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Topic: Best Digest Ever?

Andrew Wilson
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 784
From: dundonald,belfast,co.antrim,northern ireland.
Registered: Jan 2006

posted July 20, 2006 09:21 AM

YOU'RE virtully spot on graham.The 2nd extract from STAR WARS
did'nt come out until early '81.
That's a full four months after E.S.B.;extract one.Andy.

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted July 22, 2006 10:17 AM

Ah, those wonderful Star Wars Extracts! As this was my favorite film growing up, I am terribly fond of them. I was saddened to see that Columbia never released a 2x400 of "Close Encounters", as it would have been brilliant, and it was such a money maker for Columbia pictures. Come to think of it, (I'm sure you folks no out there), were there many 2x400 ft. releases by Columbia. i know Fox and Universal were quite good about that, but I don't know much about Columbia.

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Graham Ritchie
Film God

Posts: 4001
From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006

posted July 26, 2006 07:25 PM

Hi Andrew
Thanks it was certainly a long time ago, and if I remember right Super 8 was very expensive here are a few examples. 400ft about 80 dollars, Universal 2-400ft 135 dollars, Marketing 3-400ft 235 dollars, thats about two and a half dollars to the pound. and that was back in the 80s. Andrew I was reading some old movie mags from the 60s its a wonder anyone could afford getting involved in Super 8 the costs of equipment was well out of the reach of the average person makes interesting reading.

Osi
I dont remember Columbia releasing anything more than 400ft versions however what impressed me was that with films like "Born Free" they gave you close to 20min of film and considering a lot of digests were about 15 to 16 minutes getting the extra length made a difference.

Regards Graham. [Smile]

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Winbert Hutahaean
Film God

Posts: 5468
From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Registered: Jun 2003

posted July 27, 2006 03:22 AM

Osi,
I don't know if this categorised as 2 x 400 but Columbia released "Driving Instruction...." Part 1 & 2 (can not really think the exact title).

In German they released The Deep in two parter and some others i think. (Andreas will know this)

thanks,

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Winbert

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John Clancy
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1954
From: Cornwall
Registered: Jun 2003

posted July 27, 2006 04:53 AM

Columbia even did full length features. Seems to me you people need to be subscribing to 'Small Format' where all will be revealed.

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British Film Collectors Convention home page www.bfcc.biz. The site is for the whole of the film collecting hobby and not just the BFCC.

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Winbert Hutahaean
Film God

Posts: 5468
From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Registered: Jun 2003

posted July 29, 2006 12:06 AM

Trigerred by other thread regarding Emanuelle....yes this is another 2 x 400 relesed by Columbia.

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Winbert

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James N. Savage 3
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1375
From: Washington, DC
Registered: Jul 2003

posted July 29, 2006 12:16 PM

I consider these to be some of the most skillfully edited digests in super 8 history-

*Frankenstien 200 foot (Castle)

*The Omen 400 foot (Ken)

*Alien 400 foot (KEN)

*Jaws 200 foot (U8)

*Capricorn One 600 foot (Derann)

*Ben Hur 3 x 400 foot (MGM)

These digests are so skillfully edited and flow incredibly smooth, telling the story in the process. You can tell that alot of time and effort went into the making of these shorts.

Nick.

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Jan Bister
Darth 8mm

Posts: 2629
From: Ohio, USA
Registered: Jan 2005

posted July 29, 2006 02:05 PM

Thanks for the suggestions - I've been wanting to obtain some more 400ft digests but wasn't sure where to start [Smile]

I believe Derann currently has the 600ft. digest of Capricorn One on their used films list, am I correct?

As for Frankenstien: just a typo, or a wink at Victor's preferred pronounciation of his family name in Young Frankenstein? [Wink]

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Call me Phoenix. *dusts off the ashes*

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Andreas Eggeling
Master Film Handler

Posts: 467
From: R.I.P.
Registered: Aug 2003

posted July 29, 2006 02:20 PM

Jan,

why not "Frankenstyn" ???

