8mm Forum: Where can I hire s8 films?

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Posted by Ron Seagold (Member # 740) on February 19, 2007, 07:59 AM:

I seem to have been bitten by the 8mm bug,trouble is the films seem so exspensive to buy,and once seen are put away,never to watch again.Does anybody know where I can hire films,like with DVDs?

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on February 19, 2007, 08:19 AM:

Sorry to have bad news for you Ron, but, unless they have some libraries over there in the U.K. , I wouldn't think anyplace still rents out Super 8 films.

Way back in the day, (Long long time ago in a galaxy far far away), almost any library here in the states would rent out super 8 movies, and they had quite a number of titles, but those days are gone.

Posted by Kevin Faulkner (Member # 6) on February 19, 2007, 08:37 AM:

Same here in the UK. There are no libraries around any more. I don't think there were too many of them even in Super 8's heyday.

Kev.

Posted by Mike Peckham (Member # 16) on February 19, 2007, 09:01 AM:

I think Hingston Films was the last to go, I was still renting from them up until about 2000 I think...

Mike

Posted by Tim Murphy (Member # 705) on February 19, 2007, 09:08 AM:

It's a real shame there are no Super 8 libraries now, back when I was growing up in the 70s and 80s there were quite a few in the UK. I used to hire features from Derann, CA Jones, Hingston Films, Bernco Films & a couple of others. Couldn't afford to buy features so it was a great way to get features on the big screen at home, used to get friends over for regular film nights. I've still got a couple of the catalogues (just dug them out!).

Think some of the big 16mm libraries also had some Super 8, definately Rank & FDA had a selection.

I suppose it's understandable that libraries no longer exist with the rarity of prints and the risk of loss & damage, most would be impossible to replace.

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on February 19, 2007, 10:23 AM:

Yup. Hingston Films was purchased by Buckingham Films and we visited shortly after and got some features off Buckingham when on holiday camping. The films were in very good condish surprisingly for lib prints.

Ron. It would be worth going to the Derann Open Day on the 1st April as you are sure to find some good buys, learn from others and see what its all about. For more details give Derann a quick ring. They are very helpful.

Regards

Posted by Simon McConway (Member # 219) on February 19, 2007, 11:08 AM:

I bought quite a few titles when Hingston closed in 2001. This library was run by a Mr Greenslade who sadly died in around 2004/5. It appeared he ran the library from the back of his garage. The prints I had were in good condition for a library. The remainder are still being sold by Tony Reypert at Buckingham.

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on February 19, 2007, 11:18 AM:

Ron,
One thing about Super 8 film collecting is that the films are NOT watched just once and never watched again. If you are selective about your purchases and restrict yourself to the films that you really like, you will be replaying them for as long as you own them. There are many classic films out there, such as Casablanca, King Kong, MGM musicals etc which never loose their magic no matter how often they are viewed. If you are only interested in seeing a film once, then rent a DVD and save yourself a lot of money.
As far as libraries go, there are none left in the USA. Here in Orlando, the Orlando Public Library operated a fairly extensive 8mm and S8 library up until about 1986, when they sold off their entire collection (I bought it!) and went to VHS tapes. The films were loaned free of cost for 7 days, so it was really nice. Now they offer a free DVD loan service of up to 10 DVD's for 7 days.

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on February 19, 2007, 12:39 PM:

Still it doesn't hurt to ask around at your local and some surrounding libraries, some of which may not as yet have downsized their old inventory and just maybe will have old films tucked neatly away in some dark, forgotten corner of a dusty basement

Posted by Mike Peckham (Member # 16) on February 19, 2007, 12:59 PM:

Joe

Very true; just such an enquiry at an independant photographic store in Brighton a few years ago led me to buy my "back up" Sankyo Stereo 800 that had been languishing , unused, in the store room of the shop since it was new in about 1982. I paid £115 for it which I thought was very reasonable [Smile]

.

Paul, very impressed to hear you were able to buy the whole library stock out, what sort of films were they? Features, Documentries, Digests? And what sort of condition were they in? And how many?? What a great haul!

Mike [Cool]

Posted by Ron Seagold (Member # 740) on February 19, 2007, 10:39 PM:

[QUOTE]
Ron,
One thing about Super 8 film collecting is that the films are NOT watched just once and never watched again. If you are selective about your purchases and restrict yourself to the films that you really like, you will be replaying them for as long as you own them [QUOTE]

Paul,
Yes of course,its a matter of selecting the right films.
Thanks to all of you replying to my post

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on February 20, 2007, 08:51 AM:

One thing I do is try to get to cine events and meet people. So many time over we hear of collectors who whut off from the world and watch films solo. Its good to meet people and share the cine experience I find. The Blackpool Film Collectors convention has always been a great & friendly bash, and certainly last time I met some new faces as well who since then kept in contact, and I have also been invited out for some great evenings watching films.

There is so little trust left in the world today it is good to know that cine still has some magic and can bring people together to socialise. Going to a good event such as Blackpool 2007 in November here in the UK would be a good start for anyone wanting to expand the hobby of REAL HOME CINEMA.

Posted by Paul Adsett (Member # 25) on February 20, 2007, 09:15 AM:

Hi Mike,
There were about 500 titles, mostly digests and a few features. Blackhawk film documenteries were heavily represented and there were lots of Laurel and Hardy's and Warner Bros cartoons. I picked out the ones I really liked, and sold the rest to Derann Films.
Kind of wish I had kept them all now, but I made a good profit on the deal, and so did Derann when they subsequently sold them.
So everyone was happy! [Smile]

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on February 20, 2007, 09:51 AM:

Paul, if you're of a mind, I need twelve L&H shorts, let me know if any from my list might be for sale - Shorty

Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 549) on February 20, 2007, 04:42 PM:

Those were the days! Sorry I can't assist you today Ron, but I remember when even large department stores here had Super 8 hire sections.

I also hired from a record store, that had the weirdest left of field selection. It had all these family cartoon selections, Star Wars, Superman, Ali etc then early docos on drugs and things like Smut Peddlers thena large sex film section. Most 400 footers were only $4.00 a week to hire.

Twentieth Century Fox also had Super 8 in their hire section at one time. What a distributor; 70mm, 35mm, 16mm and Super 8 all in the one place.

Luckily we still have a state government library that for an annual fee gives you access to thousands of 16mm films (mostly docos) and a federal government library of around 10,000 titles too.

David

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on February 20, 2007, 05:08 PM:

I'd certainly endorse Lee's suggestion to go to Blackpool. You can buy films in the auction for the sort of prices that libraries would have charged to hire them - and then sell the ones you don't want to keep!

Posted by Steve Carter (Member # 4821) on May 04, 2015, 05:13 AM:

Ah..Bernco Bloomfield Road Brislington,I used to hire features from there, all in brown cardboard boxes, mostly 4 x 400ft, although he did have the full version of King Kong.I used to hire mostly Hammer films, but my other love is silent films, and he did have some Youngson comps, Days of Thrills and Laughter. I like Harry Langdon silents, and there are always some Langdon clips included with-in the Youngson comps.I remember the hire prices were quite steep for the late 70's early 80's. I believe he went over to video rental as that caught on, I did hire some VHS in the early days, but found some of them to be poor copies, as features on VHS in the early days could cost £29, I remember my Wife buying me A Star is Born (Streisand) and paying that, unthinkable now.....

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