GODZILLA 2000 Theatrical Coming Attraction Slide (Columbia Pictures, July 2000)

 

Here is a fast one today. Remember when, before the trailers, movie theatres would show still images, projected with 35mm slides? I guess they still do....I mean, I assume they still do, who goes to the actual movie theatre anymore?  Maybe if there was something good to go see, then people would...but, I digress, sorry--I figure today it's done digitally anyhow, but back in the day, they used slides (and before that, glass slides, such as this one used in 1963 for KING KONG vs. GODZILLA:

This technique goes back to the old "magic lantern" shows, which long ago used a flame as the light source...somehow.  Anyway, what we have here today is a 35mm slide sent out by Columbia Pictures for theatres to show, touting the release of GODZILLA 2000 later that summer!

And not too much later, either, because the slide is dated July 2000, and if I remember right, the movie came out in August (I got to see it in the actual theater, too)! And here is the right-side-up image with a light source behind it:

THE 8-BIT CONSTRUCTION SET (Beige Records, 2000)

 

Here is something I ran across that you won't find anywhere else, and it isn't on YouTube or anywhere to be found (you will see why in a moment).  This is a "DJ record," for lack of a better term.  It's ingredients, to make your own mixes and jams.  These were privately produced items, and never sold in stores.  We have actually looked at one in the distant past on this very blog, because there is a Godzilla-themed one that is quite rare today!

Goodness, that was 15 years ago.  Anyway, this record is divided into two sides, and instead of A and B, it's the ATARI and COMMODORE 64 sides:

Both sides begin with montages of samples and sound effects, followed by ten or eleven sampled beats, which are presented in SHORT LOCKED GROOVES.  Get your brain around this--in the space of an inch or so, there are 10 (or 11) tiny bands which your stylus will not advance between.  Thus, this record was nearly IMPOSSIBLE to convert, especially when you can't hear what you are recording until you are done.  What madness is this? How did I resolve this one?

In the course of making this blog, I have had to solve some unusual and wacky problems from time to time.  In this case, I set up a large magnifying lamp with bright built-in LED lights, clamped it to a nearby table, and used it to see the placement of the stylus as best I could with my failing eyes.  And, it actually was successful.  If you have ever messed with locked grooves, they can be quite stubborn to cooperate. But somehow, I got all of them!

The third band on each side is an original chiptune composition using the featured hardware.  These are quite cool.  The final and fourth band on each side is truly original indeed--they contain game programs for their respective systems, which can be recorded onto a cassette and uploaded, just like in the old days.  It doesn't tell us what these games are, but huge points for the innovativeness of the designers here.  Word of warning though, these tracks are unlistenable.  The Commodore one sounds like you are actually inside an MRI machine.

All in all, this is a really fun release, despite the recording challenges.  Kudos to the team who pulled this off, 26 years ago now! Enjoy.

LINK:  8-BIT CONSTRUCTION SET(2000)