Thank you Richard. After I'd edited this little video I was concerned I may not have risked showing enough of it but you've saved my bacon. Thank you again. This will probably appear as the top comment if I've successfully pinned it there. John.

I was about two I think. And now here I am a few years later sharing my interest in these wonderful little films and amazing projectors with a few thousand people around the world. Whoever would have thunk it? John.

I have a 200ft Super 8 of Easy Street Rob. The burks printed it back to front but I enjoyed the reel so much I didn't bother returning it. One day I should project it via an optical mirror which is easily done. A great film. John.

If you're in the UK then get onto www.classichomecinema.co.uk/ to see if they have a suitable replacement Super 8 projector. That would probably be cheaper and less hassle than getting your present one repaired. If you're a Star Wars fan then here's a little secret - a friend in the USA has put a 600ft cut down of Return of the Jedi together which I believe is being released in 'Scope. It will probably cost a couple of hundred pounds but what a fabulous souvenir/collectible that will be of one of the original films. I have all three of them as 'Scope Super 8 features though so I won't need to splash out on a cut down. I will be interested to see it though and if he's done a good job. If not, I'll send the boys round! John.

That sounds similar to my own school memories but the teachers used to handle the projection duties. One teacher was a film enthusiast and tried to get an after school monthly cinema evening going without too much success. He did hire a flat print of ZULU though which was well attended. John.

It's always fun to run a film projector, whatever the gauge. It's who I've been for over 50 years really and so however good digital video projection gets, it's never going to have quite the same thrill for me. John.

Those Heckle& Jeckle 200ft reels still appear on dealer lists so they're still around. John.

You're welcome Cheekster. John.

Thank you Jonny. John.

Morning Graham... although it's probably evening with you now. I use an 810D for cine to video transfers so you're not alone in your opinion of those great little machines. The M8 isn't as loud as it appears in this video which is largely caused by the microphone picking up as much noise as it can muster. I don't use it often but if I did I'd have to get it converted for a different lamp and I don't think I'd bother so it mainly sits on the top shelf of the film collection looking pretty. John.

There are smaller projectors than these Timothy. I don't think I've ever seen a 4mm projector but I expect those were smaller than the Bolex M8 8mm projector in this video. John.

Films don't tend to snap Stephen, particularly the later releases from the second half of the 1980's onwards when they were nearly always printed on polyester stock which is so strong it could take your head off! The 1941 double album is actually okay and when I next screen it I'll probably use my Elmo GS1200 HTI because that powerful HTI lamp has something of a blue tint to it which makes slightly pink faded films look more normal. It was good fun to make this video which I wouldn't have thought of without you sending me the films. Super 8 and 8mm in one video didn't cross my mind previously but I enjoyed doing it all. Thank you. John.

@@moviecollector5920 ~ Enjoyed watching it, John.The flickering sound is something I'll always miss, when I occasionally decide to visit my local fleapit. It was a sad day when they finally got the digital downgrade 😄. I miss all the pops and cracks and cigarette burns, with the occasional melting frame when the projector jammed. I'd take all that anyday if they said they were going back to film. I'll have to journey to the city some day and seek out a real cinema.

@@CastlesForEyes Those sort of issues with film projection were almost completely consigned to the history books Stephen but I dare say there might be a few issues if the uptick in film projection continues because we've lost most of the experience by now which means the youngsters will be learning on the job and quite often taught by others who weren't exactly screening film all of their working life. Polyester film stock was probably the biggest reason why film damage was so rare in the last few decades of mass film projection. John.

Funnily enough, I did that just a week ago. My cousin was staying and she was at British Airways when the Concorde was flying and so I put on a couple of Concorde Super 8 films, one of which is in 'Scope. Last 'Scope film I ran was THE ABYSS. I was only going to watch one reel but ended up going through all five. It was a great show - you should have been here! John.

I don't run 8mm very often Stephen but it's always a pleasure when I do. I use a Eumig 810D dual gauge machine for cine to video transfers (aerial image) and that is a great machine but it's always sat in place ready to do transfers. I should get another 810D just to run the standard 8mm films in the cinema because I don't know if I'd be able to get a replacement lamp for that little Bolex M8 nowadays. John.

There's nothing more special than running a film though even though it's not the push a button and forget about it like running a video disc. I've just run a reel of 35mm though and once that was running I could have walked away and forgotten about it. What I can't forget about is that some poor bugger has got to rewind it! John.

