In the greatest bit of serendipity that's happened to me in YEARS, the legendary Rock and Soul masterpiece... you guessed the title... "The T.A.M.I. Show" is going to play in Pittsburgh this Monday night at 7:30 pm at the Melwood Screening Room. It's going to be a 16mm print and the guy that rescued the print from the Minneapolis film archive will be there to talk about "The T.A.M.I. Show" and his project "Search and Rescue"; a film preservation campaign.
It will undoubtedly be a zoomed in crop from the Elecrtonovision transferred 35mm, which in itself was matted off for theatrical exhibition. 16mm reductions from 35mm theatrical prints usually don't carry the matted info, since the format is smaller and would compromise the quality of the actual, viewable image. It will most likely be missing the Beach Boys segment as nearly all prints in existence have had this performance missing (if it's there, it'll be between the Jan & Dean segment and the Billy J Kramer and the Dakota's performance). My jaw will drop and I may even stand for an ovation if it does appear. The running time on the Pittsburgh Filmmakers website lists the running time as 123 minutes, but even my absolutely complete composite I made myself (consisting of the early 80's Night Flight broadcast and the Beach Boys performance from the "Sounds of Summer" DVD a few years back) only runs 118 minutes. If it does run 123 minutes, I am positive it will be because of the speed of the projectors motor making the disparity between the two running times.
Regardless, I'm stoked beyond stoked. I'll make every attempt to be there (a 99.999999999999% confirmation that I will!). I'll be the bald guy with the huge grin on my face.
EDIT: I made some minor changes to the above since I just re-read it and realised what I pompus dick I was being. Adam Sekuler, the person leading the "Search and Rescue" effort and the person bringing the print, is doing my little sleepy corner of the universe a great service and I want to acknowlege that. I apologise for the tone and I'd like to point out that's not my average demeanor.
(OK, it IS, but I'm trying to break that bad, bad habit.)
EVERYONE IN THE PITTSBURGH AREA! COME TO THE MELWOOD SCREENING ROOM ON MONDAY JULY 23rd at 7:30!!! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! REAPEAT! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!
(for more info)
2 comments:
Just thought I'd drop you a line as you seem unsure of the rarity of this print. Since I'm the guy bringing it, I should let you know that my statement is somewhat hearsay in that I know anecdotally that some other programmers have had a hard time finding any prints of the film. As you suggest, we don't have the Beach Boys footage either, which I've never seen. The print came from a circulating archive of films that were about to be discarded. That's the rescue part. Additionally, as you're probably aware, newspapers tend to misquote, which I can't tell you this paper has done since I haven't read the article, but please make no assumptions. Either way, I'm glad the film will screen in Pitt, I'm even happier to be here. It seems like you know more about the film than I, so you might be able to illuminate the audience and myself as to some of the specifics. Most of the history I've gleaned has come in the form of cryptic online histories, and conflicting information at best. I know of no surviving 35mm print. Anyway, introduce yourself after the screening. I'd love to meet you. Hope your enthusiasm is infectious!
Thanks for dropping me a line! Believe me, I mean no disrespect to you and a lot of what was in the article might have well been Mr. Hundt's own research on the web prior to his writing of it.
I am very, very excited to see this print you have. I'm going to bring everyone and anyone I can, but understand, not everyone has the enthusiasm for rock movies that I do!
I'm certainly not going to come thinking I know more about this movie than anyone else in the room. I'm sure that I'll be in a room full of my true peers on the subject and they'll know as much, if not more, than I do about all of it.
I will come by to say hello and talk about film preservation. I had a Midnight Movie series back in the 90's in Pittsburgh and I'm a fellow film collector so it'll be a pleasure to talk one on one with you.
"The T.A.M.I. Show" is really a hard film to play theatrically since collectors are (justifiably) frightened of someone from DCP seizing the print then and there. Outside of private collections, I don't think any other prints exist, since AIP was notorious for cutting costs by (destroying) recycling print stock.
I admit my jealousy of coming across a 16mm print during a print flush. That would be a dream in and of itself! Good one on you for that. See you Monday and thanks for commenting!
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