|
|
Author
|
Topic: To trash or not to trash a very vinegared Cinerama reel
|
|
|
|
|
Frank Angel
Film God
![](http://www.film-tech.com/ubbmembers/248b.jpg)
Posts: 5305
From: Brooklyn NY USA
Registered: Dec 1999
|
posted 01-08-2012 07:03 PM
Ah yes, we film collectors are a crazy bunch.
If you intend to display this reel and the film on it in a different area than where you store your other viable prints, there is no reason not to keep the vinegar film on the reel. That said, you should be aware that eventually the film on that reel will distort so badly, drip crud and smell more and more pungent that it will not even look like film to the casual observer, so its historical significance will be compromised. that fact that it is the ACTUAL Cinerama film will be less meaninful if it and the reel together don't actually look like the real thing. I needs to look like film to be impressive. The observer will never see the actual footage, so I would go with using junk film so at least you have a "recreation" of what it looked. And as much as the reel itself is a wonderful artifact, that glop that the film will turn into on it will detract from the aesthetics of the reel itself.
I say get it off the reel now while you can still unravel it. The longer it decays, the harder it will be to remove it. And of course you can still sell frames on ebay if there are still viable single frames to be salvaged.
As for the rest of your collection, if you need to store this reel for any lenght of time among living, healthy prints until you can figure out where you will display it, then get a really thick lawn & leaf garbage bag and put the reel in it and seal it well with gaffer tape. As long as the off gassing of the VS reel can't reach the other prints, you are fine. Also, I get unnerved hearing the word "infect" used when talking about VS. VS is a chemical cascade reaction, not a disease carrying virus. It doesn't "infect" other prints and the proximity needs to be fairly close for the out-gas of one decomposing print to actually change the pH in the air around the other prints enough that another good reel will start to cascade. I have heard people say a VS print stored in one part of the house will be able to "infect" good prints in other parts of the house. Or that if you run a good print thru a projector that has ran a VS print, the good print will get "infected." Rubbish. It's unfortunate that the "disease" analogy started being used by collectors to describe VS because it just is wrong on a number of levels and causes more misinformation about how the process works than need be out there.
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
Tony L. Hernandez
Expert Film Handler
![](/ubbmembers/3524a.jpg)
Posts: 158
From: Windsor, CO, USA
Registered: Dec 2005
|
posted 01-08-2012 09:17 PM
Definitely safety film, Phillip. It has all of the proper Cinerama insignia on the head and I also did the old trick of cutting off 2 frames and attempting to burn them in the parking lot, and it did not burn.
Thank you for the notes on VS, Frank. As I said, I know a bit about VS but am no expert. Although I have never been too paranoid about running a good print on a projector that has run a VS print, I have always cleaned the hell out of everything that touched it. I was under the impression that in addition to the gasses you mentioned, there were crystals or other artifacts that could be left behind and ruin future prints.
I was considering having the reel incased in some sort of shrink wrap or frame but Frank brought up a good point: what happens when the film deteriorates to the point that it looks like on the reel and I cannot get it off. I am now thinking that I may break it down on cores and isolate the print while saving and displaying the reel. Other input is still welcome and appreciated.
I found your comment funny, Brad as I was thinking the exact same thing the other day regarding the horrid odor. It may leave our house guests literally in "tears" when they leave (never to return) and I was personally fearing it may flush my husband (who is already extremely patient with my eccentricities) out as well. As cool as the full Cinerama reel is, he is worth a good deal more. I should be happy settling with a cool, albeit empty, Cinerama reel along with a husband and happy houseguests.
Not sure about the Film Guard idea, Tony but it sounds like a good idea. I bet Brad could answer this...
| IP: Logged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
All times are Central (GMT -6:00)
|
|
Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM
6.3.1.2
The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion
and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.
|