Announcement

**Steve Klare** · August 11, 2025, 02:01 PM

Here's to it all!

Setting aside the Daily Grind.
Meeting up with good friends after a six month break, maybe even meeting a couple of new ones.
Pancakes with the bunch Friday morning.
Pizza on the sun deck
Savoring that rare experience of watching 35mm Features in the same room as the projector.
Bringing home a couple of prizes from the dealer tables, or maybe freeing up a little shelf space.
Watching short films until after midnight, -maybe even Twice!
Heading back home with some good experiences, maybe even feeling a little relaxed.

Woody Allen once said 90% of life is just showing up, and on a certain weekend in October at a seaside resort hotel, this is doubly true! (-actually 180%!)
.

**Mark Silvester** · August 12, 2025, 08:09 AM

Hi all - sounds like great fun and comraderie.👍
It would be nice if we could see some video footage of the coming event.
ive watched the ones that are on YouTube that were filmed many years ago and they are great
Hope we may be able to see some new footage of the weekend.
cheers. 👍 “Silvo” Mark

**Mark McLaughlin** · August 12, 2025, 04:50 PM

Cinesea is for Me!
I have been collecting, buying, selling, transferring and making films for over 50 years now! I became obsessed with Blackhawk and Castle films at age 10 and never looked back. I've not been a real "collector" but one whom loves to buy, enjoy for a while and sell to buy again. I have had some tremendous prints over the years (and now wish I kept some of them), from a Scope feature of "Empire Strikes Back" (that Robert Aragon) re-recorded into luscious stereo for me back in the 90s, to a super 8 "Munster Go Home," to "Die Hard" and so many wonderful Derann Disney and Fox features. Had I even had a glimmer of knowledge that they would be hammering for north of 1k each these days I would have kept them for longer!
Anyway.... I have talked myself into going to Cinesea this October. I have never been to any film collectors conventions (aside from a few of the old Ray Courts "shows" in Hollywood back in the 80s). I always enjoy reading members' reports and viewing their pictures about Cinesea. Well I'm going this year!!

Does anyone have any tidbits of insight or advice for me (other than just get your butt out there)? I'm looking forward to seeing many of you and watching some great films!!
Mark

**Steve Klare** · August 12, 2025, 05:49 PM

Hi Mark,

Welcome! We really like adding new people!

Where to begin?

Transportation:
Many fly into Philadelphia and rent a car. You could have arrived by train, but you would have needed to travel about 55 years ago! The tracks came up about 1970 and even the tracks they once connected to are trainless now.

Accommodations:
The rooms are clean and comfortable, and a bargain considering what they go for at the peak of the season. There seems to be this Amoeba Theme in the decor, something to do with the 1950s, but I did just fine in Biology, so I've come to like it! Reservations aren't a bad idea, especially considering the rest of us have had ours for a couple of months now.

Clothing:
Wildwood runs a range of temperatures at the ends of the seasons when we are there, but the average is kind of cool-ish! Comfortable clothing is a real plus. (A sweatshirt can be a real friend if you need it.)

Nutrition:
There is breakfast out every morning, and often sub-groups go out to dinner. Lunch is usually an individual thing. The rooms have kitchens and the town has supermarkets. There are also plenty of places to get takeout and pizza.

Films:
If you can bring some films (20 minutes and under, S8, 16 or 35, although travel with 35 is a challenge!), you can participate in Thursday Night Theme (Theme: TBD) and Saturday Night Show (Anything unoffensive goes! Many of us show up with families.).

Films II:
You may end up bringing home more films than you arrive with. Consider this where your luggage is concerned.

If you want the real flavor of what it's about and what goes on, go on the website and also check out "CineSea in Pictures" which are linked there.

**Mark McLaughlin** · August 12, 2025, 06:29 PM

Hi Steve
Thanks for the info!! I actually looked into Amtrak which would have been nice if I had the 3 days to travel on each side of the show to Philly and then punt from there. I am coming from San Jose so will fly instead. What is the best airport to look into flying in? I was hoping to avoid renting a car if there were any good public transits or paid shuttle from said airport to the hotel. I could just Uber to the amusement park which I am definitely wanting to check out as well! Is there enough to walk around to near the area (I don't mind walking far), or would you suggest that I rent a car anyway?

