Super 8 film is made from cellulose triacetate — a plastic compound that was never designed to last a century. Over decades, the acetate base undergoes a slow chemical decomposition called "vinegar syndrome," named for the distinctive acetic acid smell it produces as it breaks down.
Once vinegar syndrome begins, it accelerates. The film base shrinks, warps, and becomes brittle. Splices separate. Sprocket holes crack and tear. The emulsion layer — where the actual image lives — buckles away from the base, causing permanent image distortion. In advanced cases, the film becomes so brittle it shatters when handled.
Colour film suffers an additional degradation pathway: dye fading. Kodachrome's distinctive warm tones shift toward magenta as the cyan dye layer deteriorates first. Ektachrome loses contrast and develops colour casts. Fujifilm stocks tend to shift green. These colour shifts are permanent in the original film — but can be corrected during digital scanning.
Reels stored in warm, humid environments (attics, garages, sheds) deteriorate dramatically faster than those in cool, dry conditions. But even well-stored film is on borrowed time — the chemical process is inevitable, only the speed varies.