"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" Texan filmgoer won as the film marathon champ after sitting through six episodes with nine back-to-back viewings.
Jim Braden, 40, who studied US Navy Seal breathing techniques and a content strategist at Austin-based Dell from Texas, was named as the ultimate "Star Wars" champion after watching the entire saga for 46 hours straight.
According to The Guardian, he was one of the seven fans who participated in the Alamo Drafthouse cinema chain's Star Wars marathon. To win the said competition, he had to watch the recent "The Force Awakens" (2015), "The Phantom Menace" (1999), "Attack of the Clones" (2002), and "Revenge of the Sith" (2005). Aside from those films, he had to watch the original Trilogy as well: "Star Wars, A New Hope" (1977), "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980), and "Return of the Jedi" (1983).
Braden told the media, "I wanted to demonstrate my passion. I grew up with Star Wars. As a kid, the simple morality just appealed to me. Everybody likes a white-hat hero they can get behind."
The rules of the competition are a bit freaky. The participants were not allowed to sleep, talk, text and use illegal drugs to keep them awake. Braden was able to succeed by spacing his caffeine intake and snacking with nuts and fruits to keep him hungry.
"We put ourselves through hell mentally and physically. Watching it became almost a hallucinatory experience ... one other guy complained of having chest pains and dropped out," he added, "I came out of it saying that I still enjoyed the movie. That's how you know it's good."
Braden received a seven-year movie pass to Alamo Drafthouse cinemas with a variety of "Star Wars" merchandise and a cinema seat in his name with a naming ceremony. He was able to see the recent "The Force Awakens" with his six-year-old son, Kyle.