Bear in mind that the camera increases the volume somehow. It dissipates in the room so it's not very loud at all and usually it would be in the projection area so the image would almost fill the screen where it would hardly be audible at all. Same with the Silma Blue Memory. John.

I believe Bolex own the Eumig brand and have done since the 1980's. I have a Bolex 8mm camera but bought that as an ornament/collectible rather than a working camera. It does work though. The M8 projector is a beauty - a true work of art as you said. John.

They tend to sit on shelves as display items most of the time but it's nice to run them occasionally. John.

It was good fun to get them both out again and working Rey. I sometimes forget how much fun real film can be but I have just been running a 35mm reel of trailers from about year 2000 so I don't tend to forget for too long. John.

It's just a shame there isn't a bigger audience for this sort of thing Andrew. But if the opportunity arises to do more at any time you can be sure I will. Until then I'll include Super 8 in the more popular videos at every opportunity. I was tempted to do a video on THE FUGITIVE recently because so many people were telling me it was "a great transfer" when it was little to do with the transfer and so I thought I'd prove it by showing a bit of the Super 8 print. That would be a bit risky of course but it was so tempting to do it. John.

I don't think the world will ever tire of Laurel and Hardy films Dave. They're timeless. John.

Always a lot of fun even if I'm just running an extract or a cut down. The Super 8 features from the late 1980's onwards tend to be a little bit more special though and I take much more care with those. Maybe I'll show a bit of The Fugitive on Super 8 sometime so everyone will know it's the quality of the original film that results in the excellent 4K release. John.

I have done a few Super 8 videos and one that I think was called 'The Super 8 Gauge' so if you haven't seen that one you may find that one interesting. This little video doesn't appear to be among the most popular I've ever done but it may do better over a longer period of time which will give me an incentive to do something else with the baby gauges. John.

Thank you. This video is a little different but it was nice to be able to shoot it. John.

Thank you Justin. Glad you like it. John.

Thank you Roy. John.

They are timeless Dom. And what about the film a few years ago re-creating their last tour of Britain which I thought was brilliant? I keep looking at the Blu-ray of that one on the shelf and thinking that I should put it on again. John.

@@moviecollector5920I've not seen the film. I was worried it would make me sad. I know that sounds daft, but I associate those two with joy. I really should pick it up. 🙂

@@DomH75 Oh, you'll enjoy it Dom. It is quite sad at times but overall it's an uplifting film about a beautiful, long-lasting friendship. Goes backwards and forwards with flashbacks as I recall and the two lead actors make you feel like you're watching the real thing. John.

@@moviecollector5920 Thanks John! I'll pick up the Blu-ray then! Really appreciated seeing the 8mm reel. My old secondhand Super-8mm projector fell apart 25 years ago, sadly. I really miss proper film! 🙂

@@DomH75 Take a look at Classic Home Cinema if you fancy playing with a few Super 8 package movies again: www.classichomecinema.co.uk/ Projectors can be had from them for very little money. Phil and Denise Sheard run that great little business which still has a physical cine shop. Amazing. John.

Morning Bob. I purchased mine at a BFCC (where else?) when I had it in mind to get a second GS1200. That Silma was on the Buckingham table, looked brand new and was too much to resist. I used it in Cornwall for a few years before a second GS1200 did come along and it's that GS1200 that ended up getting the HTI lamp after its original Gemini 300 Arc lamp conversion went belly-up! Happy days. John.

It was Super 8 with me but I recently just packed up shooting my own documentaries in 4K. So many of us started with the bootlace gauges. John.

I don't think I''ve ever seen THE GREAT RACE. Must have done but perhaps so young that it's one of those films that I didn't fully take in at the time. One for me to look out for so thank you. Always up for a good comedy. John.

@@moviecollector5920I cannot recommend it any higher. Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood, Peter Falk, based on an ACTUAL race from New York to Paris. And a core message that is STILL as relevant as it was in the 60s. Cheers John

I agree about Silver Streak Graham, it's a brilliant 18 minute cut down of the film. That first reel of EMPIRE is great too but my recollection is that Ken Films were going to do three 400ft reels but because video tapes caused a collapse in Super 8 sales they compromised and only did one more 400ft reel and that's why the second part is so rushed compared to the first. I gave my 2x400ft away when I got the 'Scope feature. I must run that again sometime soon. John.

BOLEX were massive Paul. I think they're still producing their famous 16mm camera. In the end I think they owned the EUMIG name so probably took over SILMA... but I might be wrong about all of that. John.

