When group marathons were the only thing going the primary motivation behind them was to dip your toe in the water. Also, they sort of operated in conjunction with the podcast and you were motivated because you wanted to be in tune with the coming discussions. On top of that they were only five films long. You knew if nothing else you'd get to hear Adam and Sam/Matty talk about something you just watched, and if you didn't like it it wouldn't go on forever.
Things are more free-form now. You don't necessarily have the podcast to anchor the discussion and I can't remember the last time a marathon was only 5 films. So that's one motivator gone, and a bigger commitment required (due to length). Also just the general purpose of marathons has shifted it seems from introduction to completion. It's hard to find even two people interested and inexperienced in any one thing let alone finding two people who want to dive in that deeply.
In hindsight I kind of feel like the solo-marathons were, perhaps, inevitable. The logical next step. I think people here are pretty experienced in their viewing, they've had a taste of just about everything. Now they're deciding what to pursue further. Fulfilling personal obsessions.
Also, what everyone else said.
But yes I would like to see and be a part of a good old fashioned group marathon. The Harry Potter one was really enjoyable.
Do we need to separate individualist marathons to give the group ones room to breath? That subforum can get pretty busy and maybe new members and infrequent members take one look and leave because, well, look at it! It's kind of chaotic, all the crazy names and such. No biggie if you're a regular, all the names make sense. Daunting I imagine if it's your first time (and it might end up being your last).
One way to revitialize the group marathons perhaps (on top of separating them for organizational purposes) is to reign ourselves in a bit. Right now we fire up new marathons willy-nilly and it can be a challange to keep tabs on the progress of all of them (let alone participate). If we limit ourselves to one group marathon a month and only 5 films or even 3 films per marathon, that
might focus the existing potential enough to produce a solid turnout. Themes would be suggested and then voted on before each month, similar to how the MDC is handled, and just ONE would be selected. Selecting the films for the marathon could work in a similar fashion. The inherent simplicity of a
monthly marathon is something everyone, including those people who are new to the boards, will understand immediately. That seems like a critical thing in getting people on board. Make it simple and easy to jump right in, and not a long commitment.
Just an idea.