8mm Forum: Westworld 1x400 Digest

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Posted by Ernie Zahn (Member # 274) on July 23, 2013, 01:36 PM:

The great thing about this film as a digest is that it's such a simple story. Amazing theme park with astounding attractions but something goes wrong and it all goes to hell. It's a lot of fun and it's an easy enough of a story to tell in less than 20 minutes. I'd almost prefer sticking to this than re-watching the feature on BluRay or DVD.

The scenes with Yul Brynner are fantastic. I love how he antagonizes Richard Benjamin. If Brynner ever worked with Sergio Leone, that would have been nuts - in an incredible way.

The sound is fairly descent but I wouldn't mind a re-record. The color is the typical kind of faded red you'd see from a print from the 70's released by MGM or Ken. The picture is sharp too but nothing you'd be surprised by with these releases.

The more interesting thing about this film is that it is written and directed by Michael Crichton. The writer of another them park gone wrong story, Jurassic Park.

In many ways it feels like a prototype to the '93 Spielberg film. Westworld was the foundation, then Crichton fleshed it out with Jurassic Park. From that point of view it's very cool to watch Westworld.

If you're a fan of Jurassic Park, I highly recommend picking up this print. I believe there is a 3x400 ft version too. Grab it if you like, but like I said this story is so simple, it gets told very well in less than 20 mins.

Just to be clear Crichton wrote and directed Westworld but wrote the novel to Jurassic Park. Spielberg of course directed that and David Koepp co-wrote the screenplay with Crichton.

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on July 23, 2013, 01:44 PM:

Couldn't agree more Ernie, although he did play Sabata, one of
the coolest of gunfighters, and brought his own stamp to the
role.(Brynner)

Posted by Ernie Zahn (Member # 274) on July 23, 2013, 01:54 PM:

True! He's been great in American westerns. I just wish I could have seen him take a shot at Spaghetti Westerns.

By the time the 60's rolled around he was worth too much money to do a low budget Italian movie. Too bad :-/ Those Italian movies ended up being legend.

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on July 23, 2013, 02:36 PM:

The only Euro westerns I can recollect him in Ernie, are, "Adios
Sabata" & " Catlow", although his role in "Light At the Edge of
the World", is one pirate you do NOT want to meet.

Posted by Brian Stearns (Member # 3792) on July 23, 2013, 07:42 PM:

Indigo Black was the real title,to cash in on the Sabata name the US dubbed is Adios Sabata
Interesting is Yul looks similar to his Magnificent seven character in Westworld but robot format,kinda pre terminatorish

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on July 23, 2013, 07:55 PM:

"Indio Black"or "Adios Sabata" was a very difficult title to find on soundtrack as it was owned by Gemelli, which was a private label put out by the composer,Lee van Cleef, swapped roles, as he played Chris in the "seven" series, and Brynner took on the Sabata
role instead of van Cleef., sadly the role played by Dean Read,
ended in tragedy, he was found "drowned" in his own lake.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on July 25, 2013, 03:35 PM:

For completeness ...

Both "Westworld" and "Futureworld" were released as optical sound super 8 features.

1. Westworld (4X400ft) optical sound. Very full reels. Color has held up fairly well with slight color loss. The one truly annoying thing about this release, is that half the reels were printed with soft focus, watchable but annoying. Also, there was one edit in the whole film and the looks of it (no splice made other than the studio), the bedroom scene with the prostitute is edited out. Very small edit but ironic, as there was no nudity there. Found in a series of Techicolor cartridges in South Africa!

2. Slightly later release (duh, of course). My print is on 3X600ft. Color is outstanding, not a bit of fade at all and excessively sharp! Very good sound as well. No edits in it that I can see. Bes part? The "Dream Sequence" in which Yul Brynner reprises his role as the gunman, and was one of his last screen appearances.

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on July 25, 2013, 04:57 PM:

Nice films to have in your collection Osi, envious I am, but ones
to cherish. On the subject of edited scenes, I remember having to
do this with the Charles Bronson prison film "Breakout", where one
of the protagonists met his demise in an airplane prop.The opt.
snd version was cut, which meant I had to cut in the home movie
version, which works well, bar for a couple of seconds silence during the "chopping" scene.Also with "Shout At The Devil", the
scene of the baby thrown into the burning building was cut in
the opt. version, but intact in the Iver version, a little cut, and
it was restored, as the Iver version was cut anyway in running time. Yul's last screen appearance was in the Italian film"Anger In His Eyes" '76

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on July 26, 2013, 01:42 PM:

Is that the film that also goes by the title "Death Rage"? It was a foreign film done by Yul. Wasn't his best, but not bad. I believe he played an assassin who others have hired assasins to kill.