Sty(le) instead of "stei" [Wink]

Andreas

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Trevor Adams
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 763
From: Auckland,New Zealand
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 01, 2007 06:22 AM

I spent the day running old Universal digests.Most had terminal fade. The best one by a country mile was The Blues Bros-had me a stompin' and a clappin' and a singin' along! [Smile]

Great stuff.

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Trevor

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Matthew Newman
Junior
Posts: 9
From: Berlin/London
Registered: Mar 2007

posted May 02, 2007 03:55 AM

It's funny, everyone is mentioning the same films - Hollywood classics and so forth. These are movies everyone knows well, so the digest is always in effect reminding you of an experience you enjoyed in a different context. But there ARE digests out there that deliver as individual experiences.

One of the reasons I bought a super 8 projector was to see crazy stuff that no-one is interested in reselling on DVD anymore. When I bought the projector, I bought a bunch of Asian kung-fu flicks. One of them 'Karato: Fist of Death' (400') was a simple revenge flick, but it drew me in instantly by opening with the story's central conflict. It followed with two well-edited twists in the narrative, making all relationships clear, and then dropped the film's major reversal. I was gobsmacked! I watched the last five minutes absolutely gripped, and the ending was cathartic and - good god - actually moving. The film had no produciton value to speak of, the colour was drained out of it, and my projector is very noisy. But it was as pure an emotional experience as I've paid for in the cinema over the last year.

I've watched a bunch of digests over the last week, but only this one has delivered emotion. Has anyone else ever been moved by a digest?

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Kurt Gardner
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 193
From: San Antonio, TX
Registered: Aug 2005

posted May 02, 2007 09:28 AM

Back to Hollywood. The Ken Films 400' "The Exorcist" is really quite a stunner. Not only does it preserve all the really shocking stuff, it does so while keeping enough of a comprehensible storyline going. I've shown it to friends who haven't seen the whole feature (cruel, I know) and they were able to follow right along. As an added bonus, my print's color is holding up really well!

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Douglas Meltzer
Moderator

Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 02, 2007 10:22 AM

Kurt,

I agree with you about "The Exorcist". The digest is very cleverly edited, especially in a couple of scenes where dialouge is laid over other images (e.g. the discussion about Father Merrin) to help advance the plot quickly. "Exorcist" is however not a Ken Films release. It is from Warner Bros., whose titles were distributed through Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment.

Doug

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I think there's room for just one more film.....

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Lars Pettersson
Master Film Handler

Posts: 282
From: Stockholm, Sweden
Registered: Jan 2007

posted May 02, 2007 10:41 AM

"Has anyone else ever been moved by a digest?"

Marketing´s 3*400 Chinatown contains all the key scenes, so if your heart is not made of stone, you care at least a little bit what happens to Evelyn Mulwray...

Cheers,
Lars

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Brad Kimball
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1171
From: Highland Mills, NY USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 06, 2007 11:08 PM

I agree about KEN's "Crimson Cult". What a piece of poo! I never had a silent version of it, but I imagine it;s not much better with the narration missing from it. I can't make sense of what's going on and I think there's only one scene with Karloff and it's at the very end. KEN's titles seem to always work better as silent editions as long as you're already familiar with the entire movie - otherwise you'll be lost. Sadly, "Taste The Blood Of Dracula" nor "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed" were never issued in Color/Sound versions. The editing on these is not quite so bad and they may have benefited from sound. How are COLUMBIA's "Return Of The Vampire", "The Black Room" and "Revenge Of Frankenstein"? I have many of the silent Stooges titles and the only bad thing is the damned 'window-boxed' subtitles that practically obliterate 1/3 of the picture.

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted May 06, 2007 11:43 PM

I agree that "Alien" is quite high on the best digest list. I was stunned that as slow a moving film that "alien" is, (though a classic, it is magnificently slow), they were able to edit the storyline down so incredibly well.

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Ralf Hoff
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 182
From: Germany
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 07, 2007 07:58 AM

Sadly, "Taste The Blood Of Dracula" nor "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed" were never issued in Color/Sound versions.

Hello Brad,

Taste the blood of dracula was available in a color/sound version (400 ft). For years I' ve this print in my collection. I think it was a derann release.

