BNAT 14 – A Recap of Film’s Best Kept Secret

Back in 1996 when I was on AOL and tinkering with my very first website, Austin, Texas native Harry Knowles was recovering from a traumatic back injury and looking for a means to divert his attention from the pain he was experiencing.

A friend helped him build the very first iteration of “Ain’t It Cool News,” a website dedicated to Harry’s love of film and his interest in being informed about the latest movie news and gossip.

Within a few years Ain't It Cool became a virtual hub for on-set spy reports, candid celebrity interviews, and online chats with actors and directors who were happy to share their passion for film with the growing and dedicated Ain't It Cool fanbase.

Harry is the perfect example of a man who turned his passion into a business, and someone who continues to reach out to other business owners with a similar model. His friendship with Drafthouse founder Tim League (the Alamo Drafthouse is that movie theater you hear about on Anderson Cooper and CNN that serves beer but doesn't allow patrons to use their phones or talk during a screening) to collaborate on an annual 24 hour film festival whose proceeds are used to fund the Drafthouse Saturday morning film series for children.

Since its inception 14 years ago, Butt-Numb-A-Thon (or BNAT, to those in the know) has been the best kept secret in the world of film. Films such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Apocalypto, The Passion of the Christ, Cabin in the Woods and dozens of others have premiered for a small audience of under 200, often accompanied by video messages from the stars and directors or even the odd surprise appearance for an in-person question and answer session with the stunned crowd.

In addition to seeing new films, BNAT audiences are treated to vintage films that amaze, confuse, and sometimes mystify the viewers. The 2011 festival audience was treated to a screening of one of the few remaining prints of Georges Méliès' A Trip to the Moon with live musical accompaniment.

In 2011 my wife and I decided to fill out the lengthy applications aimed squarely at testing our determination and our love of films. We were required to watch movies as homework, to take creative narrative photos, and to find ways to best communicate why we deserved to be considered as part of the lucky 200 attendees to the festival who would be chosen from a pool of almost ten thousand applicants.

In the world of BNAT there are no guarantees, and even regular celebrity guests like Elijah Wood must submit their yearly applications along with those of us unknown for bearing the One Ring into the mouth of a mystical volcano. When we were selected to return for this year's BNAT audience my wife and I felt truly fortunate for the opportunity.

On Saturday morning on December 8th we filed into line to pay for our passes and receive our "goodie bags," collections of cool geek swag donated by sponsors and given to the attendees as an added bonus for attending. Our bags contained a slew of independent comic books, a copy of local favorite Ernie Cline’s book Ready Player One, a smattering of DVDs and geek music CDs, and even a card game based on Borderlands 2.

After stashing our geek loot in the car, we shuffled into theater 1 in the Alamo Drafthouse's (soon to be rebuilt) South Lamar location to join almost 200 of our fellow geeks in watching the following movies:

Teen Wolf (1985)

There's been a running joke since the very beginning of BNAT about playing this film. One of the festival's regular visitors, Jeff Mahler, is a huge Teen Wolf fan so every year there's some good-natured hijinks surrounding the film. This time the film played normally right up until the final climactic basketball game during which the print "melted" in the projector and the announcement was made that we’d be unable to finish our viewing. The audience responded with cheers, laughter, and a few jokes at the expense of this 27 year old turkey of a film.

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013, full theatrical trailer)

The audience cheered and applauded at the opportunity to be the first theater in the world to see the full theatrical trailer for the sequel to the 2009 Star Trek film. The new movie looks thrilling and seeing the trailer was a highlight for any sci-fi fan at BNAT.

The Hobbit, An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Many of us in the audience had speculated that this film would play, largely because of the friendship between Peter Jackson and Harry Knowles and the fact that all three of the Lord of the Rings films had premiered at previous BNAT screenings. The film feels like an expansion of the world of the first three films, and filled me with the same kind of wonder and excitement as those films did.

I would like to take a moment to talk about the HFR (High Frame Rate) presentation of the film. This movie was presented to us in 48 frames-per-second which was mentally jarring after having seen Teen Wolf and other trailers in 24 frames-per-second. Once you relax and your mind begins to adjust to the higher frame rate, the film becomes a window into one of Tolkein’s most beloved works of fiction.

This screening was followed by a fantastic Q and A session with Peter Jackson where he discussed the filming process with the audience.

G.I. Joe Retaliation (2012, full 3D trailer and a scene from the film)

After a video introduction from the Rock, we had the chance to see an exciting trailer for the sequel to the original G.I. Joe film followed by an intense action sequence that followed Snake Eyes as he attempted to abduct his nemesis, Storm Shadow, while being chased through snow-covered mountains by a band of ninjas.