I always remember the Eumig name and always wanted to own a Bell and Howell Filmosound 16mm Projector but I just couldn’t afford one back in the 1970’s when I was growing up.

@@paulallenMacca They cost peanuts today Paul. But the earlier B&H projectors are more robust. Once the cases went all plastic so did some of the moving parts and one in particular, the worm gear which is renowned for seizing up and requiring replacement. I had two of 'em! Got an earlier model now and it's gone on and on and on. John.

@@moviecollector5920 Thanks for the info John,I remember them when I went to school they used them.

I think a great many of us loved them as children and still do today Craig. John.

I'll try to Unal. As expected though, this video hasn't been very popular... so far. John.

@@moviecollector5920 I enjoyed it it reminds me when I was about 7 or 8 my parents got me a standerd 8 projector it came with a cartoon I loved it

I suspect that reel will be run many times over the years Oliver. It caused me to look at a few other 8mm reels I've got including a rarely seen Buster Keaton titled THE PALEFACE. That reel is a 200ft so about ten minutes long and therefore cut down from the original approximately 20 minutes run time. John.

I never promote Amazon but I've looked it up elsewhere and here's a dealer on eBay for anyone interested in finding out more: www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305378285995?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110025%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.COMPOSITELISTINGS%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D261613%26meid%3D3363caa588184d46a2fe9ace4e1ee26e%26pid%3D101506%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D25%26sd%3D285387918277%26itm%3D305378285995%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4247815%26algv%3DAlgoIndex5SimRankerWithLatestOrganic2&_trksid=p4247815.c101506.m1851

@@moviecollector5920 I wasn't particularly promoting Amazon. I just wanted to pitch my friend's book. BTW, I have several films on 8mm from the ancient days before video. I have used my projector in years. I wonder if it still works.

Don't forget that the BFI IMAX just over the other side of Waterloo Bridge has the only 15/70 print of DUNE TWO in the country if you've got time and can get tickets. Even I'm trying to get up for that despite my reservations of it not being the genuine item as it's a blow-up from 4K video. Should still look better than anywhere video projecting it and on the biggest screen in Britain. Maybe when Bradford Pictureville reopens we'll all get the chance to see 2001 on their Cinerama screen. That would be even more special. John.

Forgot to say, I hope you enjoy ROBOCOP. I think a few cinemas are giving that film an airing because the TERMINATOR films have been withdrawn from distribution owing to another sequel being imminent. Seems a bit daft to me because I'd have thought screenings of the first two Terminator films would have generated interest in the new film but what do I know?

@@moviecollector5920 We weren't really there long enough to go to the BFI, but I would like to go there one day. I'd wait for a film that I would really love to see there. I'm not really bothered about Dune.. I know about the 15/70 prints they made, but like you said, it's not quite the real thing, since it originated on a digital format. I can't believe they're doing another Terminator. Are they going to wipe the timeline yet again? But Robocop was a fantastic experience. There was a minor issue at the beginning. It looked like there were small pieces missing in the film, possibly from some severe damage that needed cutting out maybe. But it was Just a small bit at the beginning. Seeing both films on film was brilliant and well worth going all that way. Since September I've actually started using 35mm for still photography and took some pictures while in London. I use a Pentax K1000, which is great for beginners in film photography. I've already sent the film to be developed - I'm not able to process it myself. We'll see how they come out in a couple of weeks 😁

@@1000000man1 The BFI IMAX had TENET on a couple of weeks ago and that's probably the one to see there. INTERSTELLAR is better suited to genuine IMAX in a similar way to 2001 being so widely considered best suited to a genuine CINERAMA screen but I think the image quality overall is best in TENET. DUNKIRK might be too close to call though. It sounds like the opening of the first reel of ROBOCOP has suffered damage at some time during its 40 year life. It's not very common to have to remove damaged frames but given that inevitably there is going to be an occasional problem just about all prints that have been in theatrical circulation for a long period of time will pick up the odd scrape or tear. My 35mm copy of THE FIFTH ELEMENT has some frames missing on reel 5 so it got chewed up somewhere before I purchased it from a collector in the USA and then paid more that the film cost me to have it shipped over. All my other features seem pretty much perfect but I have damaged a couple of trailers myself over the years so it does happen. PENTAX always made great stills cameras. Digital video and photography is wonderful but there's something about film that makes it different and somehow more pleasing to look at much of the time. I hope your photos turn out beautifully. John.

