptic world.  But, really, just a bit of weird-for-the-sake-of-weird stuff.

Plus One:  A college-party type movie with time travel/duplicates going on.  I had fun, but it's a bit on the crude side and I don't think it actually makes sense or pays off.  Kind of interesting in that it's produced by two visual effects companies apparently looking to control their destiny a bit more (including the one that did Skyline), but I don't know if it fits this audience.

Jay,how many total films did you see over the last 2 weeks there?

Wow, lotsa stamina!

Call it 65 in three weeks - 68 festival screenings and 2 press screenings, but some were shorts and some were cases where I hit the wall and fell asleep.  There's a few online festival screeners I'll try and get to after I get home.

(Aside:  I'm not sure why I've never seen Garen up here.  Montreal isn't a terrible drive from NH, there's plenty of other festivals scouting movies, and it would actually let him contact some indie/foreign genre filmmakers rather than just hope something good shows up on withoutabox)

Oh, and missed one:

The World's End:  The new Wright/Pegg/Frost joint started off a bit rough for me - it's one of the few times I can remember that Simon Pegg hasn't played a character that was fairly likable from the start - but once it gets going and the pub crawl turns into a race to escape and smash robots, it becomes a lot more fun.  By now, these guys are pretty much trusted and they earn it with a very funny sci-fi comedy.

Ok, here are a few ideas for you:

First of all, I definitely have to put in a second vote for Europa Report. It's a much more intelligent sci-fi than most of what we've gotten this past summer and actually makes a real attempt to ground everything that's happening in genuine scientific principles. Plus the found-footage aspect is actually very well done and actually relates to the theme of the film.

Also, since it hasn't played the marathon in a while, how about Lifeforce for the late night/bug-nuts crazy entry? It showed at Coolidge Corner last October, though I can't verify if it was 35mm or not.

There's also Shane Carruth's Upstream Color, although that might only be available digitally given its very limited theatrical run.

Also, this might not be the most popular comment, but might it be possible to cut down on the number of festival films that are shown as part of the marathon? One is fine or possibly even two if they are really high-quality, but having three of them last year was rough, particularly when Woman in the Moon and Hands of Orlac, both of which I would have been much more interested in seeing, got bumped for Motivational Growth, which I don't think I'm alone in feeling wasn't up to par. I understand it's important to support the festival but it putting these films in a position where they're going to be judged against more established (and usually beloved) films isn't doing them any favors.

I'm also on record supporting EUROPA REPORT. It's a bit slow for the Marathon crowd, but it's quality should outweigh that. UPSTREAM COLOR, I think, would just confound folks.

LIFEFORCE not only has 35mm prints, but 70mm! One of these years, 70 will hopefully be installed.

I think LIFEFORCE is a wretched film, save for:

http://cdn.lapatilla.com/imagenes.lapatilla/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/space-girl-mathilda-may-lifeforce.jpg


UncleTim wrote on Aug 21^st, 2013 at 12:03am:

Ok, here are a few ideas for you: First of all, I definitely have to put in a second vote for Europa Report. It's a much more intelligent sci-fi than most of what we've gotten this past summer and actually makes a real attempt to ground everything that's happening in genuine scientific principles. Plus the found-footage aspect is actually very well done and actually relates to the theme of the film. Also, since it hasn't played the marathon in a while, how about Lifeforce for the late night/bug-nuts crazy entry? It showed at Coolidge Corner last October, though I can't verify if it was 35mm or not. There's also Shane Carruth's Upstream Color, although that might only be available digitally given its very limited theatrical run. Also, this might not be the most popular comment, but might it be possible to cut down on the number of festival films that are shown as part of the marathon? One is fine or possibly even two if they are really high-quality, but having three of them last year was rough, particularly when Woman in the Moon and Hands of Orlac, both of which I would have been much more interested in seeing, got bumped for Motivational Growth, which I don't think I'm alone in feeling wasn't up to par. I understand it's important to support the festival but it putting these films in a position where they're going to be judged against more established (and usually beloved) films isn't doing them any favors.

The theme of SF39 is robots.
Okay, got THAT joke out of the way.
With one of Asimov's law of robotics written on the tickets it may just be that a theme has been decided so let's try some films on that theme for a bit.