I have a couple films that I will bring in the hopes that they might be screened. Especially since one is an absolute one-of-a-kind Kodachrome reversal of something quite interesting! And another is what I believe may be the only copy in existence of a rare documentary about Hollywood. I'll see what I can bring out and hopefully share. Good tips on all, I very much appreciate it!
Mark

**Steve Klare** · August 12, 2025, 07:35 PM

I know the way to San Jose quite well! I worked for a power supply manufacturer about 20 years ago and I went there when a customer's system and one of our power supplies didn't get along very well and someone had to figure out why.

I flew home from San Francisco on the RedEye. I'd hope for an empty flight and put up all the arms on a five-across and go to sleep. -but you see, this is not much help to you since we touched down at Kennedy Airport, 150 road miles away from Wildwood.

The problem you run into here is Wildwood is on an island, which is off a peninsula, which is itself attached to south New Jersey, and large cities and their airports are pretty sparse in the entire region. There is also a lot of water in the way of easy travel.

Atlantic City has an airport, and from what I see it has connections through Newark. The thing is even that leaves you 40-50 miles from Wildwood.

There are buses into Wildwood and I believe Atlantic City is on the route.

Philadelphia is a good two hours' drive, but this may have more possibilities for flights, and could end up cheaper.

Wilmington, Delaware is slightly closer than Philadelphia. What help that is, I'm not sure.

Personally, I plotted out a public transport scheme from here on Long Island which would have started ten blocks from home and ended about a mile from the Shalimar. The problem is 8 hours travel vs. about 4 by car with multiple changes along the way. Who knows? Maybe I'll do it some day, but it would be kind of a last resort!

Google Maps 'sez I could bike there in 16 hours and 10 minutes. Yeahhhhhhh...no! (-so awkward with a projector in my luggage!)

**Douglas Meltzer** · August 12, 2025, 09:45 PM

Mark S.,

We’ll see what we can do!

Mark M.,

It will be wonderful to meet you at CineSea! For me, coming from NYC, Wildwood is about a 3 hour drive. Our upcoming show is being held a bit later in October than normal, so unfortunately Morey's Piers amusement park will have closed for the 2025 season. Usually, the Mariner's Pier rides are open during the weekend we're there, but not this time. I've sent you a PM to try and work out some details.

**Melvin England** · 2025-08-13T07:58:18

Steve - You have provided absolutely essential planning information for anybody, like myself, who may be thinking of taking the plunge and visiting one fine day! It is on my bucket list. Just when I will do it, I do not know. Thanks very much.

.

**Steve Klare** · 2025-08-13T13:12:13

Hi Melvin,

When you do decide to come on over, please contact us and we'll help you deal with what's kind of a local event on another continent. For example, would you be comfortable renting a car and driving on the right? Doing the opposite has always been kind of a daunting prospect to me! I swear, I'd get to that first roundabout and just abandon the car and walk! I'm just too damn old to start messing around with the fundamentals! (Just for the record: I have several thousand kilometers of Autobahn experience, stick-shift and all!)

At the very least, a local liaison to the hotel could be helpful to you.

The joy of it is film is film is film, no matter where you are. Once you succeed in plugging the thing in, it's the same for everybody! No "regions 1 or 2", just 8, 16 and 35.

**Mark McLaughlin** · 2025-08-13T20:16:13

Thanks all for the welcoming messages and PMs! I have decided however to come out for the next one, (in April I believe?) instead of October to be able to stay longer and experience the amusement parks and boardwalk as well. I may never get out there again so I want to do it right. Having been in California for 30 years now, I tend to forget that amusement parks and drive in movies shut down in the Fall in other places! Haha. I know what it's all about though having grown up near Denver, Colorado! We even had a Sons of the Desert tent called "Liberty" that I corralled my family into taking me to the monthly meetings and screenings even during the snowy, cold months. I am really looking forward to meeting folks and going to Cinesea soon!
Thank you for your help! Mark

**Douglas Meltzer** · 2025-08-14T01:23:47

Mark,

In that case, we'll see you in the spring!

Announcement

CineSea 31 - Join Us This October in Wildwood!

CineSea 31 - Join Us This October in Wildwood!

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