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Drove three towns over for a 'restored' print of The Warriors that was just a VHS rip on a DVD-R
Some guy on Craigslist said he found a 35mm print in a closed theater and transferred it himself. It was $20. Drove 45 minutes to his garage, he pops it in, and it's clearly a seventh-gen VHS copy with tracking lines and the HBO logo still in the corner. He tried to tell me the tracking lines were 'original film grain.' Has anyone else run into these 'lost print' scammers or is this a new thing?
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patb121mo ago
...and did you call him out on the HBO logo or just let it slide? I mean, once you see that logo flicker in the corner it's game over for any "35mm print" story. What did he say when you pointed out the tracking lines and the whole VHS giveaway?
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stella_baker29d ago
Oh man, I've been in that EXACT spot before. Best move is to just smile and say "oh yeah, I think they do that thing where they simulate old broadcast artifacts for the authentic vibe" - keep your face totally blank and let him dig his own grave. If he doubles down, just nod slowly and change the subject to the projectionist's union or something boring. Works every time.
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