I'd like to say that Worlds End would fit in perfect. Even though they are not robots.
It's funny, and with a lot of the same tone that made Attack The Block go over so well.
Plus with it being released at this time its not going to be a blockbuster so a lot of folks will have not seen it.

Could this be the year we finally see the 1973 "Westworld"?

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/Karen_Tom/Movies/Westworld_zps85b885ae.gif

Rumor has it a "reimagining" remake is in the works.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0475784/?ref_=rvi_tt
If they blow it I'll be steamed! :o

Not shown at the Marathon proper since SF/10 believe it or not!

BRAND NEW 35MM Print!


http://www.cinefamily.org/films/close-encounters-of-the-third-kind/

http://www.cinefamily.org/images/closeencounters_toppage.jpg

* The Special Edition was shown upstairs in a Night Flight at the Coolidge

e.t. has never been shown. it's twice the movie that close encounters is.

http://i.imgur.com/QwO3mxw.jpg

There are some pretty good titles.

Still, those who do not learn from the past are destined to repeat it.

The following have played fairly recently...
Mothra SF-36
Quiet Earth Sf-36
Island of Lost Souls SF-37
The Damned  of "black leather" song fame (not to be confused with Children of.. or Village of..)
It Came From Outer Space SF-34
Godzilla SF-30
Charly SF-30
Last Man on Earth SF-31
This Island Earth (MST version) SF-36
The Thing /SF-34

Other versions of "20,000 Leagues" and "1984" have also played

...Then there's "Hands of Orlac" :o

I know I suggested it last year but what about taking another shot at Dr. Who and the Daleks? It seems appropriate considering we'll have just come out of the 50th anniversary year by then and the Brattle did manage to find a 35mm print of it to run back in April.

I like it!


UncleTim wrote on Sep 15^th, 2013 at 3:06am:

I know I suggested it last year but what about taking another shot at Dr. Who and the Daleks? It seems appropriate considering we'll have just come out of the 50th anniversary year by then and the Brattle did manage to find a 35mm print of it to run back in April.

And they're pretty sure to be running it again in November. The print will at least be easy to track down - it is the Brattle's - but no need to play something almost certain to have played locally twice in the past year.

Jay Seaver wrote on Sep 15^th, 2013 at 10:41pm:

...no need to play something almost certain to have played locally twice in the past year.

STEAL, BABY, STEAL!


http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_vkE6clryLFo/TNbDo0lGnYI/AAAAAAAAAJ0/-tlj_j7hJZg/s400/Devil.gif

EVIL L.A.

Since I'm still thinking SF39 will have a robot theme thought I'd suggest 2 great movie bots we've never run.
The Colossus of New York
Tobor the Great, and if we can't get the film there is an unsold pilot show called Here Comes Tobor that I think is in public domain now.

Also wondering if it'd be possible to get something from Rifftrax (one of two MST3K follow up groups.)
They did Starship Troopers on a live broadcast to theaters that was really funny. Or even do one of the short films they did. They have a riff of the Melies 'Trip to the Moon' that could be fun.

Bunnyman is on to something with Tobor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rdxx5zAOnU

In his way, Tobor really is great and a great fit for the 'thon as a representative of the 50's in a robot year. "Robot Monster" hasn't played in years and has been called one of the few so-bad-it's-good movies that lives up to the expectations.

I'm not so sure about MST3K Rifftrax Starship Troopers. My understanding is that they paid a lot for the rights for a one-time broadcast of this sixteen year old movie. The riffed version wouldn't be available. (The MST "This Island Earth" is the only thing they ever put on 35mm in ten years of riffing.)

Yesterday, Sci-fi London ran their MST marathon. The show, which never aired in the UK, was warmly received. Some fans even dressed up and brought along Tom Servo.

http://www.sci-fi-london.com/festival/2013/oktoberfest/programme/all-nighter/mystery-science-theater-allnighter

Here are two more possibly goofy ideas, neither of which have ever played the 'thon before:

Since Reptilicus was a lot of fun, if there's a perceived need for something schlocky and goofy, what about The Creeping Terror, the movie with the infamous carpet monster that sucks up unlucky victims? It is hilariously bad and also only about 70 minutes so it wouldn't overstay its welcome. I'm relatively sure it's never played the 'thon but given the number of titles it was released under, it may have slipped through my review of the list.

