Sources: Wikidata. The record of the motion picture, not an assessment of this cell.
FILM NOTES
FILM NOTES
The Garbage Pail Kids Movie arrived in 1987 courtesy of Atlantic Releasing, riding the coattails of Topps' hugely popular trading card line that had already scandalized parents and delighted kids throughout the decade. Directed by Rod Amateau, the film adapted the gross-out card characters into a live action feature, complete with animatronic effects and a tone that swung wildly between slapstick and genuine strangeness. It found a small but enduring cult following in the years since, prized less for polish than for its sheer novelty as one of the odder theatrical experiments of the era, a snapshot of eighties merchandising culture pushed to its natural extreme.
This cell centers on Tangerine and Dodger, two of the titular Kids whose pairing here suggests a scene built around their specific dynamic within the group. Tangerine, with her citrus based gimmick, and Dodger, whose name implies a dodging or evasive bit of business, were fan favorites among the card series' rotating cast, and material tying them together is sought by collectors assembling character specific holdings. A 35mm cell like this preserves a single frame of that shared moment, a physical fragment of the production connecting the finished film back to its theatrical run.
Authentication Findings8 checks
Consistent with a 35mm colour release print of The Garbage Pail Kids Movie (1987).
Gauge
35mm, confirmed by four perforations per frame on both edges; the strip holds three frames.
Perforations
Four per frame on both edges, evenly spaced, cleanly punched with no torn or missing perforations visible.
Soundtrack
A variable-area optical track is visible running along one edge beside the picture area, appearing as a single-track format.
Edge print
Not visible in this capture at sufficient resolution to read manufacturer text or key numbers.
Base & colour
Base shows a cool-neutral tint; the dye image appears well-saturated with strong blue values and no visible fading or red shift.
Projection history
Light vertical scratching is visible across the frame area, consistent with a print that has passed through a projector gate.
Picture
Positive colour image; the three frames appear to be consecutive frames from a single shot and are consistent with a live-action feature matching the film on record.
Era check
The single variable-area optical soundtrack, colour positive stock, and cool-neutral base are all consistent with a mid-1980s theatrical release print of a 1987 production.
Read from the original intake capture shown below. Observations only — film is authenticated, not graded.
This original motion picture film element has been examined and authenticated by Crown Grading in partnership with National Film Vault, and encapsulated for archival preservation.
Why so little survivesRelease prints were leased to theaters, not sold. When the run ended they went back to the distributor to be destroyed, and most were. What collectors hold today came from the prints that escaped that order, and no new 35mm prints of these films are being struck.
CROWN SERIAL 000062952
Original Film CaptureAs received
Photographed on the light panel at intake, before encapsulation — tap to open full size
Tap to enlarge
