24 Hours of Mandom at Butt-Numb-a-Thon 12

This year, I was privileged and honored to be in the audience for Harry Knowles's 12th annual 24-hour birthday party and film festival known as Butt-Numb-a-Thon, or BNAT for short. The 24-hour movie marathon took place this year from Saturday morning, Dec. 11 through midday on Sunday, Dec. 12 at Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar (mostly).

An audience of approximately 200 people from around the world is chosen personally by Knowles from among thousands of applicants who submit questionnaires to gauge their love of films from all genres but especially those that fit the year's chosen theme -- this year it was "Mandom." Nearly half of those attending submitted a video of their own versions of the 1970s Charles Bronson "Mandom" cologne commercials, singing the Mandom theme song. Even Harry's close friends and family must submit their applications in order to attend.

Participants spend more than 24 hours in a theater (more than one this year, as noted below) and are treated to a lineup of movies -- usually six vintage films and six premieres -- smattered with trailers, commercials, prize giveaways, celebrity guest introductions and early footage of upcoming films.

This year, special guests at BNAT included director Jon Favreau, writer Roberto Orci and producer Ron Howard, who together presented footage from the as-yet-incomplete Cowboys & Aliens. Director Gore Verbinski also taped a video greeting to introduce footage from his upcoming animated feature Rango. Celebrities in the audience included Elijah Wood (a perennial attendee), Joseph Gordon-Levitt, filmmaker Rian Johnson and Meghan McCain.
The complete feature lineup in order:

1. True Grit (2010) -- my review
2. Le Samouraì (1967)
3. On The Town (1949)
4. Santa Fe Trail (1940)
5. The Fighter (2010) -- Jette's review
6. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
7. Falstaff, aka Chimes at Midnight (1965)
8. Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979)
9. The Green Hornet (2011)
10. [unable to reveal this title due to embargo prior to its Sundance 2011 premiere]
11. Drive Angry 3D (2011)
12. TRON: Legacy (2010) -- my review

We were all driven by bus to the IMAX Theater at the Texas State History Museum for the TRON: Legacy screening in 3D.

Most notable in the lineup was the print of Falstaff, Orson Welles's personal favorite film, a movie so rare I understand the print was borrowed from Quentin Tarantino. In addition to the above, we also saw Jim Henson's Academy Award-nominated short Time Piece (1965), part of which is viewable online.