What 8mm films did I watch last night?

[Graham Ritchie]

Tonight was a bit of a blast from the past, using my trusty ST1200 that I bought second hand in 1979. In recent times, I went through all the guides and fixed them so they cant scratch anymore First up tonight, was Star Wars, I used a blue filter that takes the edge of the red, second film which I enjoyed much more than Star Wars, was Oh Mr Porter, from Walton. This title was one of the first films I ever bought back in the 1970s, and to this day its a brilliant edit, a must for anybody who likes trains. The ST1200 ran like a swiss watch rock steady image and good sound, not bad for a projector "M" model that came out way back in 1973.

The screen shots are not that great much better on the screen than what is shown below.


a couple of screen shots taken tonight

[Oliver Feld]

Yesterday it was HELLO DOLLY in all its colourful scope glory and today THE LION KING, which is always an event on the big screen

[Oliver Feld]

🎼❤️Barbra…

[Chip Gelmini]

July 13

BIRTH OF A NATION

400 foot times eight with musical score

[Steve Klare]

Last Night:

Diesels Roar on the Pennsy (Blackhawk, S8) In the 1950s, Early diesel locomotives pull long, fast passenger and freight trains in the Mountains along the Pennsylvania Railroad. It’s a little special among early films of diesel locomotives for having a sound track. Most are silent. (Four diesels pulling a mile long coal train up a steep grade are very un-silent.)

Bach's Toccata and Fugue from Fantasia (Derann, S8). If there was any dust on my speakers, it's gone now!

Fishing in Florida (16mm) A very 1950s-looking family trailers their boat down to Florida and fishes the beautiful blue waters off both coasts. A lot of attention was paid to their Mercury Marine Inboard/Outboard engine, so I'd say Mercury paid for the Movie! This would be a great film for times when people are stuck in the house due to weather, so I'll try to remember it January/February.

If you are looking for any kind of theme here, please don't try too hard! I was away from home almost two weeks, so this was kind of Anything Goes! (Besides: Themes belong on Thursdays!)

-but I was so inspired by Toccata and Fugue that I had an encore of Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony, also from Fantasia (S8, Derann).

[Brian Fretwell]

Aftwr that last heatwave made me to lethargic to project the rain made it cool enough for me to show a couple last night.
Callan (Walton) with David Callan killing Dave Prowses charater with his bare hands!! The 400ft cut down with the 200ft "Counterchase spliced in, unfortunateley neither on low fade stock so rather brown looking, followed by a Collectors Club print of "Calling al Girls" on genuine B&W (3m) stock.

[Graham Ritchie]

Thought I would give yee old VP a miss tonight, and give the GS1200 a run instead. Its been a while since I ran "The Black Stallion" so that one was my choice tonight. The Feature is mounted on two Elmo 1200 feet reels and to date the print still looks really good. I have no idea how old this Super8 print is, but it must be getting on. It projects fine giving a nice steady image with good sound. The projector ran like a swiss watch, although in saying that the GS might be listening and throw a wobbly next time so better be careful what I say about it. I enclose a couple of previous screen shots, in saying that, since then I have replaced my external transformer with another one, which I found out the old one was not giving me the full 24 volts when the lamp was on, this one from a old and broken Leitz Pradovit slide projector, does give me the full 24 volts or 22 volts on low "with" the lamp running, which in turn is putting more light on the screen.

Well enough of that.

[Osi Osgood]

We enjoyed some "Flicker Flashbacks" silent film releases. Graham! What a lovely print, that "Black Stallion"!

[Brian Fretwell]

After the BBC showed the film "What's up Doc" yesterday I just had to watch "Screwball Comedies, Remember Them?" the making of short. Now rather pink now, but very enjoyable, also showing a mistake that was left in the film (the waiter and the door he was supposed to slickly walk back through, but crashed into) that was left in as the mistake was funny.

[Brian Fretwell]

Just back from Cleethorpes and the CHC August event I had to watch a couple of 200ft reels i bought there.

One, un-named on screen from Walton ( a prize in a quix Phil ran) on low fade stock from Walton ahowing the history of RAF air display teams, from bi-planes onwards and featuring them practicing off the coast at Blackpool in the 1970's!!!! (Just looked this up in the Walton catalogue and it is "The 10th Anniversay of the Red Arrows".

Having seen it mentioned here a lot I saw and had to buy the Derann 200ft of "A Train for Christmas", a great print I think on LPP pre-stripe.

More of my haul tomorrow.

[Brian Fretwell]

Carrying on (Literally) the first three reels the 4x 400ft of Carry on Cleo (bargain at £20?). As shown on the box it is scratched and the first reel is on Eastmancolor, parts 2 & 3 are on later Fuji and have good-great colour. My previously purchased cut down has most of the rest of the film so that's good.

Republic trailer reel "Zorro's Fighting Legion" and Don Daredevil Rides again" Sharp picture on Agfa stock looks great.

Popeye "Penny Antics" Film Office print on Agfa, good colour and sharpness.

[Brian Fretwell]

I finished off with the "Kansas City" 'scope extract from Oklahoma, the Powell films 400fy of Convict 99 (Will Haye) and the M*M cut down of "Adventures of a Pumber's Mate" with good colour. Maybe an odd choice, but part of the film was shot about a mile from where I live, partly in an ex-cinema. (unfortunately not included in this cut down, as I found when projecting it).

[Brian Fretwell]

Last night I fanally got round to getting the Eumig 710D out to see the Walton 400ft B&W Standard 8 of The Man on the Eiffel Tower that I bought at Blackpool in 2023!!!.

I ran to speed, but within a minute the lamp failed, too hot to chage at once a delay followed. When changed it showed it was a good print, however the 710D didn't run in reverse so to rewind I had to get out my 810D (the needs a new lamp base or conversion to HID) to rewind it.

[Douglas Meltzer]

Brian,

Sometimes it takes a village (of projectors) to run some film!