Fight the z monster to win $10,000
By Juliana June Rasul
November 23, 2009
ONE hundred hours without sleep for $10,000.
That was the challenge 100 people gave themselves on Thursday evening when they arrived at the open plaza outside Plaza Singapura.
They were ready to forgo sleep – and, perhaps, sanity – for as long as it took to be the last man (or woman) standing in the 100 Hours Chill On Movie Indulgence, organised by Nescafe Frappe.
If they survive, they stand to win a cash prize, as well as a trip for two to Hollywood.
But at the 48-hour mark yesterday, only 14 participants remained. Half of the original 100 had dropped out after just 18 hours.
By 2pm yesterday, the group had already watched 25 films, ranging from blockbusters like Twilight, to horror films like The Eye, and slower-going dramatic fare like The Young Victoria.
Some were slouched on the red cushions in front of the large movie screen set up before them, watching American actor Don Cheadle in Oscar-nominated film Hotel Rwanda with glazed eyes.
As they were not allowed to communicate with each other or walk around, they resorted to massaging their necks, or drumming their fingers on the couches to keep their focus.
During the five-minute break between films, they rushed to use the toilet, and to splash their faces with water.
After every three films, they would get a longer 15-minute break, during which some participants like Mr Shanmugavadi Velu, 32, would sprawl themselves across the red couches.
‘I do it so that I can rest my back,’ he said.
Mr Shanmugavadi said he had also been having stomach problems, which he attributed to his steady diet of coffee and fast-food chicken provided during the event.
Coffee essential
Other participants, though, said coffee was one of the few things they were depending on to help them last to the end.
Freelance videographer Mr Monohor Ali, 37, said he had downed ‘uncountable’ cups of coffee.
This despite having some experience in prolonged sleep deprivation – Mr Monohor had previously participated in MediaCorp’s Subaru Challenge, where he claimed to have lasted for 53 hours.
‘In some ways, this is easier, because we get to enjoy ourselves watching movies, and we’re in a relaxed setting,’ he said.
The setting may have been too relaxed for some, though.
Despite reminding himself repeatedly not to fall asleep, student Chng Zher Ming, 21, dozed off after 48 hours without sleep.
‘Before I knew it, one of the marshals (employed to spot for snoozing participants) was shaking me and saying I had closed my eyes for more than 10 seconds,’ he said. ‘I think I had gotten too comfortable.’
Participants are immediately disqualified if marshals catch them with their eyes closed or turned away from the movie screen for more than 10 seconds.
But fatigue and boredom did not prove to be obstacles for undergraduate Zhao Yi Ling, who was the last woman standing.
The 23-year-old student from the National University of Singapore was still feeling upbeat yesterday afternoon, though she had issues with being photographed because she felt ‘oily’, having not bathed since the competition started at 7pm on Thursday.
She had outlasted 23 other female participants.
Celebrities also got in on the action – they kicked off their own 24-hour marathon at 4pm yesterday.
The last star standing – among names like Allan Wu, Wong Li-Lin and Singapore Slingers Marcus Ng and Kyle Jeffers – will win $10,000 for a charity of their choice.
The marathon, which continues until 11pm tomorrow, is open to members of the public, who are free to sit in on any of the films being shown.
Retiree Mr S L Lim, 56, arrived at the venue in the early hours of Saturday morning. He said he planned to stay the entire day.
He said: ‘I enjoy watching films, but I don’t think I could even last 24 hours.’
The NewPaper