Entry 1; 4/29/15; 3:58pm: My name is Matt Benson. I am a reserve Agent of GUARD. In roughly two hours I will begin an 11 film, 28 hour journey into the Marvel Cinematic universe, beginning with Iron Man and ending with Avengers: Age of Ultron. It’s the Ultimate Marvel Movie Marathon at Downtown Disney. It will be long. It will be trying. By the end, I may not be coherent. Today (and tomorrow), I will prove my dedication as a Marvel fan. I hope the movie theater food doesn’t kill me.
Entry 2; 4/29/15; 4:29pm: Just got into the theater. There’s already a smell.
Entry 3; 4/29/15; 8:13pm; Caffeine consumed: 1 large Coke; Films watched: 1: I have concerns about the audience. There was a lot of cell phone use and a solid 20 percent didn’t even stay to see the first appearance of Nick Fury. Iron Man is still great. The moment when Tony sees the Stark Industries logo on the missile before it blows up is perfection.
Entry 4; 4/29/15; 10:17pm; Caffeine consumed: 1 large Coke; Films watched: 2: People don’t give The Incredible Hulk nearly enough credit. I like to imagine a world where the reception was a little better and in addition to all the awesome stuff Marvel has done, they also followed up with the Leader and began planting seeds for Red Hulk. Starting to feel a little tired now, but my spirit is strong! Only nine movies still to go!
Entry 5; 4/30/15; 12:51am; Caffeine consumed: 1 large Coke; Films watched: 3: WOOOOOOOO! I got my second wind! Feeling good, feeling excited! It probably would’ve been better to hit my second wind later, but then it might be good to have something to help me through Thor. I seem to have made an enemy in a large man with long, thinning hair when I opened the bathroom door too quickly while he was trying to exit. I saw him again and was met with a very cold stare. The crowd won me over again with a positive reception for Iron Man 2, which I have always maintained is the best Iron Man and been willing to argue passionately against anyone who would say otherwise.
Entry 6; 4/30/15; 2:58am; Caffeine consumed: 1 large Coke, 1 large Mr. Pibb (Pibb Xtra for our younger readers); Films watched: 4: Thor snatched all that second wind energy from me. Feeling very tired now. I think I’ll be okay if I can just make it to day break.
Entry 7; 4/30/15; 5:10am; Caffeine consumed: 1 large Coke, 1 large Mr. Pibb; Films watched: 5: Captain America: The First Avenger is a very good movie, but I am so tired. Downtown Disney is a strange sight at 5 in the morning. There’s no one around but for some Lego Store employees setting up for the day and some men in bright yellow vests digging through the bushes looking for God knows what. The early morning air is invigorating, but there’s still so long to go. What was I thinking? No human should want this.
Entry 8; 4/30/15; 8:25am; Caffeine consumed: 1 large Coke, 1 large Mr. Pibb; Films watched: 6: The sun is shining, I had a whore’s bath and a change of clothes in a public restroom, and I feel fantastic! And I’ve learned that no matter how sleep deprived you may be, the “I’m always angry” moment in Avengers will always make you so happy that you want to run laps around the theater.
Entry 9; 4/30/15; 1:17pm; Caffeine consumed: 1 large Coke, 1 large Mr. Pibb, 1 cup of chicory (is there caffeine in chicory?? Did I drink this gross nonsense for nothing??); Films watched: 8: I’ve been in a weird place since about halfway through Iron Man 3. I feel awake and alert, but also like a might throw up. A significant portion of the audience sleeps now. Everyone has been farting in the same spot in the hallway, you can tell. It’s the exact distance where they think that they’re clear of the theater and therfore have fart anonymity. But we all have to walk through that hall. It’d be better if everyone just farted in their seats. At least then it wouldn’t be so concentrated. In the lobby, there is a Pitch Perfect 2 display facing the wall. A woman sits in between, with about three inches of free space. It’s a weird scene. I’d say I’ve slept no more than a total of 20 seconds since this began.
Entry 10; 4/30/15; 4:02pm; Caffeine consumed: 1.5 large Cokes, 1 large Mr. Pibb; Films watched: 9: Captain America : The Winter Soldier is a terrific film. I feel like I’m going to die.
Entry 11; 4/30/15; 6:33pm; Caffeine consumed: 1.5 large Cokes, 1 large Mr. Pibb; Films watched: 10: Crowd sang along to Ooh Child. It was energizing and uplifting. Unrelated: At this point, I think it’s statistically unlikely that I will survive the night.
Entry 12; 4/30/15; 10:40pm; Caffeine consumed: 1.5 large Cokes, 1 large Mr. Pibb; Films watched: 11: I’m home now. I’ve been awake for about 36 hours and Joss Whedon has left me too excited to sleep. This was a tremendous experience. There is simply no way to watch Avengers: Age of Ultron other than immediately following the previous 10 Marvel Cinematic Universe movies.
