BACKGROUND INFO:
I am not a 'film enthusiast' and my past working life has revolved around electronics (many fields including communications, industrial and audio) and "The Arts", more specifically, creative arts such as handcrafted fine china, ceramics and landscape artworks.
An associate has asked me to help find new owners for HIS large collection of photographic and film items ... this is yet another one of those items. I am frequently asked "THE QUESTION"
So how many films do you have, Russ?
My response is ... boxes and boxes of them, perhaps 350+ films are now left for me to look through ... plus a few projectors
Another question I am often asked "Can I come and have a browse through the films?" Sorry, but the answer has to be a flat NO!
ALL film stock is safely away in my storage units, nice n cool and out of harms way, each day (or so) I will retrieve a few films, take a look (and smell!) at each film ... absolutely NO ONE can just casually "browse" the collection. My associate wouldn't like that and neither do I.
There is a lot of detail on this page plus even more HERE ... I strongly suggest anyone who is interested in this film to read everything carefully, including looking at the link. To not do so is at your own peril!
Vinegar Syndrome "smell test" �= I am not sure! (See below under the TESTING section)
This is the 2nd print that I have found of this "selected scenes" film release
THE AMITYVILLE HORROR
Ken Films (Selected Scenes)
Classic horror with James Brolin, Margot Kidder & Rod Steiger
Title: THE AMITYVILLE HORROR (1979)
Catalogue # 340
400 Feet Light Grey TAYLOREEL (Made in USA) reel
The original formed polystyrene hinged case with coloured graphic artwork front and rear
Leader film is fitted
Colour
Sound (Mono)
If you live in a home that makes you feel "uncomfortable", particularly where a mass murder has previously occurred, this horror tale could be right up your alley! Moral of the story ... check the history of that dream home before moving in.
COSMETIC CONDITION:
USED
CLEAN
The original polystyrene case is in great condition with no extra labels or personal writing added and the hinge is sound.
The reel is not cracked or damaged
NO personal writing on the film reel or the library case, in fact there is no identification on the reel at all.
NO film clip is fitted
TESTING:
Test machine: ELMO 1200ST
The projector film path has been completely cleaned prior to running this film through the machine. I now have a "running sheet", my maintenance schedule if you like - I record when each maintenance is performed because I am running a lot of films through the machine.
Film stock on the reel, including the sprocket holes, appears to be physically undamaged - at least on the first section that I examined and ran through the projector for testing (about 5 minutes duration of the film).
I ran the film through the projector for approximately the first five minutes, to observe the picture and check that the sound quality - this isn't really my sort of genre and I grew quite tired of the priest being covered in flies!
The colour representation is not too bad at all, but it seems to change almost from scene to scene! I mean by this that one minute the priest is looking down at a rather Tan-Brownish beach scene and then a child walks across the sand in Blue shorts, yet the water isn't Blue. Other scenes, such as during the opening scenes, the house is clearly very Blue when lit up by the lightning strikes. Greens are there too and this tends to take the harshness off any Red scenes but I just had the impression that the colours being represented were changing as the film progressed ... overall though, I think this print has "better colour" than the first print I dug out some time ago.
On the vinegar smell ... call it old age, call it a bad sense of smell but I am just not sure about this one. I "think" I am smelling the vinegar odours but then ... if they are there, it is a faint odour and could even be from some adjacent film when being stored ... I just don't know.
Good news on the sound too, the audio is crisp, clear and of a good level ...
SPECIAL NOTE: I felt I needed to add this little note ... whilst viewing the film on the screen, it actually looks "less Red" than the photographs would indicate. My antiquated digital camera (very old, one of the very first 'point n shoot' models!) just isn't up to the task in regard to colour representation nor the ability to portray contrast properly. The screen shots I take are now taken with the film on pause which gives an improved image but the light is dimmer and a couple of the frames are quite blurred because I didn't stop the film just at the right time for those photographs. In any case, these photographs are only a very rough guide for what to expect.
This film is now stored in a cool, low humidity environment while it awaits a new owner to consider bringing to their home ...
