When I was a kid, my Dad collected movies. He still does, but now they're on DVD, not 16 or 35mm film.

Came across this image (on the wonderful, excessive, tech-y, geeky widescreenmuseum.com), and it really sent me back to those film days.

This image was one of the things that got me on started on my 2001 binge a few weeks ago. By the way, for a while, Dad had a beautiful 16mm anamorphic print of 2001, which is how I first saw it back in '75.

What you're looking at is a 35mm frame from that chilling scene right before the intermission where you realize HAL is reading their lips. Squeezed for anamorphic projection. With a round reel changeover cue. With both the stereo magnetic and optical mono soundtracks. And printed on whatever crappy film stock Metrocolor stuff was dumped on back in those days. Seemed like no matter how well you cared for the stuff, it faded to this sickly pink. I've heard that some films from the period were this faded while still in their theatrical release! 2001 certainly deserves to be seen in better shape than this! Imagine the Discovery making its way through a nasty pink universe.

The weird thing is, your brain will eventually correct the color for you — if the movie's any good. For instance, my best friend James and I watched THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM about 14 thousand times (including back-to-back showings from time to time), in a 'Scope 16mm faded-brown "Color by Pathe" print. And we never complained.