The Aero Theatre Horrorthon, also known as the Dusk-to-Dawn Horrorthon, is an all-night marathon of six to seven horror films held every October at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, California.
The Aero Theatre Horrorthon is an all-night marathon of six to seven horror films (usually projected in 35 mm), as well as free food and giveaways, held at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, California. Grant Moninger, the event's organizer, describes it as "going into some kind of absurd church of horror films." The event has spawned a number of original characters, including Corn Gorn (a variation of the Gorn from Star Trek), the unofficial mascot of the festival, and his family, friends, and nemeses. Some patrons have even voted for Corn Gorn in national elections.
The first Horrorthon was held at the Aero Theatre in 2006 and has occurred annually ever since. While it is generally held at the Aero in October, the 2008 edition took place on November 1, after a Halloween edition had been hosted the previous night at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre.
In 2020, in light of the temporary closure of movie theaters due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a "home edition" of Horrorthon was offered, where patrons chose their own six-film lineups and were provided with personally customized video introductions and interstitials.
In 2023, for the first time ever, the lineup of films was not announced ahead of time and was revealed throughout the course of the event.