BNAT1138: The Beginning

26+ hours. Longer, if you start at registration. And hands down one of the best mixed genre programs I could imagine.  For a first time BNAT-er I could not have wished for more; thematically tight with an outstanding mixture of genres and styles old and new. From the contented comments of the veteran BNAT-ers, it sounds like they couldn't either. If you weren't there, this recap will probably make you jealous.

Registration was quick and as efficient as possible. Our goodie bags promptly stored after a quick perusal.  The list:  Two t-shirts, Zombieland cap and hand sanitizer, I Love You Man mug,  Nineteen Seventy-Four by David Peace, Dear Zachary DVD, a promotional poster, a Scare for a Cure cardgame, and a collectible Monsterpocalypse starter set, miniposter for Marianne (2011), and the BNAT Yearbook. 

The yearbook includes our bald pictures required on the applications, and highlights from our apps. No names, though, only a designated ID number based on initials and seat assignments. Very creative.

A flyer for the newly formed AGFA was tucked into the envelope with my badge. It seems team Alamo has launched the American Genre Film Archive  to preserve 35mm prints of exploitation and horror films. The site is still only a placeholder, but look for more in the future, and they're looking for donations to help acquire and store prints that might not otherwise be seen by future generations, and future Weird Wednesdays and Terror Tuesdays.  Alamo recently salvaged nearly 200 Shaw Brothers films, which seems to have spurred them on into finding more exploitive and horror films to rescue for future generations. 

It took a while to get into the theater properly, and then some time to get started. I had friends scattered around me, but not right next to me.  The guy on my right is another Austinite I vaguely recognize but can't place. The seat to my left was supposed to be a guy from Cyprus, but he couldn't make it so it was filled with a standby. We'd heard the night before there would be a lot of empty seats for standby, but apparently all but two were filled with last-minute guests of AICN or the Alamo. 

I'm not sure how late we got started, because I was a good BNAT-er and left my phone at home, which is my usual watch. I forgot to wear a real watch, so I only knew what time it was when we arrived, when we started late, and twice more during the 26+ hours of official BNAT.  After a quick introduction, the projectors started up. In the meantime, there was much discussion about the "fake list" and what films will play.

Trailers:  99 and 44/100% Dead, Death Machines, Uncanny, Stunt Rock. 

The Alamo's Tim League and the birthday boy himself Harry Knowles talked about the global participation, making people from Australia, France, Finland, Denmark, and other countries represent before special guest Ivan from Bulgaria shared a toast with Harry and a celebratory dance performance in lederhosen and grins equally comical and unsettling. 

Teen Wolf was set to be the opening feature, and a Dolby representative who looked suspiciously like Cinematical's Scott Weinberg assured us that this new digital version would be flawless. Veteran BNAT-ers were put in the mood as it did a digital meltdown after about 5 shots, instead of the traditional 35mm meltdown.

Our first film was the silent classic, F.W. Murnau'a Faust, with Graham Reynolds performing live on the resident organ that always seemed like a non-sequitur to me. It was a rough 116 minutes for me, as I've had a three-week migraine and only the horror of missing BNAT got me out of bed on Saturday morning.  The initial trailers were very loud and the organ music hit every note destined to make me scream. I meant to bring earplugs for the loud stuff, but had to resort to crumpled tissues.  But I was not giving up.

Trailers:  The Rape Killer,  Ricky Schroeder Anti-child abuse PSA (in Spanish)

The Lovely Bones was the first unreleased feature to screen. This life-after-death story improved slightly on a second viewing, as it's screened in town for press already. Based on the previous feature, it seems girls in peril might be the theme.

Trailers:   That's Dancing, Nudes on Tiger Reef, The Fastest Guitar Alive

Girl Crazy was the next vintage film, a classic if incredibly hokey musical with Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney. Standby Gal skips out, not for the first time. Apparently she doesn't like vintage movies, which irks me because so many of my local film geek pals who did not get in would have loved to see all the vintage films, not just the newer films. At least I got to stretch a bit, as it was a snug fit. Who can go wrong with Tommy Dorsey playing and Judy Garland singing some Gershwin tunes?

Trailers:  Attack of the 50-Foot Woman, a Japanese video involving ass injections, a baseball player crashing through the wall, clip of the music video "One Meatball" by Candy Candido

The Red Shoes. Harry introduced this restored 35mm print coyly, alluding to the fact he didn't program it. We found out later who did, and it was quite a pleasant surprise.  Standby Gal skipped out again, and missed a sumptuous print of a wonderful classic.  As far as I can tell, this is hands-down the favorite vintage film of BNAT1138. The gals in peril theme gets a lot more complex with ballerina Vicky Page living out the fairy tale of a girl who only wanted to dance who slips on enchanted shoes to her peril. 

I'm already happy with what I've seen, but there's more to come. Continued in BNAT1138: The Middle.