Written by: Captain Reel I t's a fact that from the time you are born ...every day , every month , every year , death comes a little bit closer to us all. The same applies to the life span of your film equipment and that precious movie collection. Like your life, the choice is yours...do you want a long, productive and fruitful life or the alternative? Let's think positive first: Film Equipment (which includes: Cameras, Projectors and Editors) Imagine every piece of film

Article by: Captain Reel I hear my friends at Film Forever MPE consistently get questions concerning movie reels, their size diameters and whether they are compatible with the projector they have. Well let the Captain set you straight to all those who are just discovering or re-discovering the wonders of film. I can't stress enough, that having a good reel for your precious film is paramount to preserving those valuable movie collections and/or family memories. Unless you

Movie Review by Captain Reel T his was an absolutely charming movie and for those who love Mermaids, you're going to simply enjoy the many beautifully shot underwater sequences that make film-going such an experience. Both Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah are wonderful in their leads both showing lovely chemistry together in this romantic comedy. But the real kudos goes to Darryl Hannah who carries the film with a brilliant performance as Madison, a mermaid whose character exude

by Captain Reel I f you, like so many other people, have discovered boxes of home movies each spooled onto small 3-inch 50ft reels, you are not alone. Worse yet, none of them are marked or cataloged as to what is on each reel. Could anything be worse ? YES, INDEED! Add to that scenario, you have either an old projector stashed away that no longer works or 'heaven forbid' no projector or even a hand cranked editor at all to view them! Sheesh! For those suffering from the la

Movie Review by Captain Reel Watership Down , is a 1978 British animated adventure-drama film, written, produced and directed by Martin Rosen and based on the 1972 novel by Richard Adams. It was highly recommended to me by a number of true movie lovers. All I can say is after viewing it for the first time, this film is: "A dazzling animation gem!" The movie begins with the story of creation, the book of Genesis as interpreted by the rabbits. The relationship between the rab

Movie Review by Captain Reel A great film with an excellent script showing the darker side of the military. An outstanding performance by the cast, and what a CAST boasting Burt Lancaster, Montomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra, Donna Reed and Ernest Borgnine. The eventful knife fight between Clift and Borgnine was both dark and shocking. It looked real and not acting, in my opinion. That event itself was pivotal and suspenseful. The film has a great look about it, wit

Film Review by Captain Reel T his film has become a Christmas tradition in my family for a long time. We watch it once, every Christmas night and we never get tired of it. Frank Capra is a master of creating films with a message that reinforce strong values in life, in general. This is probably his greatest film in that regard. Both Capra and Stewart have publicly stated that this is their favorite Christmas movie along with yours truly, Captain Reel. The #1 message in thi

T his is probably the first and one of the best Irish movies I have had the pleasure of viewing! It's set in Ireland and the language is Irish, which is super cool in itself. Just like the title, 'The Quiet Girl' is a film full of emotional moments, that will draw you in psychologically using a powerful, subtle approach to what the main character 'Cait' is experiencing. I can imagine that this movie won't be for everyone, but the climax of the story really shows just what an

Y ou can read till you're 'Blue in the Face' about what people think are the best 8mm and 16mm film projectors ever made. But Captain Reel, is gonna set you straight and true from over 40 years of ownership experience. Not only do I believe my choices are the best, but I personally happen to own each of these machines and I am proud to say they are still running perfectly today. For myself, the best projectors are the ones that give the BEST PERFORMANCE and just as import

Motion Picture Film - Winding 101 Compiled by Captain Reel C onfused as to what it means when they say 'A' Wind or 'B' Wind? When it comes to motion picture film terminology a lot of people are confused so you're not alone. What starts as a simple reel of film gains complexity when you need to put it on rewinds or in a projector and determine the correct orientation, particularly considering that film might not only be on a reel tail out but also oriented so the image woul

by Pino and Captain Reel Is Still Photography on Film Making A Comeback? Yes in many respects, it is making a comeback - BIG TIME! Also, new and improved film stocks are constantly being introduced into the marketplace. HERE ARE 9 REASONS WHY FILM PHOTOGRAPHY IS MAKING A COMEBACK Authenticity & Credibility : Think of something handmade versus machine-made. You know that the person that handmade it put thought and effort into it; there is a certain amount of craftsmanship for