And let me throw a somewhat out-there suggestion: The Secret of NIMH. I know the science-fiction aspects (rats made super-intelligent through experimentation) aren't quite as up front as in other movies but they're present and it's an absolutely beautiful, highly-underrated film that might serve as a nostalgic treat for those who grew up in the 80s.

CREEPING TERROR did play at an Orson Welles Schlock Around the Clock marathon, but it was in 16mm.

Having written extensively about the movie, I'm pretty sure no 35mm print exists, so it would be grainy DVD.

TOBOR would be great, but, I don't think any 35mm print exists either. And, this also only has DVD, no Blu Ray.



UncleTim wrote on Oct 13^th, 2013 at 10:54pm:

Here are two more possibly goofy ideas, neither of which have ever played the 'thon before: Since Reptilicus was a lot of fun, if there's a perceived need for something schlocky and goofy, what about The Creeping Terror, the movie with the infamous carpet monster that sucks up unlucky victims? It is hilariously bad and also only about 70 minutes so it wouldn't overstay its welcome. I'm relatively sure it's never played the 'thon but given the number of titles it was released under, it may have slipped through my review of the list. And let me throw a somewhat out-there suggestion: The Secret of NIMH. I know the science-fiction aspects (rats made super-intelligent through experimentation) aren't quite as up front as in other movies but they're present and it's an absolutely beautiful, highly-underrated film that might serve as a nostalgic treat for those who grew up in the 80s.

R_F_Fineman wrote on Oct 13^th, 2013 at 9:54pm:

Bunnyman is on to something with Tobor. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rdxx5zAOnU In his way, Tobor really is great and a great fit for the 'thon as a representative of the 50's in a robot year. "Robot Monster" hasn't played in years and has been called one of the few so-bad-it's-good movies that lives up to the expectations. I'm not so sure about MST3K Rifftrax Starship Troopers. My understanding is that they paid a lot for the rights for a one-time broadcast of this sixteen year old movie. The riffed version wouldn't be available. (The MST "This Island Earth" is the only thing they ever put on 35mm in ten years of riffing.) Yesterday, Sci-fi London ran their MST marathon. The show, which never aired in the UK, was warmly received. Some fans even dressed up and brought along Tom Servo. http://www.sci-fi-london.com/festival/2013/oktoberfest/programme/all-nighter/mystery-science-theater-allnighter

Tobor is one heck of a robot suit too. Most fans have never seen a pic from the film let alone the film itself.
Story goes that a guy at a second hand store bought a crate at an auction and found the Tobor suit inside, but he foolishly put it on display outside and it was stolen, likely for its scrap metal value.

I figured Rifftrax 'Starship Trooper would not be available. I noticed they're not even offering the live show on DVD or VOD.
But a short or two especially Trip to the Moon.

Dr Who & The Daleks is another good choice for SF39, even if the Daleks ain't technically robots.

If we ever want to bring back Reptilicus there is a copy of the original Danish language version online where we get to see the damn puppet fly! Also subtitles available for that version.

da_Bunnyman wrote on Oct 13^th, 2013 at 8:16pm:

Also wondering if it'd be possible to get something from Rifftrax (one of two MST3K follow up groups.)

No no no no no no no no no no no no.

No.

F---, no.

Parasites.

Geez, Jay. For someone who sees as many movies as you, you seem to have little sense of humor when it comes to the the cinefantastique genre.

No fun with B-Movie schlock titles?

Not getting the humor in James Whale's horror movies?

And, now, that swipe at the MST3K folks?

Lighten up. Not everything has to be deep and straightforward............


Jay Seaver wrote on Oct 17^th, 2013 at 2:21pm:

da_Bunnyman wrote on Oct 13th, 2013 at 8:16pm: Also wondering if it'd be possible to get something from Rifftrax (one of two MST3K follow up groups.) No no no no no no no no no no no no. No. F---, no. Parasites.

I defy you to look at what I've advocated for here and on my blog and think that I believe everything has to be deep and straightforward.  That's ridiculous and dishonest.

I just don't get any pleasure out of watching bad movies for the express purpose of mocking them.  It's mean, unsporting, and takes up valuable time when you could be seeing something good.  It's one thing if there's something the filmmakers do really well that offsets the problems, but screw just watching movies to feel superior.

