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Author Topic: Odd Messages in Film Cans Alan Dallas Film Handler Posts: 48 From: Prescott Valley, AZ Registered: Jul 2004 posted 06-15-2005 04:24 AM                     I love surprises. But when I open a film can and see written in black marker: "Help me!! I'm lost in a film distro werehouse!" Then under it in red marker: "Don't MOVE! Help is on the way!" I can't help but laugh. I was reminded of that message when I popped open a can with Mr. & Mrs. Smith this last Thurs and saw again written in black marker: "AMC sucks ass!" and in smaller writing underneath: "Who's the idiot that hired you?" Anyone else find cryptic writtings inside film cans?  |  IP: Logged Bruce McGee Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1776 From: Asheville, NC USA... Nowhere in Particular. Registered: Aug 1999 posted 06-15-2005 08:05 AM                     Years ago, I received a print of "Dagora, The Space Monster." The can was labeled "Dagnabbit, the Space Rabbit." Inside the can, someone had written: I sat thru this print for 2 weeks. Sorry if you have to do the same.  |  IP: Logged Allison Parsons Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 630 From: East Peoria, IL Registered: Oct 2004 posted 06-15-2005 09:49 AM                        I actually write in all the cans that I have a movie in that I've either tore down or built. I usually draw a crappy looking robot and date it. Once, I put my old email address and someone from a theater in Indiana emailed me back. Funny note, when we got Lords of Dogtown last week, it came in a canister with one of my robots in it and was dated 3/04. Small world.  |  IP: Logged Christian Volpi Master Film Handler Posts: 349 From: Arlington, NE Registered: Apr 2004 posted 06-15-2005 10:59 AM                        I got a print once where someone wrote inside the cans, "Hey, Technicolor, you cheap bastards, send us some decent friggin' reels next time!!"  |  IP: Logged Dieter Depypere Master Film Handler Posts: 343 From: Deutsch-Wagram, Lower Austria, Austria Registered: May 2005 posted 06-15-2005 11:33 AM                     Long ago, I got a reel (I think reel IV) where someone left a wearning "ATTENTION THIS REEL IS TAIL UP!" In fact the reel was head up... Someone might not be able to differ between head and tail or something?  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-15-2005 12:05 PM                     "Sacbs suck!" Underneat that was written: "Only if you pick them!"  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 06-15-2005 01:54 PM                     I remember, with the 10 inch cans that the cartoons came in that all of us would write in those cans were we were at and date when we wrote the notes inside. Kinda like a "travelling address book" and a history book at the same time. Then we would write our local numbers in these cans as well. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-15-2005 02:27 PM                        I wrote SPLIT REELS SUCK! in quite a few cans during TES's black-reel days.  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-15-2005 02:44 PM                        I've seen "SAVE COPPER DRIPPINGS" [for the Will Rogers Foundation] stickers occasionally, as well as union stickers ("call for competent projectionists" or "vote ____ for business agent"). Otherwise, it's been pretty boring--not much more than theatre names and dates. Prints that go on the festival circuit often have inspection reports from various festivals ("Hill Top Productions" is a popular one--they have swanky multipart carbonless forms), and sometimes include festival programs as well. I will often stick my own inspection reports in between the film and the flange of the first reel, or throw them in the can for R1 when the print ships on cores.  |  IP: Logged Jason Miller Expert Film Handler Posts: 241 From: Little Rock, AR, Registered: Mar 2004 posted 06-15-2005 08:06 PM                    quote: "Sacbs suck!" Underneat that was written: "Only if you pick them!" Holy Cow... I have seen that one too! I also remember seeing an unused band-aid in a can. Im not sure if that was accidental or fore-shadowing because I cut myself on the second can when I tried to open it.  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 06-15-2005 11:26 PM                     It was probably the same can! The damn thing looked like it was older than Moses!  |  IP: Logged Monte L Fullmer Film God Posts: 8367 From: Nampa, Idaho, USA Registered: Nov 2004 posted 06-16-2005 01:10 AM                     quote: Scott Norwood I've seen "SAVE COPPER DRIPPINGS".... I managed to save a few of these copper labels in the cans, For during WW-2, the copper on the carbons was thinner than the standard thickness. Plus, any metal during the war was recyclable, and copper was the most valuable metal. Lot of these labels were designated for the war effort. Now, what's really rare nowdays to see is the yellow diamond on the side of the cans with the black words "CAUTION" - meaning that this can contained nitrate film. When safety started to come out, there were also a label mentioning the contents of safety film. Then FOX had their labels as well for magnetic only and magnetic/optical "narrow sprocket" (fox-sprocket) 35mm film. -Monte  |  IP: Logged Dominic Espinosa Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1172 From: Boulder Creek, CA. Registered: Jan 2004 posted 06-16-2005 02:12 AM                     "Please return your dts discs" underneath that: "Fuck you" "Please return your dts discs" underneath that: "Only if you return my soul"  |  IP: Logged Christian Volpi Master Film Handler Posts: 349 From: Arlington, NE Registered: Apr 2004 posted 06-16-2005 09:43 AM                        One of my fellow employees reminded me of one that we got about 2 years ago, it read; "Do you like boobs alot?"  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 06-16-2005 03:07 PM                       You'd see the occasional: Walsh IA President ...and then there was one I used to see a LOT of: Who is this guy, Billy Arden? Nope, never found out who he was, but he must have stamped cans in the midwest for 50 years. My brother and I each had rubber stamps made with our names and theatres on them: Robert Reed Sky-Vue Drive-In Theatre Winchester, KY Timothy Reed Kentucky Theatre Lexington, KY For many years, we stamped every can we got - cartoons and all. I doubt if any of those old cans are still out there (pre-TES and pre-plastic,) but you never know.  |  IP: Logged

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