Paste-up for rare teaser flier for 1999 Marathon335 viewsIn the fall of 1999, there was a plan in place for a third edition of the SHOCKTOBERFEST event (to be titled SON OF SHOCKTOBERFEST) at the Drexel Grandview. Unfortunately, that plan fell apart. I had been employed at Studio 35 Cinema since early in the year, so I pitched then-owner John Conti the idea of resurrecting the 24-Hour format. Hence, from the ashes of the all-nighter rose the classically formatted Marathon we all know an love. The catch? SON OF SHOCKTOBERFEST fell apart at the beginning of October, so to give ourselves enough prep and promo time we scheduled the Marathon for the second weekend of November. This teaser flier was distributed in limited amounts before the full lineup was booked. (Neff) Sep 06, 2009
Paste-up for 1999 Marathon t-shirt348 views*This was the first Marathon t-shirt I ever designed. Even though I considered it about half-successful in artistic terms, it sold out in the first half of the event. Subsequent t-shirts (which I considered to be much more artistically successful) often struggled to sell out. So goes the fickle finger of fate.
*The back of the shirt featured the slimy skull artwork from SQUIRM, and the tag line "When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the Studio." This was, of course, a nod to the iconic line from DAWN OF THE DEAD. However, it was also a tip o' the skull cap to Bruce's past work, as he had included the same line (with "Drexel" in place of "Studio") on the flier for the 1st NIGHT OF THE LIVING DREXEL 24-Hour Horror Marathon.(Neff)Sep 06, 2009
Back of flier for 1999 Marathon286 views*No one seemed to get my "Beechwold-aged" joke in the Warning section (i.e. the Drexel North was in the Beechwold section of Clintonville, we had beer at a Marathon for the first time, Beechwood aged, etc.) Oh well. (Neff)Sep 06, 2009
Flier for 1999 Marathon278 views*The rushed nature of promoting this Marathon hampered this first flier a bit. It's okay, but I consider it to be a mixed bag. Part of this reasoning is due to miscommunication with the printer on my part, resulting in too much of a white border surrounding the artwork. That problem would be corrected in subsequent years.
*BLOOD FEAST did not make it to the final lineup. Hollywood major domo Jimmy Maslin could not find one of the reels in the days before the event, so we had to sub it out. (Neff)Sep 06, 2009
Front of program for 1999 Marathon232 viewsSep 06, 2009
Interior of 1998 program502 viewsSep 06, 2009
Back of flier for 1998 Marathon465 viewsSep 06, 2009
Flier for 1998 Marathon489 views*The first SHOCKTOBERFEST was enough of a success to warrant a second go at it the following year. By this time, I had replaced Tim Martin (who had departed for the newly opened Marcus Cinemas Pickerington) as manager of the Drexel Grandview. I subsequently took over the bulk of the organizing and booking with Jeff Frank.
*This was the first Columbus Marathon to be emceed by someone other than Bruce. Yes, the experience was petrifying.
*The print of KUNG-FU CANNIBALS (which we later found out to be the 1982 Cameron Mitchell actioner RAW FORCE) was to emanate from the vaults of Hollywood sleaze maven Johnny Legend. However, at the last minute Johnny could not find the print. Hence, we replaced it with the Ohio Premiere of SIX STRING SAMURAI.
*The lobby theme (and staff costumes) for this year was the Miskatonic University 13th Anniversary Class Reunion.
*This was the first Marathon where I booked THE HUNGER as part of the lineup (it also screened at the 2003 NIGHTMARE AT STUDIO 35.) In subsequent years, a vocal minority has developed that believes I keep booking THE HUNGER out of spite for the audience, and that I spend my weekends watching it and SUSPIRIA back to back in a loop. That supposition is only half correct. (Neff) Sep 06, 2009
Cover of 1998 program379 viewsThe night before the Marathon, the Grandview staff and I were at the theater decorating until around 3am. I went home, hastily assembled the program (which shows), drove out to Bexley to drop it off at the main office, almost crashed from sleep-deprivation on the way there, and finally snagged a few hours of sleep. (Neff)Sep 06, 2009
Back cover of 1998 program303 viewsSep 06, 2009
BRIDE OF SHOCKTOBERFEST ticket378 viewsSep 06, 2009
Flier for 1997 Marathon435 views*In the fall of 1997, Jeff Frank approached Tim Martin (who was managing the Drexel Grandview at the time) with an idea: he wanted to screen TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 4 that October and subsequently asked Tim to throw together a double feature with it and another film. Tim approached Marc Heuck (then employed at the Drexel and still several years away from BEAT THE GEEKS stardom) and I for help, and naturally, we collectively expanded the idea to a mini-all nighter.
*I stole the event's title from a 1992 HOOT article (which is located in that Horror Marathon's section) which referred to it being "Shock-tober" at the Drexel North. Thanks Irv.
*At the last minute, we found out the print of RE-ANIMATOR was lost in Europe, so we ended up screening ARMY OF DARKNESS instead. We'd make up for it the following year.
*Bruce emceed the event for us.
*We had two major gimmicks as part of this event. During the appropriate moment in THE TINGLER, several plants in the audience pulled the old "snake in a nut can" prank, and another few members "fainted" and had to be carried out. During TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 4, we posted Tim Martin's nephew outside the exit door near the Grandview's screen. At a dull moment in the film (I know, who woulda thunk it?) he ran up the aisle with a running chainsaw (sans chain for safety reasons.) It definitely gave the audience a jolt, and ranks as one of the best gimmicks in Marathon history.
*Incidentally, during this Marathon I told all my friends that after co-organizing one real life Marathon, I was done with the behind the scenes work and would be permanently returning to my role as audience member. HA! (Neff)Sep 06, 2009
