Boston is the unofficial home of marathons. We host that big marathon in April that shuts down a good portion of the Hub so hundreds of runners can have the roads to themselves. But in the middle of snow season, not too many runners are keen on competing for 26.2 miles. Instead, it\u2019s a perfect time for nerds and geeks to take over a theater for 24 hours and watch shlock, classic, and big budget blockbuster science fiction movies. These are some of the highlights of the marathon (or \u2018Thon for short) that took place at the Somerville Theatere from noon on Sunday to noon on Monday last week:<\/p>\n
Noon
\nGaren Daly, the \u2018Thon\u2019s organizer, greets the crowd before handing the mic over to a guy dressed in red, white, and gray camo nicknamed Major Tom. On the way in, we were handed a Fireball candy to eat at Major Tom\u2019s command. Once the Fireball is popped, he leads the audience in a countdown to the opening film, a Daffy Duck cartoon, \u201cDuck Dodgers of the 24 1\/2st Century.\u201d Audience members quote along and throw light-up ray guns in the air. It ain\u2019t a Sci-Fi marathon in name alone.<\/p>\n
2:45pm
\nA low-budget Danish monster movie named \u201cReptilicus\u201d stirs the crowd into hearty bouts of laughter and applause. Watching with an audience trained in the style of \u201cMystery Science Theater 3000,\u201d heckling is worth the price of admission, it\u2019s nothing you can get at home. A few competitive jokers jeered at the cheap toy monster to see who could get the biggest laugh from the audience.
\nThe littlest participant and winner of the Tin Foil Hat contest.<\/p>\n
The littlest participant and winner of the Tin Foil Hat contest.<\/p>\n
8:20pm
\nThe \u2018Thon crowd goes wild for a subtitled movie about kids killing kids in a dystopian future. No, it\u2019s not \u201cThe Hunger Games,\u201d it\u2019s Fukasaku\u2019s cult predecessor, \u201cBattle Royale.\u201d While buckets of blood are spilled on-screen, a few viewers sneak out for dinner until the coast is clear for the time-traveling romcom, \u201cSafety Not Guaranteed.\u201d Unfortunately, this version of \u201cBattle Royale\u201d was the director\u2019s cut which tacked on about 4 epilogues on an otherwise impressively sharp movie. <\/p>\n
Midnight
\nIt\u2019s officially pajama time. Piles of sleeping bags are now spread out in front of the theater stage and brightly colored Snuggies make an appearance in the lobby. The memorable Twilight Zone episode, \u201cTime Enough At Last\u201d with a misanthropic Burgess Meredith, plays as a midnight surprise, but a smart mouth in the center of the theater spoils the ending. The audience turns on him immediately with loud boos and hisses. I dozed off a bit during \u201cThe Incredible Shrinking Man,\u201d but recovered in time to catch the famous cat attack sequence of a mini-Grant Williams doing battle with a household tabby. I finally pass out completely during \u201cPhase IV.\u201d It was a movie about killer ants. No disrespect.<\/p>\n
8:25am
\nI came back from a quick run to the nearest Dunkin\u2019 Donuts for the awfully cheesy \u201cEscape from LA.\u201d Despite co-starring Pam Grier, Steve Buscemi, and Bruce Campbell, this is not John Carpenter\u2019s finest film. For the majority of the movie, our hero, Snake Plissken, is coughing and sweating out a fever. There are reasons why you don\u2019t wait 15 years to make a sequel, and one of those should be that Kurt Russell looks ridiculous doing sweaty basketball layups and surfing along the Pacific Coast Highway with a wizened surfer dude. Clunky special effects and awful early \u201990s hip hop and rock music made it hard to believe this came out a year before the final film, \u201cThe Fifth Element.\u201d<\/p>\n
10 a.m.