@@moviecollector5920 Yeah, Tenet and Interstellar are definitely ones that I would like to see there. With Tenet, I only got to see it projected digitally, because it came out in 2020 and to reduce costs, they reduced the amount of 15/70 screenings. I saw it on the 15/70 IMAX screen, but as a digital projection. Interstellar on the other hand, I never saw in IMAX at all because it came out before I really became aware of IMAX. I'd heard of it, but didn't really understand what it was at the time. The first thing I saw in IMAX was a short NASA documentary called A Beautiful Planet. I got up early to go see it, basically Just to see what this IMAX thing was. At that point, I had only recently found out that Manchester had an IMAX screen, and even then I didn't know how significant it was that it was a 15/70 IMAX. But after I saw A Beautiful Planet, I immediately thought about the Christopher Nolan films that I should've seen in that format: The Dark Knight + Rises and Interstellar. After that, I saw Dunkirk in there and suddenly I understood what the word immersive really meant. So it is definitely on my bucket list to go to the BFI one day and although I'm not sure when I'll get the chance (I will be in London in September but won't be there too long) but I will keep an eye on the website. Yeah, film photography is Just so much more rewarding. In September, I was about to go to Blackpool and I wanted to get a new camera to take. And I started thinking about using film, which I hadn't done since I was a kid using disposable cameras. I'd never loaded film or used a fully manual camera. I wasn't even sure how aperture, shutter speed and ISO worked, but I found some helpful videos explaining it and it gave me the confidence to get the Pentax and start using film. And the pictures I took in Blackpool came out really well.

That's a perfect summary Kevin. John.

It's silent Paul. It's a 1950's model I think. Amazing that I leave it for years and then occasionally fire it up and it always purrs like a pussycat. The Blue Memory doesn't seem to like being awakened from its slumber quite so much. John.

I should go there. I need a wealthy benefactor first though. I love the film that was made about them a few years ago featuring their last tour of Britain. Wonderful. There was also a brilliant television drama about when Oliver Hardy was dying and Stan went to see him again. A real tear jerker. John.

Once I flicked it into stereo and the sound was coming through then that was okay. To run it in silent mode it's supposed to be on the silent setting (one of the push buttons) rather than sound so that's probably the cause. John.

I don't have many Laurel & Hardy films on film Marco but I do have a complete two reeler of the film where they're selling Christmas trees in summer. That was a silent era film and it's great. John.

their films are very good@@moviecollector5920

They're both rather artistic little projectors but easy to find on dealer lists for not a lot of money. The Silma has done a lot of work in its time and it's still capable of more. I don't have cause to use it very often though as I have three Elmo GS1200's all with different lamps up to the ultimate, one and only Elmo GS1200 HTI. John.

Merci beaucoup Alain. John.

I can't recall ever seeing anything from this two reeler of Laurel and Hardy before. I always enjoy their films and shorts so I really should keep a look out for more of them. The Bolex can do motorized rewinds by use of an optional belt which twists around that knobby thing on the front of the case in a figure of eight to also go around the wheel on that manual rewind arm mechanism. I never had that optional belt but for someone back when these little machines were current it might have been a good idea if a lot of films were being run. The Silma Blue Memory used to get quite a lot of use and was always kind to film. I don't think it's brilliant when it comes to removing a film part way through a reel but the whole gate area does pull out to facilitate thorough cleaning so it may not be too difficult. I've never had to remove a film part way through. It has all the power setting options for every market in the world. There's a dial on the rear of the case above where the power lead connects and you just twist it around with a screwdriver or a coin. It would make for a nice first Super 8 projector but if you then get into the hobby it would be better as a second machine. Reel capacity is 600ft which is about half an hour. When new these machines could be had with extension arms for over two hours of film. I did a tour video of the new home cinema about six months ago. The screen is about ten feet wide. It's the best screen material available being a wall painted with brilliant white emulsion so that will be fairly cheap to replace if it ever needs re-painting. The room is almost a square box at around 11.5 feet by 11.3 feet I think.

Do Detectives Think? kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ft6Wl6SYt8rFdoE.html I recall seeing the Silma Blue advertised in Dave Thomas' Film list catalog about 35 years ago and I never wanted to take a chance because the company name was uncommon to me. I have two Eumig's and the drive mechanism is indirect by utilizing spinning discs. I have a seldom used GS 1200, second edition and a reliable backup projector may be a good idea. I wish I could have someone modify an added roller to the GS 1200 second shoe that only has one white roller. I will search for your cinema. And the dimensions is a very good size area. Thank you for sharing.🙂 @@moviecollector5920

@@mdeange3 Bill Parsons and Kevin Faulkner would possibly be able to supply a modified part for your GS1200 but if not, tracking down new replacements so that troublesome part can be changed once it's shows signs of wear would ensure your films remain scratch free. Silma was a big name in Super 8 projection and were around a long time. They outlived just about all of the other, less projector manufacturers other than Elmo, Beaulieu, Fumeo and possibly also Braun. John.

