8mm Forum


  
my profile | my password | search | faq | register | forum home
  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» 8mm Forum   » 8mm Print Reviews   » Silence of the Lambs (Page 1)

- UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!  
This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2   
Author Topic: Silence of the Lambs
Alan Rik
Film God

Posts: 2211
From: New York City, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

- posted March 23, 2012 02:54 AM      Profile for Alan Rik   Email Alan Rik   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I just received this print from one of our forum members.
I tried to watch just reel one..its now 3:30am and I finished the whole feature!
The print quality is stunning. The colors are dead on, the sharpness is perfect. The sound is in stereo and at parts a little distorted but for the most part very good.
This is a Derann print and truly..one of the best I have ever seen. No washed out scenes...just perfect. If this film is your cup of tea...and its mine...try to get it when you see it. You will be amazed. One of the few films I can think of where I never once went to touch the focus. Wow!

 |  IP: Logged
Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012

- posted March 23, 2012 07:00 AM      Profile for Hugh Thompson Scott   Email Hugh Thompson Scott       Edit/Delete Post 
Glad you got the film OK Alan,I'll bet the family and neighbours
loved you,cannibalism and carnage in the wee small hours.
As long as you're happy with your print,I'm glad it got there safe.

 |  IP: Logged
Brad Kimball
Phenomenal Film Handler

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

- posted March 23, 2012 08:56 AM      Profile for Brad Kimball   Email Brad Kimball   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Isn't it just terrific when you deal with people you know and can trust rather than chancing on a comlete stranger. This is why I love this forum. Just good people enjoying a great hobby together. God Bless It!

 |  IP: Logged
Akshay Nanjangud
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 637
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2011

- posted March 23, 2012 10:04 AM      Profile for Akshay Nanjangud   Email Akshay Nanjangud   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Lucky you, Alan. [Smile]

 |  IP: Logged
Steve Klare
Film Guy

Posts: 7016
From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

- posted March 23, 2012 03:10 PM      Profile for Steve Klare   Email Steve Klare   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Dr. Lecter is easily the creepiest character I've ever seen. Who needs Dracula or Frankenstein's monster when this guy is around! Of course what makes him worse is he's a lot closer to real life than those others. Placed in the comparison to the Dahmers and Rippers of the world he aint that outrageous!

I let a print of "The Small One" sit six months on the shelf so I could show it for the first time to Christmas company. I guess "Silence" is best for Halloween!

--------------------
All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

 |  IP: Logged
Adrian Winchester
Film God

Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004

- posted March 23, 2012 03:15 PM      Profile for Adrian Winchester     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Glad to hear you got such a great print. I ordered one as soon as it was released but although the definition and colour were fine, the print had what looked like some sort of wet gate marks that appeared or disappeared every so often. I changed it for another but the replacement was no better, so I gave up and had a different feature instead. I expect other prints in the first batch were the same, so there could be quite a few in circulation with this flaw.

--------------------
Adrian Winchester

 |  IP: Logged
Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012

- posted March 23, 2012 04:27 PM      Profile for Hugh Thompson Scott   Email Hugh Thompson Scott       Edit/Delete Post 
Hi Adrian,my own copy has lab marks,but Derek did say it had
them and sold it much reduced.on an 8' screen,when sat well
back it's fine and doesn't detract from the film.

 |  IP: Logged
Osi Osgood
Film God

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

- posted March 24, 2012 01:03 PM      Profile for Osi Osgood   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I thought this was a great film as well, but I was put off by the revelation or "revealing" of the fella being a little less than, well, a fella. Actually, hell, if I was to splice out that one short bit, (which I personally felt to not really be necessary to the story), I would have this film in my collection because it really is great modern example of the genre, and a "thinking mans" (in my opinion) version of the "gore" or perhaps "Horror" picture.

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

 |  IP: Logged
Chris Fries
Master Film Handler

Posts: 399
From: Ohio, US
Registered: Aug 2011

- posted March 25, 2012 05:14 PM      Profile for Chris Fries     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Osi, are you talking about when Ted Levine dances to "Goodbye Horses"? When he tucks his penis between his legs to pretend he is a woman? Director Jonathan Demme said that scene revealed the "heart of the character". It shows why he is making what he is making. And that is sooooo creepy.

--------------------
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow just a dream away.

 |  IP: Logged
Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012

- posted March 25, 2012 07:06 PM      Profile for Hugh Thompson Scott   Email Hugh Thompson Scott       Edit/Delete Post 
Tucking it between his legs,It's bad enough having to tuck it into
your sock.

 |  IP: Logged
Osi Osgood
Film God

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

- posted March 25, 2012 07:38 PM      Profile for Osi Osgood   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
"sock" HAH!!!

