8mm Forum: Raise the Titanic-4x600ft spools.

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Posted by Andrew Wilson (Member # 538) on June 09, 2007, 06:49 AM:

Well here my view on this 1980 movie released by Derann in 1984 on super 8.Anyway here goes...
When the 45,000 ton luxury liner RMS TITANIC,struck a iceberg on April 14th,1912,its fate has fascitnated Hollywood,and film makers,the world over.
That godfather of the British enteratinment,lord grade,for ITC,came up with this title.It sank at the box office and put Grade in the red.
Most of its huge budget was spent on the enormous water tank,holding nine million gallons of water,built in Malta to accommadate the 55ft long replica of this famous ship.
So what of the feature on super8?I had not seen this movie in years and so sat down and let the story unfold...
The story is that some seventy years before,the US,got some Colorado miners to extract a rare new mineral called Byzanium from a little island just off the Artitic circle...
Back in the present,the Americans have apparently devised a way of makeing their whole country impregnable from nuclear attack.
The one mineral they need for this super defence system is the ore Byzanium..we know at this point were the stuff now lies...
The Amercians must find,then raise the titanic!
The scientists first port of call,is the ships sole crew member,still living,non other than Sir Alec Guinness,in what is billed as a guest apperance-which i suspuect meant a fat fee for a couple of days work!
Then begins the long and slow process of first locating and then raising the rusting hulk.After a good deal of talk,the massive carcess eventully begins to move upward,this is really quite spectacular as the ship breaks the surface,and is seen being towed into New York harbour-some brillant matte shots here;theres
no C.G.I.crap in this movie!
However there is a minor twist.The vault is opened,and the boxes
contain,nothing but gravel..so where is the elusive Byzanium...?
I bought this title,second hand,and i will tell you one thing.
The print is still outstanding,as is the sound.
Okay maybe the plot is a little less meaty,but the late great
DEREK SIMMONDS was very ,very proud of this releae,and i can see why.The model work,and matte shots are faultless,this is what can
be done,without the aid of a computer..right down to the last rivet.Excelent..Andy.
PRINT A+
SOUND A+
P.S This feature was released in both flat and scope.

Posted by Paul Spinks (Member # 573) on June 09, 2007, 08:27 AM:

Another excellent review as always Andy, many thanks. "Raise the Titanic" was my first scope print and I was amazed when I saw it. I had part exchanged the flat version for it and the difference was simply amazing.
Paul.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on June 09, 2007, 10:31 AM:

I've always been curious about this feature, as it has been tore apart by critics and it bombed bad in the theatres. Is it better as a feature than I would suspect?

I ask as "Force Ten from Navarone" was largely demolished by critics, and I liked it a lot. Perhaps this one might be worth picking up off a used list?

Posted by Keith Ashfield (Member # 741) on June 09, 2007, 12:06 PM:

The print and sound quality of the feature is, as Andrew says, outstanding but I still prefer the 600ft version, as it has all the relevant plot and flows very well. The print quality of the 600ft is perhaps a little softer than the feature but still very good if you get it on LPP.The sound is also excellent and does full justice to the groans and creaks of the ship as it "rises from the depths". Also I think that the John Barry music score is one of the best that he has ever done. The only thing I would insist is that whichever version you go for, digest or feature, make sure it's in Scope and not Flat!

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on June 09, 2007, 03:52 PM:

I agree, scope is always better. Why have a Geo metro when you can have a souped up Mustang?

Posted by Andrew Wilson (Member # 538) on June 10, 2007, 02:38 AM:

My print is the flat version with about 10mins.missing.
I still enjoy it very much,with John Barry's brillant score
plus coming from Belfast the TITANIC holds a very special place
in people's heart's here!That's why i done this review.Andy.

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on June 10, 2007, 05:37 AM:

I agree Keith, the 600ft is a far better bet. As a Titanic fan this end I could not be without this flick.

Posted by Chip Gelmini (Member # 44) on June 10, 2007, 12:40 PM:

I also have this print in scope/mono. I am not sure if this is a Derann print because it came through a different dealer.

The movie is really good. The story is slightly weak though. One note of interest.....we all thought the ship went down in one piece.

Here in Falmouth Massachusetts on Cape Cod, we have a small off the beaten path small town called Woodshole. It is known for deap sea explorations as well as world reknown marine biology; as well as global warming study groups.

Bob Ballard who discovered the real Titanic, originated that voyage right here out of Woodshole years ago. It was in that mission the discovery of the great ship went down in 2 pieces and it was James Cameron's epic Titanic that showed the disater in this manner.

Chip Gelmini

Posted by Andrew Wilson (Member # 538) on June 10, 2007, 02:08 PM:

Yes Chip,you are correct.The TITANIC did spilt into two pieces,as
Bob Ballard found in 1985.However,when Raise was made,it was thought that the ship went down in one piece.
This was because of the witness at the time of the inquest,following the disater,stated the ship went down in one piece.They never saw the ship break into two!.Andy.

Posted by Patrick Walsh (Member # 637) on July 28, 2007, 10:01 PM:

Hi
Any one got his film that would like to sell?, I have the 1x600ft version but would like to get it as a feature, RAISE THE TITANIC along with A NIGHT TO REMEMBER were the 2 films that Robert Ballard watched while onboard his research ship while they were looking for the titanic in 1985, I have a VHS here called THE LAST GREAT HUMAN ADVENTURE which has Jack Grimm the oil man who set out to find the titanic in 1979/1980 the film also has the making of RAISE THE TITANIC wich was being made at the same time as the search was on for the real ship, alot of schots from the movie that dont appear in the finished edit are on the this VHS such as the foam being pumped into the titanic's hull as well as a sinking montage that was cut from the final edit for the start of the film wich shows the 55ft model pre rust condition sinking in the tank.
Pat

Posted by David Ollerearnshaw (Member # 3296) on October 23, 2012, 12:18 PM:

Raise The Titanic brings back memories of the Blackpool conventions, at the Gables Balmoral Hotel I think? It had moved from The Queens. At this time it was properly still organised by Regent Films who were based in Blackpool. Tony Shapps of the Widescreen Centre London used his screen WOW its was massive. Derann premièred Raise The Titanic at this event. I think they used part of the trailer and the raising part from the feature. At the time I would say it was the most impressive presentation of super 8mm I have ever seen.

Think it was the first release of the ITC deal. Sir Lew Grade's film side. He was famous for making deals with just an handshake, & his cigars. His TV series were mostly made in colour at a time when UK TV was only B/W. (Thunderbirds, Champions, Saint, & lots more)

Anyway it sold it to me and I bought a copy from the Derann stand from the great man himself. I'm sure he was rubbing his hands together at the sale.

The film was released full length in scope and 600ft both scope & flat. Don't think the feature was released flat, but I could of course be wrong on that one.

Now the dark nights are here time I think to watch again.

Thanks for the review.

Posted by Lee Mannering (Member # 728) on October 24, 2012, 03:28 AM:

Remember the 8mm release of this very well. Derann also released it as a flat feature as well so they covered just about every avenue with this one. Still got my early print from so many years ago also purchased at sunny Blackpool. Happy days.

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