CriterionCast

SyFy Premiering Antiques Roadshow For Film Geeks: Hollywood Treasure

Tomorrow night, SyFy is unveiling the latest in their run of reality / infotainment programming, in the form of Hollywood Treasure. We follow Joe Maddalena, the owner of Profiles in History, a gentlemen who finds rare and memorable movie props that have found their way onto his radar. Maddalena will examine the props, and estimate their current value in the current auction market, to help those looking to sell. In addition to meeting these folks who have had the movie memorabilia in their possession, we meet the truly avid collectors, who will stop at nothing to outbid one another, for the chance to own a real piece of Hollywood treasure.

I’ve recently had the chance to watch the first two episodes, in rough, unfinished forms. I can’t imagine much will change from what I had the opportunity to see, but take this with that grain of salt. As a film nerd, and physical media lover, this show is certainly directed at my demographic. It takes elements of shows like Antiques Roadshow, adds a dash of the Mythbusters style and humor, and pours in a healthy dose of nostalgia. Getting the chance to look into the world of movie prop auctions is very interesting, as well as meeting those people that spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on rare movie memorabilia.

Some of the props we get to see are an original screen-used carpet bag from Mary Poppins, the Wicked Witch Of The West’s hat from Wizard of Oz, and even an original piece from Lost In Space! It looks like in some of the upcoming episodes, we’ll see props from King Kong, and Stargate show up as well.

I think where this show falls a little short for me, is on the technical details. What I love about the Antiques Roadshow format is that we get in-depth explanations on the value of the objects in question, and we learn fascinating historical trivia discussed by experts. Hollywood Treasure feels like a glossier, MTV-style version of that formula. We get quick cuts, exaggerated camera angles, and very few bits of real information. We don’t get a grasp on how Maddalena comes up with the price figures that he does, which may be on purpose, but we don’t ever get that explained. I want to get the science behind this, not so that I can use it practically, but just so that I know it exists. So that I have some intellectual stake in the eventual auctions that we see take place.

I’ll certainly continue watching this show as it airs, out of an interest in learning more about what has happened to some of the most iconic movie props. An upcoming episode features a look into Stan Winston’s studio, and the images I’ve seen look amazing! There is a lot of potential here, and I hope they run with it, but perhaps tone done some of the camera movements.

I’m including some images below from the show, as well as some more details. Hollywood Treasure, episodes 1 and 2, will air on Wednesday, October 27th at 10pm and 10:30pm ET/PT.



Ryan Gallagher

Ryan is the Editor-In-Chief / Founder of CriterionCast.com, and the host / co-founder / producer of the various podcasts here on the site. You can find his website at RyanGallagher.org, follow him on Twitter (@RyanGallagher), or send him an email: [email protected].