8 mm film formats, including Super 8mm film, was an affordable and preferred way to capture home movies for decades. However, there are some significant differences between Regular 8mm film (also known as Standard 8mm) and Super 8mm film that you need to know if you want to view your precious memories captured on old film reels. Have your attention? Keep reading as Captain Reel tells you all you need to learn about Regular 8mm film and Super 8mm film along with the differe

DOES ANYONE STILL SHOOT FILM? (Article Courtesy of the Eastman Kodak Company) by DILLON WALLACE and slightly modified by CAPTAIN REEL W e live in a world dominated by digital platforms, but that doesn’t mean the analog love isn’t still out there today. It may be 2023, but if you know where to look, you can still buy movies on film reels, and even today, several major Hollywood directors still choose the old medium to shoot their films on. While a lot of movie theaters may n

ARE PHOTO NEGATIVES WORTH KEEPING? BY MOLLEE SHANNON (Article Courtesy of the Eastman Kodak Company) W hile media lovers look to digitize their analog collections, many ask whether the original media is worth keeping. There are few things you want to consider when digitizing your collection of analog media : The quality of the photo negative material Will you want to enlarge your images someday? Are you able to store these images in a safe environment that will preserve th

The Legacy of Film (Article Courtesy of the Eastman Kodak Company) HOW DO FILM REELS WORK? by KATY SOMMERFIELD F ilm has been in used now for more than one hundred years, and its invention is one that remains remarkable and interesting to this day. The basic ideas which produced the first photographs and motion pictures are what has led us to the huge industries that are photography and filmmaking in today’s world. We have those notions to thank for all the home movies and

FAKE NEWS! by Captain Reel U nfortunately, it's a fact that the internet is full of false information. The latest discovery has been mentions that Film Forever MPE is permanently closed. This is FAKE NEWS and despite petitioning search engines such as BING to remove these statements...this false information continues to pervade the internet. Here is the truth, these rumors are undoubtedly being spread by unscrupulous competitors trying to undermine this company. Person

Scene Three: Comedy in Early Cinema written by Captain Reel W hen films went from silent to sound the next biggest evolution in comedy were the 'Screwball Comedies'. They endeared themselves to audiences in the thirties and forties during the Great Depression. It's characterized by its fast-paced repartee of farcical situations, escapist themes and plot lines involving courtship and marriage. It also shows the struggle between economic classes. 'Screwball Comedy' got its nam

Scene Four: Understanding and Identifying the Differences between the Regular 8mm, Super 8mm and 16mm Film Formats by Captain Reel A t the beginning of the 20th century, the introduction of more economical motion picture film formats, namely 16mm, 8mm, and Super 8mm film, allowed millions of people to capture their own family memories and adventures and project them in the comfort of their own home. No longer were the movies just for

Scene Two: Comedy in Early Cinema written by Captain Reel C omedy is one of the oldest genres in film history. It was derived from classical comedy in theater. It's designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. When comedy came into place in the silent era, they used visual depictions such as: sight gags, pratfalls, the use of custard pies and double takes but most of fall it began with chases. Some of the earliest comedies in silent films were known as 'Slapstick Com

They're My Personal Recommendation by Capt. Reel I t's a fact that nothing can replace the look, color, tonality, clarity and detail only Film can deliver. Even with the switch to digital over the years, both photographers and studios find themselves having to render their footage electronically after shooting to imitate the look, color saturation and film grain that was once easily captured by just using the film medium. This is why 12 years ago, Film Forever MPE was form