Film Weekend

[Graham Ritchie]

I thought I would give the video projector a rest over the last weekend, with Saturday Yvonne and myself watching The Karate Kid 2010 on 35mm, which looked great, with excellent picture and sound, and again ran another screening of 3:10 to Yuma on the Sunday night. The Ernemann 2 projector has been getting a lot of use, and all the work put into it over the years is really paying of.

Here is a bit of video of a past screening

[Brian Fretwell]

I bet that none of today's digital projectors will be working nearly 100years after manufacture like that Ernemann 2.

[Graham Ritchie]

Very true Brian

[Steve Klare]

We really enjoy what the VP does, but actually very little about the machine itself. You plug it in, you push some buttons and it just does what it does.

Someday it will die and go out with that morning‘s egg shells and coffee grinds. A new, better one will be here soon.

My film projectors are all individuals: each one has a story. Those I could and would fix.

[Dave Groves]

At our White Bus cinema we're still using 1937 Simplex machine. Bright picture, rock steady image. A joy to use.

[Graham Ritchie]

Last night being Saturday I thought I would screen Lassie 2005. I had never watched this film before neither had Yvonne who can be quite a critic of stuff that I show. After the screening, Yvonne said that was the best Lassie film she had seen and had enjoyed it. So folks it might be a movie worth watching on DVD if you have not already seen it. This Scope print was outstanding in both picture and sound, one thing that also stands out is the cast, a lot of well known faces in this one.

[Russ Green]

Thats a cracking setup youve got there Graham i wish i had the room never mind the equipment to say that shes nearly 100 yrs young the picture and sound is amazing.

[Graham Ritchie]

Thanks Russ

Last night being Sunday we watched the full feature of "UP" once again using the platter. I am certainly glad I grabbed it before it went to the scrap as its really paid of, although at the time folk here thought I was nuts taking it home from the cinema. Anyway watching this film reminded me of this short extract taken from reel one last year.

[Graham Ritchie]

Saturday night at the movies "just finished" with Toy Story 3 on the Ernemann 2. What a stunning print to watch, with incredible Dolby Digital sound. This is really something, that no blu-ray or video projection can come close to that's for sure. The Ernemann is going great and at present getting a lot of use, just to think that in a few years time, it will be 100 years old, superb German engineering

[Graham Ritchie]

My wife Yvonne did not like the monkey the other night, thought it was creepy. I thought the monkey was really good, and have been looking out to buy a battery operated one ever since we screened that film at the cinema long long ago.

[Graham Ritchie]

Well the other weekend I did the final film screening of ET, as ET is going home . My better half was pleased to hear that news, it brought a to her face.

Anyway to commemorate this screening, and after threading up the projector I thought I would do something special, and watch the special features on the DVD of the 20th Anniversary screening held at the shrine in LA using the VP.

Here a few interesting stills of the projection set up, which included a back up film print and projector. The following photos after that, is my screening straight after the DVD, using the old 1926 Ernemann 2, without back up projector.





.....and now folks the movie from the other night.... Da Da...

[Graham Ritchie]

Still projecting a bit of weekend film yesterday afternoon was spent sorting out the nine single reels, splicing them onto larger 6000ft ones for loading onto the platter soon.

[Graham Ritchie]

Although not everyone has a platter and 35mm projector at home, and why not ?

Anyway I screened a 35mm print of "Rabbit Proof Fence" its a outstanding film, based on a true story. If you do get a chance to watch it on DVD I would certainly recommend it.

[Graham Ritchie]

Thought I would give the VP a rest and run a bit of film, Its been a while since I took this video, but running the 35mm print of "The Last Starfighter" is in a class all on its own. It takes me about 15 minutes to set things up, but watching it again tonight, its certainly well worth the effort.

[Xander van der Merwe]

The 3D aspect is certainly cool... I started with VP back in about 2004 when I purchased a Panasonic AE100, then AE300, then AE500, then an Epson 1280x720 (forgot the model), then a Sony HS10, then an Epson 3000, then in about 2012 an Epson TW8000 which eventually sold with our previous house and then last December got a very good deal on an Epson TW9400 from AVWorld in Auckland which is my current model.

i upgraded so often in the early days as VP quality improved significantly every year, but since the TW8000 in about 2012 the improvements have been less so each year.

I have 3D glasses for the previous Epson TW8000 but unfortunately they don’t work with the TW9400 so I need to acquire a new set...

it is amazing though the quality of VP these days with bluray and bluray 4K and evening streaming via Netflix, Disney, Prime, etc.

anyway, keep the videos and photos coming, they are thoroughly enjoyable!

[Graham Ritchie]

Last night it was this one again on film. It had my granddaughter and Yvonne jumping with fright at certain scenes....outstanding sound...very nice print this morning it was coming of the platter and back onto reels for another screening sometime in the future

[Graham Ritchie]

Last night the old Ernemann 2 and platter was doing its thing, with another "Wall-e" screening. Its a pity it never made to Super 8 in Scope, it would have been good one. While I was watching it, I had a visitor come in out of the darkness. It was my son Steven, he commented that he nearly walked into the film floating down the roof from the platter in the darkness he did comment however, that he could hear the sound down the drive and said it was very loud ....I guess my hearing is not as good as it used to be...anyway I never get bored watching the film print of Wall-e, so here are a couple of screen shots from the last one

PS...If you know your films you will see a lot of reference to 2001

[Graham Ritchie]

Some stills from last night