CWRU Sci Fi Marathon

Every January since 1976, Case Western Reserve University's Film Society has been holding a science fiction marathon. Each year the Friday after the spring semester starts the intrepid, the hearty, and the truly geeky pile into Strosacker Auditorium (Case Western's Lecture Hall/Movie Theater) to watch 36 or more hours of straight Sci Fi on the big screen. To some, this may seem like a lot, but to the attendees (and certainly marathon Co-Founder and still projectionist Charlie Knox) it is just enough.

The fun all starts Thursday night or Friday morning when the first few people start to arrive. Early arrival is a must for those who want to get the primo "on stage" spots where one can lay down an air mattress and recline during the movies. Later arriving attendants will have to sit in a regular movie seat which might get rather uncomfortable after 36 hours. Luckily, there is space outside of the theater to lay down as well so that the less hardy attendants can catch a few winks. As for food, guests may bring their own food or purchase theater faire with periodical "real food" supplements from the concession stand.

At 6:00Friday night, Film Society Staff starts to sell wristbands and check attendant's belongings for metal, glass, and laser pointers: all of which are forbidden in the theater. Everyone gets situated inside and at 8:00 the screen goes up and the Sci Fi begins… and doesn't stop till early Sunday morning.

To get a feel for the movie mood, here's the schedule from the 27th marathon.

8:00pm The Cell (2000)
10:30pm The Terminal Man (1974)
12 midnight Surprise I (Making Mr. Right (1987))
2:00am Frankenstein (1931)
3:30am Tron (1982)(replaced by Return of the Jedi (1983))
5:30am The 27th Day (1957)
7:30am Meet the Feebles (1989)
9:00am Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
10:30am Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
1:00pm Demon Seed (1977)
2:30pm Surprise II(Mystery Men (1999) and X-Men (2000) )
5:30pm Futureworld (1976)
7:00pm The Terminator (1984)
9:30pm AI: Artificial Intelligence (2001)


It is important to note that the times listed are only a best guess, as most marathons are running about 1-2 hours behind by the end.

The movies aren't the only thing to get screen time, either. Between films are peppered a variety of trailers (some thematic, some just for fun) and old cartoons like "Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century"

At the 7th marathon, a new tradition started of showing surprise movies. At each previous marathon all the movies to be shown were listed for public viewing prior to the marathon. For the 7th marathon the identity of two of the movies were kept secret from all but the projectionists all the way until the time of screening. At following marathons clues were given in the form of trailers and movie themes throughout the marathon so that people could try to guess what the surprises were. Surprises were done for marathon 7, 8,9, and then from 21 on.

The Sci Fi Marathon is quickly becoming a Cleveland tradition, and has even been mentioned as one of the 365 ways to meet people in Cleveland by the book of the same name.

For those of you who may be interested in coming to Cleveland for the next marathon here are some upcoming dates:

29th Marathon - Jan. 16-17, 2004
30th Marathon - Jan. 14-15, 2005
31st Marathon - Jan. 20-21, 2006


Here is a complete list of movies that have been shown during marathons, witch the number marathon appearing next to the name of the movie. Surprises are denoted with an (s)

