8mm Forum: The Magic Box

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Topic: The Magic Box

Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted May 16, 2017 09:37 AM

And an excellent one at that Doug!
Many thanks once again Paul, you do a great job with all of your posts. [Wink]

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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David Hardy
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 955
From: Johnshaven Village , Montrose, Scotland
Registered: Jan 2015

posted May 16, 2017 01:10 PM

Over and out from me on here Doug and Andrew.
We do go off on a tangent sometimes don't we ?
[Wink]

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" My equipment's more important than your rats. "

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Douglas Meltzer
Moderator

Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 16, 2017 04:21 PM

David,

Tangents are part of a normal conversation...however if someone was searching for a great discussion about viewing experiences they wouldn't know to find it in a print review. And if someone wanted to read about the print of The Magic Box.....

Doug

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I think there's room for just one more film.....

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Mike Newell
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 826
From: United Kingdom
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 16, 2017 05:56 PM

From memory there were print issues with Magic Box. It was available for a short time from Derann and then dropped so could have been damage to negative or printing issues.

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted May 16, 2017 07:05 PM

Paul reports his to be fine and Ian has said this is a very nice print Mike. Hopefully an early one fingers crossed.

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Paul Adsett
Film God

Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 16, 2017 09:24 PM

Here is my home made box art for The Magic Box:

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The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted May 16, 2017 09:30 PM

Lovely job Paul. Very polished and a very professional, classy finish.
Very well done indeed and thank you for posting it here.

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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David Hardy
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 955
From: Johnshaven Village , Montrose, Scotland
Registered: Jan 2015

posted May 17, 2017 03:28 AM

Paul that is a very nice box cover design there.
I don't normally like box designs with photo shots but your
design serves the film subject matter well.

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" My equipment's more important than your rats. "

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted May 17, 2017 06:07 PM

In answer to Mike's post earlier, I have cleaned, dubbed and re-spooled reel one this evening prior to viewing it for the first time on film and I can report that the first 1200ft of film was superb. Pin sharp, lovely colour and aside from some negative sparkle leading up to the original negative splices, nothing adverse at all to report thankfully.
I will post a few screenshots here from throughout the entire film once I have viewed and captured it all.
At this time, i am certain you'll agree with my assessment here.
Beautiful film. [Wink]

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Paul Adsett
Film God

Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 17, 2017 06:40 PM

Andrew, so glad that your print looks great like mine.

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The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted May 17, 2017 06:41 PM

Still yet to view reel two Paul, so fingers crossed! [Big Grin]

I will do so tomorrow and then post a couple of shots.
It should conclude this excellent review very nicely with any luck.

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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Mike Newell
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 826
From: United Kingdom
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 18, 2017 11:20 AM

I'll go with Keith's assessment. The one collector I know who bought it (1st batch) returned it to Derann as he wasn't happy with it print wise. If it was the wonder product its proclaimed to be it would be wheeled out at various conventions as a showreel. Then again it could be the content doesn't exactly rock many collectors boats. Anyway if you are happy with it so be it.

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted May 18, 2017 11:51 AM

I've viewed it all the way through now Mike and its spot on believe me. Only some negative sparkle again close to the reel ends on one or two, but that isn't unusual on any feature no matter how new the negatives were.

I've even seen this on films that Derann released only months after they were first shown at the cinema's.

Anyone who has a genuine fascination and love for real film, I'm certain would fully enjoy this one, given its synopsis.

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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Mike Newell
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 826
From: United Kingdom
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 18, 2017 12:19 PM

Andrew, I'm happy for you. It's seems you have been lucky print wise but it's very dry material from a certain era even for film aficionados.

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted May 18, 2017 12:46 PM

Yes this is true.

Paul holds it as his "last man standing" print, while it may very well not be quite mine, it wouldn't be too far down the pecking order of these things.

Not everyone goes wild for Calamity Jane but to me its one of my all time favourites on Super 8mm despite its era.

Each to their own of course.

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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Paul Adsett
Film God

Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 18, 2017 02:31 PM

The Magic Box may not be everyone's cup of tea, but that does not diminish it's importance as the only feature film ever made concerning a British film pioneer. And of course the fact that it was commissioned for the 1951 Festival of Britain, as a collaborative production of all the major British film studios with all their major stars in cameo roles.
The multiple flashback scenario is confusing and unnecessary. A linear narrative would have served the film much better. And I could have done without that dreadful concert in the middle. But for the film buff this movie holds many delights, such as the use of the actual wood and brass cameras and projectors, the demonstration of additive color systems, and of course the climactic scene where Fries-Greene shows motion pictures for the first time to the policeman.
I agree that there is color fringing in a few scenes, but even this is a reminder of the miracle of the Technicolor 3-strip system which followed Friese- Greene's 2- color additive system.

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The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted May 18, 2017 03:29 PM

The children's screams when teddy is taken from them, is the part my ears disliked the most. Arghhh, took me back almost 20 years! [Big Grin]

The Policeman scene and subsequent overjoy from his eureka moment, was my favourite scene overall on the large screen.

You are left only imagining just how good that moment must have felt, eyes closed frightened to turn that crank for the first time after two painstaking decades to get to that precise moment in time at almost any expense where his time and devotion to the cause was concerned.

Behind every great man they say is an even greater woman.
In friese-Greene's case, never was this more applicable!

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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Ian O'Reilly
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 737
From: London
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 19, 2017 03:37 AM

Glad you liked it Andrew, judging by the response I've had I could have sold it five time over !!

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted May 19, 2017 04:16 AM

I'm sure you could have done Ian. I'd previously given up on ever finding this one.

Many Thanks once again Ian, you always seem to manage to unearth all of the things we as collectors, can typically, never find for ourselves. [Wink]

[ May 19, 2017, 05:20 AM: Message edited by: Andrew Woodcock ]

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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David Hardy
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 955
From: Johnshaven Village , Montrose, Scotland
Registered: Jan 2015

posted May 19, 2017 10:03 AM

When I was a kid I naively thought THE MAGIC BOX was a movie
about a stage magician. Hahahaha !

Well in I way I was correct as film is an a illusion and
a bit of magic . [Wink]

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Guy Taylor, Jr.
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 606
From: Galveston, Texas, U.S.A.
Registered: Mar 2007

posted May 25, 2017 06:48 AM

I am at the Cinevent in Columbus, Ohio and this movie will be screened on Sunday in 16mm.

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Guy Taylor

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David Hardy
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 955
From: Johnshaven Village , Montrose, Scotland
Registered: Jan 2015

posted May 25, 2017 07:06 AM

Guy ...A 16mm print of it ! You lucky man.
Now you are bringing a warm glow to me.

I wish I could be there to see it but there is a small problem
of a great distance to overcome.

Any chance of some screenshots ?
[Smile]

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" My equipment's more important than your rats. "

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted May 25, 2017 09:32 AM

Here is some short video footage from my own Super 8mm print by Derann...

https://vimeo.com/218950694

10ft 16:9 diagonal screen used as usual to view this one on.

Sound kept to an absolute minimum as it was very late in the evening here at home when screening this one last week.
(people in bed)

I would have liked to have posted a few screenshots from throughout the screening instead but sadly this forum will not accept PNG formatted photographs so they have only been posted elsewhere as a result.

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Paul Adsett
Film God

Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 25, 2017 09:52 AM

Superb quality screenshot Andrew, looks just like 16mm! [Smile]

--------------------
The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted May 25, 2017 09:54 AM

No doubt some will disagree with you here Paul, but I'm happy with it. [Wink]

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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