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Topic: Kempski prints?
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Adrian Winchester
Film God
Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004
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posted April 29, 2006 05:43 PM
I think there was some continuity with regard to Cinevison, but Kempski was certainly a significant figure/company in his own right, probably for much of the 1980s. He was based in Germany and was known for expensive but high quality prints, and scope features in particular. He also released some trailer reels and cartoons (such as T&J scope titles) and a couple of advert reels. The latter are the only Kempski releases I'm aware of that were NOT in scope! He used the slogan 'full length and full width'. (Unfortunately not full height, unlike Cinevision.)Apart from Poltergeist, his features included West Side Story, Brainstorm, Poltergeist 2 and 2010. Derann obtained many, perhaps all, of his masters and still offer various titles.
-------------------- Adrian Winchester
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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 April 30, 2006 06:24 PM
Hi,
Adrian is correct, even though Kempski released many more films: "Mutiny on the Bounty", some Bruce-Lee-films, some Karl-May-films, ... . Kempski also distributed anamorphotic lenses (and lens-holders), ... here in Germany. He also sold some other strange gadgets like this 750m-reel-arm-extender: http://cgi.ebay.de/Kempski-Gigant-750-X-Super-8-Spulenaufsatz-Spulenturm_W0QQitemZ9710341453QQcategoryZ8271QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
AFAIK Kempski and Derann have been working together even while Kempski was still living and in the business: Derann sold many Kempski-releases with an english soundtrack back then.
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Eberhard Nuffer
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 141
From: Stuttgart, Germany
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted May 01, 2006 06:47 PM
Dietrich Kempski was in the Super 8 business from 1972 on and was one of the people responsible for the introduction of Cinemascope for super-8 - in a time when all 8mm releases of scope movies were printed in pan-scan or letterbox versions. Initially his company was called "Cineton AV Electronics", but later he changed the name into "Scoptimax". For a couple of years, Kempski sold scope releases issued by other manufacturers - especially Animex Inc. in New York (owner of the patented Cineavision-Scope-System) was a close collaborator. When Animex' owner, Dr. van Tetering, died in 1983 and his company closed, Kempski released full-length scope films on his own: The first Kempski release, "West Side Story", was an MGM production as were all further Kempski feature releases. The other films were: "Logan's Run", "Poltergeist", "Doctor Zhivago", "Brainstorm", "The Fearless Vampire Killers/Dance of the Vampires", "2010- The Year We Make Contact", "Ben-Hur", "Soylent Green", "Poltergeist II". Another two films were released in a very small print run of 12 on reversal stock only: "How the West Was Won" (only first half of it: 5x400ft) and "Shaft's Big Score". Kempski's last release was "Mutiny on the Bounty" in 1988. All films were offered in German and English version; some of them even in French. Kempski planned a few other scope-releases such as "Ryan's Daughter" and "Dances With Wolves" in the 1990's, but as his films were so expensive and he was waiting for advance orders, none of them made their way to 8mm. In the 1990's, his negatives went to Derann, where all Kempski-films were re-printed (and sold for much less than in Germany) Apart from selling his 8mm scope movies and reel extension systems, Kempski-Scoptimax was also distributor of KOWA anamorphic lenses and Fumeo projectors (I remember his presentations with a 500-watt Fumeo Xenon on Lumiere Filmclub meetings in Alsfeld in the 1990's - the projected picture really looked like in a big movie theatre)
P.S.: Joerg: Sorry, but the Karl-May-Films were not done by Kempski but by Plank/Sippert, and the Bruce Lee film distributed by Kempski, "Bruce Lee - the Man, the Myth", was a Derann two-parter.
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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 May 02, 2006 07:37 AM
quote: Joerg: Sorry, but the Karl-May-Films were not done by Kempski but by Plank/Sippert,
Ooopss... yes this could be my mistake.
quote: and the Bruce Lee film distributed by Kempski, "Bruce Lee - the Man, the Myth", was a Derann two-parter.
I do have a full-length Bruce Lee in Scope with German soundtrack and the seller claimed that this print was done by Kempski - I'll give it a closer look this evening.
quote: Is there any chance of a better resolution scan of the advert for the GIGANT 750 so the text can be read?
Sorry, but I'm neither the seller nor I own that advertising
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted May 02, 2006 11:17 AM
This is a really fascinating read! I can say for sure that the Kempski print of "Poltergeist", that I have, has excellent color and an extrememly sharp picture, as well as an excellent stereo sountrack. It looks magnificent on the big screen. I have three of my favorite sci-fi films in super 8 scope :
Poltergeist Alien Star Wars
and they all look great!!
It's really a shame that it is such an expensive hobby, but it really is something to watch them on film!
Another favorite title of mine, is the scope 400ft. release of Star Wars. It doesn't have a clarity of image that the Derrann release has, as well as having more grain, but it is certianly my favorite pick of the "earlier" scope releases from super 8's golden age!
(That, and my Tom and Jerry and Mister Magoo scope cartoons)
OSI
-------------------- "All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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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 May 03, 2006 05:56 PM
Rob, Ricky:
Derann is currently selling this print: RETURN OF THE JEDI, THE 7 x 400`. Col. SCOPE. £375.00
Classic Home Cinema is currently selling this print: The Empire Strikes Back, 4x 600ft Colour CINEMASCOPE, £330
I haven't got a clue whether these are in "Cineavision" or not. (Both stores sold the "Episode IV", too.)
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