1984 (1984) #13
20 Million Miles to Earth (1957) #4,#21
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) #4,#14
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) #2,#5,#12
2010 (1984) #12
The 27th Day (1957) #27
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953) #23
AI: Artificial Intelligence (2001) #27
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) #11
The Absent-Minded Professor (1961) #23
The Abyss (1989) #19
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai: Across the 8th Dimension (1984) #11,#21
Aelita, Queen of Mars (1924) #17
Alien (1979) #9,#12,#18,#25
Alien Nation (1988) #21
Aliens (1986) #15
Altered States (1980) #10,#13
Android (1982) #10
The Andromeda Strain (1971) #1,#8
The Angry Red Planet (1959) #22
Army of Darkness (1993) #19
The Arrival (1996) #26
Attack of the 50-Foot Woman (1958) #10
Attack of the Killer Tomatoes! (1978) #7(s)
Back to the Future II (1989) #24
Barb Wire (1996) #22
Barbarella (1968) #1,#10,#26
Batman (1966) #5
Batman and Robin (1949) #15
Battlestar Galactica (1978) #7
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) #5
The Bed Sitting Room (1969) #4
The Black Hole (1979) #6
Blade Runner (1982) #9(s),#14
Blade Runner (Director's Cut) (1992) #18
The Blob (1958) #3
Body Snatchers (1993) #24
A Boy and His Dog (1975) #2,#6,#8
The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962) #20
Brainstorm (1983) #10,#15,#21
Brazil (1985) #23
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) #5,#20
Bride of the Monster (1956) #22(s)
Buck Rogers (1940) #13
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1978) #26
Capricorn One (1978) #7,#16
Carnosaur (1993) #19
Cat-Women of the Moon (1953) #19
The Cell (2000) #27
Charly (1968) #11,#22
Cite des enfants perdus, La (The City of Lost Children) (1995) #23
The Clan of the Cave Bear (1986) #13
A Clockwork Orange (1971) #12,#25
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) #5
Close Encounters of the Third Kind - The Special Edition (1980) #7(s),#18
Cocoon (1985) #13
Colossus: The Forbin Project (1969) #1,#15
Conquest of Space (1955) #22
Cool World (1992) #23
Crack in the World (1965) #2
The Crawling Eye (1958) #26
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) #6
Creature from the Black Lagoon (3-D) (1954) #22
Critters (1986) #12
Cronos (1993) #23
Damnation Alley (1977) #4
Dark City (1998) #26
Dark Star (1973) #1,#4,#7,#9,#17,#25(s)
The Day Mars Invaded Earth (1962) #2
The Day of the Triffids (1962) #7,#16
The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961) #2
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) #1,#5,#10,#20,#24
Death Race 2000 (1975) #5,#21
Deep Impact (1998) #24
Delicatessen (1991) #20
Demolition Man (1993) #24
Demon Seed (1977) #3,#9,#27
Destination Moon (1950) #3,#7
Destroy All Monsters (1968) #9
Devil Girl from Mars (1954) #12
The Devil-Doll (1936) #26
Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975) #6
Doctor X (1932) #10,#16,#23
Donovan's Brain (1953) #13
Dr. Cyclops (1940) #4
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920) #26
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) #7
Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) #3,#14
Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) #10
Dune (1984) #11
Earth Girls Are Easy (1989) #15
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956) #2,#28
Edward Scissorhands (1990) #19
The Empire Strikes Back (1980) #10,#17
Enemy Mine (1985) #20
Escape from New York (1981) #7,#25(s)
Event Horizon (1997) #23
Explorers (1985) #19
Fahrenheit 451 (1966) #1,#7
Fantastic Planet (1973) #5,#14,#20
Fantastic Voyage (1966) #2,#9,#25
The Fifth Element (1997) #24
The Final Countdown (1980) #6
Firefox (1982) #9
Firestarter (1984) #28
First Men in the Moon (1968) #25
Flash Gordon (1980) #9
Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940) #16,#22
Flight of the Navigator (1986) #28
The Fly (1958) #11
The Fly (1986) #21
Flying Disc Man From Mars (1950) #17 Forbidden Planet (1956) #1,#4,#10,#20
Four Sided Triangle (1953) #13
Frankenstein (1931) #9,#27
Frankenstein Unbound (1990) #18
Frau im Mond (Woman in the Moon) (1929) #15
Freejack (1992) #18
From the Earth to the Moon (1958) #19
Futureworld (1976) #27
Gabriel Over the White House (1933) #4
Galaxina (1980) #14
Galaxy Quest (1999) #26
Gammera, the Invincible (1965) #8
Gas-s-s-s (1970) #4
Gattaca (1997) #25(s)
Ghost in the Shell (1995) #22
Godzilla 1985 (1984) #19
Godzilla vs. Mothra (1961) #21
Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster (1972) #16
The Handmaid's Tale (1990) #17
Heavy Metal (1981) #7,#14,#28
The Hidden (1987) #14
Highlander (1986) #16
Howard the Duck (1986) #28(s)
Immediate Disaster (1954) #4
Impostor (2002) #28
The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) #1,#21
Independence Day (1996) #22(s)
Infra-Man (1975) #7
Innerspace (1987) #14
Invaders from Mars (1953) #8,#22
Invasion of the Bee Girls (1973) #11,#9(s)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) #3,#21
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) #15
The Invisible Boy (1957) #4
The Invisible Man Returns (1940) #10
The Invisible Man (1938) #3,#16
The Invisible Ray (1936) #18
The Invisible Woman (1940) #9,#20
The Iron Giant (1999) #26
The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977) #22
Island of Lost Souls (1933) #1,#11,#20
It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955) #14
