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PUBLISHED BY- MIKE TRICKETT 25 FAIRLIE ST. NTH. GEELONG VIC. 3215

Another year gone by
An old friend of mine once told me that the older you get the faster the years go by. Maybe that's
true, maybe it's that we live a faster paced lifestyle than in the past. As film collectors, the years
going by are bringing with them a number of changes.

In our own collections, we are seeing the effects of the years, with the color of some films fading
and the effects of vinegar syndrome taking hold.
On the distribution scene, the once vibrant 16mm market has been reduced to a few copies of a
few major titles; the flow-on effect ofthis means there are virtually no 16mm prints of films made
in the last 5 years finding their way into collectors' hands.
The commercial cinema has seen the start of distribution via electronic means. Some are
predicting that 35mm film, as a means of distribution will be all but finished within I 0 years.

For collectors, the introduction of the Digital Video Disc (DVD) has seen a number of much
sought after titles appear on the market. The much-wanted Annie Get Your Gun has appeared on
DVD this month. With video projectors improving in both brightness level and picture quality, a
projected image approaching that of 16mm is possible from the DVD.

For many of us "film types", the thought of "surrendering" to the dreaded video was unthinkable a
few years ago, but I must admit, if the titles keep coming at the present rate, I might be tempted.
Mike Trickett

COVER PHOTO - The Plank Norris 16mm Toy Projector.

For many of us, (in my case it was a Dux Cine) our first introduction to films at home was one of
the many toy projectors that that were available from the 1920s up until the 1960s.
In this edition is part one of a fascinating look at the history of toy projectors hy Charles Slater.

REEL DEALS WEB SITE: www.reeldealsmag.com

ENQUIRIES:
MIKE TRICKETT 25 FAIRLIE STREET NORTH GEELONG VIC. 3215
PH: AH. 03 5278 1986 FAX: 03 5278 3545
Email: filmman@bigpond.com