Thank you for clarifying and for your kind reply. Does the Silma Blue have the same transport system as the Eumig? The Eumig 810 series has an indirect motor mechanism that tilts towards a disc. The disc is surfaced with rubber, which drives the direction to either advance or rewind the film. And did the Sima Blue have a good lens and a bright lamp?@@moviecollector5920

@@mdeange3 I have a Eumig 810D HQS and that's a better projector if you can find a good one. The seem to go on forever. The Silma is a little more basic in most respects but more complicated in others which means there are a lot of electronics to go wrong. But it is lovely to look at and that's why I bought it years ago. It's done a lot of work over the years but not as much as my Eumig 810D which has had a lot of use as part of my cine to video aerial image transfer system. The Silma has a very good lens (a 1.2) but the film path is a little restrictive which is similar to the Eumig. The whole gate area and much of the film path pulls out for cleaning as one removable unit but it's a bit fiddly until you're used to doing it. The lamp is the same as the Eumig at 100w 12v. It does give a surprisingly bright image though unless the lamp is on the way out. John.

I don't know. There have been so many that have had me in stitches but perhaps the most memorable from childhood was and is The Music Box. John.

@@moviecollector5920 The Music Box sticks in my mind too along with the chimney sweep one. I think that ends with Olly getting turned into a monkey (although I might be mixing two films together in my memory!!)

Not on that 1941 print Gary, that's for sure! John.

It probably needs to be to stop howls of disgust from the general public who purchase 4K discs and think they should all look the same. Having said this, I can't remember how good the 70mm blow-up I saw three times was. What I do remember is how disappointing a standard 35mm general release print was by comparison. I have the film on Super 8 and it's not as good as some other films released on Super 8 from the same era such as THE TERMINATOR. How good is the original negative? I don't know. Without having a master print struck directly off that camera negative we can never be certain so it's impossible to be too judgmental. If the mastering has been done well then it may actually improve the look of the film and make it more enjoyable than it otherwise would be. Film grain on video does tend to look exacerbated which corresponds with what a couple of the major Hollywood studios have told us in the past. However good the new 4K discs of any of these James Cameron classics are, I will always prefer to watch the films on Super 8 film... other than TRUE LIES which was never released full length on SUPER 8. The PAL LaserDisc of TRUE LIES is a beauty though so I'll have to take another look at that if I get the 4K in for a review. John.

@@moviecollector5920thanks for you reply John. Do you like the Dune 1984 version? I just ordered a six disc set from Germany which is one 4k disc and 5 blu rays. Loads of audio clips from Frank Herbert interviews and the holy grail a 3 hour edit called the spice driver cut which inserts 40 minutes of deleted scenes back into Lynches movie. Can’t wait .

They're not out over here yet Robert. The Abyss isn't getting a release here so I won't bother with that one. ALIENS will give me a good excuse to do another Alien video but I doubt I'll watch the movie all the way through on the 4K disc as I have the film on Super 8 and have had for well over 30 years. TRUE LIES is one I've had on PAL LaserDisc since it was first released and I don't actually fancy watching it again yet but I'll probably do so to support the new 4K. It's a beauty on LD so it should look pretty darned great on 4K. ALIENS is a bit grainy on Super 8 which is apparently indicative of the original shoot but I did see the 70mm blow up three times before seeing a comparatively disappointing 35mm a few months later. This suggests it's not as grainy as we might be expecting because the 70mm would have been struck directly from the negative. John.

I have 16mm too but it's never been my favourite gauge. I do have a Technicolor print of ZULU though so that gets run quite often. John.

Yes, it has got beyond most of us now Rey. The Terminator was less than £300 here when Derann first issued it. I've been hankering to run that print for quite a while now... and the sequel. I'll get to them both soon and Aliens which I haven't run for ages now. John.

Morning Barry. I wondered if that gal was the same lady as the one we saw at the start of JAWS. It certainly looks like her... facially I mean! John.

Yup, it’s the same actress - Susan Backlinie

@@richardh3761 Thank you for confirming that Richard. John.