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Topic: Your first feature film

Mike Peckham
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1461
From: West Sussex, UK.
Registered: Jun 2003

posted July 29, 2005 12:18 PM

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Following on from a comment on Winberts thread, I got to thinking about the first feature film I bought when I started collecting super 8, it was 'The Great Diamond Chase' what a huge dissapointment that was, it's amazing I carried on collecting! [Big Grin]

[Big Grin]

I still have that feature, despite efforts to get rid of it, I even offered it to Winbert recently for the cost of postage but my offer was politely declined. [Roll Eyes]

[Roll Eyes]

So what was your first feature film and how did it measure up to your expectiaitions?

Mike [Cool]

[Cool]

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Auntie Em must have stopped wondering where I am by now...

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Gary Crawford
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 979
From: Manassas, VA. USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted July 29, 2005 01:31 PM

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If I'm not mistaken, it was a standard 8 sound blackhawk of Saps at Sea. I was a bit disappointed because it was printed a shade light..and the opening titles were hard to read.

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Jan Bister
Darth 8mm

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From: Ohio, USA
Registered: Jan 2005

posted July 29, 2005 02:55 PM

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My first complete, full-length, uncut feature film? I never had any of those until late last year when I snapped up The 7th Voyage of Sinbad. But if 3x400' featurettes count, then I shall submit the first reel of "Der grosse Krieg der Planeten," or "The War in Space," or "Wakusei Daisenso" which is its Japanese original title. Incredibly campy 1977 sci-fi film (released through UFA on super-8, letterboxed, mono sound) which for some reason I just love dearly. [Big Grin]

[Big Grin]

My parents got me that first reel one Christmas, thinking it was a film for kids... lol... and I watched it over and over and over... But it wasn't 'till last year that I finally got hold of parts 2 and 3. What a thrill to see the whole thing, at last. [Wink]

[Wink]

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Call me Phoenix. *dusts off the ashes*

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James N. Savage 3
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1375
From: Washington, DC
Registered: Jul 2003

posted July 30, 2005 07:25 AM

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When I was around 14 years old, I had only a few digests and Blackhawk shorts. Then, I saw it. Near the back of the Blackhawk catalog- my favorite movie (at that time)- "Night of the Living Dead", was being released on super 8. I saved up for what seemed like a year, and finally, I ordered it. When it arrived, I was so excited. The print (actually released by Hollywood Film Exchange) was very washed out, but watchable. After about a year, and 20-plus showings, I returned it to Blackhawk, and they exchanged it for a better print.

Note: Jan- What was the actual American title for that campy space movie of yours? Was it "Message From Space"?

Nick.

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Jean-Marc Toussaint
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From: France
Registered: Oct 2004

posted July 30, 2005 09:04 AM

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Got my first feature by chance a few years ago, as part of a trade. I still have it in the collection but don't watch it often. It's "Fiend without a face", (French title is "Le météore invisible" - The Invisible Meteor) silly scifi flick from the 50s with flying brains hopping around and attacking people. Don't know which company released that as the film was supplied on 3x600 Posso spools.
I must confess that I nearly fell asleep during reel#2. Fortunately, reel#3 is where the whole "action" happens...
But I still favour digests or mini-features in Super8.

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The Grindcave Cinema Website

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Chip Gelmini
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1733
From: Brooksville, FL
Registered: Jun 2003

posted July 30, 2005 09:33 AM

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June 1980; the Marekting Films flat release of Grease, magnetic mono, on 4 x 400 footers. Just a few years ago, I replaced the print with the Derann rerelease in scope. The summer of 1978 I first began working as a 35mm projectionist. It just happened that my first night alone in the booth was this same movie, in it's first USA week of original release. On one of my nights off I went with a friend to see the film and absoloutley loved it. I would say that, it remains one of my favorite live action movie musicals of all time. As they say, Grease is the word!

February 2005, reached 100 films in the collection on super 8 sound, and picked 1972's the Godfather as the choice. Reasonably priced and a brand new print old stock non Ebay sale, the seller made me an offer I couldn't refuse!!

[Wink]

[Wink]

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Tom Photiou
Film God

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From: Plymouth U.K
Registered: Dec 2003

posted July 30, 2005 09:46 AM

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My very first film was the Iver 4x400ft of The texas Chainsaw Massacre.
Before then my Brother was the collector and when i went to work i made sure i went mad and ensured we owned our first feature and i did, It cost me £99.00 in 1978 brand spanking new. Mum was not amused. [Frown]

[Frown]

My dear old Grandad gave me an interest free loan and made sure i learnt there and then from that point either go without or save before you buy. It took me forever to pay back as i was only on a crabby £19 per week take home and out of that i had to pay a 3rd to house keep, save a 3rd,(good old Mums rule) and kept a 3rd for me [Big Grin]

[Big Grin]

At that time it was a banned horror film and i wanted it.
I had many many viewings to friends and many of their freinds. These were very good days for me in my early collecting years.
Now we are the proud owners of many dozens of features with films of all lengths. We always try to buy good second hand so the quality is mostly (95% of our collection) very good with the odd scratchy movie. Many shorts and trailers covering virtually all catagories of film.