And while I never loved MST3K, at least back then they were uncovering odd movies, creating their own characters, and making unique jokes.  Now they're just piling onto movies that everyone already makes fun of.  Maybe they weren't always parasites, but it's what they seem to have become.

Jay Seaver wrote on Oct 17^th, 2013 at 8:16pm:

I defy you to look at what I've advocated for here and on my blog and think that I believe everything has to be deep and straightforward.  That's ridiculous and dishonest. I just don't get any pleasure out of watching bad movies for the express purpose of mocking them.  It's mean, unsporting, and takes up valuable time when you could be seeing something good.  It's one thing if there's something the filmmakers do really well that offsets the problems, but screw just watching movies to feel superior. And while I never loved MST3K, at least back then they were uncovering odd movies, creating their own characters, and making unique jokes.  Now they're just piling onto movies that everyone already makes fun of.  Maybe they weren't always parasites, but it's what they seem to have become.

Actually one of the things about Rifftrax is they do not just attack schlock films of the past or present. They'll also have fun with films well regarded by critics & fans like The Avengers, Harry Potter, Inception.
All films I liked and all riffs I've liked too.

Let's face it, if we only showed films that 100% of the audience liked we'd probably end up with 24hrs of a blank screen.

I may have poorly stated my last post, but, there does seem to be a humor deficit in your views towards genre films.

And, even with some of the things the MST3K crew does nothwithstanding, it's not all about mocking and putting down. The best times at the Marathon are when the crowd is having fun WITH a movie. REPTILICUS this year is a good example. It wasn't just ripping it for being bad, it was just enjoying a good-natured time with a schlocky B-movie. Something like BATTLEFIELD EARTH or SOUND OF THUNDER were misguided attempts to book stuff that were just thuddingly bad - and NOT fun OR enjoyable.

Well, that's not the stuff I see (terribly) previewed at the theaters.  Still, as much as a good chunk of the room might like that stuff roughly 1000% more than I do, it'd suck if that was the way someone saw a movie for the first time.

L.A. Connection wrote on Oct 18^th, 2013 at 12:12am:

I may have poorly stated my last post, but, there does seem to be a humor deficit in your views towards genre films.

Why just genre films?  Why not say I've got a humor deficit toward dramas, documentaries, or romantic comedies?  I've got the same expectations for them that I have for genre films, but they're not considered adorable when they fall short in basic ways.


L.A. Connection wrote on Oct 18^th, 2013 at 12:12am:

it's not all about mocking and putting down. The best times at the Marathon are when the crowd is having fun WITH a movie. REPTILICUS this year is a good example. It wasn't just ripping it for being bad, it was just enjoying a good-natured time with a schlocky B-movie. Something like BATTLEFIELD EARTH or SOUND OF THUNDER were misguided attempts to book stuff that were just thuddingly bad - and NOT fun OR enjoyable.

Honest question -what's the difference between them aside from whether you first encountered them on a UHF station as a kid or by paying $9+ as an adult?  Is it an uncanny valley thing where the newer ones show enough basic technical competence and bland-but-not-awful performances that the areas where they stink stand out, or just being kind of patronizing because that's the best they could do back then (except for when it wasn't)?

Like I said before - I don't enjoy laughing at a movie's shortcomings, and honestly, most of the "classic schlock" I see isn't really outlandish enough to get me to laugh in astonishment the way, say, a crazy Hong Kong action movie does.

(Oh, and I don't know how anyone can read what I write about the likes of Young Detective Dee or White Dragon or even stuff like Mismatched Partners and think I don't have a sense of humor about genre movies.  I sometimes feel like a broken record saying that they have major problems and iffy acting but are so loopy, energetic, and creative as to be worth a recommendation.)

Quote:

[quote]Jay Sever: I just don't get any pleasure out of watching bad movies for the express purpose of mocking them...

Quote:

LA: ...there does seem to be a humor deficit in your views towards genre films

Quote:

Jay Sever: I don't enjoy laughing at a movie's shortcomings...they're not considered adorable when they fall short in basic ways.

