Movie Marathon: Watch All the Best Picture Nominees in One Day

Can you see nine movies in one fell swoop? You can, cinephile.

There was a day, long ago, when "marathon" applied to, well, a marathon, and just that. If you heard the word you knew that the speaker referred to those runners hoofing it over a 26.2 course and nothing else.

But terms evolve, and how they're applied, and "marathon" today might well refer to the act of sitting and watching two or three films in a row, or a whole television season (hence the latest incarnation, "the Netflix marathon").

"Marathon" is often used around movies come late winter, when cinephiles attempt to catch up on all the major nominees ahead of the Academy Awards in one or two fell swoops.

That film-themed fell swoop you've been waiting on has arrived. It's called the AMC Best Picture Showcase, it shows up on select AMC screens ahead of the Oscars, and are all of the Best Picture nominees included? It would have sadden us to type out that whole question if they weren't.

So how to see all nine nominees? There are two ways.

The two-dayer: The showcase is spread out over two Saturdays. Saturday #1, on Feb. 22, will feature "Philomena," "Dallas Buyers Club," "The Wolf of Wall Street," and "12 Years a Slave." Saturday #2, on March 1, rounds up "Nebraska," "Captain Phillips," "Her," "American Hustle," and "Gravity."

The one-dayer: You watch all nine films on Saturday, March 1. There's nothing more to say about that. Nine films, one day, a coffeepot of caffeine or several naps ahead of time.

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Cost is $60 for the single day event or $30 and $40, respectively, for the two-dayer (although you can look into a $60 pass). That comes out to what, math majors? Six dollars and change per film? Do the movie companies know this? That's some inexpensive delightfulness there.

Get the deal here and find your venue. Universal CityWalk is one of the selected locations, if you want a bunch of restaurant options nearby, or you can see if your trusty AMC down the street is participating. Wherever you land, figure you'll consume a gob of stories and visuals and acting performances.

Whether you call that a marathon or not, it is a true pleasure.

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