8mm Forum: Ken/Castle films etc

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Posted by David Coppola (Member # 4209) on April 02, 2014, 09:19 AM:

I remember growing up i the 70s and was really into showing 8mm films that I would buy from Dept stores. I could also borrow them from area libraries. Of course they were all digests, 200', 400', etc.
I always wondered who exactly prepared the digests, and decided what to include in them. To that point where were they made/prepared? I was always curious to visit Ken Films in Fort Lee NJ to see what their HQ looked like. Wondering if anyone had any inside info to any or all of the above?
Thanks.

Posted by Brad Kimball (Member # 5) on April 02, 2014, 05:42 PM:

The prints were contracted out to a 3rd party film lab as was the case with all the other home movie companies of the day. KEN's business office in Fort Lee, NJ was indeed just an office. I actually visited their office back in the late 70s and it was a tiny little office located in a very normal looking building where other companies had offices, as well. I believe the films were warehoused elsewhere, but nearby because I actually was able to pick up a title they had back-ordered for me at the office. As far as the scene selection is concerned this was probably a joint effort between KEN's product development team and the film lab's staff editors.

Posted by David A Cooper (Member # 4233) on April 07, 2014, 10:04 PM:

I purchased the Ken Films "Star Wars" F48 back in about 1980 or so on a 200' reel and several of my High School friends and I watched it at the local library on their super 8 projector. Before I had bought the Ken Films movie I had found several Kenner children's movie viewer toys at the local toy store that were movie cartridges of Star Wars. Being a Star Wars fanatic as a kid, I bought 5 different cartridges and soon realized that they were actually super 8 film inside. Of course I ripped them open and spliced them into the Ken Films Star Wars movie in the right order and had about 240 feet of movie.

About 10 years ago I found another Ken Films Star Wars F64 movie on ebay that was actually Color and sound and was 360 feet. This was select scenes and featured the Cantina Scene and the Destruction of the Death Star. I had never seen this one advertised in any of the Ken Films brochures or anything. I was amazed it even has sound. Have not yet seen it since I don't own a super 8 projector but have spliced the two films together and it is now over 500 feet.

Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on April 08, 2014, 10:30 AM:

Hi David-

Welcome to the forum!!!

Yes, this digest you have there is the second 400 foot extract Ken Films released. Ken Films also released a 400 extract to The Empire Strikes Back about the time this was released. Then, about a year later, they released a second 400 foot extract to Empire. But, that was right as commercial super-8 was going away and BETA/VHS video was taking over (around 1981/82).

James.

Posted by James E. Stubbs (Member # 817) on April 08, 2014, 09:36 PM:

A hard set of digests to find! They've both long been on my "want" list. I have Both F48 200' Sound and Silent Star Wars. The silent has a bit more than the silent.
Cheers,

Posted by John Capazzo (Member # 157) on April 09, 2014, 04:45 PM:

Brad,

Didn't Ken Films begin on Park Ave in NYC close to United World/Castle; then moved to Ft. Lee in early 70's?

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