What about mini marathons?
Some days I’m in the mood for themed episodes and watch two to four episode mini marathons. It can range from the Coleman Francis episodes to spy movies (Danger! Death Ray!, Code Name: Diamond Head, and Secret Agent, Super Dragon) or “70s Guy Turns into Something” movies (It Lives by Night and Track of the Moon Beast). I’m always trying to figure out new combinations and would love to hear other people’s suggestions!
As painful as it sounds, I’ve actually had fun with a Coleman Francis trifecta: “Red Zone Cuba,” then “Beast of Yucca Flats,” then I end with the comparatively upbeat “The Skydivers.”
What’s your pick?
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I once did a teenage trilogy. Teenage Caveman, Teenage Strangler and I Was A Teenage Werewolf. Amusingly, only the middle features raw, unfiltered people of an actual teen age.
The “misunderstood teens” movies make a pretty good little marathon: The Violent Years (“They’re shooting back!”), Girls Town (that darn ol’ Mel Torme!), I Accuse My Parents (Jimmy won an essay contest, you know), and the almost cheerful Daddy-O, which lets me hike up my pants as high as I please.
The Russo-Finish co-production set of four is a great, winning combination.
All of the Russo-Finnish episodes.
Or, the fantasy sword and sorcery episodes: Cavé Dwellers, Deathstalker, The Magic Sword, and Quest of the Delta Knights. And sometimes, Outlaw.
But oddly, never the Maciste/Hercules movies.
I think a “Blame That Guy” marathon would be nice, just several of the movies where the director just had to be in the film to make his vision real so we can see the face of suck that brought the idea to life. Incredibly Strange Creatures, Boggy Creek 2, Screaming Skull, of course Manos. I’m sure in the end the number goes beyond a mini marathon but those are just off the top of my head.
Easy! The Giant episodes. Whether that’s giant turtles or people.
Village of the Giants
The Giant Gila Monstere
Godzilla vs. Megalon
Godzllia vs. the Sea Monster
All the Gamera Movies of course!
The Deadly Mantis
The Amazing Colossal Man
War of the Colossal Beast
Yeah that’s more than a “mini” marathon, but gosh it would be fun!
In the dark days of the early Millenium, when SciFi was (as usual) reinventing itself (read: getting rid of all of its good shows) and news of the beacons of Rhino and DAP (in those primitive times Shout! was but an inkling of a possibility) had not yet reached this far shore, I had to survive on the meager scrapings I had managed to record while I was at college:
half of The Mole People, Pod People, Quest of the Delta Knights, Final Sacrifice, The Deadly Bees, Invasion of the Neptune Men, and The Giant Mantis.
There’s not much of a theme in the movies, but these episodes will sustain you when nothing else is available.
I call this my survival mix, and return to it occasionally (although I will indulge myself and watch the half of The Mole People which wouldn’t fit on the videotape…)
I haven’t had time to do a marathon in a long time, but the last one I did was a Christmas themed trio of Santa Claus, Santa Claus Conquered the Martians, and The Painted Hills. In the past I’ve done some sorta marathons of the episode and the original uncut movie. I don’t have many of the uncut, though.
You people with the Russo-Finnish marathons are made of stronger stuff than I am.
I sometimes queue up a few episodes for their exceptional shorts, like Hired! and the bread selling short, or great host segments, like the alternate reality episodes or Crow’s legendary “Debbie” or pregnancy rants.
There’s a real feeling of having finished something when marathoning the Gameras. I’ve gotten into a cycle of watching all seasons of the eps in my collection in order, and because the Gamera series is peppered throughout what is largely an Asian-ahem-themed season (other Sandy Franks, Fu Manchu and Master (ahem) Ninja), that feeling of accomplishment is compounded when moving on to Season four.
The successive eps that make up Season 8’s 1st 8 episodes (up to Giant Spider Invasion) are a good marathon – all B/W, mostly overblown Universal monster opuses. The host sketches follow the “story arc” they were forced to employ, but that helps the marathon feel of it.
Finally, I submit the Season one eps that feature Commando Cody chapters. While the story’s ending is a letdown, and cutting it off is both a godsend and an even bigger letdown at the same time, it still ties the shows together in a marathon.
#8
I agree with you on the Christmas theme marathon….and add a few Rifftrax offerings to boot, SANTA AND THE ICECREAM BUNNY, THE MAGIC CHRISTMAS TREE, and SANTA’S ENCHANTED VILLAGE OF MADNESS…and probably add one more MST3K offering, JACK FROST…The movie itself has a Christmas feel to it…Although I do not know if that was it’s intention or not.
