8mm Forum: Celluloid life changing moments ...

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Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on June 13, 2018, 11:02 AM:

A post that i put up today made me think of a question that I'm betting that may not have been asked before on this forum, (well, I don't remember it!)

What was the earth shattering, life changing moment for you, as a film lover, in the movie theater?

I'm not talking about our private theaters at home, but at the cinema?

My moment?

1977, OSI, age 10 and a half, seeing STAR WARS for the first time, in that front row, as that first scene began. The Rebel Blockade Runner being hotly pursued by the Star Destroyer.

I had loved science fiction for years, but I had seen "Logans Run" the previous year, and it didnt have that same feeling that i felt when I first saw STAR WARS.

It really was a life changing moment, as well as a Film business change moment when Star Wars was released.

You're life changing moments, ladies and gentleman?

Posted by Rob Young. (Member # 131) on June 13, 2018, 11:26 AM:

Osi, a lot of my family was involved with working in local cinemas. My great uncle was a projectionist, my grandmother worked at the local cinema when my mam & dad were kids. So my parents always loved the pictures.

My mam (it's a north-east of England thing instead of "mum") was always a keen film fan and I remember seeing Dr. Who & the Daleks, Herbie & Bambi when I was very young.

All of these made a lasting impression on me and I was always fascinated by the mechanics of the show as well as the entertainment.

I first saw Star Wars when I was 6, then numerous times again in the following years. Star Wars changed everything. Suddenly, anything was possible. Then The Empire Strikes Back showed a young kid that there literally was a whole universe of possibility out there.

But the one that really changed everything for me was Raiders of the Lost Ark. I was 11 and first saw it on holiday with my family on a small Scottish town. I knew about Lucas, I knew about Spielberg, but this was just amazing...action, laughs, real scares...I remember on that first of many, many viewings thinking, but who is responsible for how that shot looks, who makes that music, etc...

I'm pretty sure that movie is why I do the job I do now.

It's still my favourite film of all time, and as good as the Blu-ray is, it's still great to settle down and watch my super 8 feature now and again...every time, I feel 11 years old again.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on June 15, 2018, 11:22 AM:

Thanks for that story Rob!

There was actually a movie theater in Boise Idaho that had, on one of it's screen, "Raiders" playing for a whole year or more!

These day, you'd never see that kind of thing as films are pretty much a month or two tops.

Posted by David Hardy (Member # 4628) on June 16, 2018, 04:50 AM:

The first film i saw in a cinema was "THE WIZARD OF OZ" I saw this with my mother when i was only 2 years old. I still have slight memories of this event. However when i was 4 years old and my father had to take me out of the cinema briefly as i was crying and absolutely terrified at what i was seeing in that darkened hall.

However he did convince me that what i was seeing was not real but an illusion on a big white screen and i returned to see the film and was fine after that.

That film was " THE 7th VOYAGE OF SINBAD " and i never looked back and my love for both those films and other films and cinemas remains to this day. I am now 64 years old.

It was that love that led to my career as a traditional old style cinema projectionist right up to the dawning of the digital movie era.

[Smile]

Posted by Allan Broadfield (Member # 2298) on June 16, 2018, 05:09 AM:

Too far back to remember, but I may have worked with your great uncle, Rob, if his name was Jeff Young.

Posted by Robert Crewdson (Member # 3790) on June 18, 2018, 05:44 AM:

Two films; De Mille's 'Ten Commandments'; I remember several of the scenes, the burning bush, the commandments being burned into the tablets, and the parting of the Red Sea, like it was yesterday. The other film that had an influence on me was 'Jason & the Argonauts'.

Posted by Rob Young. (Member # 131) on June 18, 2018, 06:18 AM:

Hi Allan, his name was Les, so unfortunately it wasn't him.

I remember going to see Star Trek with my sister, my uncle, my dad and Les. That was at out local cinema in Durham City.

So that was about 1979 and I was only 8, but I vividly remember at the end as the credits were running and we were leaving, the door to the projection booth was ajar and you could see the magic of the spools whirring.

Anyway, Les shoots off to the door and says, "let's see what they're using in here..."

My uncle tries to stop him with, "Les, you can't just go in there."

Les retorts with, "Of course I can, I'm a projectionist!"

And off he went.

Funny how you remember certain things. [Smile]

Posted by Allan Broadfield (Member # 2298) on June 19, 2018, 05:13 PM:

Thanks, rob. It was a long shot.

Posted by Dave Groves (Member # 4685) on June 20, 2018, 04:35 AM:

The single screen Classic had paid £500 to have the stereo refurbished. The manager said 'Dave, you must come and see 'Close Encounters'. It's the big one' I joined the queue (all three of us) on that afternoon to be enthralled by a fantastic presentation. At the point where everyone is waiting for the spaceship/s to arrive, we see the uninvited interlopers also waiting in the rocks. Suddenly, this massive, gold, twinkling thing thing arises, filling one's viewpoint. My reaction was 'wow'. It was at this point I became aware of a feeling I had long forgotten. The feeling of awe and wonder. It lasted but a few seconds but it made such an impact I've never forgotten it.

Posted by Melvin England (Member # 5270) on June 20, 2018, 06:32 AM:

My Celluloid Life Changing Moment came precisely 3 minutes and 20 seconds after projecting my first ever 50' reel of Kodak KII that I had taken with my own camera!

Posted by David Michael Leugers (Member # 166) on June 21, 2018, 01:01 AM:

Going to the great Paramount theater in Hamilton Ohio at the age of 5 to see my first film. A double bill with Gordon Scott as Tarzan in "Tarzan's Greatest Adventure" along with "The Man Who Could Cheat Death". What a great time.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on June 21, 2018, 11:39 AM:

Dave ...

You mentioned what I would have picked as my second film. I remember being awed at that moment as well. I hadn't seen any TV promos for it but my friends said, "You've got to see this!"

... so my dad and I went to the theater, (but dad hung out at the bar next door for first two thirds of the film), and it was cool to watch the remainder iof that film with Dad.

Another excellent example of special effects done right! I'm so glad that I grew up when I did. Special effects when they truly were special effects to be sure.

If I could add another that I would pick as my third one, the final special effects shot in "Poltergeist", when that house collapses in on itself and disappears! To this day, (since I've never watched how they did it), I am stilled awed by that special effect!

Posted by Bryan Chernick (Member # 1998) on June 22, 2018, 06:43 PM:

Osi, I think for me it was the same as your Star War experience. I was about the same age as you when I saw Star Wars in the theater. Right after that I begged my father to let me use his Bell & Howell 8mm camera so my friends and I could film our own Star Wars movie. We made space ships, painted a large black backdrop with stars, made androids... We dangled the space ships with fishing line and shot our space battle scenes. The end result was horrible but it did spark my interest in movies as well as shooting 8mm film, a hobby that I still pursue today.

Like you I had seen other science fiction like Star Trek reruns, Space 1999, etc, but Star Wars was so well done and had such great special effects it just blew me away. I'm sure it had the same effect on many people at the time, those special effects were groundbreaking.

I think Jaws was also a big one for me, at least it made me stop and think before I go swimming to this day.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on June 26, 2018, 11:46 AM:

It's funny that you should mention making you're own space film.

I made a little animated bit in honor of "Empire Strikes back", but I made each drawing so small that I didn't realize when i photographed it, I was way too close and it was all bluured out!
[Frown]

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