The $10,000 Netflix Movie Watching World Championship

[NoirFan]

From slashfilm (http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/09/16/the-movie-watching-world-championships/):Netflix wants someone to break the movie watching world championship, and they’re willing to $10,000 to do so. Netflix Movie Watching World Championship: The Quest for the Popcorn Bowl will begin on October 2nd in a plexi-glass living room in the center New York City’s Times Square on October 2nd at 10:30am, and is expected to last until a new Guinness World Record, for most consecutive hours spent watching movies, is set five days later on October 7th.

Guinness World Records rules require the contestants to watch films non-stop without averting their eyes from the screen. Competitors will be given 10 minutes between each movie, or approximately every two hours, to refresh themselves. Eating, drinking, standing and stretching are allowed as long as eyes are on the screen.

The record to beat for watching a continuous run of movies is 120 hours and 23 minutes held by Ashish Sharma of Mathura, India. The competitors include:

* Mr. Sharma, the current world record holder.
* Former three-time movie marathon record holder Claudia Wavra of Germany who will attempt to reclaim the title she lost to Mr. Sharma in June.
* Suresh Joachim, a Canadian of Sri Lankan descent, who holds 32 Guinness World Records. Mr. Joachim is an endurance champion whose records include television viewing (69 hours, 48 minutes), dancing (100 hours), radio dj-ing (120 hours), and ironing (55 hours, 5 minutes), among other disciplines.
* Cheryl Jones of Portland, Ore. who was a part of the team of Netflix members who broke the Guinness World Record for continuous movie watching in 2003.
* Dallas movie buff Jeff Jones who won $250,000 on the movie edition of the popular game show series “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” in 2007.

New York-based competitive eating champion, Crazy Legs Conti, who also happens to be a cinephile with a penchant for ‘80s films, will join the ranks of endurance enthusiasts for a shot at the title.

So. anyone from DVDTalk going to throw their hat in the ring? Mister Peepers?

[cardsfan111]

Sounds like a blast. :up:

[NoirFan]

I just can't believe that not only is there a man who actually irons, he holds the Guinness World Record for doing so.

[Cosmic Bus]

I just can't believe that not only is there a man who actually irons, he holds the Guinness World Record for doing so.

I actually love to iron my clothes, but not for 55 hours... ;)

This competition is definitely not for me, though. These days I can only make it about an hour into something before I find myself having to go do something else for a while before coming back to the movie -- sometimes later that evening, sometimes not for days.

[invisiblegt]

I would actually love to do this, but, quite frankly, do not feel like making a three-minute video detailing why I would make a good candidate.

I love movies. Period. If you need more than that from me, well... I'm too damned lazy to do it.

[Dean Kousoulas]

No thanks. I love movies but to watch them 5 days straight with no sleep? Forget it.

[chuckd21]

No thanks. I love movies but to watch them 5 days straight with no sleep? Forget it.

Agreed. Goddamn these world records are reaching all-time lows. Donate that freakin' money to charity.

[rexinnih]

Well good luck to them on that. I agree on the loving movies but would not be able to make it for over 5 days straight.

[KillerCannibal]

I wouldn't last a day. I love watching movies as much as anyone else, but no way I could last over 5 days. I need my sleep in a bad way.

[Shannon Nutt]

You can't advert your eyes...not even for a second or two? I doubt I've ever seen ONE film where I didn't glance off-screen at some point.

[spainlinx0]

Well maybe it's a really big screen and even if you avert your eyes you're just looking at a different part?

[mcfly]

I'd do it. I have nothing better to do with my time.. but that 3-minute video...

[iamiam]

I call BS. There is not 5 days of movies worth watching let alone 5 movies. These participants must be masters of self-hypnosis.

[Mister Peepers]

Mister Peepers?

The only way I would do it is if I knew I could get in and then managed to do it for at least a few days at home. I don't think I could even stare at a screen for 24 hours unless I got really lucky and picked the right movies but that's a big if.

I wonder what they have to watch?

edit: They used to have a competition over here once a year where people had to stay in a PT Cruiser. Whoever did it the longest, won it. The first year it was around a week or so. The second year there were a couple of people that went a long time which ruined the third year where they started making people do stupid stunts and eliminating them that way.

My strategy was to bring a ton of sleeping pills and just sleep most of the time. I'd bring a laptop or something loaded with movies for when I was awake.

They also had a boat contest where you just had to keep your hand on it the longest. My strategy for that was to wear some jogging shorts, no underwear, eat a ton of spicy food before, and just shit and piss myself like crazy and stand next to them to get most, if not all, of the other contestants to quit.

I wouldn't touch them as I'm sure that would be against the rules but I'd try to make as many large puddles of fluids as I could.

They stopped that contest also.

[mndtrp]

Is there a list of movies they are going to watch, or do they get to watch whatever they want?

[NoirFan]

You can't advert your eyes...not even for a second or two?

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd114/besh1/clockwork_orange.jpg

[Dean Kousoulas]

Is there a list of movies they are going to watch, or do they get to watch whatever they want?

I suppose if I was going to do it, I would pick the entire series of The Sopranos, and then wash it down with my favorite movies of all time, keeping a good mix of comedy, horror, drama, and action to keep me interested.

[The Bus]

I'd fall asleep. :(

[mhg83]

I'd fall asleep. :(

I once did a movie marathon. I watched movie non stop for 24 hours. By the last movie i could barely stay awake. The only way i could do a 5 day one would have to involve lots of caffine pills. But is that against the rules?

[KillerCannibal]

I once did a movie marathon. I watched movie non stop for 24 hours. By the last movie i could barely stay awake. The only way i could do a 5 day one would have to involve lots of cocaine. But is that against the rules?

Fixed. No way I could do 5 days. I don't know how some people can even do one!

[Charlie Goose]

You can't advert your eyes...not even for a second or two? I doubt I've ever seen ONE film where I didn't glance off-screen at some point.

That sounds to me like the hardest part, even moreso than staying awake. How can you not glance away from time to time?

Then again, I pass out in front of the TV almost every night so I wouldn't last very long.

[Brack]

I wonder if they do drug tests. you just know there will be people who will try.

[mmyersisgod]

So anybody can try out?

[Neil M.]

I was in a 36-hour marathon once. I made it all the way to the end and won some nice prizes but it was torture. Keeping your eye on the screen is pretty easy but if you nod off, you lose. I can't imagine how to stay awake for 5 days but for me, I knew when I needed a cup of coffee.

[bdshort]

You can't even glance away from the screen for a few seconds?