“Warrior of the Lost World” and “The Pumaman.”
The Donald Pleasence marathon.
I have never done this, but I have often thought that it would be interesting to do all the episodes which feature a major change to the format or characters. It is probably debatable as to what constitutes a major change, but here goes…
The Crawling Eye (1st episode for Comedy Channel)
Rocketship X-M (1st appearance of Frank)
Mitchell (Last regular appearance of Joel; 1st appearance of Mike)
The Brain that Wouldn’t Die (1st movie for Mike)
Samson vs. the Vampire Women (Last regular appearance of Frank)
Night of the Bloodbeast (Pearl joins Dr. F – she had appeared previously)
Laserblast (Last appearance of Dr. F and Deep 13)
Revenge of the Creature (1st appearance of Bobo, Peanut and Deep Ape)
The Thing that Couldn’t Die (1st appearance of Brain Guy and the Observers)
The Projected Man (1st Appearance of Castle Forrester)
Diabolik (Last episode ever)
Kaiju Marathon – Both Godzillas, all 5 Gameras, and topped off with Gorgo.
Hercules Marathon, with Colossus thrown in (which works just fine, since not all the Hercules movies are actually Hercules movies anyway).
And, as Herandar said, the Russo-Finnish Marathon.
Due to Richard Kiel’s recent passing I did a mini marathon in his honor;
Eagah
The Magic Sword
The Phantom Planet
The Gotcha, It Never Really Happened marathon involving movies in which the final scene negates everything that went on before. In chronological order, Robot Monster, Monster A Go Go, and Invasion U.S.A. As a special Christmas bonus, end with Rifftrax edition of The Magic Christmas Tree.
I’m not much built to watch “several episodes of one thing a day,” but I’ve certainly attempted “weekly scheduling” of “themed episodes” over several weeks’ viewing. The “Coleman Francis trilogy” is one I’ve tried and enjoyed myself (I’ve also led it off with “The Unearthly” and “Bride of the Monster” to introduce not just Tor Johnson but also John Carradine), and I’ve also put together “Secret Agent Super Dragon,” “Operation Double 007,” “Danger!! Death Ray,” and “Agent For H.A.R.M.” as “James Bond ripoffs.” One thing I’ve thought about is “mini-marathons” pairing Joel and Mike episodes of similar themes: “Rocket Attack USA” and “Invasion USA” or “First Spaceship on Venus” and “12 to the Moon,” for example.
What, no ehT numaH srotacilpuD?
That is my favorite Richard Kiel episode, as he actually has a speaking role in it (and Joel and the bots’ impersonations of his speaking are right on the money.)
I like to have a “FUTURE!!!” marathon, consisting of:
Overdrawn at the Memory Bank
Time Chasers
Space Mutiny
Parts: The Clonus Horror – (though it’s pretty obviously a 70’s movie, I think of it as a In-The-Not-Too-Distant-Future kind of film)
In spirit of the Christmas Season:
Jack Frost
Mitchell
Santa Clause
Girl in Gold Boots
How about a, “Oh my God, please tell me that’s not really our hero!” marathon with ‘Time Chasers,’ ‘Mitchell’ and ‘Final Sacrifice.’ Reckon you could throw ‘Eegah’ in there too.
The Mini Nerd-a-thon starts today.
Mr. B Natural (Buzz Turner)
Teenage Strangler (Mikey Walton)
The Final Sacrifice (Troy McGreggor)
And Continues tomorrow with.
Laserblast (Froggy)
The Dead Talk Back (Henry Krasker)
Outlaw of Gor (Watney Smith)
Check your local listings.
Season 2 alone has a couple of similar or even related episodes to make two mini marathons:
Bikers: Side Hackers, Wild Rebels, Hellcats (Girl in Gold Boots could fit in as well perhaps)
Lippert Productions: Rocketship X-M, Jungle Goddess, Lost Continent, King Dinosaur (also consider Radar Secret Service and Last of the Wild Horses)
Aliens-style survivor movies where people barricade themselves against monsters:
The Crawling Eye
The Slime People
The Killer Shrews
Another marathon is pretentious and cliched rocket ship films where the ship *not* getting hit by meteors constitutes an action scene:
Rocketship X-M
Firemaidens of Outer Space
12 to the Moon
The Phantom Planet
Missile to the Moon (Rifftrax bonus)
And don’t forget Teenage Crime Wave and Teenagers from Outer Space (yeah, the 50’s was seriously spazzed out about juvenile delinquency).