I sold this, I hope that Derann will be release a full feature of this.
Greetings

Ralf

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Arbeits- & Interessengemeinschaft Celluloidfilm
Ehrenamtlich im Einsatz für das Film-Hobby

Cine 8-16
Das Magazin rund um den perforierten Film
www.celluloidfilm.de

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Jean-Marc Toussaint
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: France
Registered: Oct 2004

posted May 07, 2007 08:43 AM

Nice to bring that old thread back.

U8 definitely had the creative energy to produce some of the best two-parters ever (and some really great one reelers). The Blues Brothers was my Holy Grail and I finally found it for a ridiculously low price a few weeks ago after years of research. Can I die, now?
Seriously (duh!) the 2x400ft of Jaws remains my favorite, even though I admit that the editing job on the 200ft is remarkable.
Osi, you're right, the 400ft of Alien is smashing.

Doug, Kev, Brad: Just for fun, why don't we organize "The Best Package Movie of All Time Awards" on this forum to elect the best cut-downs ever edited?

Let's keep it simple, we set a period of time (say until august 07) set-up an email address where members could send their favorite titles in the 200ft, 400ft, 800ft and 1200 ft categories (one title per category).
In September, we release a list, Oscar-style, with the four most cited titles in each category. Then members can vote for the best of the best in each section.
And we announce the winners at the october BFCC. And perhaps we screen said winners. And then all proceed to the bar! [Wink]

(and if you need a poor soul to run the poll, I don't mind volunteering).

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The Grindcave Cinema Website

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Robert Wales
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 100
From: Toronto
Registered: Nov 2005

posted May 07, 2007 09:46 PM

I remember being very touched by the finale of the MGM cut-down of Intenational Velvet, of all things ; never having seen the feature and being completely satisfied by the story.
Hardly the best digest ever but it worked 100% for me.

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Douglas Meltzer
Moderator

Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 09, 2007 01:06 PM

Jean-Marc,

Nice idea! There should also be a 600' category. I think it would be great if we could also include 200' and possibly 50' silent versions since there are so many out there that were never released with sound. Kev & I will work out the details. And since you volunteered........

Doug

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I think there's room for just one more film.....

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted May 09, 2007 05:06 PM

i'D LOVE TO FIND A GOOD COPY OF "The Blues Brothers".

Does it have the complete song sequences? Especially that whole last two songs near the end when they are in concert?

(also Cab Calloway's number, "Minnie The Moocher"?)

That would be a great candidate for stereo rerecord, especially if it has the whole songs intact.

I think the idea of having a contest would be good, as long as we could verify one vote per member.

Why not have a worst digest ever as well?

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Stewart McSporran
Master Film Handler

Posts: 272
From: Glasgow, Scotland
Registered: Nov 2003

posted May 09, 2007 05:27 PM

What about a category for "Digest I Wasn't Expecting Much From But It Turned Out Ok"?

I nominate "Disco Beaver From Outer Space". Turns out to be quite funny - if you're into "Kentucky Fried Movie" type of humour.

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James N. Savage 3
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1375
From: Washington, DC
Registered: Jul 2003

posted May 09, 2007 07:41 PM

Stewart-

In that catagory, I would nominate "Sky Riders" 400 foot.

I remember when it played at my local cinema, but it didnt do too well and was gone in about a week. I got the 400 foot digest, and it is very good. Good story, good cinematography, lots of action, and excellently edited.

James.

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Douglas Meltzer
Moderator

Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted May 09, 2007 11:43 PM

Osi,

Cab singing "Minnie the Moocher" is nowhere to be found in "The Blues Brothers" digest which was quite a disappointment when I first watched it.

James,

I'm in total agreement about Ken's "Skyriders".

Doug

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I think there's room for just one more film.....

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Brian Hendel
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 902
From: New York, New York
Registered: Jun 2003

posted March 27, 2012 09:08 PM

My vote goes to the Americom 200' Regular 8mm color/sound digest of THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN. I can't believe how tightly and smooth the editing is... Starting with the collection of body parts, the storm bringing the creature to life... through every single murder scene... to the finale with Cushing setting his creation ablaze... there is no highlight missing. I've been watching this alot lately... and even though it's reddish it never gets dull.

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