8mm Forum: First widescreen films on 8mm

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Topic: First widescreen films on 8mm

Panayotis A. Carayannis
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 969
From: Athens,Greece
Registered: Jul 2008

posted November 29, 2008 06:59 PM

What were the first widescreen films released on 8mm? I mean films to be shown with an anamorphic lens and not in masked prints. I am aware of I MARRIED A WOMAN and THE GIRL HUNTERS , plus one or two Japanese monster one reel silent cutdowns,(like GHIDRAH THE THREE HEADED MONSTER)released by mistake (!!!) unsqueezed by Ken! Were there others even before?

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Osi Osgood
Film God

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

posted November 29, 2008 08:22 PM

Panayotis ...

I believe that you hit it on the button with those old Ken 200ft releases of the Godzilla type films.

Another possibility would be some of Thunderbird films releases, but they are very hard to date as to when they came out.

Would another safe guess be the Cinevision prints, which would be around 77 or so (am I right, Doug?)

When did Kempski start his prints? That would be another good question, but Kempski started his releases after Cinevision
did they're stuff.

Another good question would be when Derann first started they're scope releases?

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

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Douglas Meltzer
Moderator

Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted November 30, 2008 09:19 AM

I'll have to check the dates for those Cineavision releases, but Columbia Pictures put out a 200' "souvenir featurette" of First Men in the Moon in standard 8mm sound. The scenes from the film are in scope!

Doug

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I think there's room for just one more film.....

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Mal Brake
Jedi Master Film Handler

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

posted November 30, 2008 09:39 AM

I seem to recall Walton Films and The Widescreen Centre were early innovators for 'scope releases.
Derek at Derann intially didn't think it would catch on with collectors but became extremely enthusiastic for the format as it took hold.
I may be wrong here but think a certain Mr Wilton persuaded Derek that 'scope releases would sell.

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I'm gonna live forever or die trying

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Jean-Christophe Deblock
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 693
From: Grimbergen, Brabant, Belgium.
Registered: Mar 2007

posted November 30, 2008 12:59 PM

That's indeed an interesting question.

I've found, to an old collector, an anamorphic lens for 8mm projector!

JC.

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Panayotis A. Carayannis
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 969
From: Athens,Greece
Registered: Jul 2008

posted November 30, 2008 01:30 PM

Looking through my backlot of Thunderbird lists,I found they released WHAT'S UP TIGER LILLY?,the Woody Allen renovated and gagged up japanese feature,in scope,in 1977.I am missing three years, then, in 1980 THE GIRL HUNTERS is advertised.So, it must have been issued between '77 and '80. I bought it a few years later and afterwards,in 1985,on my first trip to England,I went to the Widescreen Centre and bought a Kowa lens ! But I believe I MARRIED A WOMAN came out much earlier and Cineavision much later.

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Mike Tynus
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 135
From: Addison, IL, USA
Registered: Apr 2008

posted December 01, 2008 03:26 AM

Columbia also released some UPA cartoons in scope in the '70s.
They weren't advertised as such, but they were released squeezed.
I have a print of MATADOR MAGOO in scope, and GERALD McBOING BOING ON THE PLANET MOO was in scope as well. Not sure if there were ever flat versions released.

The first time I saw scope prints for sale was from Jef Films, though I don't know what year he started selling them.

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