posted January 05, 2017 02:48 PM
I refer everyone to Tom Stokes' article in the most recent issue of REEL IMAGE #38(Winter), which is part 2 (#37 began the story) - His insight to detail on the horror/monster editions is very noteworthy - Take it from Shorty
Posts: 826
From: United Kingdom
Registered: Jun 2003
posted January 05, 2017 03:02 PM
Hard to pick the best 200 digest from a feature but my vote would go to Hellfighters which made an awful movie bearable. Two Laurel and Hardy shorts that were issued by Walton as 200 footers rather than 400s and improved the flow of both films were Hoosegow and Midnight Patrol.
Posts: 282
From: West Chester, OH, USA
Registered: Feb 2008
posted January 05, 2017 05:35 PM
My personal favorites in the 200' format include: "Jaws", and "Flight of the Phoenix". I own the 200' of the latter and it does an excellent job of getting the story across.My copy (bought from Paul Foster) still has very nice color. And I agree with David," The Mummy" is an excellent 200' cut down and was my first sound Super-8 film many,many years ago.
-------------------- Turn out the lights,the movie is starting!
Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012
posted January 05, 2017 05:52 PM
I honestly have never believed there is any point whatsoever in 200ft cut downs other than extended trailer reels or complete short Reels such as WB cartoons etc etc etc.
Just my point of view here of course.
I haven't seen a good one yet and that includes my first ever second hand print of Star Wars back then when it had been released only 12 weeks earlier and had sold every new copy released back then in 1977.
A 400 footer used to have a waiting list!!
A more useful topic to my way of thinking, is all the none cut down 3600ft version , best releases.
I will start the conversation with hello dolly if I have anything other than cyberspace and wall to discuss it with.
Shirley Valentine, eat ur heart out!
-------------------- "C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"
Posts: 282
From: West Chester, OH, USA
Registered: Feb 2008
posted January 05, 2017 06:49 PM
I mean no offense Andrew, but if you feel this way about 200' & 400' digests, why even bother posting in this thread when you have nothing positive to say? No need to rain on other people's parade.
-------------------- Turn out the lights,the movie is starting!
posted January 05, 2017 06:55 PM
I totally agree that the 200 footer of 'Jaws' is just awesome - a brilliant editing job and my personal favourate.
-------------------- The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection, Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj
Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012
posted January 05, 2017 06:55 PM
You're a Diamond Doug so I respectfully say, fair point my friend, just my own personal point of view and respectfully each to their own my friend.
-------------------- "C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"
Posts: 282
From: West Chester, OH, USA
Registered: Feb 2008
posted January 05, 2017 07:04 PM
Again, I meant no offense or disrespect Andrew.I very much appreciate your reply. I guess we film collectors should be grateful that in 2017, we're still discussing a hobby that most wrote off as dead decades ago.
-------------------- Turn out the lights,the movie is starting!
Posts: 199
From: Westchester, IL, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
posted January 06, 2017 08:00 AM
My vote would go to The Mummy as well; I was freaked out the first time I ran it because it is cut out of sequence and I thought they had skipped the "coming to life" scene. Other favorites are Bride of Frankenstein , Hurry Hurry (W.C. Fields), and The Invisible Woman .
Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004
posted January 06, 2017 08:21 AM
I'd agree that 'Jaws' (which benefits from above-average running time), 'Tarantula' and 'The Mummy' are hard to beat, but I'd add 'The Creature from the Black Lagoon' which gives a good flavour of the film and even includes one or two sequences not in the 400'. 'The Giant Claw' is also very effective in causing hysterical laughter!
Posts: 199
From: Westchester, IL, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
posted January 06, 2017 10:32 AM
Adrian, you are absolutely right about Creature ; it's so much easier to run the short version as opposed to screwing around with those cardboard glasses! The silent version of Strait Jacket was a great 200 footer that we ran endlessly back in the 70's. 30 years later, I finally got the sound version I had been dreaming about since I was 14 years old, and the soundtrack is extremely choppy (as if Joan herself had edited the sound with her axe).
posted January 06, 2017 10:40 AM
I would agree with "JAWS" 200ft as well, but the 2X400ft digest is far better personally, (and in the letterboxes format too!).
-------------------- "All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
Posts: 955
From: Johnshaven Village , Montrose, Scotland
Registered: Jan 2015
posted January 08, 2017 02:06 PM
Some good choices here folks.
I had forgotten about the 200 footers of TARANTULA and CREATURE FROM BLACK LAGOON. I have these too.
I am a not fan of JAWS but have to agree that it too is a superb cutdown. In fact I like it better than the feature which I found... ( well I wont go into that )
Looking back over my film collecting life most of the cutdowns on 200 footers were so well done that I was well disappointed when I finally got round to seeing some of the actual full features.
I remember thinking "yuk" all that bloody dialogue and romantic needless love interest or "comedy" padding to make up the running time why did they even bother ?
That's one reason I did not buy to much full length features on 8mm gauge. I still like my cutdowns they have a magic all of their own and sometimes are better than the features.
Very skilled editing to condense a feature down to 200 feet and still keep the core of the narrative is a great "art" indeed.
A lot cheaper to buy too and worth the money I think. Add to that some great box / packaging artwork and your sorted.
-------------------- " My equipment's more important than your rats. "
posted January 10, 2017 12:56 PM
I usually am for the complete feature.I only buy a digest if the complete film is not available. As I bought each Disney or,MGM musical feature,I put aside the extracts I had bought originally,(plus their boxes,of course). So, my best digest is Columbia's SO,THIS IS AFRICA, the Wheeler and Woolsey comedy classic!
Posts: 1375
From: Washington, DC
Registered: Jul 2003
posted January 11, 2017 09:40 PM
Agree with most here. Of the titles mentioned, I would say:
1. Jaws 2. The Mummy 3. A&C Meet Frankenstien
I mostly collected 400 foot digests, but these I did have.
The Disney 200 footers may not qualify, due to being more of an extract. But I would add "The Prince and the Dragon" from Sleeping Beauty. It is more of an edited extract, but does tell the story somewhat, and just a fantastic little 200 footer.
Posts: 707
From: Hull, East Yorkshire, UK
Registered: Feb 2016
posted January 12, 2017 12:33 PM
How about the Peter Cushing classic "Twins of Evil" ?
In the very beginning of my film collecting days back in the '70's this was one of the first 200'ers my film collecting pal bought..... black and white, silent! But,boy did it look good! Really creepy exciting stuff! How many times did that axe fly across the white curtain we used as a screen ?
A few years later in the early 80's when I "discovered" Blackpool I found a copy for myself in glorious colour and sound! Still a good watch even by today's standards.
Posts: 264
From: Fairfield, OH, USA
Registered: Feb 2004
posted January 16, 2017 02:17 PM
The constraints of a 200ft condensation is just brutal so it takes an exceptional job of editing to make one work. From the limited ones I have owned, I have to agree one of the very best is "The Mummy". I also like "Tora,Tora,Tora" and, for a recent purchase at the Columbus Cinevent, "Badman of Arizona" with Richard Dix does a surprisingly good job.