8mm Forum: High Plains Drifter, Restored. This is why we do film

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Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on October 13, 2018, 02:30 PM:

Brad Kimball asked in another thread, Why still collect film if you own a digital projector? It was a very good thread and also, a good question, i also own a digital projector,

Tonight i asked myself this question again and answered it myself.
Recently i bought a 16mm copy of High Plains Drifter.
It is a scope feature and the colour is A1, no fade at all, however, it was a TV cut and there was some very poor splices and repairs with a lot of jumping, so when the opportunity arose to get hold of a theatrical print but,again, with a lot of damage for a song, (also scope and A1 colour) i snapped it up from a friend of a friend. He may as well have given it to me for what i paid but i did show willing [Big Grin]

Today i set about making a good theatrical print from the two. As pure luck would have it the frame and focus were the same, After two sessions of well over two hours work during the afternoon and evening i finally finished. I was able to replace whole and jumpy scenes with the uncut version and as luck would have it the damage was pretty much confined to parts of the film i didn't need anyway.
I could have bought the Blu ray for a fiver but i wanted my 16mm print and i wanted it restored as best as i could manage.
Thats why we do film, cause you cant do this with a DVD or blu ray, this was fun!!!!! [Big Grin]

I think we are also a bit barmy which does help [Wink]

I also broke all the rules, i dont have a 16mm editor, and i dont fanny about with cotton gloves. This was me working with my 8mm editor to pop the film in simply to look at where i was, i used an eye piece in order to see the frames, (one great advantage over 8mm is being to see an image on a frame easily), and my trusty CIR splicer and rewind arms. Once finished everything looked great. Tomorrow i will give the film a light clean and show reel one tomorrow evening and reel two Monday or Tuesday.

Reel 1 rewound ready for cleanup and viewing

couldn't have done it without this little chunk of metal

TV edited /damaged footage kept for wall decor [Big Grin]

Posted by Melvin England (Member # 5270) on October 13, 2018, 03:31 PM:

Seems like you are having your own private Cinesea this weekend!

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on October 13, 2018, 04:37 PM:

it feels like it Melvin [Big Grin]

This particular film has been a right old epic for me really. Bought it for a good price, sold off the 600ft super 8 version which in effect bought the price of this print down to something like £40, spent an afternoon re doing the dodgy splices and also some repairs, now spent a further 4 hours in total getting it back to an 18 certificate version removing altogether whole sections and replacing them with good uncensored parts. considering how simple just projecting a blu ray would be it doesn't make sense but i really enjoyed doing this film.
im quite confident that we may yet see some young blood in this hobby before too long, our "retro" stuff seems to be making a huge comeback [Wink]

Posted by Mark Mander (Member # 340) on October 13, 2018, 05:01 PM:

And that's what this hobby of ours is all about Tom,well done on firstly finding the film then finding all the missing footage and piecing it all together to have the film you want,well worth the effort,Mark

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on October 13, 2018, 05:20 PM:

Cheers Mark, i think so, i think this is one of Clints best 70s movies. Mind you, i wouldn't want to do this to every film [Big Grin]

As you correctly say though, its all part of what makes this hobby. The feel of film, being able to touch it, maintain it and look after it, as much as ive seen this film dozens of times, i cant wait to see the results tomorrow and Monday.

Posted by Melvin England (Member # 5270) on October 13, 2018, 05:23 PM:

I will echo Mark's sentiments..... well done!

Just to let you know that you were not the only person in the UK engrossed in our wonderful hobby this evening. I have just been checking a couple of prints, prior to their appearance on Ebay. Hopefully tomorrow night! This time super 8.

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on October 13, 2018, 06:10 PM:

Thanks Melvin, happy selling /viewing tomorrow. [Wink]

[ October 14, 2018, 02:46 AM: Message edited by: Tom Photiou ]

Posted by Bill Phelps (Member # 1431) on October 13, 2018, 08:26 PM:

Nice job Tom...you have just summed up why the hobby is fun...and I'm off to the basement for some splicing, cleaning and screening! [Smile]

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on October 14, 2018, 03:01 AM:

The word "hobby"" is the one which often gets overlooked.
The subject of why we collect cine when DVD is so cheap is in the word. I'm sure we all have dvds and BR, and enjoy many hours watching them but our films are what we really enjoy in all aspects of keeping them. Each time i have thought of coming out of the hobby it pulls me in more.

Posted by Robert Crewdson (Member # 3790) on October 14, 2018, 03:28 AM:

Well done on restoring your print Tom. I'm a film collector, I collect films; it has nothing to do with whether DVD or Blu-Ray is better. A book collector will pay thousands for a 1st edition by Ian Fleming or Agatha Christie; he could buy a cheap reprint, a paperback, or even download on his Kindle; the same information is there, but he's a collector, and he wants a 1st edition. Same as a records collector, who will try to obtain a 1st pressing of a Presley album on the black RCA label instead of the orange reissue. Again, the same songs are there, but he's a collector. So to end where I began, I'm a film collector, I want it on film rather than disc.

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on October 14, 2018, 03:48 AM:

That's exactly right Robert [Smile]

The good thing about this old film now is after all this work and time, it all looks so new.
I dont know when this print was made but its not faded a single bit, i assume its on Agfa stock.

Posted by Mark Mander (Member # 340) on October 14, 2018, 04:22 AM:

A good case when you project the finished film of 'I did that' Tom, Mark.

Posted by Kevin Clark (Member # 211) on October 14, 2018, 07:23 AM:

Super stuff, well done Tom, and as others have said underlining exactly all the elements that make this such a special truly hands on hobby. I've been lucky enough to add missing parts to some of my features in the past, and the thrill of seeing a previously damaged or incomplete film in all its glory is something to behold.

Regarding the film/record/book collector comment - in the UK most Elvis Presley original record releases from 1956 to 1957 were on HMV not RCA - for reference here is a link to an excellent fully detailed fan database of his UK original records 45s, 78s, EPS & LPs:

https://www.keithflynn.com/recording-sessions/uk_discography_1950.html

Kevin

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