There came a day, a day unlike any other, when Earth’s nerdiest geeks found themselves united in a single movie theater to watch the movies no single super fan could watch alone.  On that day, The Avengers premiered. FANBOYS ASSEMBLE!

Alright, fanboys and fangirls, on Thursday fellow FBC contributor Jordan Callarman, our friend Meghan Caves, and I watched 15 hours of Avengers movies, and you know we did it all for you. Just kidding. We did it because it was awesome. AMC Theaters put on the event where for $40, you could see Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, and Captain America, and then top it all off with the midnight screening of The Avengers. Here’s my breakdown and review of the day. We also did audio recordings documenting the event (posted below).

Click here to download the audio review.

Part 1: The Line

The event started at 11:30 a.m. and we already had tickets but we wanted good seats, so we got there at 8 a.m. to stand in line. Avengers t-shirts and costumes were everywhere. We brought comics and even the Marvel RPG. One fan even expressed a heartwarming sentiment to me. “I never knew there were so many people that loved this stuff as much I do. I finally feel like I fit in.” He had just moved to LA from a smaller town and could not stop smiling. The line was all about community; people were sharing stories, food, and expressing their love for these movies and these characters.

Part 2: The Theater and the Schedule

All the movies were presented in AMC’s ETX theater. The sound was incredible. I could feel the Hulk’s roar in my chest. The theater staff was super nice and helpful. It must have been a very long day for them. I know at least one manager was there the entire day, and I never saw the smile drop from her face. The schedule was great. Basically, we got about 25 minutes between each film, if you stayed to watch the end credit scene. They even gave a longer, almost 45-minute break around dinner time. The AMC staff was very well prepared for the craziness and ran a very tight ship.

Part 3: The Swag

Everyone got an Avengers Poster, promotional comic book, and awesome 3-D character glasses. I chose the Captain America glasses, which were blue with an A on the front and even had Cap’s little wings printed on the sides. There were also Thor, Iron Man, and Hulk glasses. The glasses were a great touch as everyone got to be somewhat in costume, and while standing in lines or waiting for movies to start, the glasses served as conversation starters about who everyone’s favorite Avenger was.

Part 4: The Movies, of course!

Each film was introduced by a short Agent Coulson video. These were hilarious introductions where Coulson, with complete sincerity, acted as if each movie was our private viewing of a Top Secret Shield File on that particular Avenger. This just added to the playful mood of the day, and the idea that it was totally okay and acceptable to geek out as much as we were. The films were amazing in their ETX presentation. The effects, even in the older films, really stood up, and as each film ended there was a growing sense of excitement in the theater.

Part 5: The Audience

The audience for this event was awesome. We laughed in unison at the best jokes. Stan Lee and Agent Coulson appearances got huge applause. There was never inappropriate laughter or shouting at serious moments. Everyone was there because they loved the Avengers. During breaks people were happy, polite, and helpful. There was a great sense of community. If someone asked a question about a scene or character, fans would jump at a chance to respond and share their insight. This audience was full of geeky fanboys and girls at their best.

Part 6: The Avengers

When midnight rolled around, there was a charge of excitement in the air. I don’t even want to talk about the film or review it in any way. It was amazing, and if I revealed or spoiled anything, I would hate myself. This is everything a comic book movie should be, and my hope is that it encourages people to go out and read comics, learn about these characters, and share their love of geeky stuff like this with everyone they know.

So, there you have it: the Ultimate Avengers Marathon. If they ever offer this again, I suggest you jump on board immediately. It was a day I will remember for the rest of my life.