Baffled, of Barnet

[Barry Shnikov]

In the mall this afternoon and there's a shop (which I think used to be Athena but now isn't, though everything inside is just the same).

They are selling 'limited edition film cells' which appear to feature a couple of small photos from a film, either side of three of four frames of celluloid. There's Star Wars, and blah blah blah. I've noticed these before, but not paid them any attention.

Here's the thing. They're on special offer at £60.

Can anybody please explain why on earth anybody would want to waste £60 on some a few frames of a film? I mean, Star Wars - there must be millions of feet of Star Wars in existence.

??

[thewacko]

In the mall this afternoon and there's a shop (which I think used to be Athena but now isn't, though everything inside is just the same).

They are selling 'limited edition film cells' which appear to feature a couple of small photos from a film, either side of three of four frames of celluloid. There's Star Wars, and blah blah blah. I've noticed these before, but not paid them any attention.

Here's the thing. They're on special offer at £60.

Can anybody please explain why on earth anybody would want to waste £60 on some a few frames of a film? I mean, Star Wars - there must be millions of feet of Star Wars in existence.

??

cos some people have more money than sense

or cos somepeople go over budget on getting birthday presents for dancers

[El Salsero Gringo]

In the mall this afternoon and there's a shop (which I think used to be Athena but now isn't, though everything inside is just the same).

They are selling 'limited edition film cells' which appear to feature a couple of small photos from a film, either side of three of four frames of celluloid. There's Star Wars, and blah blah blah. I've noticed these before, but not paid them any attention.

Here's the thing. They're on special offer at £60.

Can anybody please explain why on earth anybody would want to waste £60 on some a few frames of a film? I mean, Star Wars - there must be millions of feet of Star Wars in existence.

??

The limited edition 'cells' that I've seen on sale are from animated features and are the paintings the animators used to make the movie.

[Barry Shnikov]

cos some people have more money than sense

or cos somepeople go over budget on getting birthday presents for dancers

Well, quite. I suppose.

Reminds me of my astonishment at seeing Jodie Marsh's hardback biography in the shops just before Christmas. For the life of me I cannot understand how anybody intelligent enough to have £15 spare to spend on books would be a big enough f()ckwit to spend it on that book.

[thewacko]

Well, quite. I suppose.

Reminds me of my astonishment at seeing Jodie Marsh's hardback biography in the shops just before Christmas. For the life of me I cannot understand how anybody intelligent enough to have £15 spare to spend on books would be a big enough f()ckwit to spend it on that book.

Probably cos Jordans book had sold out

[Barry Shnikov]

The limited edition 'cells' that I've seen on sale are from animated features and are the paintings the animators used to make the movie.

Different thing entirely. That would be an original piece of artwork. Although I seem to remember they are spelt 'cels'. I'd pay money for a Tom and Jerry cel, or Bugs Bunny.

"He don't know me vewwy well, do he?"

I'm fairly sure I'm remembering it right and the ones I saw today were labelled 'film cells'.

[Jazz_Shoes (Ash)]

Well, quite. I suppose.

Reminds me of my astonishment at seeing Jodie Marsh's hardback biography in the shops just before Christmas. For the life of me I cannot understand how anybody intelligent enough to have £15 spare to spend on books would be a big enough f()ckwit to spend it on that book.

Don't get me started on a rant about people like Jordan and Jodie Marsh, "it girls" or whatever you want to call them. Just another thing that aggravates me about our society I especially cannot stand people who are famous for absolutely nothing!

[Barry Shnikov]

Don't get me started on a rant about people like Jordan and Jodie Marsh, "it girls" or whatever you want to call them. Just another thing that aggravates me about our society I especially cannot stand people who are famous for absolutely nothing!

I know what you mean. Though what bothers me is not so much that they are famous for nothing as because they are such vacuous prats. They really do fit the description once given to a much-abused Iberian waiter by the great Torbay hotelier himself:

"You: are a waste of space!"

[thewacko]

Don't get me started on a rant about people like Jordan and Jodie Marsh, "it girls" or whatever you want to call them.

I didn't know Jordan and Jodie were into computers

Just another thing that aggravates me about our society I especially cannot stand people who are famous for absolutely nothing!

each are famous for two rather large nothings each though

comments please JS

[Barry Shnikov]

each are famous for two rather large nothings each though

Yes, but that's the depressing thing. Especially for women, I would think.

