8mm Forum: "Top Film" super 8 company ...

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Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on May 30, 2011, 02:55 PM:

Hey folks!

I was perusing my copy of "Picnic Panic" (a lovely Van Buren animated film from 1935) called, according to the label "Der Picknick", (which, by the way, is a lovely print on AGFA film stock ... once again, many thanX Peter!)

The info on the release states ...

" De doldwaze avonturen van een pan en een fluitketel, die het leven in de Keuken zat zijn en wel eers wat anders willen. "

(is all that German? I'm not sure?)

... and I noticed on the back of the label a logo, with lettering made to look like a movie camera and the name is "Top Film"

Who originated the Top Film company, it's history and what did they release, besides this "Der Picknick" cartoon, of course. If this cartoon is any evidence of thier quality and use of stock, I'm sure that they're other releases would be "Top" notch and well worth collecting!

Any info folks?

Posted by Yanis Tzortzis (Member # 434) on May 30, 2011, 08:52 PM:

It's Ton v.d. Kleut from Amsterdam;nice guy-though prices are a bit up in most features....see: www.topfilm.nl

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on May 31, 2011, 06:07 PM:

Having just had a look at the site, I'm very sorry to say that it appears to announce that Tony van der Kleut died on 25 May.

He was a very friendly and hospitable guy and deserves a lot of credit for his important contribution to Super 8 in Europe. Not only for his involvement in releasing product via Top Film, but also for continuing to devote part of his shop to Super 8 right up to the present day.

I have several Top Film releases and although the quality was rarely better than 'average' (they all look like they are derived from 16mm prints, sometimes ones with significant wear) they released some interesting titles. My favourites are their 3 x 400' versions of 'The Sorcerers' and 'The Hunchback of Soho' (a rare colour German 'Krimi' on Super 8). As with many of their releases, they have English sound and Dutch subtitles. Neither have faded, despite the colour not being great to start with! They tended to release crime thrillers, horror, fantasy and adventure films. Many of the titles were hardly known in England or the USA, because they were European or South African films, but that made them all the more interesting for people looking for something different.

I hope the family decides to keep the shop going. Last time I visited in 2008, Tony's brother was working there.

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on June 01, 2011, 05:25 PM:

I received this email today:

Dear Super8 fan,
We are verry sorry to anounce that after a short period of sickness our company founder and owner, Ton van de Kleut has past away on the 25th of May on the age of 75. We will remember Ton as a fine person and a well known expert in the world of smallfilm. We will miss him. You can place a last message for Ton in the condoleance register. Click
http://www.topfilm.nl/index.php?option=com_easybookreloaded&view=easybookreloaded&Itemid=14
to enter the condoleance register on www.Topfilm.nl.

Posted by Yanis Tzortzis (Member # 434) on June 01, 2011, 07:13 PM:

....got the same email tonight;I'm sad-he was a nice man.Had talked to him over the phone & was very understanding on shipping & payment issues....RIP Ton v.d. Kleut, hope Topflilm will continue trading-had got some rarities there,it'll be really a shame if they closed....

Posted by Brian Hendel (Member # 61) on June 01, 2011, 09:49 PM:

I received emails from his grandchildren that Ton van de Kleut had passed away. They had read my article about visiting Topfilm a couple years ago. It's very sad as he was an incredibly nice man and it was clear he had a passion for super 8 films right up until the end of his life. I guess they are trying to figure out what to do with the shop... but Amsterdam won't be the same for me without it.

Posted by Joe Caruso (Member # 11) on June 02, 2011, 08:23 AM:

I was always happy with our dealings, TJ sent RKO shorts in boxes I never seen before - So sorry to hear of his passing - Shorty

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on June 02, 2011, 10:27 AM:

I was quite sad to hear of his passing as well.

Maybe his quality wasn't always Derann level, but I am so totally happy to have his release of "Picnic Panic", as it is the unedited version of the cartoon.

All the cheapo DVD (and in most cases, non cheapo as well) have a shortened by almost 60 seconds the beginning of the film, as well as no original title card. This one has the full intro and title card.

Also, I was suprised to see that on the original negative for this release, there is a splice right where the footage starts from the original film, (where they added the black and white title cards, onto a color cartoon, on the cheapo version) ...

... so it appears that somehow this grand fellow must have lucked out into acquiring the actual original, perhaps only technicolor negative of this cartoon.

Once again, a tip of the hat to this fine gentleman! You shall be missed!

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