This is topic Most Expensive Film Purchase? in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.
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Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on April 22, 2006, 12:58 PM:
We've all been in this situation: Finally, that title you've been wanting for years is on one of the monthly lists or appears on eBay. Or there's that brand new release. An early print run from a pristine negative. How much?.....damn.....but this is my heart's desire....I know I shouldn't....I know I can't really afford to.....I know....I know that I must have it! So you go ahead and buy it or place a huge winning bid.
Which film was it? Was it worth it? I'm not asking the price for two reasons.
1-Value is subjective. If this is something you've wanted for a long time you'd pay way more than I would.
2-Our significant others might check out this post someday.
My most expensive print is the rare scope "Close Encounters". It is a beautiful print, it is one of my favorites, I'm glad I have it but I know I was influenced by the fact that if I bought it I could say "Hey! I have that rare scope print of "Close Encounters"!
Doug
[ April 22, 2006, 03:14 PM: Message edited by: Douglas Meltzer ]
Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on April 22, 2006, 01:39 PM:
For me, that would have to be Seventh Voyage of Sinbad. But not really - the price, although somewhat high, was fairly reasonable for this print. If there had been a film I'd have overpaid for, it would've been Goldfinger... alas, I let that one go TWICE (good reasoning having the upper hand in the end) and regret it now! ![[Mad]](mad.gif)
Posted by Kevin Faulkner (Member # 6) on April 22, 2006, 04:13 PM:
Ditto Doug. Mine is also that scope print of Close Encounters. So now we know where 2 of the 18 copies are. Yes I too can say I have a rare super 8 print. Great picture and stereo sound.
Kev.
Posted by Ricky Daniels (Member # 95) on April 22, 2006, 05:47 PM:
Mine was a Scope boxed print of 2001 and I love it despite the price!
Kevin, don't forget I too own a print of CE3K SE !
...and 2 prints of ALIEN (Lol) ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
All the best, Rick.
Posted by Kevin Faulkner (Member # 6) on April 22, 2006, 06:12 PM:
Yes but mines got English titles
Ahh yes Alien.....Still got it. Maybe we can do a deal
Kev.
Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on April 23, 2006, 12:58 PM:
Our most expensive is Gone with the wind. A nice Kodak print from Paul Foster some years back and what a print.
Posted by Mark Todd (Member # 96) on April 23, 2006, 01:23 PM:
Super 8 print wise Pale Rider optical £120 when things went a bit higher, cheaper now I expect.
16mm 240 LPP dances with wolves from Paul F absolutely superb as well, tip top.
Best Mark.
Posted by Ricky Daniels (Member # 95) on April 23, 2006, 02:51 PM:
Kevin,
You know I'm not sure about the titles on my CE3K SE, I must check the print sometime!
So many prints so little time I hear you say
Speak soon,
Ricky
Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 549) on April 23, 2006, 11:46 PM:
Whilst not big in dollar terms today; those 400ft digests I bought back in the 1970's almost killed me. As a percentage of my income at the time (pocket money) The Seven Year Itch was a fortune at $59. The US and Australian dollar were about the same value at that time. I think it took almost 6 months of every cent I could grab to aford it. I still have it and it is still one of my favourites.
At around the same time I was buying boxing films, mostly 200ft B & W sound Reel Classics titles. I was particularly buying Ali, Marciano and Joe Louis titles. It was slow going, all on pocket money. About 10 years later I came across an ad in our local trader magazine for over 50 of these very boxing films. I grabbed the lot for less than $250!
Until recently I owned some 70mm features, the purchase of those was still nothing compared to saving up for the Seven Year Itch 50 cents at a time.
Posted by John Clancy (Member # 49) on April 24, 2006, 03:14 AM:
That's a very good point David. My brother and I spent many months saving up for the 400ft Ken release of 'Alien' and we didn't even have a sound projector. We'd previously hired the extract and a sound projector from the nearest film library and had recorded the sound to cassette. When we finally got our mits on our own copy of the print we had to run it in sync' to the tape. Wilton would have been proud! Though perhaps not if he'd seen most of the botched up screenings where hardly any dialogue matched the lip movements. But what great fun.
Like Ricky, I now have two full length 'Scope prints of 'Alien' (and a copy on 35mm, an extract on 16mm, two copies on laser disc, one on VHS and another on DVD). We must both be nuts. But me more so as I also have two copies of 'Aliens'.
