The 17 Hour Sci-Fi Spectacular at Chicago's Music Box

Last October I wrote an article here about my experience at a 24 hour horror movie marathon called The Music Box Massacre, named after the famous old theater that hosts the event. Located at 3733 N. Southport, in the neighborhood near Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, the Music Box is a two-screen neighborhood theater that specializes in independent and foreign films plus the occasional classic re-release (presently the theater is playing the Burt Lancaster/Tony Curtis drama "Sweet Smell of Success" in honor of its 50^th birthday).

I survived the Music Box Massacre and was pleasantly surprised when the theater began promoting its first ever Sci-Fi Spectacular, which took place on Saturday May 5^th. The spectacular was scheduled to be 14 hours and still recovering from major surgery in February, I was a bit unsure as to whether I could make it through a movie marathon so soon. Of course being the movie buff that I am there was no way I wasn't going to at least give it a shot. So I called my nephew, my partner at the Massacre, and the tickets were ordered.

I am happy to report that although there was much residual soreness for a few days after, I made it through the Spectacular with flying colors. Much credit is owed to the Music Box Theater and Rusty Nails, the young man who has hosted both events. Rusty keeps the audience entertained between movies with trivia for prizes and raffles and the theater gives ample time (normally 20-30 minutes) in between each movie to get up and walk outside to stretch and get some fresh air. Kudos to both for another fabulous presentation.

I have only three small complaints about the Spectacular, none of which was an issue at the Massacre. First is that no outside food was brought in for the patrons (which filled the theater at one point). Unless you brought your own food to sit or were willing to take a walk then you relied on popcorn and candy. My nephew and I walked a few blocks and found a Dairy Queen that served more then ice cream. Unfortunately we weren't the only ones in there and the wait was longer then expected. We literally wolfed down our food so as to not miss the next attraction. This extra line was no doubt caused by not only members of the theater audience but by fans of the Cubs where the game had ended not long before.

My second complaint is that perhaps since the theater is in such close proximity to the ballpark that the booker should look into not holding this the same day as a Cubs game. Recently the theater cut its public parking availability in half, or more, so parking can also be more difficult if you can't find a meter nearby. And who wants to come out every two hours to fill a meter with two dollars in quarters? That could become a bit too pricey.

My last complaint was that the original 14 hours went out the window from the start when the first movie started 20 minutes late. When you take in to account that there was live music and a film Q&A session which ran long, the Spectacular ended up running 3 hours longer then expected. When we finally walked out of the Music Box just after 5am the sun was just starting to rise. Now this was not a problem for my nephew and I but it could be if you attend and make arrangements for a ride. Incidentally, driving back from the city to Northwest Indiana we saw a sight I had never witnessed: The rising run shining off the buildings as it rose was a jaw-droppingly beautiful sight.

Enough of the complaints, especially since the Spectacular turned out to be a terrific time. As was the case with the Massacre the Music Box had tables set up so you could purchase DVD's and t-shirts and comics and other goodies. The one difference was that all proceeds were going to the Patricia Neal foundation for stroke victims in honor of the Academy Award winning actress (who attended) who had 3 strokes at the age of 39 that nearly killed her.

The first film on the program was Fritz Lang's 1927 classic silent film "Metropolis" about a well to do young man who abandons his life of luxury to join slave-like workers in a revolt. This 120 minute version is the original director's cut and the film holds up startlingly well after all these years. Some of the visual effects brought gasps from an obviously appreciative audience. This version should not be confused with a 1984 re-release version which cut the film down to 84 minutes and not only added color tinting to the print but also had a new score and songs added on.

Next up was a classic Bugs Bunny cartoon Haredevil Hare (featuring Marvin the Martian) followed by the 1956 "classic" "Forbidden Planet" starring Leslie Nielsen, Anne Francis and Walter Pidgeon about a planetary expedition by a group of men who discover that one man (along with his very sexy daughter who, by the way, has never seen a man other then daddy, and Robby the Robot) has created his own little society. Unfortunately there are creatures that are none too happy the new crewmen are on the planet. The film is regarded as a classic but the audience was howling at loads of terrible dialogue and some moments that are just plain bad. I found the film disappointing considering its reputation.

