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Butt-Numb-A-Thon

Butt-Numb-A-Thon was Harry Knowles's invitation-only, 24-hour movie marathon at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, held each December on the weekend nearest the Ain't It Cool News founder's birthday. It began in 1999 at the original Alamo Drafthouse at Fifth and Colorado and later moved to Alamo South Lamar. Knowles chose every title, mixing old genre films with premieres and studio sneak previews, and attendees had to apply for seats. The 18th edition, in December 2016, world-premiered A Cure for Wellness and previewed Logan. In September 2017 the Alamo Drafthouse cut all ties with Knowles after sexual misconduct allegations against him, and no edition has been documented since.

Festival · Austin · Since 1999 · Ended 2016

When it ran
Held in December
Alamo Drafthouse Downtown (Fifth and Colorado; early editions); Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar (by 2012)
Harry Knowles (Ain't It Cool News), held at the Alamo Drafthouse
Categories
24-hour invitation-only film marathon mixing repertory titles, premieres and sneak previews

Notable

The December 2000 edition was billed as the second year of Knowles's 24-hour birthday marathon at the Alamo Drafthouse at Fifth and Colorado ↗︎
The third annual edition, in December 2001 at the Alamo Drafthouse Downtown, turned away about 700 applicants ↗︎
The 18th annual edition, in December 2016, opened with Silence, world-premiered A Cure for Wellness and previewed the first 40 minutes of Logan ↗︎
Seats were by emailed application, approved personally by Knowles, at $140 each in 2016, with proceeds going to the Saturday Morning Kids Club charity; attendance was capped at 198 in one auditorium ↗︎
On September 25, 2017, Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League said Knowles was no longer connected with the company in any capacity, after sexual misconduct allegations against him ↗︎
Sources
  1. Comfortably Butt Numb The Austin Chronicle 2000-12-15
  2. Butt-Numb-a-Thon Roster The Austin Chronicle 2001-12-14
  3. There And Back Again: ScreenAnarchy Survives The 14th Butt-Numb-A-Thon ScreenAnarchy 2012-12
  4. Harry Knowles' Annual Butt-Numb-a-Thon Teases 'Logan,' 'A Cure for Wellness' Variety 2016-12-12
  5. Harry Knowles Accused of Sexual Harassment The Austin Chronicle 2017-09-27

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