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Topic: Most Expensive Film Purchase?
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Rob Young.
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1633
From: Cheshire, U.K.
Registered: Dec 2003
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posted May 03, 2006 03:26 PM
My most expensive print was "Terminator 2".
It wasn't just that the print cost a lot; it did, although image wise it was very, very good and worth it, but that the soundtrack was only mono and I made the foolish mistake of paying someone unknown to re-record it into stereo for me.
When it came back it was awful; fair enough, it was perfectly in sync. but wowed like crazy! I should have taken it to people who know what they are doing, but unfortunatley I didn't know them back then (aside; "Raiders", John - STUNNING! ![[Smile]](smile.gif) )
I got half way through the first "stereo" reel before my better half laughed it off the screen ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
Since I didn't want to upset anyone, I duly paid up and then took it straight back to the dealer where I'd bought it for the original mono track to be put back.
More expense, but you learn by your mistakes and at least it wasn't going to be hilariously bad anymore! Long story short, it ended up with a stunning stereo track thanks to a very nice person in the West Midlands.
In the end the soundtrack cost me about an extra £100 alone when all was said and done; maybe I'm just fussy ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
Stupidly, I sold the print a few years back. Hope someone somewhere is enjoying that very expensive soundtrack
NO, HANG ON! Sorry to bore everyone, but I just though of another!
"DR. WHO & THE DALEKS".
The 4x400ft Walton Print. I saved and saved for this as a kid and finally, with help from my Dad's credit card got a brand new copy for £100 back in about 1980. Well, despite being a stunning print with many, many screenings, I sold it when I reached my teens to buy a CD player. What an idiot! My print was perfect.
Years later, determined to replace all those super 8's I'd foolishly let go (and still tinged with the imense guilt of seeing my Dad hand over his credit card just to make me happy) I found a print in decent condition.
Sadly, despite commanding a fairly high price due to it's rarity and great print quality, it suffered from a loss of soundtrack; literally. Yes, the magnetic stripe had actually disappeared from huge sections of the film over the years; a problem common to several Walton releases and this one in particular, I understand.
In a strange twist of fate, I found another copy elsewhere about the same time but when this arrived, the same problem had occured. Well, both parties were understanding and would have taken the films back but, on viewing, it occured to me that by some miracle the bits that were missing mag. stripe on one copy were intact on the other!
I took the financial plunge (doubtful if I'd ever get a fully intact copy) and bought 'em both. Then spent days editing the two copies together to make one complete copy with all the sound intact.
I think that adds up to over £250 (isn't that about $500) for an abridged 4x400ft super 8 release from about 1980, plus all the time spent editing (and more time spent last year re-recording the lot from DVD).
Crazy, I know. But I love it more every time I watch it and more importantly, 26 years on, my Dad finally thinks his money was well spent!
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Barry Attwood
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1411
From: Enfield, U.K.
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted May 07, 2006 02:46 AM
My most exspensive purchase was "Beauty & The Beast", and good old Uncle Derek let me have a copy, selected by his good self, 2 weeks before it was supposed to go on sale (pity he picked up a scratched one, still that was sorted out), so for a couple of weeks I had a world exclusive, ah the power of a releasing (then) dealer, mind you I always had a great relationship with Derek, as I was up front about all my plans (plus he did all the printing, striping etc. for me) for 8mm releases.
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