After two performances from local rock bands (which we skipped to grab a bite) came the 2006 film "Serenity" that turned out to be the most pleasant surprise of the Spectacular. Based on a short-lived television series called "Firefly," the film follows the same characters as a group of outer space thieves hunted by bounty hunters after they bring a special young girl aboard their ship. The film is lively, funny and fast paced with likable characters spouting very funny lines (especially when in crisis) and is well worth seeking out on DVD. The film was a flop when released and wasn't around long enough for me to see it. This was one of the best films to be shown.

Prior to the highlight of the Spectacular was the very first "Flash Gordon" serial starring Buster Crabbe. The audience was gleefully entertained with nostalgia by the poor special effects and terrible acting by the female leads. At the end a flash card proudly announced that part two would be shown "At this very theater next week" which brought huge applause from the crowd. Then came one of the greatest (if not the greatest) Sci-Fi films of all time, 1951's "The Day The Earth Stood Still" starring Michael Rennie and Patricia Neal. The timeless story is of an alien that comes to Earth to warn us that future hostilities may result is devastation for the planet if differences within the countries are not resolved. The film plays as well as it likely did when it premiered and drew the largest crowd and biggest applause when it concluded.

Just after the conclusion of the film, 81 year old Patricia Neal took the stage with a moderator for a lively 30 minute Q&A session. Walking slowly with a cane and appearing quite frail (see picture), Ms. Neal was very entertaining as she remembered stories from her long career. Though she had trouble remembering names, she surprisingly seemed lucid and detailed in most of her stories. She admitted that "Day the Earth Stood Still" seemed like a silly movie that she took for the money. She now admits she believes it to be the best Sci-Fi film ever. She delighted in remembering directors she loved working with including "Earth" director Robert Wise, along with Martin Ritt and Elia Kazan, whom she named as her favorite. She candidly admitted that she got along with everyone she ever worked with except for George Peppard (Breakfast at Tiffany's). She admitted that director Blake Edwards and Peppard almost came to blows until Neal stepped in and calmed Edwards and now wishes she had let Edwards go. She also admitted that Gary Cooper was the great love of her life and that her biggest career blunder was turning down the role of Mrs. Robinson in "The Graduate." She also candidly spoke of her near fatal strokes (of which she has no memory and recalls only with what she was told) and how Variety mistakenly printed her obituary. And then she brought the house down as the Q&A ended by looking at the audience and reading perhaps her most famous line, "Gort! Klaatu barada nikto!" Her obvious joy at the response shows how much she still appreciates her fans and the film that lives on.

Next up was a group of original coming attraction trailers from the 1970's including "The Andromeda Strain," "The Omega Man," "Death Race 2000," "Fantastic Planet," "Star Crash" and "The Clones." The next feature was 1979's cult classic "Mad Max" starring a then unknown Mel Gibson as a cop in the future who takes revenge on a group of sadistic bikers who kill his wife and child. While the chases and stunt work are spectacular the film moves at a deadly slow pace and the film's main story doesn't get going until one hour in. It is far inferior to the spectacular sequel, "The Road Warrior."

The evening was obviously starting to wind down now as a visit to the restroom revealed many people sleeping and the crowd started to thin out somewhat. Next up was "THX 1138 4EB," a short film by George Lucas shot while he still was attending USC. This short was the blueprint for his first film, "THX 1138" and tells the basic story of a prisoner in a futuristic society who escapes trying to save his life. The short begins with him on the run and there is little dialogue so we don't get to know THX 1138 4EB or why he is running. This film gives little indication of the career that lay ahead for its director. Following this was an odd 28 minute short called "La Jette" that is told with narration over still photographs. Likely due to the lateness of the hour I found the short incredibly boring though it is interesting to note that the last part of the short obviously inspired director Terry Gilliam for his film "12 Monkeys" as each film's conclusion is virtually identical. Then came the film that made Arnold Schwarzenneggar a star, "The Terminator." The 1984 film holds up well but, oddly and without explanation, the print we were shown had Spanish sub-titles. It distracted only at first and then you got used to it.

The last program of the Spectacular was "Starship Troopers,"a 1997 thriller about high school kids who join the Army and soon become involved in a war with giant mutant bugs. The film sounds sillier then it is with spectacular action sequences and an obvious lack of subtlety in its direction by Paul (Basic Instinct; Total Recall) Verhoeven.

And then it was over. We hopped into the car and watched the sun overtake the skyline of Chicago and headed home. When my nephew dropped me off I reminded him to rest up as October is just 5 months away.

And that means the Music Box Massacre 3!