[/quote]

I take it that if Jay were programming the Marathon, that special experience that was "Lady Terminator" would never have happened. ;)

"If you don't find a rabbit wearin' lipstick amusing, then we ain't got nothin' to say to each other." -Bugs Bunny

Jay Seaver wrote on Sep 15^th, 2013 at 10:41pm:

And they're pretty sure to be running it again in November. The print will at least be easy to track down - it is the Brattle's - but no need to play something almost certain to have played locally twice in the past year.

The Brattle schedule has come out and they don't appear to be running it any time between now and early January and since I doubt the majority of people who attend the 'thon were all present for the Brattle showing, I think it's a solid choice.

Okay since official selections for SF39 are coming in maybe it's time for me to throw out some suggestions.

From the Terrorthon because of they great 35mm prints.
Buckaroo Banzai (bonus because of it being a foreign print)
Forbidden Planet
Westworld

I'm still going with robots being a theme this time so these two are robots still unseen at a marathon.
Colossus Of New York
Tobor The Great (or maybe the unsold pilot show Here Comes Tobor which seems to be public domain)

The Creature From The Black Lagoon (last of the fifties classics we've yet to show)

The Slime People
Land Unknown (both good schlocky films)
Damnation Alley (maybe find a print with its gimmick 'Sound 360')
Fiend Without A Face
The Abominable Dr Phibes
Gorgo
Rollerball (the original one of course)
They Live
The Rocketeer
Sunshine (I'd never heard of it till it started showing up in some "Good SF films you've never seen" lists)

Thinking outside the box there's these titles
Casino Royale (the 60's spoof one)
It Came From Hollywood
Cabin In The Woods
Watchmen

And these interesting and fun documentaries
Men In Suits (about men who wore monster costumes in films)
Comic-Con; Episode IV, A Fan's Hope
And some older ones
The Atomic Cafe
Gizmo (saw this at the Welles)   

Some good ones there.

I'm pushing for WESTWORLD - still cannot believe it has never shown.

A 35mm print of DAMNATION ALLEY exists (info was passed along), but I don't think it has 360 sound!

Wow! GIZMO haven't thought of that title in DECADES!

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTEwMjUxMzA2MTdeQTJeQWpwZ15BbWU3MDMzMTc2MjE@._V1_SX640_SY720_.jpg




da_Bunnyman wrote on Dec 17^th, 2013 at 12:48am:

Okay since official selections for SF39 are coming in maybe it's time for me to throw out some suggestions. From the Terrorthon because of they great 35mm prints. Buckaroo Banzai (bonus because of it being a foreign print) Forbidden Planet Westworld I'm still going with robots being a theme this time so these two are robots still unseen at a marathon. Colossus Of New York Tobor The Great (or maybe the unsold pilot show Here Comes Tobor which seems to be public domain) The Creature From The Black Lagoon (last of the fifties classics we've yet to show) The Slime People Land Unknown (both good schlocky films) Damnation Alley (maybe find a print with its gimmick 'Sound 360') Fiend Without A Face The Abominable Dr Phibes Gorgo Rollerball (the original one of course) They Live The Rocketeer Sunshine (I'd never heard of it till it started showing up in some "Good SF films you've never seen" lists) Thinking outside the box there's these titles Casino Royale (the 60's spoof one) It Came From Hollywood Cabin In The Woods Watchmen And these interesting and fun documentaries Men In Suits (about men who wore monster costumes in films) Comic-Con; Episode IV, A Fan's Hope And some older ones The Atomic Cafe Gizmo (saw this at the Welles)

i want "being john malkovich" and "ed wood"

kirok wrote on Dec 17^th, 2013 at 8:10am:

i want "being john malkovich" and "ed wood"

Two more good choices. though tough to argue that Malkovich is Sci-Fi.
Ed Wood would be greatsince it is about the making of 2 of the worst films ever made while at the same time making us care about the people making them.