Jordan and Jodie are mingers in the face department.

At least, e.g., Pamela Anderson is attractive. In a plastic, Barbie doll kind of way.

(Point of information: I doubt if Pamela Anderson would get into my personal top 1000)

[ducasi]

Different thing entirely. That would be an original piece of artwork. Although I seem to remember they are spelt 'cels'. I'd pay money for a Tom and Jerry cel, or Bugs Bunny.

"He don't know me vewwy well, do he?"

I'm fairly sure I'm remembering it right and the ones I saw today were labelled 'film cells'.

If these cells were the original celluloid the film was shot on, and thus unique, and if you agree with the concept of movie-making as a form of art, then there film cells are easily collectable original works of art. (I've no idea if the cells being sold are the originals, does anyone know?)

How much they're asking is neither here nor there. They charge the price that people will pay.

[Barry Shnikov]

If these cells were the original celluloid the film was shot on, and thus unique, and if you agree with the concept of movie-making as a form of art, then there film cells are easily collectable original works of art.

I disagree. It's fetishisation.

The equivalent (well, almost) would be people buying paintbrushes Picasso used to paint with or some of Brancusi's emery cloth or Stephen King's typewriter. Except a few frames of film, IMHO, fall a long way short of this type of memorabilia.

This sort of thing entirely misses the point of art. It's arguable whether certain films are art, but I think it's beyond argument that some films are works of art. But the art comes from the performances, the script, the lighting cinematographer, the editor; it is nothing to do with the stuff that goes through the projector or may have gone through the camera.

We do ascribe 'magical' qualities to objects; pressed flowers from a wedding bouquet, the autograph of an important historical figure, visiting the room where the atom was first split. There's no intrinsic value in these things, just what we project into them with our imagination.

(I've no idea if the cells being sold are the originals, does anyone know?)

If that was so, I would have expected the presentation plaques to make a bit more of a song and dance about it. So I doubt it, but I don't know.

How much they're asking is neither here nor there. They charge the price that people will pay.

That's sort of my point. Who are these idiots? And would they like to buy my handkerchiefs, as used by celebrities sundry? Only £55 a rag.

[ducasi]

I disagree. It's fetishisation.

The equivalent (well, almost) would be people buying paintbrushes Picasso used to paint with or some of Brancusi's emery cloth or Stephen King's typewriter. Except a few frames of film, IMHO, fall a long way short of this type of memorabilia.

No, the equivalent would be a page of an original manuscript that Shakespeare wrote on, or a folio that Beethoven composed part of his work on. In your analogy, the movie version would be the camera or the lens.

And that would be memorabilia, or as you term it, fetishisation.

This sort of thing entirely misses the point of art. It's arguable whether certain films are art, but I think it's beyond argument that some films are works of art. But the art comes from the performances, the script, the lighting cinematographer, the editor; it is nothing to do with the stuff that goes through the projector or may have gone through the camera.

In a film cell, and in the page of Shakespeare's manuscript we have captured a moment of artistry.

If that was so, I would have expected the presentation plaques to make a bit more of a song and dance about it. So I doubt it, but I don't know.

Having had a dig around with Google, it seems that these are things aren't the original negatives, but "authentic" "limited-edition" prints.

In this case, I agree – they are in my mind vastly over-valued, and thus over-priced, but I can still understand people wanting "original" frames from their favourite movies of their childhood, etc...

Each to they're own...

[Barry Shnikov]

No, the equivalent would be a page of an original manuscript that Shakespeare wrote on, or a folio that Beethoven composed part of his work on. In your analogy, the movie version would be the camera or the lens.

Still don't see it. My comparison would be a contemporary book of Beethoven's music, or of Shakespeare's plays rather than the original manuscript.

And that would be memorabilia, or as you term it, fetishisation.
In a film cell, and in the page of Shakespeare's manuscript we have captured a moment of artistry.

In Shakespeare's manuscript, maybe. In one frame of a film? Ya think? Really?

Having had a dig around with Google, it seems that these are things aren't the original negatives, but "authentic" "limited-edition" prints.

Thought so. Limited edition - hah!

Each to they're own...

Urm...that'd be "their".

[ducasi]

Urm...that'd be "their".

Sorry, I had a mind-block there – I even knew as I typed it, it was wrong. I'm off to my bed before I type anything else stupid.