Broadway Melody of 1940 (1940)

A vintage film starring Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell (two of cinema's greatest dancers) playing lovable Broadway performers caught in a Cyrano de Bergerac-esque love triangle.

The Gang’s All Here (1943)

A vintage musical directed by the infamous Busby Berkeley that involves mistaken identity, a lengthy advertisement for U.S. War Bonds, Carmen Miranda dancing in her fruit covered wardrobe, and a ten minute musical number about polka dots.

Mama (2012)

The evening turned decidedly dark with a horror film about two orphaned children who were raised and nurtured by a vengeful spirit. The way that the "ghost" in this film behaves, and the way that these child performers imitate her had a degree of creepiness that is impossible to communicate in words.

The film's producer Guillermo del Toro (famed director of Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy arrived for a brief Q and A session, and to introduce the trailer for Pacific Rim, his newest film.

Pacific Rim (2013, San Diego Comic Con trailer)

An exciting teaser for a film that asks the question: "What if giant monsters (like those from the old Godzilla movies) threatened the world and humanity built giant robots to fight them?" If you’re dying to know the answer to this question, the trailer shows that this film was made just for you.

World War Z (2013, 8 minutes of footage)

After a brief video introduction by Brad Pitt, where he joked about his recent Chanel cologne commercial, we were treated to eight minutes of unfinished footage from the upcoming World War Z. The footage was exciting and entertaining, but demonstrated how clearly the film intends to stray from Max Brooks’ source material in which zombies are slow shamblers. In the film, they run, leap, attack moving cars, and commit terrifying acts of athletic prowess in their pursuit of the next human snack.

Libeled Lady (1936)

Another vintage romantic comedy that centers around a newspaper's desperate attempts to save itself from the wrath of a rich debutante after mistakenly printing a story that defamed her public image.

"Brain Damage" (?)

From time to time BNAT audiences are treated to a film that is entirely secret. We are requested to refrain from writing about it, texting it or tweeting it to the general public. This film was entertaining and amazing, but no further details should be shared about it until the time is right.

Evil Dead (2013, a scene from the film)

We were treated to an advance screening of several minutes from the 2013 remake of Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead. This new version of the classic "trapped in a possessed cabin" tale established itself as frightening and graphically gory within seconds. I can't be sure that this decidedly grittier tone will please die hard fans of the original film, but those who love gory horror are bound to be pleased by the new film's unflinchingly demented content.

Nightmare Alley (1947)

This vintage film starring the great Tyrone Power is a story about the rise and fall of a carnival worker who attempts to make his fortune as the world’s greatest "mentalist." Alcoholism, jealousy and murder follow his career and eventually defeat his climb to the top of a dubious industry.

White Heat (1949)

If you've never seen James Cagney play a tortured criminal you've truly missed out. "White Heat" showcases Cagney's range as a performer and really proves why he was such a star during this era. His "blaze of glory" showdown with the police at the end of the film is the source of the catchphrase "I'm on top of the world, Ma!"

The Heat (2013, theatrical trailer and scenes from the film) 

Bridesmaids director Paul Feig arrived to hand out doughnuts and give us a sneak peak of his newest raunchy comedy, The Heat, which stars Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy as an "odd couple" cop duo entangled in various violent hijinks in their pursuit of crime.

Rollerball (1975)

This dystopian film starring James Caan is really a political statement about the growing power of corporations and their ability to subjugate and destroy individual rights. Don't let the guys in spiked armor on rollerskates fool you into thinking there isn't a deeper meaning behind all the on screen mayhem.

Pain & Gain (2013, theatrical trailer)

Following a strangely hilarious video introduction by Michael Bay himself, we got to see a lengthy trailer for a film starring Mark Wahlberg and The Rock as bodybuilders with a plan to "steal" the good life from someone they meet at the gym.

Bullet to the Head (2012)

Sylvester Stallone stars in this film that acts partly as a hard-boiled crime tale, and partly as a love letter to the ultra-violence and excess of 1980's action films. While there's nothing unpredictable about either genre, lovers of 80's cop adventure flicks will find a lot of entertainment in watching it all play out.

All told we were treated to twenty-six hours of films, trailers, celebrity appearances, and fun conversations with fellow film fans that is like no other film experience in the country. While at times staying awake and intent on the screen for that long feels like a test of willpower and endurance, the experience itself offers rewards that far outweigh the discomfort.

In many ways I believe this is an intentional parable for the life experience of Harry Knowles, whose personal trials eventually led him to create Ain't it Cool, to meet actors and directors from around the world, and to plan an annual festival that brings film fans together from around the globe.