L.A. Connection wrote on Dec 17^th, 2013 at 1:20am:

Some good ones there. I'm pushing for WESTWORLD - still cannot believe it has never shown. A 35mm print of DAMNATION ALLEY exists (info was passed along), but I don't think it has 360 sound! Wow! GIZMO haven't thought of that title in DECADES! It's still pretty funny and available on YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaVwqraUKxA http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTEwMjUxMzA2MTdeQTJeQWpwZ15BbWU3MDMzMTc2MjE@._V1_SX640_SY720_.jpg da_Bunnyman wrote on Dec 17th, 2013 at 12:48am: Okay since official selections for SF39 are coming in maybe it's time for me to throw out some suggestions. From the Terrorthon because of they great 35mm prints. Buckaroo Banzai (bonus because of it being a foreign print) Forbidden Planet Westworld I'm still going with robots being a theme this time so these two are robots still unseen at a marathon. Colossus Of New York Tobor The Great (or maybe the unsold pilot show Here Comes Tobor which seems to be public domain) The Creature From The Black Lagoon (last of the fifties classics we've yet to show) The Slime People Land Unknown (both good schlocky films) Damnation Alley (maybe find a print with its gimmick 'Sound 360') Fiend Without A Face The Abominable Dr Phibes Gorgo Rollerball (the original one of course) They Live The Rocketeer Sunshine (I'd never heard of it till it started showing up in some "Good SF films you've never seen" lists) Thinking outside the box there's these titles Casino Royale (the 60's spoof one) It Came From Hollywood Cabin In The Woods Watchmen And these interesting and fun documentaries Men In Suits (about men who wore monster costumes in films) Comic-Con; Episode IV, A Fan's Hope And some older ones The Atomic Cafe Gizmo (saw this at the Welles)

I saw GIZMO on PBS. Around that same time a certain other documentary also debuted on PBS - WORLD OF TOMORROW!

In retrospect, I think GIZMO would have played a whole lot better at the Marathon than WORLD did!

(and, I like WORLD. Just not a 'Marathon' movie')

http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BNDQxMTU0NzEwNF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjE1NzcxMQ@@._V1_SX640_SY720_.jpg

In memory of Richard Matheson who died this year - why not a couple of his films? Some have been shown previously and quite a few are not SF. Still, here's a list:

    The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
    Beat Generation (1959)
    House of Usher (1960)
    Master of the World (1961)
    The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)
    Burn Witch Burn (1962); a.k.a. Night of the Eagle (screenplay co-written with Charles Beaumont and George Baxt) based on the novel Conjure Wife by Fritz Leiber
    Tales of Terror (1962)
    The Raven (1963)
    The Comedy of Terrors (1963)
    The Last Man on Earth ( based on Matheson's novel I Am Legend)(1964)
    Fanatic (1965)
    The Young Warriors (1967)
    The Devil Rides Out (1968)
    De Sade (1969)
    The Legend of Hell House (based on his novel) (1973)
    Les Seins de glace (based on his novel Someone Is Bleeding) (1974)
    Somewhere in Time (based on his novel) (1980)
    Twilight Zone: The Movie: Fourth segment "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" (1983)
    Jaws 3-D (1983)
    Loose Cannons (1990)
    What Dreams May Come  (1998)
    The Box (2009)
    Real Steel (2011)

We did do SHRINKING MAN in February. Sadly ironic, yet apropos, that Matheson passed shortly thereafter.

Have lobbied for SOMEWHERE IN TIME since about 1982..............



pogo wrote on Dec 18^th, 2013 at 4:28pm:

In memory of Richard Matheson who died this year - why not a couple of his films? Some have been shown previously and quite a few are not SF. Still, here's a list:     The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)     Beat Generation (1959)     House of Usher (1960)     Master of the World (1961)     The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)     Burn Witch Burn (1962); a.k.a. Night of the Eagle (screenplay co-written with Charles Beaumont and George Baxt) based on the novel Conjure Wife by Fritz Leiber     Tales of Terror (1962)     The Raven (1963)     The Comedy of Terrors (1963)     The Last Man on Earth ( based on Matheson's novel I Am Legend)(1964)     Fanatic (1965)     The Young Warriors (1967)     The Devil Rides Out (1968)     De Sade (1969)     The Legend of Hell House (based on his novel) (1973)     Les Seins de glace (based on his novel Someone Is Bleeding) (1974)     Somewhere in Time (based on his novel) (1980)     Twilight Zone: The Movie: Fourth segment "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet" (1983)     Jaws 3-D (1983)     Loose Cannons (1990)     What Dreams May Come  (1998)     The Box (2009)     Real Steel (2011)

RE:  Atomic Café

I love this film.  While it, along with a number of other notable movies, doesn't quite know when to end, it has some absolutely mind-blowing scenes, and I'd love to see it again on a big screen.  Of course, we must bear in mind that, as much as it seems science-fictitious today, it really isn't, which makes it all the more unsettling and bizarre.  The fact that I (and many others) remember bits of it from life makes it yet more discomforting.

