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Anyone Here Collect Films?

Dan Erdman

over 3 years ago

I don’t mean DVDs or tapes, I mean film – that long crinkly stuff with tiny holes in it that you shine a light through. I’m not nutty enough to have any 35mm equipment, but I am nutty enough for 16mm: I’ve got two projectors (one of which even works) and a whole garage (and part of a basement) of film reels. Mostly shorts of one kind or another, mostly educational films, with a healthy amount of shorts, cartoons and newsreels. But I’ve got a few features in there as well: HARRY IN YOUR POCKET (some late 60s James Coburn vehicle about pickpocketing), BLOOD OF A POET (which is technically maybe not feature-length), STARMAN (underrated John Carpenter sci-fi from the 80s) and the jewel in the crown: a print of WEEKEND that I, no lie, fished out of a dumpster.

Anyone else?

L.A.™

over 3 years ago

Sorry i can only afford dvd’s and now upgrading to blu ray. Though my library is pretty vast:) Especially Criterion:) Oh and i love Starman and John Carpenter! One of my favorite moives of all time is big trouble in little china:)

david k

over 3 years ago

You fished it out a dumpster :’( Dear God. I can only hope and dream that when I have the money I will be able. Also do you have a telecine machine so you can convert 35mm to 16mm or to another media format (so you can burn to DVD or put on computer for posterity)

Jay a.k.a. 6FOOT

over 3 years ago

You dug in a dumpster for Weekend!? Awesome! I salute u, u are truly dedicated to film! and no i dont collect film :(

Dan Erdman

over 3 years ago

Luis—
You never seem to hear about STARMAN anymore, which is odd considering I seem to recall it got a fair amount of critical acclaim at the time (Jeff Bridges was even nominated for an Oscar, I believe), much more than the Carpenter-Russell films, which seem to be much more prominent today (though that may say more about the crowd I run with than anything). BTILC is fab, but I’m a THING man, myself.

David—
Well, picking films out of the trash costs nothing at all; finding them is the tough part. No telecine machine, sadly; if I want to watch any of these I have to do it the old-fashioned way. Rigging up the projector and threading the uptake reel seems like an insurmountable headache at first, but the pleasure from seeing actual film projected in my house is usually enough to put me on a binge for several hours. If you’re looking for a cheap projector, check out your local junk shop – I got mine at one for $20 – or make friends with a public librarian/school teacher – I got my second one from public library for FREE when I offered to haul it away no questions asked.

Jay—
Thanks. I bet mine’s the only copy in the world that actually is “a film found in a garbage can.”

david k

over 3 years ago

Talking about film that original copy in the Argentinian museam that was found needs to be copied. That’s a few hours of lost footage!!! Jesus I really should have gone to film school instead of taking a real job :P

Dan Erdman

over 3 years ago

David—

I assume you’re talking about METROPOLIS? If so, I agree – can’t wait to see what new footage has been unearthed. And I recommend avoiding a real job at all costs.

david k

over 3 years ago

Note to self: Don’t click on the button more than once if it isn’t responsive

david k

over 3 years ago

True. True. Yes its Metropolis I’m talking about. I really want to ask if some family members who do business down there. Could someone nip down the the museum with a telecine machine and make me a copy. I would cry if I could get it.

david k

over 3 years ago

Note to self: Don’t click on the button more than once if it isn’t responsive

david k

over 3 years ago

True. True. Yes its Metropolis I’m talking about. I really want to ask if some family members who do business down there. Could someone nip down the the museum with a telecine machine and make me a copy. I would cry if I could get it.

david k

over 3 years ago

True. True. Yes its Metropolis I’m talking about. I really want to ask if some family members who do business down there. Could someone nip down the the museum with a telecine machine and make me a copy. I would cry if I could get it.

david k

over 3 years ago

True. True. Yes its Metropolis I’m talking about. I really want to ask if some family members who do business down there. Could someone nip down the the museum with a telecine machine and make me a copy. I would cry if I could get it.

david k

over 3 years ago

True. True. Yes its Metropolis I’m talking about. I really want to ask if some family members who do business down there. Could someone nip down the the museum with a telecine machine and make me a copy. I would cry if I could get it.

david k

over 3 years ago

True. True. Yes its Metropolis I’m talking about. I really want to ask if some family members who do business down there. Could someone nip down the the museum with a telecine machine and make me a copy. I would cry if I could get it.

david k

over 3 years ago

True. True. Yes its Metropolis I’m talking about. I really want to ask if some family members who do business down there. Could someone nip down the the museum with a telecine machine and make me a copy. I would cry if I could get it.

david k

over 3 years ago

Sorry.

Stephen Lilley

over 3 years ago

Hmm. This brings up an interesting thought.

Criterion should start releasing film prints. Obviously not of everything, and not in mass quantities, but I’m sure if they did limited runs on certain titles they own collectors would eat them up. I know I would.

CineSna​g

about 3 years ago

I’d buy Weekend just to have that bitch in my house. Nice job

Polaris​DiB

about 3 years ago

This summer I’m going to volunteer at Basement Films, which has made as part of their mission the preservation of film stock of basically everything (home reels and advertisements included). I for one have worked in 16MM and learned that for the immediate future, it does not serve me very much functionality for what I want to do, but in the long run I’m going to need to learn how to use it very effectively, so I’m willing to invest in film stock and projectors now to keep the industry alive, but unfortunately lack the funds with which to do it. Currently hundreds of film processing places are going out of business and dumping thousands of miles worth of film stock, some of which is genuine first class cinema and a lot of which was left at the processing facility for a damned good reason. I wish I lived near one so that I could go dumpster diving, but c’est la vie! Anyway, I do have two friends who collect and shoot an almost monstrous amount of 16mm and Super8 film, and so I can contact them for the majority of my film-based needs.

—PolarisDiB

JEFFY

about 3 years ago

Where does one get film prints?

Harry Long

about 3 years ago

Now that BIG REEL has gone out of business, my best guess for finding venders would be CLASSIC IMAGES.