8mm Forum: Blackpool Success

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Posted by Simon McConway (Member # 219) on November 19, 2006, 03:14 PM:

Attendance seemed excellent...at 4.15pm I was still pushing my way through a crowded hall. Shows were fab (thanks Bob) and I came away with two features on 8; Lion King and Pocahontis. Thanks Derann....simply excellent.

Posted by Yanis Tzortzis (Member # 434) on November 20, 2006, 07:53 AM:

I can but agree-good film shows,interesting bargains at the tables and on the bring-and-buy, a total seven hours-and some money!-well spent. Unfortunately the next time for such a big thing won't be before the May BFCC, now that the Bham one's abandoned [Frown]

...But look forward to the Derann open day in two weeks! [Smile]

Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on November 20, 2006, 11:52 AM:

Yanis, I'm impressed. Do you actually travel all the way from Greece to attend all of the UK Super 8 events?

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on November 20, 2006, 12:06 PM:

This is why I am constantly an advocate of having one here in the US, akin to Blackpool, we have so many fine collectors and dealers here, I know we'd have a stupendous convention and invite our friends overseas - I really want to get something started as it used to be - Shorty

Posted by Del Phillipson (Member # 513) on November 20, 2006, 01:20 PM:

I thoroughly enjoyed it, the auction was a little disapointing (but I think you can thank ebay for that) but from 10.00 am till 4.00 pm I trawled round looking for that elusive bargain and I managed to find quite a few. A big well done to the dealers who made the effort to attend and an even bigger well done to Derann who manage to keep this event going through thick and thin (Derek would be proud), Del.

Posted by Yanis Tzortzis (Member # 434) on November 20, 2006, 06:05 PM:

Jean-Marc
I actually live in Britain since 1998, so no need to travel more than 3 hrs for each event-depending on the condition of the rail lines of course:unfortunately there is no TGV here!
...Actually I've been seeking the opportunity to cross the channel to Argenteuil in January-but,with my GS needing repair,I don't see it coming easily [Frown]

What a shame it's only once a year,was really looking forward to get my hands on some Film Office classic,as I'm a Cingle du Cinema myself [Cool]

....

Posted by Barry Attwood (Member # 100) on November 21, 2006, 02:10 AM:

Yes I must concur, it was a nice weekend once again, and our table were the proud winners of the legendary Evening Meal quiz, and we all one a drink on Derann (now that was worth all the effort of getting to Blackpool). Mind you it must have been all the excitement of winning the quiz that made me passout (literally, ambulance, oxygen, the works) at the Odeon cinema on the Sunday evening, so I was a bit groggy travelling back yesterday, feeling a bit better today (it's amazing what a night in your own bed does!), but I suppose I'll have to see the quack sometime about it.

Posted by Ricky Daniels (Member # 95) on November 21, 2006, 04:01 AM:

I had a great time at Blackpool 2006. [Big Grin]

Great dinner, great company, great entertainment, fun quiz, though I’m sure Barry’s table were taking discrete digital photos of my tables quiz answer sheet, Lol! [Eek!]

It was fun to have Kenny Baker and Norman Wanstall on site to sign autographs and chat with, more of this please.

Thanks to Norman for the chance to pose with his Oscar [Smile]

(that was heavier than I expected it to be!) and for the enlightening mini lecture. Also thanks for the 1-2-1 chat we had after. If only I’d realized at the time you also edited two of my favorite movies from the 60’s 'Les Bicyclettes de Belsize' & 'Twinky'. [Roll Eyes]

As usual it was very well organized by the team at Derann and thanks to them and especially to Anne for all their hard work and not forgetting Bob Nicholls for his entertaining projection skills. [Wink]

Derek would have loved it.

Get along in 2007 if you can, highly recommended.

Rick

Posted by John Clancy (Member # 49) on November 21, 2006, 04:46 AM:

Barry, you've been warned about downing a whole bottle of Tequila during the movie!

Hope you're feeling better now.

Good to hear of another Blackpool success. Long may this continue. We just may have a hobby for a few years yet.

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on November 21, 2006, 10:34 AM:

I must agree with all the positive remarks - a great relaxed, friendly weekend as always. The dinner provided a good 4 course meal for a very reasonable price and Ged Joned provided a challenging quiz consisting of quotes from films.

There was certainly no sense of film collecting being in decline. I know that the numbers increased significantly in 2005 and this year there was exactly the same number of bookings for the Saturday dinner. Anne Simmonds felt the Sunday convention number looked like being at least as many as last year and she told me that the dealers were pleased with the amount of business they were doing.

One of the news releases shown was Classic's new Nostalgia Reel featuring the 'Brides of Dracula' trailer. This appears to be a full 200' and includes a good range of ads. I had to order a copy because they sold out even before it was screened! I heard that a clip from the 'For Your Eyes Only' feature was also screened, although in German as Classic had not had time to record an English track. Other releases included some new trailers from Derann, although sadly no 'Wallace and Grommit' due to the negative damage that means that only 6 prints of 'A Grand Day Out' were made. (I'll say more about the Wallace and Grommit disaster elesewhere if no one else summarises it.)