...Jus' sayin....

Jon wrote on Dec 19^th, 2013 at 3:00pm:

RE:  Atomic Café I love this film.  While it, along with a number of other notable movies, doesn't quite know when to end, it has some absolutely mind-blowing scenes, and I'd love to see it again on a big screen.  Of course, we must bear in mind that, as much as it seems science-fictitious today, it really isn't, which makes it all the more unsettling and bizarre.  The fact that I (and many others) remember bits of it from life makes it yet more discomforting. ...Jus' sayin....

i'm sorry but in "atomic cafe" a government official said that if you were 10 miles from the center of an h-bomb blast you would stand a very good chance of survival. then a n anti nuke spokesman says "an h-bomb will ignite a 400 square miles and create a massive firestorm"
statement 2 does not disprove statement 1. the square root of 400/PI = 11.5 which is approximately 10.

Jon wrote on Dec 19^th, 2013 at 3:00pm:

RE:  Atomic Café I love this film.  While it, along with a number of other notable movies, doesn't quite know when to end, it has some absolutely mind-blowing scenes, and I'd love to see it again on a big screen.  Of course, we must bear in mind that, as much as it seems science-fictitious today, it really isn't, which makes it all the more unsettling and bizarre.  The fact that I (and many others) remember bits of it from life makes it yet more discomforting. ...Jus' sayin....

I'd also add that it's a pretty nice place to eat.
http://www.atomicafe.com/pdf/atomicmenu_Beverly.pdf

Not being willing to give up easily, I've posted a second set of trailers for my SF39 movie suggestions on the "YouTube Goodness" section of this board.
Be sure to check 'em both out .

Quote:

The hilarious thing is, the last time he said something like that, it was about them almost getting coverage!  NPR almost covered it last year! Not sure how useful it would be, anyway - who's going to buy a ticket because they heard about the Alien Mating Cry contest eleven months ago?

I think you don't quite understand the actual usefulness of press.  It's not just to sell tickets 11 months later. Let's put aside for a moment whether we get the press or not (even though it's obnoxious of you to be sneering "almost" at the attempts when it would only be promoting something we all enjoy and love.)

Press and media impressions are critical when attempting to attract sponsors/sponsorships. Garen has been protective of the 'Thon brand and his brand stewardship has tried to include meaningful partnerships (some of which you will see this year.)

Additionally, press impressions, or being able to show that the 'Thon, received press would help Garen and his team acquire some films a bit more easily and even potentially be able to show a premiere (this is a bit more ambitious but could be a possibility at some point.)

The more ammunition Garen has that can demonstrate that the 'Thon lives outside the small subset of people who attend it and that it genuinely garners attention from media outlets the more opportunities he would have to improve the experience for all of us.

Ticket sales are never going to help expand the 'Thon experience if you do the math.  Sponsorships, advertising and partnerships are the method by which a better, less tin-foil-hat oriented, event will take place.  That only happens when an organization sees a benefit beyond the 600+ people who attend.

It's just a matter of looking at the bigger picture.

Fair enough in a vacuum; in the case of an event that is years past the point where much of the audience is seeing it as a potty break at best and whose participation is dwindling, hearing "hey, NPR almost came out to do a story" is pretty weak.

Press and media impressions are important, though, and I personally think they could be improved immensely by getting the website up to scratch (though it is better now than it has been for many years, it still has plenty of dead links, missing graphics, and poor design).  A year where something is not called a local/national premiere when it isn't would probably help out with press/media credibility, too.

I get that Garen wants to forge partnerships and raise the event's profile, and believe me, nobody wants that to happen more than I do.  I also think that he chooses some extremely frustrating and counter-productive ways of doing it, whether it be continuing to emphasize bits that the audience mostly doesn't enjoy, doing a poor job of communication (either through the website or other media), or other fairly questionable decisions, and when he stands up in front of the audience and acts like shortcoming are virtues, I don't think a little sarcasm in my reaction is out of line.

