Smile, Mahtha
October 23, 2007 9:24 AM   Subscribe

Northeast Historic Film is the best of quirky Maine. They archive home movies, collect postcards of New England movie houses, and study depictions of New England in major films. Browsing the list of collections is tantalizing; if only some of these were available as clips or on YouTube. They're one of many archives preserving home movies. Also.
posted by Miko (8 comments total) 7 users marked this as a favorite
 
the best of quirky Maine

Maine's not quirky. We're serious, sincere, hard-working, honest... you know, unlike all the rest of you.

Anyway, NE Historic Film is indeed worth noting. They also have their own theater again, in addition to all the postcards of theaters, in case you're in the area. Second-oldest in the state.

We have an even nicer old theater just down the road in Bar Harbor (where I will be playing a haunted lighthouse keeper next Monday and Tuesday nights).
posted by LeLiLo at 10:13 AM on October 23, 2007


This is great - I'm slogging thru scanning my grandfather's catalog of 35 mm slides from the 50s and 60s, taken in Maine in NH, and this is a good motivator! Thanks!
posted by tristeza at 10:53 AM on October 23, 2007


The Criterion's gorgeous...but I'm also partial to the Bar Harbor art-house with the comfy couches, beer and pizza. Best movie-viewing experience in the world.
posted by Miko at 11:19 AM on October 23, 2007


Yes! The Northeast Historic Film Festivals that they held in 2003 and 2004 were a big deal for me when I was in high school, between the great live music, the obsessive talk about projection speed, and the restoration adventure stories (I remember something about one print they showed having been discovered buried under a paved-over lot in Hollywood).

The NHFF got me into film and inspired me to become a projectionist.

I hadn't realized the depth of their work on New England specific material, though - thanks for the post!
posted by bubukaba at 2:25 PM on October 23, 2007 [1 favorite]


I'm also partial to the Bar Harbor art-house with the comfy couches, beer and pizza.

Yes, Miko, since Reel Pizza arrived in town, locals hang out there much more. Not quite as 'historic' as the Criterion — the first few years it was still in the auto parts store it replaced — but a wonderful place to see a movie.

[entertaining side note: Reel Pizza's FAQ for stupid questions]

Best movie-viewing experience in the world

The couple that owns Reel Pizza are very old friends of ours, since long before the theater existed. The male half is not a MeFite, but I know he lurks here quite a bit. I'm sure he'll be happy to hear that.
posted by LeLiLo at 3:35 PM on October 23, 2007


That's a pretty neat place they've got up there. Still fairly expensive, so I'm not sure how many people are going to pay for storage there from now until Doomsday, but for people who can afford to have things stored there it's nice.

I wonder whether 45F is a constant temperature they hold it at, or a maximum? In Maine in the winter, you'd probably have to be heating the building to keep it above freezing during the winter. I'd think that the frozen storage would be cheaper or at least closer in price. (45F is $4/sqft, frozen is $30/sqft.)

Neat, though. Makes me miss Northern New England.
posted by Kadin2048 at 6:29 PM on October 23, 2007


In Maine in the winter, you'd probably have to be heating the building to keep it above freezing during the winter.

Definitely!

I'd think that the frozen storage would be cheaper or at least closer in price.

It would seem so, but from museum work I know that the issue isn't degrees over or under average temp, it's maintaining a consistent temp and humidity environment. Though you may save some money in a low degree day year, the climate control has to operate 24/7 regardless.
posted by Miko at 7:01 PM on October 23, 2007


Karan and David, the co-founders of Northeast Historic Film, first ran the whole operation out of their basement, in a climate controlled room. Karan used to join my wife and I to watch movies at Reel Pizza before they started renovating the Alamo (just linking two topics together...)
posted by Runcible Spoon at 9:15 PM on October 23, 2007


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