Umit & Son

You would really struggle to find another film shop like this in the area, perhaps even in London. The place is so packed with old film equipment and paraphernalia that I was scared to go in the first time in case only real film buffs were allowed. Not only that, but there is a sign on the window that says «The ultimate– this is super 8– not video or dvd rubbish.»
There are so many old film reels and recording devices, that there is probably something from all periods of film history. The staff can also perform film transfers for all types of filming equipment.
Basically, if you ever need anything that is antique of ‘specialty’ in regards to film, this is definitely the place to go.

Difficult to define is this one. I was tempted to put it under museums but finally settled for a combination of convenience store, DVD rental and cinema — and yet this still doesn’t really describe it properly.
Up until quite recently it actually was a normal corner shop, and it still retains a drinks fridge and some chocolate bars. But what the shop now concentrates on is an extremely eclectic selection of films on some very odd formats. For example, if you have been searching for that special edition of Jurassic Park on VideoDisc, look no more. VideoDisc, for those of you that don’t know, is an obselete way of viewing films using vinyl.
There are also lots of real cinema canisters with accompanying projectors, as well as 8 mm cameras and paraphenalia. Soundtracks come in the form of a towering pile of old LPs. There are also plentiful DVDs and VHS. Titles in these formats tend to be either B-​movies, soft porn, Turkish in origin. Lots of the equipment is also available for rent.
It’s a very unique shop, run by Umit, an eccentric Turkish guy. He seems grumpy at first but is full of random info if you catch him on a good day and he is willing to chat. As well as a real trove of odds and ends that you can spend ages just staring at, Umit will transfer your old films to digital format and will even come and project real, flickery cinema reels onto your wall.