Anyone that believes the the on-going success of this thing is hinged upon having a contest, that everyone I have ever spoken to about this matter dislikes (except our fearless leader), is nuts.
I bet there are a dozen other contests that would be less painful to sit through and garner as much media mention as the AMC.

I have Caleb's back on this one.  We could have any number of other contests that would be far less painful and more prize worthy.  It's not a deal breaker, but the AMC will always be near or at the top of my incredibly short list of things I dislike about the marathon. 

We've had other contests in the past and they seem to have gone by the wayside. Don't know why this has stuck around.

Frank wrote on Jan 14^th, 2014 at 6:24pm:

I have Caleb's back on this one.  We could have any number of other contests that would be far less painful and more prize worthy.  It's not a deal breaker, but the AMC will always be near or at the top of my incredibly short list of things I dislike about the marathon.

That's the ticket! Frank can REFUSE to give out prizes for it! No prizes! End of contest!

Someone suggested to me that an alien mating dance contest would be a little less painful than the AMC.

Who exactly is in charge of deciding what contests (if any) will take place at the marathon?

da_Bunnyman wrote on Jan 15^th, 2014 at 9:43am:

Who exactly is in charge of deciding what contests (if any) will take place at the marathon?

     Garen.
     I agree that the contests are lame, but they serve one very important function: they provide long & well-needed breaks for the people who want to see the movies all through, as well as the person who is running those movies.
     Fifteen minutes off-screen is nothing to sneeze at when the lines start forming at the loo.

Nobody is really questioning the value of having such contests. Just this particular one.


David the Projectionist wrote on Jan 15^th, 2014 at 10:05am:

da_Bunnyman wrote on Jan 15th, 2014 at 9:43am: Who exactly is in charge of deciding what contests (if any) will take place at the marathon?      Garen.      I agree that the contests are lame, but they serve one very important function: they provide long & well-needed breaks for the people who want to see the movies all through, as well as the person who is running those movies.      Fifteen minutes off-screen is nothing to sneeze at when the lines start forming at the loo.

L.A. Connection wrote on Jan 15^th, 2014 at 11:34am:

Nobody is really questioning the value of having such contests. Just this particular one. David the Projectionist wrote on Jan 15th, 2014 at 10:05am: da_Bunnyman wrote on Jan 15th, 2014 at 9:43am: Who exactly is in charge of deciding what contests (if any) will take place at the marathon?      Garen.      I agree that the contests are lame, but they serve one very important function: they provide long & well-needed breaks for the people who want to see the movies all through, as well as the person who is running those movies.      Fifteen minutes off-screen is nothing to sneeze at when the lines start forming at the loo.

You know how I feel about marathon traditions, a contest or two is good for making this more than a bunch of people watching films on a really big couch.

Maybe its more a matter of someone else planning and getting the word out ahead of time (if needed.)
The mating call contest is pretty generic, but its something to get the crowd involved and one less thing Garen has to plan. Other than allow some scheduled time for it.

Why not change it to a sound alike contest. We've got the Daleks this year but there's almost always something in some film fans can imitate.

Dont we usually have more titles this close to the Thon?
The playlist is what gets me excited, not how many good mating calls I may be missing in that awesome Somerville Theater bathroom. (at least the demon that used to live below there seems to have left)

Don't know if you have heard, read or seen but the two latest additions are Silent Running and Westworld.  Nice additions, I believe. 

Great 70's representation, hope we get some more. Not sure what time in the schedule I'd like to see Silent Running tho.

Also, just posted The World, The Flesh and The Devil.

Just in!  Europa Report has been added onto the list for the thon.  Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbw9hlBnG74

So far I'm liking the breadth of films being shown at this year's 'Thon. I'm also happy to see that the selections are tending to be more 'Sci-Fi' than 'Terror'. 
     Personally, I alway's enjoy seeing at least one 'early' Sci-Fi movie during the 'Thon. So a movie from pre-1950 would be a nice addition.

We're at just below 15 hours of films.
Still plenty of room for an early classic or two and a recent blockbuster.

da_Bunnyman wrote on Jan 19^th, 2014 at 11:25pm:

We're at just below 15 hours of films.

     "Films?"
     Not quite!  "Movies," yes.
     Nomenclature: it is important.  ::)