It Came from Outer Space (3-D) (1953) #5,#16
It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958) #9
Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001) #28
Journey to the Center of Time (1967) #4
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959) #12
Journey to the Far Side of the Sun (1969) #3,#25
Jurassic Park (1993) #20
Just Imagine (1930) #6,#22
King Kong (1933) #8
La Jetee (1962) #22
The Lady and the Monster (1944) #8
The Last Days of Man on Earth (1973) #3,#10
The Last Man on Earth (1963) #15
The Last Starfighter (1984) #18
The Lawnmower Man (1992) #18
The Lensman (1984) #18
Lifeforce (1985) #12
The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) #3,#8
Lobster Man From Mars (1989) #17
Logan's Run (1976) #2,#13,#20
The Lost World (1925) #1,#12,#18
The Loved One (1965) #17
Mad Love (1935) #12
Mad Max (1979) #8
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) #25
Making Mr. Right (1987) #27(s)
The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) #4,#19
Mars Attacks! (1996) #24
Martian Space Party (1972) #8
The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932) #6
Matinee (1993) #19
The Matrix (1999) #25
Meet the Feebles (1989) #27
Men in Black (1997) #26
Metropolis (1926) #1,#21
Metropolis (1927) #28
Metropolis (1984) #16
Moon Zero Two (1969) #3
Morons from Outer Space (1985) #12
The Most Dangerous Game (1932) #15
Murder by Television (1935) #1
The Mysterians (1957) #15
Mystery Men (1999) #27(s)
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996) #24(s)
Naked Lunch (1991) #20
The Navigator: An Odyssey Across Time (1988) #16
Neo Tokyo/Silent Mobius (1987) #20
Night of the Comet (1984) #11
No Blade of Grass (1970) #2
The Omega Man (1971) #15
On the Beach (1959) #5
One Million Years B.C. (1966) #12
Outland (1981) #13
Panic in Year Zero! (1962) #8
Phantasm (1979) #14
Phase IV (1973) #5,#24
Plan 9 from Outer Space (1958) #15
Planet of the Apes (1968) #2,#23
Planet of the Apes (2001) #28
Planet of the Vampires (1966) #9
The Power (1968) #6
Predator (1987) #14
Quatermass 2 (Enemy from Space) (1957) #15
The Quatermass Conclusion (1978) #7
The Quatermass Xperiment (The Creeping Unknown) (1955) #7
Quatermass and the Pit (5 Million Years to Earth) (1968) #7
Quest for Fire (1981) #11
The Quiet Earth (1985) #14
Quintet (1979) #12
Radar Men from the Moon (1952) #14
Ravagers (1979) #7
Red Planet (2000) #28
Return of the Jedi (1983) #27,#17
Revenge of the Creature (1955) #8
The Road Warrior (1981) #8,#22
Robinson Crusoe on Mars (1964) #6
Robocop (1987) #16
Robot Monster (1953) #19
The Rocketeer (1991) #17
Rocketship X-M (1950) #3
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) #10,#16
Rodan (1956) #10
Rollerball (1975) #5,#10
The Running Man (1987) #15
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964) #11
Scanners (1981) #11,#25
Schlock (1971) #2,#5
Seconds (1966) #18
The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb (1993) #25
Seven Days in May (1964) #13
Silent Running (1971) #1,#6,#25
Slaughterhouse Five (1972) #3,#20
Sleeper (1973) #17,#22
Solaris (1972) #28(s)
Soldier (1998) #24(s)
Soylent Green (1973) #6
Space Jam (1996) #23(s)
Spaceballs (1987) #16
Spawn (1997) #23
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) #11,#17
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) #13
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) #15
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) #21(s)
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) #21
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) #6
Star Trek: First Contact (1996) #27
Star Trek: Generations (1994) #26
Star Wars (1977) #17
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) #27
Stargate (1994) #28
Starship Invasions (1977) #26
Starship Troopers (1997) #26
Strange Days (1995) #21
Strange Invaders (1983) #10
Suburban Commando (1991) #20
Super Mario Bros. (1993) #23(s)
Superman II (1980) #16
Superman the Movie (1978) #6,#21
Swamp Thing (1982) #26
THX 1138 (1970) #5,#17
Tank Girl (1995) #26(s)
Tarantula (1955) #11,#16
The Tenth Victim (1965) #8
The Terminal Man (1974) #27
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) #19
The Terminator (1984) #13,#27
Them! (1954) #3,#9
They Live (1988) #28
The Thing (1951) #2,#6,#18
The Thing (1982) #8(s),#23
Things to Come (1936) #2,#14,#25
This Island Earth (1954) #1,#11
Thunderbird 6 (1968) #8
Thunderbirds Are Go (1966) #3,#8, #28
Time After Time (1979) #8
Time Bandits (1981) #11
The Time Machine (1960) #1,#9,#26
Timecop (1994) #20
The Tingler (1959) #18
Tomorrow (1970) #6
Total Recall (1990) #18,#22
The Toxic Avenger (1985) #12
Trekkies (1997) #25
Tremors (1990) #18
A Trip to the Moon (1902) #12
Tron (1982) #12,#28(s)
The Tunnel (Transatlantic Tunnel) (1935) #19
Twelve Monkeys (1995) #22
The Ultimate Warrior (1975) #3
The Valley of Gwangi (1969) #6
Videodrome (1983) #9
Village of the Damned (1960) #2,#19
Visit to a Small Planet (1960) #5
Voyage of the Rock Aliens (1988) #11
The War of the Worlds (1953) #2,#12
WarGames (1983) #11
Waterworld (1995) #21(s)
Westworld (1973) #1,#17
When Worlds Collide (1951) #1,#13,#24
Who? (1974) #4
Wing Commander (1999) #25
Wings of Honneamise: Royal Space Force (Honneamise no tsubasa) (1987) #24
Wizards (1977) #6
The Wolf Man (1941) #24
The World, the Flesh, and the Devil (1959) #3
X-Men (2000) #27(s)
Young Frankenstein (1974) #9
Zardoz (1974) #4
eXistenZ (1999) #25