Film Cells

[Hazell B]

A couple of years ago movie cells (bits of cut down 35mm film) were offered for sale here in the UK from The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Harry Potter films, all framed up with film photos, for about £70 - £100 each.

Now, hundreds of people bought them thinking they were sections of the actual film's original footage, from the sets. Of course, thanks to clever and mildly misleading wording in the adverts, they were nothing of the sort. They were just bits of old cinema reels that would have been binned when the local Vue had finished showing them.

Yesterday I bought sections from four movies, again mounted with photos, for £13. They included The Bourne Identity, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (new version) and The Matrix.

All film will soon be digital, so they're my tip for the future if you want to start a cheap collection
At just over three quid each, you can't lose much!

But I do feel sorry for the proud Lord of the Rings owners - not :

[Dave B]

The original films are almost never sold, in case they're needed to make more copies. But as you say, the pressings sold in cinemas are ten a penny.

As for films going digital, it'll be a fair time before big screen motion pictures go that way, the resolution simply is nowhere near good enough when blown up onto a 30' screen. Eventually, yes. But not for a good few years in most cases.

[Storm]

Just a question popped into my mind.... Why buy the stuff at all?
Especially when it costs £100

[Mark]

For £70-£100 I'd expect the entire reel, not one cell

As for digital, it might be sooner than you think, film quality isn't that great really

[555-04Q2]

Just a quickie here :

Why do people still go the the cinemas Uncomfortabe chairs, idiots with cellphones, expensive tickets, expensive cokes and popcorn, someone kicking your chair from behind.

Close the curtains, pop the corn in the wave machine, turn down the lights and enjoy a good DVD rather.

[Mark]

There are very few films that I'd pay cinema prices to go and see. James Bond was the last one, until I realised I'd made a mistake.

I have a simple rating system for films, which goes something like.
Cinema, PayPerView, DVD, Sky Movies, TV.

There are very few that make it into the top three categories! But that's not the point really, you sit in and watch the TV every night, going to the cinema is something different.

[janneppi]

As for films going digital, it'll be a fair time before big screen motion pictures go that way, the resolution simply is nowhere near good enough when blown up onto a 30' screen. Eventually, yes. But not for a good few years in most cases.

I thought some low budges movies like the new Star wars were digital?
There are some big theatres here that have gone digital too.

[Mark]

I was just reading Wikipedia about that and yes, many cinemas are already using digital projectors. Several hundred in the UK (not sure which ones)

It has many advantages over film, namely in the distribution and handling. The film can be transmitted to the cinema over the internet, no need for distribution at all.

[Daniel]

I never thought film had a great resolution at all Whenever I go to the cinema I'm always surprised at how "soft" the picture is.

[LotusElise]

I have a film cell from the 1920s which I bought for a few pounds a couple of years ago. I can't remember what the film title is though.