'Spider-Man' is probably the most expensive Super 8 purchase I've ever made but having grown up with the comics and still love them it was worth every penny.
With regards to 'Close Encounters' is it true that the majority of owners of the Super 8 prints (i.e. the Special Edition) have cut them to match the original version as closely as possible?
Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on April 24, 2006, 05:52 AM:
My Super 8 feature has to be a new copy of 'Aliens' bought within about a year of it being released. Not sure excatly what I paid as I reduced the expenditure a bit by part exchanging one or two items. It certainly was worth it in view of the quality and the fact that every reel was fine in every respect - which I can't say I'd always be 100% confident about when buying a stereo 137 minute film! I recall the impact it made at a show, when one or two people remarked that it was like watching the film at a cinema (as opposed so seeing a Super 8 'version' of it).
Posted by Andrew Wilson (Member # 538) on April 24, 2006, 11:15 AM:
my most expensive film to date is THE MUMMY with chris lee and peter cushing.i bought it from derann on the interst free credit terms.its still a good film.andy.
Posted by Andrew Wilson (Member # 538) on April 24, 2006, 11:16 AM:
my most expensive film to date is THE MUMMY with chris lee and peter cushing.i bought it from derann on the interst free credit terms.its still a good film.andy.p.s. worth every penny.
Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on April 24, 2006, 11:20 AM:
My most expensive one was a first day print of STAR WARS, mono, (as they didn't have stereo copies yet) and it's signed by David Prowse (Darth Vader) himself! It's the only film that I'd be willing to pay that much for, ever.
Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on April 24, 2006, 11:21 AM:
My most expensive one was a first day print of STAR WARS, mono, (as they didn't have stereo copies yet) and it's signed by David Prowse (Darth Vader) himself! It's the only film that I'd be willing to pay that much for, ever, which was 400 dollars, american, but the sharpness and color are truly outstanding!
Posted by Andrew Wilson (Member # 538) on April 24, 2006, 11:32 AM:
yove got a real winner there osi.andy.
Posted by Scott G. Bruce (Member # 384) on April 24, 2006, 04:09 PM:
I'm having a hard time remembering what I actually paid for some of the films that I've bought, so this is a tough question (especially since I have yet to purchase a brand new film and always try to get a cheap deal). That being said, I am embarressed to say that I did pay a fair amount for my used copy of SON OF KONG . As you guys know, I'm a big fan of old monster movies and particularly love the work of Willis O'Brien and Ray Harryhausen. SON OF KONG is for the most part a dog of a film, but I just couldn't resist.
I suspect that I'll pay much more for KING KONG itself, when I'm lucky enough to get my hands on it.
SGB
Posted by Oemer Yalinkilic (Member # 86) on April 24, 2006, 04:17 PM:
My most expensive Super8 Film was a brand new print of Return of the Jedi. It was a great print, I sold it many years ago as I bought a mint 16mm Print.
I wanted to buy a new print of Spiderman but I´m not shure if it is worth so much money.
Oemer
Posted by Jim Schrader (Member # 9) on April 24, 2006, 07:29 PM:
for me it was 2 trantula and it came from outerspace 3-D the outerspace one was bad the frames were out of sync with the sprockets
Posted by Jean-Marc Toussaint (Member # 270) on April 25, 2006, 05:55 AM:
Apart from a really big and quite pricey job lot bought at an auction several years ago, the most I spent on a super 8 print was for the original Star Wars. And my most expensive 16mm film is a low fade scope print of Return of the Jedi.
Posted by Gary Crawford (Member # 67) on April 25, 2006, 08:51 AM:
The most expensive 16mm were two mint out of the lab original scope prints of The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only...at 500 dollars each....but this was almost 30 years ago.
The most expensive Super 8 films were bought this past year...250 dollars for a used Derann copy of Cinderella and the same , I believe, for The Little Mermaid. I never regretted buying those two Bond films..which have delivered so much entertainment over the years..and still are. They are holding their color pretty well, too.
Posted by Mike Peckham (Member # 16) on April 26, 2006, 07:22 PM:
My most expensive purchase was almost certainly 'The World is Not Enough' from Classic Home Cinema, the price of this was higher than average due to its being a mute print that needed to have a sound track recorded on to it. These days I would feel more confident about doing it myself but I was a real 'newby' then so entrusted it to Dave Alligan.