\nThe projectionist had his work cut out for him with the last movie, 26 hours after his shift began. Less than 20 minutes into \u201cThe Fifth Element,\u201d the print jammed and burned out on the screen. The theater went dark once the projector went off and a longtime \u2018Thon attendee named Wally led the puzzled crowd in a hearty chant of \u201cWheat Chex! Rice Chex!\u201d which are old sponsors of a famous 1950\u2019s TV show named \u201cSpace Cadet.\u201d About five minutes later we\u2019re back into the movie, but the print jammed again at the end of the film. My friend sitting next to me whispered, \u201cI thought this stuff only happened in the movies! I\u2019ve never seen film do that before in real life.\u201d Ah, the thrill of going to the movies with a lovable group of geeks. The way we watch movies is changing, but I\u2019m grateful for the movie-going events like the Boston Sci-Fi \u2018Thon, which has only slightly changed over its 38 years.<\/p>\n
A Guide to a Do-It-Yourself Sci-Fi Marathon<\/p>\n
Perhaps you\u2019d like to skip the Oscars this weekend and catch up with some Science Fiction fun. Using Netflix Instant Watch and an outline of the \u2018Thon schedule, here\u2019s a handy guide to making your own Sci-Fi \u2018Thon until Awards season has passed.<\/p>\n
Start with a recent release: Traditionally, the \u2018 Thon kicks off with something from the last year. If you\u2019re the more adventurous type, you can check out the wacky Nazis-in-space flick, \u201cIron Sky.\u201d Oh yes, zeppelins to the moon, my friends. There\u2019s also a strange \u201880s movie by the name of \u201cSurf Nazis Must Die,\u201d but I can\u2019t attest to its quality. If you really want to go classic, watch the recently restored silent film \u201cMetropolis.\u201d You probably won\u2019t stay awake for a silent movie later on in the evening, so best watch it first if you haven\u2019t seen this gorgeous German movie. And if you\u2019re watching with any sci-fi newbies, be sure to throw on the classic 1968 \u201cPlanet of the Apes\u201d for a quick intro.<\/p>\n
Go to camp: Now dig into the depths of B-movie madness. You can take the serious route with something like a Tarantino favorite, \u201cDeath Race 2000,\u201d or a silly one with the \u201cMystery Science Theater 3000 Movie.\u201d Sadly, there used to be many episodes on Instant Watch, but the MST3K Movie is the last one left. If you\u2019re looking for monster movie madness, the recent Norwegian release of \u201cTroll Hunter\u201d and the classic \u201cTremors\u201d should fill your appetite. If you really want to hit the dregs of B-moviedom, Netflix stocks atrocities like \u201c2-Headed Shark Attack,\u201d \u201cRobotropolis,\u201d and \u201cMega Shark Versus Crocosaurus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mix it up with foreign movie favorite: If you can still get to the Oscar-nominated shorts at one of the local theaters, you can catch a \u2018Thon favorite, \u201cDeath of a Shadow\u201d during the live action program. A French Canadian import, the short is a beautiful steam-punk-esque tragedy set during the First World War. If you want to stay home, then you can check out other gems you might have missed, like \u201cLet the Right One In\u201d and \u201cTimecrimes.\u201d Another \u2018Thon player, \u201cBattle Royale,\u201d can be watched once the young ones have gone to bed. \u201cHunger Games,\u201d this is not.<\/p>\n
Cult out: You have quite the selection in this category. How about a \u201870s documentary about possible alien invasions? Look no further than \u201cChariot of the Gods.\u201d Looking for something a little sexier? Netflix has Jane Fonda in skimpy space outfits (It\u2019s cold in outer space, Jane) in the infamous \u201cBarbarella.\u201d And with a remake on the way, now\u2019s a good chance to re-watch (or watch for the first time) the good old Sam Raimi \u201cEvil Dead.\u201d If you somehow missed out on being one of the arty kids in high school, \u201cDonnie Darko\u201d is readily available.<\/p>\n
Finish big: If you\u2019ve gotten this far, you might want explosions or an old personal favorite. Perhaps end in a nightmarish way with the disturbing 1985 \u201cRe-Animator.\u201d If you don\u2019t mind a musical, I\u2019m quite partial to \u201cDr. Horrible\u2019s Sing-a-Long.\u201d And a sci-fi night could always use more KHAN! \u201cStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan\u201d could be your epic ending to an evening free of bad Seth McFarlane jokes.