Actually, the challenge when getting a new set is to NOT stage a mini-marathon and watch every episode back to back right then and there…
My Christmas marathon’s been done –SANTA CLAUS, JACK FROST, SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS– so I’ll leave it at that.
I have a few:
The TV movie masquerading as a movie marathon:
Master Ninja I
Master Njnia II
Stranded in Space
Code Name: Diamondhead
San Francisco International
Riding With Death
Also, I love the loose feel of Season 2 particularly when the movies are incredibly bad and dull. It really feels like Joel is the Dad and they’re a family and we’re just hanging out with them (all praise to Birdemic). So, I like this combo a lot:
The Lost Continent
King Dinosaur
Ring of Terror
Finally, I’ll sometimes do milestone eps:
Rocketship XM
Mitchell
The Brain That Wouldn’t Die
Laserblast
Revenge of the Creature
Soultaker
Diabolik
Beverly Garland marathon with Swamp Diamonds, The Gunslinger, and my all time favorite – It Conquered the World
An AIP marathon has occurred many times around my house
Amazing Colossal Man
War of the Colossal Beast
Earth vs. The Spider
It Conquered the World
Teenage Caveman
(Spellcheck police) What? I have to watch that crappy Tim Allen movie? Uh-uh, no way, it’s not even MST’ed! And don’t say I have to watch that third Martin Short one, either!
(Remember, people who haven’t graduated high school yet: A “clause” is a paragraph in a contract. Disney was making a PUN, you see.)
Since the topic is “mini” marathons and I get restless after more than two episodes, I’ll nominate a couple of two-ep mini-marathons that I’ve actually done.
The “O Canada” duo: The Final Sacrifice + Zombie Nightmare. Best on July 1st with plenty of beer.
The “Groovy 1960s” duo: The Deadly Bees + Danger!! Death Ray. “She’s dressed for a ‘Laugh-In’ sketch!”
I have often pulled out the Ross Hagen Double Feature (Sidehackers and The Hellcats), and this time of year it’s always fun to run Santa Claus Conquers the Martians – Santa Claus – Rifftrax Live Christmas Shorts-Stravaganza (Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny earned a ban after I subjected my wife to it).
Episodes involving a man with more muscle than brain with a not at all subtle love interest:
High School Big Shot
Space Mutiny
Hobgoblins
Future War
You get double your geek/dweeb/spazz value in Teenage Strangler with the David Schwimmer-ish friend and the photographer suspect in The Dead Talk Back. “Is this the Ham Operator and Bully Victims Club?”
Funny they should ask this question since I have been doing my own mini-marathons over the last month.
I watched all the Coleman Francis and Ed Wood eps. Surprisingly they only did 2 of Ed’s movies, although it seems like more.
All the Hercules including Colossus and the Headhunters (yes, he’s Hercules even if they don’t call him that. Sort of like the reverse of he’s not Sinbad in that movie)
The four Russo-Finnish eps. (4 of my all time favorites.)
All the Gamera movies (Not in the same day because that would violate the Geneva Convention against torture, there’s only so much Itchy/Kenny kids anybody can take.
This week the 2 Santa movies (Too bad they didn’t do more.)
I’m surprised no one did an Ed Wood Marathon:
BRIDE OF THE MONSTER
THE SINISTER URGE
THE VIOLENT YEARS
I’ve watched a “Roman Times” Marathon several times
PRINCE OF SPACE
HORROR OF PARTY BEACH
DEVIL DOLL
INVASION OF THE NEPTUNE MEN
SPACE MUTANY
Sorry if this is a double post…
Lost Continent followed by Hercules Against the Moon Men. Rock climbing AND Sandstorm! And if anyone is still standing after that, finish with Wild Wild World of Batwoman – the seance will ensure the DEEP HURTING!!!
#1, be sure to throw Teenage Crimewave and Teenagers from Outer Space in there next time for a pentilogy (yes, that is now officially a word) of terror! And #21, don’t forget The Pumaman! :evilgrin:
Here’s something out of the box… The Harvey B. Dunn Trilogy!
TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE
BRIDE OF THE MONSTER
THE SINISTER URGE
How about a Mexican movie trilogy:
Robot vs. Aztec Mummy
Santa Claus
Samson vs. the Vampire Women
or Tampering in God’s Domain marathon:
Bride of the Monster
Brain That Wouldn’t Die
The Atomic Brain
Blood Waters of Dr. Z
The Unearthly
The Leech Woman
Shared Soundtrack Marathon:
Attack of the Giant Leeches
Night of the Blood Beast
The Unearthly
Bloodlust
Those pairs of movies use the same music cues
Or Story Arc marathon (shows whose host segments had overall plot):
Robot vs. Aztec Mummy (demon dogs)
Women of the Prehistoric Planet (doomsday machine)
Fire Maidens of Outer Space (Timmy the evil Crow)
Last of the Wild Horses (spoof of “Mirror Mirror”)
Sinister Urge (Frank tries to blow up Deep 13 after seeing “Blown Away”)
Giant Spider Invasion (spoof of “Body Snatchers”)
Here’s a marathon of “groups of girls” episodes:
Catalina Caper
Fire Maidens of Outer Space
Wild Wild World of Batwoman
Angels’ Revenge
It sounds more interesting than it is, one suspects; plus, you’ll be stuck with “Stranger in Paradise” in your head at the end of it.
I definitely do the “Giant Creature Feature” ones – The Deadly Mantis, The Beginning of the End, and Giant Spider Invasion. If I am watching on Youtube, I will toss in Earth Vs the Spider or Amazing Colossal Man as well..
I’m thinking of doing a tough girl/dangerous women marathon:
Swamp Diamonds
The Violent Years
Angels’ Revenge
I’ve also done what I call the Storyline Episodes (the episodes mentioned up in #13) in a marathon stretched out over a few weekends’ time, usually 2 to 3 shows a weekend. I plan to do this to start 2015, actually. I usually cheat and do the host-segments-only video from Mitchell on YT, but this time I plan play the whole thing.
I’ve managed to put together an all Florida marathon:
Attack of the Giant Leeches
Revenge of the Creature
Devil Fish (yes, I know it’s really European, but it’s technically set in Florida)
Blood Waters of Dr. Z
And for a bonus episode, you could throw in Teenage Caveman. It has two shorts set in Florida, Aquatic Wizards and Catching Trouble.
I did what I called the Torgo-thon for Halloween one year – every episode to feature Torgo in the host segments:
“Manos” The Hands of Fate
Operation Double 007
Village of the Giants
San Francisco International
Danger!! Death Ray
Samson vs. the Vampire Women
All among my favorite episodes. A friend of mine joined me, and we both had a blast :D
I also marathoned Crow’s ill fated screenwriting career once. I seem to dig marathons that involve host segments.
Earth vs. the Spider
Crash of the Moons
Secret Agent Super Dragon
The Beginning of the End
The Incredible Melting Man
:laugh: I completely forgot about that guy. Stop! In the name of Eddie Deezen.
Pearl once threatened a John Agar Film Festival, so here we go:
Women of the Prehistoric Planet
Revenge of the Creature
The Mole People
And Rifftrax did Attack of the Puppet People.
So, we are just going to have to come up with our own riffs on the following to complete our marathon:
Zontar The Thing From Venus (Larry Buchanan’s remake of It Conquered the World – and he really didn’t care. If the ‘bots had done this one, their heads would explode.)
The Brain From Planet Arous (the Brains really should have done this one too.)
Hand of Death (This one’s real goofy — John Agar turns into a creature that kind of looks like a black Ben Grimm Thing who kills people at a touch. And one of the victims is Joe Besser, who doesn’t even have a “I’ll HAARM YOU!” moment.)
One more mini marathon themed They Just Didn’t Care;
The Creeping Terror
Monster A-Go-Go
Attack of the Eye Creatures
How about a Gene Roth mini-marathon?
Earth vs. The Spider
Rebel Set
Tormented
Or is that a Merritt Stone mini-marathon?
I kind of like a “real” sscifi marathon. For example, Time Chasers, Overdrawn
at the Memory Bank, and Space Mutiny. Say what you will of certain faults in the
films (oh yes, there are some flaws :) ) they have a plot far beyond the “horror scifi”
genre of set up a premise—usually some people in an enclosed space/area—and then
kill off most of them a few at a time.
Oh, and since there are only 4 of them and they obviously have a common
host theme unlike mst3000 in general, how about a mini-marathon of the
4 Film Crew episodes (Rue Maclanahan stripping, a fascinating analysys of
the Battle of Marathon, Peter Graves redux…