More recently I think my biggest purchase would have been 'Master and Commander'.
However, I guess that as has been said before, it is you guys who have been collecting from the seventies and before who have paid the real big bucks as in real terms cine films are so much cheaper now than they were then ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
.
Mike ![[Cool]](cool.gif)
Posted by Kevin Faulkner (Member # 6) on April 28, 2006, 09:10 AM:
John, My copy of CE3K SE has had the chop job to make it match the original. Great print and stereo sound. Got the extras on a 600ft spool. Wonder of there would be any takers on eBay
Kev.
Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on April 29, 2006, 07:50 AM:
Man, I can't keep up with you people. When L&H's "Way Out West" counts among my major purchases, does that tell you anything? ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
But it's OK... I've only been at it for a year, I have to remind myself that some of you have been collecting since before I was born.
Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on May 03, 2006, 06:28 AM:
I think my most expensive purchase was the full length scope/stereo feature of James Cameron's "The Abyss", from Derann. It comes on 5 very full 600 foot reels. I bought it brand new in the late 90's through Dave Thomas Films (a U.S. distributor for Derann products). I think it cost around $600 U.S. dollars at that time. Beautiful print!
Nick.
Posted by John Clancy (Member # 49) on May 03, 2006, 07:37 AM:
So Kevin, can you give us a brief appraisal of how you re-edited the sequence towards the middle of the film when Richard Dreyfuss is constructing the large model of the mountain in his living room.
I've always found it really frustrating that having edited the special edition back to the original version there seems to be some missing footage around that middle sequence.
Posted by Alan Rik (Member # 73) on May 03, 2006, 08:18 AM:
For me it would have to be the Scope print of "Flash Gordon".
That one had to be broken up into payments but it is well worth it. I loved the film as a kid and to be able to have it now? That is a godsend!
Posted by Kevin Faulkner (Member # 6) on May 03, 2006, 08:28 AM:
John, Snip, snip & chop
Kev.
Posted by Rob Young. (Member # 131) on May 03, 2006, 03:26 PM:
My most expensive print was "Terminator 2".
It wasn't just that the print cost a lot; it did, although image wise it was very, very good and worth it, but that the soundtrack was only mono and I made the foolish mistake of paying someone unknown to re-record it into stereo for me.
When it came back it was awful; fair enough, it was perfectly in sync. but wowed like crazy! I should have taken it to people who know what they are doing, but unfortunatley I didn't know them back then (aside; "Raiders", John - STUNNING! )
I got half way through the first "stereo" reel before my better half laughed it off the screen ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
Since I didn't want to upset anyone, I duly paid up and then took it straight back to the dealer where I'd bought it for the original mono track to be put back.
More expense, but you learn by your mistakes and at least it wasn't going to be hilariously bad anymore! Long story short, it ended up with a stunning stereo track thanks to a very nice person in the West Midlands.
In the end the soundtrack cost me about an extra £100 alone when all was said and done; maybe I'm just fussy ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
Stupidly, I sold the print a few years back. Hope someone somewhere is enjoying that very expensive soundtrack
NO, HANG ON! Sorry to bore everyone, but I just though of another!
"DR. WHO & THE DALEKS".
The 4x400ft Walton Print. I saved and saved for this as a kid and finally, with help from my Dad's credit card got a brand new copy for £100 back in about 1980. Well, despite being a stunning print with many, many screenings, I sold it when I reached my teens to buy a CD player. What an idiot! My print was perfect.
Years later, determined to replace all those super 8's I'd foolishly let go (and still tinged with the imense guilt of seeing my Dad hand over his credit card just to make me happy) I found a print in decent condition.
Sadly, despite commanding a fairly high price due to it's rarity and great print quality, it suffered from a loss of soundtrack; literally. Yes, the magnetic stripe had actually disappeared from huge sections of the film over the years; a problem common to several Walton releases and this one in particular, I understand.
In a strange twist of fate, I found another copy elsewhere about the same time but when this arrived, the same problem had occured. Well, both parties were understanding and would have taken the films back but, on viewing, it occured to me that by some miracle the bits that were missing mag. stripe on one copy were intact on the other!
I took the financial plunge (doubtful if I'd ever get a fully intact copy) and bought 'em both. Then spent days editing the two copies together to make one complete copy with all the sound intact.