Norman Wanstall was a great guest and his short talk before the auction was fascinating, so I hope Derann try to find more comparable people in future. He was very approachable and clearly enjoying himself, staying right until the end. He would have been equally popular as an after dinner speaker, as in some of the 1980s conventions, but I suppose more people got to hear him on the Sunday.

Derann were very generous in giving everyone on Sunday a free raffle ticket with a brand new Disney feature as the prize. If this is repeated, I'd suggest stating the prize on the publicity as I'd imagined it would be something far less valuable.

I found also some nice 16mm bargains, including what appears to be an interesting, as new, 1200 documentary for £5. And as the seller said, just the reel and can are worth more. On the Bring and Buy, I bought a set of 2 mint 16mm trailers; the 58' 'Dracula' (faded) and 'Meet me in St Louis' (perfect colour) for only £7.50.

It amazing what you can sometimes find at Blackpool. I've wanted some 16mm soundtrack blooping tape for some time and I bought 2 rolls for only 50p each. There was also a stall that had lots of those small battery-operated viewers that take a cartridge with a loop of super 8. They all came with a football clip from about 1989 and were £2 for new ones still in the packaging, or £1 for unwrapped ones.

It's a shame when such a fun-filled weekend is over but we have the dates for next year: 17/18 November. If you've never been, I beg you to plan the time off, start saving to make the journey or do whatever you need to do in order to be there next year. You'll be very glad you did.

Many thanks to all the Derann staff involved in making the 30th such a memorable event.

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on November 21, 2006, 10:52 AM:

Why can't there be one here? - This will also prove that film collecting/dealership is not in a decline or slump - I hope it can be a reality someday

Posted by Graham Sinden (Member # 431) on November 21, 2006, 05:45 PM:

I also enjoyed the event. After watching the Madagascar Penguins short on the meal film show, I just had to buy it. And this was my first purchase on the sunday. I think Derann sold this out by the end of the day which again proves how important a prior screening is. Mabye at other conventions, Derann could use a Large TV full of endless clips of their films and shorts which could entice people the buy a cartoon or other short film which they could easily afford.

The big news of the day for me was the end of Wallace and Gromit. Derann said that the first negative broke and so they only got 6 prints out and the negtative for "The Wrong Trousers" had a green line on it and the negative for "A Close Shave" also got ruined. It's a shame that the whole series will not now come out. It could also be to do with a rights issue or something else that Derann have stopped it (and not try to get another negative made).

I wonder who won the raffle and what Disney film did he pick?

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on November 21, 2006, 06:15 PM:

I heard a bit more detail regarding the Wallace and Gromit situation by speaking to Ged. I can't remember it all but about the same time the Grand Day Out negative was ruined, the 35mm print used as a master was also severely damaged in a strange accident whilst it was on a Steenbeck. I think with The Wrong Trousers, the print was damaged due to some power cut out at the lab where printing is done, where they were doing some polishing operation to make a scratch less visible. Something similar happened with the other title at a different lab where the negatives are made. All this was within a few days so it was bad luck almost beyond belief. Attempts are being made to track down other prints but this may not be successful. I suppose if collectors were willing to tolerate a green line/mark on The Wrong Trousers, I suppose a release of that could still be feasible!

Posted by Adrian Simmonds (Member # 581) on November 27, 2006, 09:42 AM:

Thanks to all who attended the 30th 'Blackpool Bash'.

It was a roaring success,
and the amount of both dealers and collectors who have contacted me with positive remarks is very encouraging.

We are already working on next years event, and have already secured the services of one famous actor to come along
(Norman enjoyed the day so much, he says that he would like to come again next year as a 'customer').

More news will be posted when we have it.

Thanks again to all who came along -
I do enjoy talking to you all, and look forward to
either seeing you at next years Blackpool Exhibition, (Nov 17th and 18th)
or at one of our many Derann Open Days.

Kind regards

Adrian

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on November 28, 2006, 08:31 AM:

They're planning next year's event, why can't we have one here?

Posted by Mike Peckham (Member # 16) on November 28, 2006, 09:23 AM:

Well, I’m convinced, not that I needed convincing; I’ve heard so much positive stuff about the Blackpool event that it clearly needs to be added to my diary of “boys days out” for 2007. Not sure if I can make the whole weekend but I’ll give it a go. Perhaps we should book a “forum table” for the dinner!

Joe, book your flights now! [Big Grin]

Mike

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on December 02, 2006, 05:41 PM:

Its a few weeks on and we not stopped talking about the Blackpool Convention yet here in the UK! Just got back from a cine event some 60 miles from where I live and the first thing someone said to me was about how good Blackpool was. It was certainly one to remember....

[ December 03, 2006, 03:34 PM: Message edited by: Lee Mannering ]

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