I personally think Yul's best later film was the sci-fi film, "The Ultimate Warrior", a post apocalyptic film. Not bad and it still shopwed that even in his advancing years, he still had an incredible physique!

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on July 26, 2013, 07:04 PM:

I think you're right Osi, it's on a box set of DVDs from Mill Creek
entitled "Chilling 50 Classics", a box set of horror films,available
from Amazon. I'll watch it tonight, as I have never seen it.
Did you know that Yul was in love with the musichall star Gertrude Lawrence.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on July 27, 2013, 01:11 PM:

Didn't know that! [Smile]

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on July 27, 2013, 03:21 PM:

Watched it last night Osi, and it was quite good, a familiar
story, very like "The Mechanic" meets "Day of Anger", with a twist
and a great cast.As for Gertrude, Yul had a long affair with her.

[ July 28, 2013, 07:28 PM: Message edited by: Hugh Thompson Scott ]

Posted by Douglas Meltzer (Member # 28) on August 03, 2013, 11:12 PM:

Getting back on topic, the 3x400' of Westworld is an excellent edit. Unfortunately, I've never found a decent color print.

Doug

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on August 04, 2013, 04:08 AM:

Doug, the 3 x 400 was a reaaly good cut down, we had to sell ours off as the colour went like every other copy, why the hell didnt MGM use good and proven Kodak stock, they did have some of the best 8mm releases and this film was one of there best,

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on August 05, 2013, 08:41 PM:

Perhaps someone can confirm whether I'm right or not but I have a feeling that the 400' might have the very last shock movement of the robot, whilst the 3 x 400 doesn't?

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on August 06, 2013, 07:11 AM:

I've never come across the 400' edit Adrian, but it does sound
feasible,remember there was a scene in "Towering Inferno" 400'that could be edited into the 3x400.

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on August 06, 2013, 11:39 AM:

Hugh, i didnt know that, which scene was it?

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on August 06, 2013, 01:53 PM:

Hi Tom, if memory serves me right, I'm sure it was a scene concerning the exterior lift with Steve McQueen when a lady plummets to her death, I'm sure it was mentioned in either FFTC
or by Bill Davison in Movie Maker.

Posted by James N. Savage 3 (Member # 83) on August 06, 2013, 05:44 PM:

I remember back in 82 when I first bought the 3x400 foot WESTWORLD digest brand new, even then the colors werent that great.

I always thought it was a very good digest though, EXCEPT for the abrupt ending, and no credits. The ending on the 3x400 foot digest seemed more like the ending you would expect on a 200 foot digest. I just kind of leaves you there in silence.

One thing I've learned through the years, is that a movie (or digest) is usually judged by the final moments of the film.

James.

Posted by Tom Photiou (Member # 130) on August 07, 2013, 12:31 PM:

Very true James, many of the super 8 releases from all companies could have done with just a few extra feet at the end to smotth it out, Derann probably did the best job although The Fith Element was not a good example but im sure this one was done in a way that another part was in pipeline but just didnt make it. [Wink]

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on August 08, 2013, 10:08 AM:

The worst offenders, although the picture quality was very good, were Marketing Film, their editing was none existant. pitching
the viewer straight into the middle of a film, then an abrupt end
followed by the letraset title "The End".

Posted by David Ollerearnshaw (Member # 3296) on September 08, 2014, 02:26 AM:

Just watched the 3x400ft version of Westworld. A very good edit and the colours were quite good, with perhaps just a little fade. The sound really good. Like already mentioned here the ending was abrupt.

Why they couldn't have put a few more feet on the end, instead of two sets of wasted titles on reels 2 & 3.

Thanks to Hugh for the print.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on September 08, 2014, 11:13 AM:

Please note that there is a VERY rare full feature of "Westworld" on super 8 optical sound, but also please note that the sharpness is only passable, but beyond that, a nice find. [Smile]

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