BACKGROUND INFO:
I am not a ‘film enthusiast’ and my past working life has revolved around electronics (many fields including communications, industrial and audio) and “The Arts”, more specifically, creative arts such as handcrafted fine china, ceramics and landscape artworks.
An associate has asked me to help find new owners for HIS large collection of photographic and film items … this is yet another one of those items. I am frequently asked “THE QUESTION”
So how many films do you have, Russ?
My response is … boxes and boxes of them, perhaps 350+ films are now left for me to look through … plus a few projectors
Another question I am often asked “Can I come and have a browse through the films?” Sorry, but the answer has to be a flat NO!
ALL film stock is safely away in my storage units, nice n cool and out of harms way, each day (or so) I will retrieve a few films, take a look (and smell!) at each film … absolutely NO ONE can just casually “browse” the collection. My associate wouldn’t like that and neither do I.
There is a lot of detail on this page plus even more HERE … I strongly suggest anyone who is interested in this film to read everything carefully, including looking at the link. To not do so is at your own peril!
Vinegar Syndrome “smell test” = Negative
TAXI DRIVER
Columbia Home Movies (selected scenes)
Title: Taxi Driver (1976)
Catalogue # Unknown
400 Feet Red COLUMBIA PICTURES (Made in USA) reel
Colour
Sound (Mono)
Run time: approximate total of 16 minutes
Apsychological neo-noir directed by Martin Scorsese, followingTravis Bickle(played by Robert De Niro), a lonely, mentally unstable Vietnam veteran working as a night-shift taxi driver in a gritty New York City. Consumed by insomnia and disgust at the city’s decay, Travis descends into paranoia, leading to a violent attempt to save a child prostitute, ultimately making him a warped, unintentional celebrity.

COSMETIC CONDITION:
USED
CLEAN
The original box has long since gone to it’s maker and has been replaced by a KODAK 8527 metal film can with only a simple side label to indicate the contents.
The reel is not cracked or damaged
NO personal writing on the film reel or the 8527 can
There is a leader film but no film clip.
TESTING:
Test machine: ELMO 1200ST
The projector film path has been completely cleaned prior to running this film through the machine. I now have a “running sheet”, my maintenance schedule if you like – I record when each maintenance is performed because I am running a lot of films through the machine.
Film stock on the reel, including the sprocket holes, appears to be physically undamaged
I ran the film through the projector for approximately the first five minutes, to observe the picture and check that the sound quality of each film.
At the beginning I thought this was a Orange-Red coloured film but then noticed Blues, lots of them and as the film progressed I could see the full range of colours – not too bad at all. Looking at the trailer, the movie is pretty Orange-Red dominated in any case so this just appears to be the way the film was produced. I have only taken a few snap shots of the street scenes but you can see the colours in the shop fronts.
The sound is clean clear and of a good level …
SPECIAL NOTE: I felt I needed to add this little note … whilst viewing the film on the screen, it actually looks “less Red” than the photographs would indicate but still … pretty Red, there is no hiding this fact. My antiquated digital camera (very old, one of the very first ‘point n shoot’ models!) just isn’t up to the task in regard to colour representation nor the ability to portray contrast properly. The screen shots I take are now taken with the film on pause which gives an improved image but the light is dimmer and quite blurry as it is difficult to stop the film at “just the right spot” These photographs are only a very rough guide for what to expect in any case.
This film reel in the 8527 can is now sto