This month, the movie camera collection of retired postman Dimitris Pistiolas made it into the Guinness World Records — for the eighth time.
Pistiolas owns the world’s largest private collection of movie cameras — 937 vintage models and projectors. They are neatly arranged, dusted and labeled in his tiny basement, where they cover every inch of wall.
Pistiolas, now 78, started buying cameras at age 15 and never stopped. The basement museum is padlocked and visits are by invitation only.
“When I get a new camera, I feel like a little kid, like I’ve been given a Christmas present,” he says. “The first thing I do is to restore it before I put it into the collection.”
Ronald Grant, a director at the Cinema Museum in London, says it takes time and money to hunt such cameras down at fairs and auction rooms.
“There’s a lot of investment there in time, and knowledge, and of course memory. Once you have a few hundred, then you have to remember, ‘Have I got this one?'” Grant says. “You can’t just buy these in a shop.”
A “Wicked” Welcome From The National Board of Review
Days after "Wicked" went home from the Golden Globes with a single award for box office achievement, the National Board of Review Awards held space for the smash hit musical, celebrating its cast and director in the New York group's annual gala Tuesday. The untelevised but starry NBR Awards were a chance for many of the nominees who didn't win Sunday to trot out their would-be acceptance speeches, including Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman. Accepting the award for best actress for her performance in the erotic thriller "Babygirl," Kidman celebrated by chugging a glass of milk, a nod to some of the film's kinky sex games. After finishing, Kidman triumphantly announced "Good girl!" and left the stage. It also was an opportunity for some jabs at the Globes. "Isn't this room just a little bit classier than the Beverly Hilton?" quipped presenter Christine Baranski, looking around the elegant marble-columned midtown venue, Cipriani's. Others were less impressed by the old-school New York vibe. "The bathroom attendant, that shouldn't exist anymore," Kieran Culkin said during a typically free-form acceptance speech for best supporting actor for his role in "A Real Pain." The night belonged to Jon M. Chu's "Wicked." The musical was the board's pick for best film, best director for Chu and a special award for the creative collaboration of Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. The two, in back-and-forth remarks, continued their mutual praise of each other. "Also you're welcome," added Grande. "I truly think you would have murdered anyone else." "Probably true," responded Erivo. Chu, who was introduced by Lin-Manuel Miranda, used the moment to reflect on his yearslong journey with "Wicked," which will be followed by an already-shot part two due out this... Read More