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

 |  IP: Logged
Rob Young.
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1633
From: Cheshire, U.K.
Registered: Dec 2003

- posted March 26, 2012 09:48 AM      Profile for Rob Young.     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The "built-in" lab marks are on all prints unfortunately, but I don't think that stops most collectors fully enjoying this...can we call it a "classic" yet?

The thing I remember most about this 8mm version is that Derann made it available only a few months after the theatrical release.

These days, with Blu-ray versions of films available less than 3 months following the theatrical release, it's easy to forget that back in the early 90's, it was amazing to get a super 8 version of a film released in the last few years.

To get a super 8 release of a movie from that same year was just astounding and something to get really excited about. I bet Derek and all at Derann were very proud of this one! [Smile]

 |  IP: Logged
Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012

- posted March 26, 2012 11:40 AM      Profile for Hugh Thompson Scott   Email Hugh Thompson Scott       Edit/Delete Post 
Sorry to have to disagree there Rob,but the copy I have has lab
marks and was sold as substandard by Derek at a much reduced
price.The print I have just sold on was excellent print quality as
Alan says in his enthusiastic review.Their were a lot of occasions
where collectors had prints of films long before the film reached
local cinemas,I remember having the Marketing print German
sound of "KING KONG"months before it hit my local (I was living
in my home town of Whitehaven at the time) also with the 200'
extract of "STAR WARS",my living room echoed to the sound
of my mates shooting down TIE fighters after a session in the
pub.long before it was shown at the local flea pit "NIGHT OF THE BLOODY APES" hit the 8mm scene about the same time as the cinemas.A stand out release being the
excellent "TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE" which wasn't granted
a national release outside of certain boroughs in London.That
film was a perennial favourite with the boys.Even "THE GOLDEN VOYAGE OF SINBAD" wasn't that far behind the cinemas when
the separate four extracts were released.

 |  IP: Logged
Rob Young.
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1633
From: Cheshire, U.K.
Registered: Dec 2003

- posted March 26, 2012 12:12 PM      Profile for Rob Young.     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Fair enough, Hugh, though even Keith Wilton's first review of this print mentions a "small white hair visable in picture for a while at one point"...I must have been unlucky in the prints I've seen. Good to know there are "perfect" copies out there! [Smile]

Still, in the 90's, it was great to see a full length release of a modern feature; I agree that previous super 8 extracts could beat the theatrical release to the UK, but surely this was one of the first full length movies to arrive on super 8 so soon after the theatrical?

 |  IP: Logged
Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012

- posted March 26, 2012 01:22 PM      Profile for Hugh Thompson Scott   Email Hugh Thompson Scott       Edit/Delete Post 
Hi Rob,to repeat what Derek said regarding Keith went something
like "I think he watches them through a bloody microscope",he
was laughing at the time,but I can't recall seeing a hair on either
of the prints I viewed,to be fair on the better print I sold I was
more interested in looking for any marks before sale.The man to ask is Alan.Regarding release dates,well what about "Romancing the Stone"was that not also a close contender, I could be wrong.

 |  IP: Logged
Rob Young.
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1633
From: Cheshire, U.K.
Registered: Dec 2003

- posted March 26, 2012 01:38 PM      Profile for Rob Young.     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
LOL! [Smile] [Smile] [Smile]

I can almost imagine Derek saying it! [Smile] [Smile] [Smile]

But Keith was, as he is now, our own "quality control" expert!

Well, as I said, I take it back and I'm so glad that good prints are out there...Alan sure enough sounds very happy!

 |  IP: Logged
Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012

- posted March 26, 2012 03:55 PM      Profile for Hugh Thompson Scott   Email Hugh Thompson Scott       Edit/Delete Post 
Rob,there's nothing to take back,we're all sharing info and having
fun,I hope.What about "SPEED",was that not hot on the heels of
it's cinema release,it isn't one in my collection,but Derek did seem to go for modern stuff.He did tell me that he wasn't really that
into Disney,so he can't have been all bad.As for Keith,he has done
a lot for this hobby,and no doubt he was a pain in the arse to
many,but it's through people like him and the late Paul Van
Someren that got onto companies to release better product
instead of, and I quote "something that has been developed
in the miracle ingredient of brown ale"

 |  IP: Logged
Adrian Winchester
Film God

Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004

- posted March 27, 2012 08:15 AM      Profile for Adrian Winchester     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
It would be interesting to know precisely how close to the theatrical release the 'fastest to appear' Derann features were, but someone would need to undertake quite a bit of research - although IMDB is good for release dates.

I'd be surprised if any feature was quicker than 'Silence', though, I recall first hearing the announcement at a Derann Open Day and being amazed as a result of having seen it in the cinema only a few weeks earlier. I recall remarks from someone at Derann that indicated that the release was also something of a surprise for them. They didn't have a deal with Orion, but because of a link between Orion and Rank (presumably Rank were handling Orion product in the UK) they felt there was no harm in asking Rank about the possibility of releasing Orion product, but they weren't very confident they would receive a positive reply.

