My Favorite Movie Marathons: Part 1

 

Whether you like to run movie marathons with your friends and family or all by yourself, there are certain classics (series) that deserve this kind of madness. For me personally, binge-watching, in one continuous sitting, is the best way to watch movies. There’s something about diving into the cinematic world and living it together with my favorite characters until the very end. Over the years, I have liked, loved (and hated) various movie series. Here are some of my favorite movie marathons.

1. Jurassic Park

The Film List: Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park III, Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

Time Investment: 10 hours exactly.

Why Should You Watch It: Even though I feel that only Steven Spielberg’s original Jurassic Park was the best, this pre-historic movie series has its charm, so if you’re into dinosaurs, this is definitely one series you must watch.

At a measly 10 hours run time, none of the movies feel excessively long, even though the series increasing reliance on nostalgia and lame callbacks in the recent entries might prove tiresome after a while.

Where Should You Watch Them: Jurassic Park, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Jurassic Park III, Jurassic World and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

2. Mission: Impossible

The Film List: Mission: Impossible, Mission: Impossible 2, Mission: Impossible III, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, and Mission: Impossible – Fallout.

Time Investment: 12 hours, 49 minutes.

Why Should You Watch It: TOM CRUISE. The name should be incentive enough. All through the 6 movies, Tom Cruise plays IMF agent Ethan Hunt. The series so far has transformed from a modest spy thriller to a bat-shit crazy, affair.

With a new villain in every movie, the plots of each movie are delicately in-twinned with the others. Cruise’s committed performance throughout and the dynamic action sequences make this definitely a movie marathon you want to take out time for!

Where Should You Watch Them: Mission: Impossible, Mission: Impossible 2, Mission: Impossible III, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and Mission: Impossible – Fallout.

3. The Fast & The Furious

The Film List: The Fast and the Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast and Furious, Fast Five, Fast and Furious 6, Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious, and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.

Time Investment: 15 hours, 59 minutes.

Why Should You Watch It: Even though the time investment is more than a day, the Fast and Furious franchise is certainly a ride well worth taking. It is also one of the most adrenaline-riddled movie marathons you’ll ever watch. Whether it's for the star cast or the nitro-pumping car racing, the not-so-needed but there romantic scenes, or even the importance of a family, there’s something for everyone.

This is not your average movie franchise, so it may not click with everyone. But if you’re in for beefed-up binge-watching, this franchise is right up your alley.

Where Should You Watch Them: The Fast and the Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast and Furious, Fast Five, Fast and Furious 6, Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious, and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.

4. The Matrix

The Film List: The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions

Time Investment: 7 hours.

Why Should You Watch It: To choose the blue pill or the red pill? Whether you’ve seen these movies, heard the references, or experienced the memes, at some point, everyone has made the choice. To experience the alternate universe of the Matrix, it’s only right, to watch all 3 movies together. Surprisingly, it’s not going to take you more than 7 hours, making it the perfect weekend watch.

If you’re a fan of TMT (The Matrix Trilogy) or want to understand the Matrix better, you may include The Animatrix, which adds 1 hour, and 42 minutes to the marathon. The Animatrix is a collection of 9 short anime movies that provide a deeper insight into the universe that highlights the original conflict between humanity and the machines, and the creation of Matrix itself.

Where Should You Watch Them: The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions

5. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

The Film List: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King

Time Investment: 9 hours (Theatrical); 11 hours (Extended)

Why Should You Watch It: If the genres of magic, courage, power corruption, immortality, and friendship excite you, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, is your perfect fantasy movie series. Whether you’ve outgrown Harry Potter (more on this later) or not, everyone needs a little magic in their lives.

This movie marathon escalates from beginner to advanced-level binge-watching. The light version of this Middle Earth adventure takes just over 9 hours. However, if you’re a hardcore LOTR (Lord Of The Rings) these 9 hours may seem too little, and you may end up adding The Hobbit trilogy (more on this later) to the marathon too!

Where Should You Watch Them: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King

Part 2 coming soon!