posted January 05, 2014 06:41 AM
I believe the Val Lewton productions came later.They were released complete for a time and then replaced with shortened versions (2x400, etc) Mind you,my copy of "A Double Life", super 8,6x400,is incomplete.The reels fill each with about 15 minutes of film making it a total of 90 minutes,instead of the original 104 minute running time.
posted October 28, 2016 07:39 AM
Fascinating to read the various comments about Mountain Films. When I bought Regent Films(Blackpool) from Les Siddall, he was importing Ken Films direct from a source in the USA, and the prints were considerably better than most Mountain reprints, which were produced by a lab in Soho. Peter Burt of Mountain became a firm friend of mine and we sort of wandered into the video age together! Anyone who needs any further information about the golden period of 8mm, just ask!! Steve Ellison(former owner,Phoenix Film Services,Wigan)
Posts: 453
From: Barking, Essex, UK
Registered: Mar 2006
posted November 04, 2016 10:04 AM
Hi Ali, yes I have both. The Mountain prints for "Top Hat" were really very nice, and "A night in Casablanca" is a pretty good print as well. It may not be one of the best Marx Brothers comedies but it is much better than "Love Happy".
Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003
posted November 04, 2016 02:28 PM
They were that Stuart, we had the colour 400ft version this, we could only ever find the b/w 4 x 400ft but i believe there was also a rare colour feature version as well.
Posts: 720
From: Worthing, West Sussex, UK
Registered: Feb 2009
posted November 04, 2016 03:57 PM
I had the colour 4x400 version for years Tom. Picked it up in a junk shop in Frankfort Gate donkeys years ago, sad to say it had a thick green emulsion scratch down the middle on the first and last reels. I played that film to death, can still recite it word for word when I see it, would dearly love another print.
Posts: 826
From: United Kingdom
Registered: Jun 2003
posted November 05, 2016 08:38 AM
I remember my later print of Invaders from Mars having green scratch marks as well. Maybe it was negative damage. Derann reprinted some of the Mountain negatives for awhile and I think Invaders could be bought from them if you asked.
posted June 08, 2018 04:34 AM
Would anyone know the release dates of the four Space Patrol 8mm films? They would have been in a box with art saying Mystery on the Moon (though the actual episode title would have been on the side!).
The four titles were:
The Swamps of Jupiter Mystery on the Moon Robot Revolution Miracle Tree of Saturn
The series was made circa 1962-63, and it would seem they were probably released later in the decade but hoping for some more concrete confirmation if possible?
posted June 08, 2018 09:03 AM
I recently unearthed th ebox from my first Mountain Films purchase (a 50ft extract from Easy Street). Their address on that is Mountain Films Limited, 39 Hillside, LONDON, N.W.10 - the price was pre-decimal currency 19/6.
posted June 08, 2018 09:09 AM
I recently unearthed the box from my first Mountain Films purchase (a 50ft extract from Chaplin's Easy Street) and the address on that is 39, Hillside, London, NW 10. It must be an old box as the price was in pre-decimal currency - 19/6d!! I wonder how long they were based there.
posted June 08, 2018 10:22 AM
That was expensive; I think the first 50ft film I bought, made by Arrow films, cost me 3 shillings in 1967; I later sold it and got 1/6d.
posted June 08, 2018 11:52 AM
I didn't realize that "The Girl Most Likely" was a Mountain Release! That one is a 4X400ft and it was printed on low fade stock and the color and sharpness are actually really, though a bit grainy.
It sounds like Mountain films was like the "Niles" films of the U.S. Hit or miss on quality but of course, were happy that they did what they did!
-------------------- "All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
Posts: 1373
From: Penistone Sheffield UK
Registered: Oct 2012
posted June 08, 2018 12:39 PM
Andrew Woodcock old post I did. The list was not for the quality of prints, but for the price they were sold at. Walton and Powell always seemed to be about £10 dearer for features than Derann.
For the actual quality of prints, that's a really hard one. I've had some really good prints from Mountain mainly black and white releases. I had one from Derann that was bleached out. They all sadly had some hits and misses with prints.
Still miss those releases from those great companies.
-------------------- I love the smell of film in the morning.
posted June 09, 2018 04:51 AM
It was hit and miss Osi; I've had some first class films from Mountain, then others that were grey instead of good B&W, and a couple where the sound was out of sync. The risky ones were those sold under the Heritage Films label.