--------------------
Adrian Winchester

 |  IP: Logged
Mal Brake
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 591
From: Neath, South Wales, UK
Registered: Jun 2003

- posted March 27, 2012 12:45 PM      Profile for Mal Brake     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I attended the 8mm premiere at Derann's New Year two day event in 1992. (Adrian, were you there?)
The atmosphere was terrific and although I didn't notice any of the defects mentioned I did spot a boom mike coming into frame at one point.
Its one of my favourite films.

--------------------
I'm gonna live forever or die trying

 |  IP: Logged
Osi Osgood
Film God

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

- posted March 27, 2012 01:00 PM      Profile for Osi Osgood   Author's Homepage     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Could the boom mike be because this was a print taken from the "un-letterboxed" original ratio of the negative that was shot, and so some things that wouldn't appear in the theatrical presentation, would appear if no "letterboxing" was done?

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

 |  IP: Logged
Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012

- posted March 27, 2012 02:11 PM      Profile for Hugh Thompson Scott   Email Hugh Thompson Scott       Edit/Delete Post 
I'm sure there have been a few releases coinciding with cinema
schedules Adrian,as I was telling Rob.Can you remember back
in the 70s when there was this furore by a town council about
the film"Sex Life in a Convent",and they succeeded in getting
other councils to ban it,but the old Derek had already released
it on S/8 4x400 col/snd!

 |  IP: Logged
Adrian Winchester
Film God

Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004

- posted March 27, 2012 04:00 PM      Profile for Adrian Winchester     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Mal - no I'm afraid I missed that.
Osi - if a mike appears, I'm sure you're right. This happens on a different feature I have on 16mm and I sometimes tell an audience that the mic is no fault of the director!
Hugh - When saying that 'Silence' would be hard to beat in terms of speed of release, I was thinking of the full length features of the 80s and 90s, but it's interesting to hear how enterprising Derek was, even in relation to earlier less prestigious releases!

--------------------
Adrian Winchester

 |  IP: Logged
Mal Brake
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 591
From: Neath, South Wales, UK
Registered: Jun 2003

- posted March 27, 2012 04:46 PM      Profile for Mal Brake     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Yes Osi, that's right. Derek mentioned it as well after the film ended.
A boom mike appears in another 8mm print 'The Devil Rides Out' when Charles Gray enters Paul Eddington's house.

--------------------
I'm gonna live forever or die trying

 |  IP: Logged
Hugh Thompson Scott
Film God

Posts: 3063
From: Gt. Clifton,Cumbria,England
Registered: Jan 2012

- posted March 27, 2012 05:27 PM      Profile for Hugh Thompson Scott   Email Hugh Thompson Scott       Edit/Delete Post 
Well the fact remains that a little exploitation film was out on
8mm while it's commercial equivalent was being effectively
banned simultaneously.As for speed of release,I've already said
that "Chain Saw"beats "Silence" in that the 8mm collector was
screening something that hadn't been seen by the public in the
UK outside of London,even though our American cousins could
view this film,we couldn't, which makes that release unique.I'm
sorry Adrian but two rank outsiders have beaten the favourite
by thirty odd years.Regarding boom mikes being visible in shot
there are scores of examples of this faux pas,there have been
plenty of TV shows highlighting this and more sloppy mistakes
which boils down to very bad film making.With all the means of instant picture recording on set, there are loads of continuity
mistakes including leaving plastic bottles of water in shot on
period film.Unforgivable,Renee Glynn and Tilly Day worked on
numerous films for Hammer,their work was exemplary and were renowned as the best in the business,and all they had were
note pads.

 |  IP: Logged
Adrian Winchester
Film God

Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004

- posted March 27, 2012 07:20 PM      Profile for Adrian Winchester     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Hugh - I'm certainly not arguing but in proposing 'Silence' as a likely candidate, I did refer to "the 'fastest to appear' Derann features" and I was thinking in terms of full length features. No disrespect at all to "Sex Life In A Convent", as clearly even an abridged feature of this was an audacious step in 8mm, but I suspect the distributor was extremely eager to at least get some exposure via Super 8, so I don't suppose it was very difficult or expensive for Derek to get the rights. It would be fascinating to know who had the job of editing it and how they approached it. As for 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre', I recall a former Portland Films employee telling me that he hired the film from Perry's Movies whilst still at school, and he made an impressive profit. So many of his fellow pupils packed out a screening in his home (and paid for admission) that he needed to arrange another screening!

--------------------
Adrian Winchester

 |  IP: Logged


All times are Central
This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2   
   Close Topic    Move Topic    Delete Topic    next oldest topic   next newest topic
- Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:

Visit www.film-tech.com for free equipment manual downloads. Copyright 2003-2019 Film-Tech Cinema Systems LLC

Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classicTM 6.3.1.2