8mm Forum: The Return of Bill Davison (Bootlace Cinema)

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Topic: The Return of Bill Davison (Bootlace Cinema)

Guy Badger
Junior
Posts: 12
From: Hull, England
Registered: Sep 2017

posted September 26, 2017 09:06 AM

Greetings! I thought some of you might like to know that I recently met Bill Davison (of Movie Maker's Bootlace Cinema fame) and had a chat about his time at Movie Maker and what he's up to these days. He was amused to hear that a previous post on this site reported his demise and he would want you to know that he's feeling much better and is a fit and healthy 70-something year old!

As well as reporting on and collecting 8mm package movies Bill was a prolific amateur film-maker and one of the projects that Bill is currently involved with is putting some of his amateur film productions on the BFI website. You can see two of his films at the links below.

https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-once-upon-a-sunday-1968-online

https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-restless-sunday-1967-online

I don't want to reveal too much as I would want to clear anything with Bill first, but I'm hoping to sit down with him in the near future and record an interview about all things 8mm. As a collector from the olden days of the 1970s/80s I have lots of my own questions but if there is anything you would like to know - or if you just want to send a message to Bill - post it below and I'll pass it along when I see him next.

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Stuart Reid
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 720
From: Worthing, West Sussex, UK
Registered: Feb 2009

posted September 26, 2017 09:23 AM

Always a real treat to see anything from the halcyon days of the Ten Best et al. Bill had a real eye for an image.

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Graham Ritchie
Film God

Posts: 4001
From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006

posted September 26, 2017 02:02 PM

Thanks Guy

Glad to here he is still around, reading his Bootlace Cinema reviews were always a highlight in Movie Maker. I still have all those magazines from the 1970s and early 80s, and are still worth a read every so often.

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Steven J Kirk
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 873
From: Southern England
Registered: Apr 2008

posted September 26, 2017 03:34 PM

Wow, I too thought he had passed away! And not from the post that was on here but previously. Must be my memory going, or perhaps the 'Mandela Effect'.

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VistaVision
Motion Picture High-Fidelity

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Paul Adsett
Film God

Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted September 26, 2017 03:39 PM

Bill's Bootlace Cinema was always my first stop when reading Movie Maker' Hope you can do an interview with him, I am sure he has a lot of interesting memories of that time period in the 8mm world.

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted September 28, 2017 04:38 PM

I echo all that has been said here. I still have loads of those magazines featuring Bills articles in the 70's and early 80's even when the magazine changed name.

It was a superb first post here Guy and any past reviews of Bill's, or reports of his memoirs would be most welcomed here as a follow-up. [Wink]

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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Gary Sayers
Film Handler

Posts: 55
From: Worksop, UK
Registered: Aug 2016

posted September 29, 2017 05:18 AM

It would be great if Bill could publish a book with a collection of his reviews from his 'Movie Maker' days, in a similar fashion to Dennis Gifford's 'Armchair Odeon'.

Tell me this is going to happen and you can take my money now!

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David Hardy
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 955
From: Johnshaven Village , Montrose, Scotland
Registered: Jan 2015

posted September 29, 2017 05:27 AM

That's great news to read Bill is still alive. I too was informed he had passed away. It just goes to show how some rumours can become false news.

I still have all my Movie Makers with Bill's reviews.

Including the one where he replied to one of my letters published in the magazine regarding the print quality of
the 400' edition of SUPERMAN. I also had a good old moan about
Derann's 4 x 400' version of THE DEVIL RIDES OUT print quality in the same letter.

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" My equipment's more important than your rats. "

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Peter Scott
Film Handler

Posts: 58
From: Norfolk, UK
Registered: Nov 2014

posted September 29, 2017 06:36 AM

I met Bill Davison in 1982 at the Northern Film Collectors Convention at the Gables Hotel in Blackpool, we had a brief chat for a few minutes together

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James Wilson
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 230
From: Norwich, UK
Registered: Jan 2015

posted September 29, 2017 07:01 AM

Enjoyed every moment,
what a talent.
James.

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James Wilson

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Tom Photiou
Film God

Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003

posted September 30, 2017 06:20 AM

I dont half wish i kept all my movie makers, as already said previously by another member, his pages were always the ones i turned to the minute i bought my copy.
Are there any scans on here for any of Bills reviews, is he still in the hobby?

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Andrew Woodcock
Film God

Posts: 7477
From: Manchester Uk
Registered: Aug 2012

posted September 30, 2017 06:23 AM

I will scan all that I have at some point Tom and put them on the other place of worship where the double page spreads can be viewed and read with ease in Ultra HD. [Big Grin]

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"C'mon Baggy..Get with the beat"

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Tom Photiou
Film God

Posts: 4837
From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003

posted September 30, 2017 07:01 AM

Thanks Andrew, [Wink]

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