I think that adds up to over £250 (isn't that about $500) for an abridged 4x400ft super 8 release from about 1980, plus all the time spent editing (and more time spent last year re-recording the lot from DVD).
Crazy, I know. But I love it more every time I watch it and more importantly, 26 years on, my Dad finally thinks his money was well spent!
Posted by Kevin Faulkner (Member # 6) on May 03, 2006, 04:56 PM:
Rob that was a great little story. I too have a Walton copy of Carry on Cleo where the same thing has happened. Reel one has got a load of stripe missing. Think I will now do the same as you and look for another copy with the view of doing a repair job unless I find a copy which is intact.
Kev.
Posted by John Clancy (Member # 49) on May 04, 2006, 03:12 AM:
Yes, a wonderful story Rob. You should be writing articles for the magazine. But haven't I suggested that before.
Kevin they're not biting are they? I think we'll give up on the Close Encounters wind up!!!
Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on May 04, 2006, 08:48 AM:
John & Kev,
You can fool some of the people some of the time........
Doug
Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on May 04, 2006, 09:19 AM:
I know of one situation where someone cut an 8mm print to restore it to the original version. The Derann Std 8 b/w print of 'Evil Of Frankenstein' featured several minutes of extra scenes (without the original cast or sets) that were added to lengthen the film for US TV. They irritated a friend of mine so much that he cut them all out!
Posted by Rob Young. (Member # 131) on May 04, 2006, 11:01 AM:
Kevin and John, you could even chop in that scene at the power station from the 400 footer which isn't in the SE.
Doesn't matter if its all the wrong shape and pink, it'll be complete
Posted by John Clancy (Member # 49) on May 05, 2006, 04:26 AM:
Funny you should mention that Rob, that was exactly what we were going to discuss next.
Posted by Kevin Faulkner (Member # 6) on May 05, 2006, 07:06 AM:
Your right John that wind up didnt quite work.
Seriously my copy of CE3K does have various splices and it does look to me that the previous owner did indeed cut it so that it matched the original. What I can say is that the cuts were done so that the extras could be put back which they have without any frame loss and have been done with Wurker patches.
Superb film and the 8mm print in stereo scope is a real gem for quality. Keith Wilton has shown excerpts of this over the years at the BFCC on that 24ft wide screen and it really holds it own.....now is this the print he kept cutting up?
Kev.
Posted by Barry Attwood (Member # 100) on May 07, 2006, 02:46 AM:
My most exspensive purchase was "Beauty & The Beast", and good old Uncle Derek let me have a copy, selected by his good self, 2 weeks before it was supposed to go on sale (pity he picked up a scratched one, still that was sorted out), so for a couple of weeks I had a world exclusive, ah the power of a releasing (then) dealer, mind you I always had a great relationship with Derek, as I was up front about all my plans (plus he did all the printing, striping etc. for me) for 8mm releases.
Posted by Tim Halloran (Member # 586) on May 15, 2006, 02:51 AM:
You guys are freaking me out with this talk of cutting-up and re-splicing Close Encounters. Just out of curiosity, how do you cut-up a commercially produced sound film like this and re-edit it? Wouldn't you lose all of the sound continuity?
Or is this all a gag? ![[Confused]](confused.gif)
Tim
Posted by John Clancy (Member # 49) on May 15, 2006, 03:31 AM:
It's all a gag Tim. We were intending to get onto splicing in sequences from the old Columbia 400ft digest reel and suggest that you can get away with the flat sequences from this being projected through the 'Scope lens as no one will notice Richard Dreyfuss suddenly getting fat etc.. But we gave up as no one was taking the bait... until you came along.
Posted by Tim Halloran (Member # 586) on May 15, 2006, 11:55 AM:
Hehehehe. Good to know.
This is an interesting forum. I'm actually learning a lot reading past posts and following along with current discussions. But I guess now I'll have to read a bit more carefully--separating the "facts" from the "fictions."
Take care,
Tim
Posted by Kevin Faulkner (Member # 6) on May 16, 2006, 05:42 PM:
Hi Tim and welcome. We dont do this sort of wind up too often.
The point is that the Forum is here to be informative, helpful and fun.
Enjoy.
Kev
Posted by Jan Bister (Member # 332) on May 16, 2006, 06:44 PM:
Alas.....beware!
Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on May 16, 2006, 09:35 PM:
Tim,
Welcome to the Forum.........and I was very close to taking the bait!
Doug
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