The Thrill of the Binge
The Thrill of the Binge
Once the costumes and decorations of Spooky Month are packed away, it’s time for another time-honored tradition: The movie marathon. Whether you’re waiting for Tom Turkey or Kris Kringle, there’s something about gathering for a marathon that is perfect for the holidays.
We here at Thrills Ville are equal-opportunity bingers. Whether it’s Star Wars, Harry Potter, a Marvel marathon, Jurassics Park… Jurassics Parks? Jurassic Parks?, whatever, maybe it is just a pile of movies you love, we’re here for it. For us, Lord of the Rings has become an annual tradition. Every year, we gather to make it a full-day event. We’ve learned that it’s not just about watching the movies—it’s about embracing the ritual, the game breaks, the food, the company, and the excitement as those final moments close in.
Over the years, we’ve perfected our marathon game. It’s not just about zoning out in front of a screen. We turn it into an event. A marathon can be a feast, a celebration, party. Even a simple movie night can feel special if you invest the time in making it memorable— grabbing themed snacks, playing games between movies, or giving it the MST3K treatment.
So, this holiday season, don’t just press play. Take the time to plan your own marathon, create an experience out of it, and invite your friends to join in. You’ll find that what could have been another casual viewing becomes something you’ll look forward to each year. We have included a schedule for those brave enough to do the full 15 hour trek to Mount Doom in a day.
Happy marathoning, everyone!
The Plan of the Things
Use this schedule and menu for a 15 hour quest! This is timed to breaks in the Extended versions:
• 9:00 AM (30 min) - Gather and Breakfast
Bacon & eggs. A variety of breads for the day.
• 9:30 AM (1 hr 45 min) – Fellowship Pt. 1
• 11:15 AM (30 min) – Second Breakfast
Crockpots: potato soup or chili. Keep these out.
• 11:45 AM (1 hr 35 min) – Fellowship Pt. 2
• 1:20 PM (1 hr) – Luncheon
Meat and cheese tray, play some games.
• 2:20 PM (1 hr 50 min) – Two Towers Pt. 1
• 4:10 PM (20 min) – Dinner
Last call on crockpots, prep for supper.
• 4:30 PM (1 hr 50 min) – Two Towers Pt. 2
• 6:20 PM (1 hr) – Supper
Grilled chicken, salad, and games.
• 7:20 PM (2 hr 15 min) – RotK Pt. 1
• 9:35 PM (25 min) – Dessert
Last break, last call for food! Clean up and put away all the food and break out the desserts!
• 10:00 PM (2 hr) – RotK Pt. 2
• 12:00 AM – Farewells
Sigh of relief, final cleaning, dole out left-overs, your work here is done.
Make sure your discs are put away properly, return them to the shelf to wait for next year’s marathon!
