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Author
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Topic: Creature from the Black Lagoon (120m/400ft version)
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Joerg Polzfusz
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 815
From: Berlin, Germany, Europe, Earth, Solar System
Registered: Apr 2006
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posted July 13, 2006 05:48 PM
Hi,
I finally managed to watch my short version of
"Creature from the Black Lagoon" ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046876/ ).
And I like it so much that I'm writing this review (besides: it's my first review and I'm no native English speaker. So please have mercy when you do find strange formulations ![[Wink]](wink.gif) )
I own the 120m (400ft) version distributed by piccolo with a German soundtrack as "Der Schrecken vom Amazonas"/"Das Ungeheuer der schwarzen Lagune". Since the box sports a "Universal 8 films - formerly castle films"-logo and the film comes with a "Universal 8" (and no "piccolo"-logo), I guess that the American version is the same (except for the soundtrack).
Now back to the review:
Story:
The story survived the reduction from approx. 80min to approx. 20min - it still makes sense and makes fun to follow. Unfortunately the introduction of the characters, setting, ... is missing. Hence you'll jump right into the action: Jungle, some humans and a beast... so the fight begins... .
Nevertheless I would still rate it as a good edit.
Sound:
Great! It's clear, it's crisp, ... ! (It's only mono, but the 35mm-version was mono, too )
Image/3D-effects:
My version hasn't faded a bit. The picture's sharpness is okay to good. The image is very stable and NOT "shaky". Hence the 3D-glasses turn this colour-film into a nice b&w-3D-film. And the 3D-effects are very nice! This edit is even long enough to have more static scenes that nearly let you forget that you're seeing a 3D-movie... that is until the next object is thrown at the camera, ... ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
The best about it: most of the time the 3D-effect works great for me. (I wear glasses. Therefore I'll have to combine the 3D-glasses with my normal one. This usually results in me seeing two overlapping 2D-images instead of one 3D-image. This happened at some Imax-cinemas, at Disneyland, ... . Hence I'm rather pleased/surprised that this super8-system works for me!)
The only problem: the universal-8-logos at the beginning/end are the normal ones and hence look very uggly when wearing 3D-glasses.
Summary: Get it!
Here's another review (in German, but it shows the box and some screenshots):
http://www.super-8-hobby.de/rezent194.htm
BTW: I'm going to see this film again with some friends in October. Therefore I've ordered 20 cardboard-3D-glasses for 1,50 EUR each. They work fine. Hence you won't be restricted to the one or two glasses that came with the film - you'll only have to search a little bit more to find those red-blue-glasses (red-green/red-cyan now seems to be more common).
Jörg
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Joerg Polzfusz
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 815
From: Berlin, Germany, Europe, Earth, Solar System
Registered: Apr 2006
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posted July 14, 2006 06:53 AM
Hi,
thanks for your kind comments.
I forgot to add that I bought this film for 65,- EUR from a local film dealer (Michael Schneider) last year. Ebay-prices for this and the other 3D-titel ("Gefahr aus dem Weltall"/"It Came From Outer Space") normally range from 40 to 80 EUR (+ 5 to 10 EUR shipping), depending on the film's condition, missing glasses, ... . When the film is in good or mint condition, it normally sells for more than 60 EUR.
I'll take a closer look at the film this weekend to find out whether it's Kodak, Agfa, Fuji, Orwo or another filmstock.
BTW: It looks like these two films are the only 3D-films released on Super8 (except for some home-made films made with the Elmo/Elgeet/Bolex/...-beam-splitters, ...). Is this correct?
It also looks like there's no full length version of both titles. :-(
Jörg
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Douglas Meltzer
Moderator
Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted July 14, 2006 07:47 AM
Joerg,
Thanks for your review. I always felt that the 400' "Creature" ranks as one of the finest digests ever put out. In response to your question, There are quite a few other 3D releases on Super 8mm.
I'm quoting myself from an earlier 3D thread :
Columbia released two Three Stooges silent 50 footers, "Spooks" and Tails(!) of Horror". They also had a 200 ft 3D version of "The Mad Magician". Later on they released a 400 ft "Mad Magician" which had great 3D effects, but was badly edited.
Derann has the 3D films "Audioscopiks","Audioscopiks 2" and the 400' Three Stooges "Pardon My Backfire" which is a lot of fun.
I haven't seen the second Audioscopiks, but the 3D effect in the first is lacking. There is also "Murder in the Third Dimension" in which a skeleton, Frankenstein's Monster, and a Zulu warrior(!) all threaten our hero by throwing various objects at the camera.
Doug
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I think there's room for just one more film.....
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Paul Adsett
Film God
Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted July 14, 2006 03:55 PM
Hi Joerg,
I have the 400ft creature digest, but mine has faded pretty badly, so much of the 3D effect is gone.
Incidentally, 'Creature' was filmed not too far from here, in the crystal clear Wakulla Springs Florida, about 200 miles north of Orlando. Every year they have a 'Creature' festival, where they show all the 'Creature' movies, and the still beautiful Julia Adams usually attends and signs autographs.
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The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj
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