One of our very best films in every aspect and in mint condition is the classic Gone with the wind.This Derann release was of top quality.

One of the rarest we own,(i think) 4 x400ft Colour flying leathernecks with John Wayne. (see it in B/w usually).

One of my favourites apart from TCSM is the 5x400 The last Valley. A superb film and an excellent musical score by the great John Barry. Directed by John Boreman of Excaliber fame.

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Jan Bister
Darth 8mm

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From: Ohio, USA
Registered: Jan 2005

posted July 30, 2005 09:59 AM

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James - I mean, Nick - all I know is that the American title is "The War In Space" but there seem to be a number of variations on it... Check out this IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076902/

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Call me Phoenix. *dusts off the ashes*

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Steven Sigel
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From: Massachusetts
Registered: Jun 2003

posted July 30, 2005 11:32 AM

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My first feature was "Willy Wonka and the Choclate Factory" in 16mm -- print is long gone now...

My first super 8 feature was "Gone with the Wind" - which was the main reason I started collecting super 8 -- but that's also long gone....

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Jan Bister
Darth 8mm

Posts: 2629
From: Ohio, USA
Registered: Jan 2005

posted July 30, 2005 11:55 AM

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Steven,

you're like the anti-Chip Gelmini or something - he buys films for life, you get rid of them... he's got 100+ features and you nearly sold all of yours... [Big Grin]

[Big Grin]

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Call me Phoenix. *dusts off the ashes*

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Kevin Faulkner
Film God

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From: Essex UK
Registered: Jun 2003

posted July 31, 2005 10:23 AM

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My first feature was Deranns release of Carry on Camping 4 x 400. Alas the colour faded and I have been on the look out ever since for a decent copy. I have bought 3 copies since then and now have a copy without any fade but it does have scratches [Frown]

[Frown]

They only released a few on LPP stock before the neg got damaged, the earlier ones being on SP. I am still looking for a mint copy.

Kev.

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GS1200 Xenon with Elmo 1.0...great combo along with a 16-CL Xenon for that super bright white light.

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Joe Taffis
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From: United States
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posted July 31, 2005 01:47 PM

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My first feature was a standard 8mm silent print of "Nosferatu" back in the 1960s...my first super 8 sound feature was "Night of the Living Dead" 5X400' from Red Fox Films in 1978. Not too long after that, like Tom, I also bought the 4X400' Iver "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" brand new.

[ October 25, 2009, 10:04 AM: Message edited by: Joe Taffis ]

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Joe Taffis

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Michael De Angelis
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From: USA
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posted July 31, 2005 11:58 PM

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My first Super 8 feature was a Blackhawk release of L&H in Sons of the Desert.

By the way Chip, how is the quality on The Godfather? That was a feature that I was always interested in getting.

Michael

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Isn't it great that we can all communicate about this great
hobby that we love!

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Steven Sigel
Jedi Master Film Handler

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From: Massachusetts
Registered: Jun 2003

posted August 01, 2005 12:04 AM

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Um, Jan, what gives you the idea that I've sold nearly all of my features?

I did sell all of my super 8, but I've got tons of 16mm... What I have sold are lesser quality prints that I bought when I first started collecting -- stuff that wasn't in the best of shape, or stuff that was on fading film stock, etc...

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Jan Bister
Darth 8mm

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From: Ohio, USA
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posted August 01, 2005 12:10 AM

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Whoops.

Sorry Steven, somehow from a previous post I got the impression you were clearing out nearly all of your super-8 films. I didn't even think about all the 16mm prints you have. My apologies. [Eek!]

[Eek!]

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Call me Phoenix. *dusts off the ashes*

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Robert Aragon
Master Film Handler

Posts: 264
From: Santa Fe
Registered: Mar 2004

posted August 01, 2005 12:20 AM

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BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN as my first SUper 8 Feature....as for 16mm......umm, KARLOFF CLASSIC BLACK SABBATH...LPP..amazing!

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Tony Milman
Phenomenal Film Handler

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From: United Kingdom
Registered: Jun 2003

posted August 01, 2005 01:49 PM

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Do you know Mike, I can't remember although I do remember it was my first trip to Perry's temperature controlled secure shed environment. I believe it was something like the Secrets of Nimh or something like that. Perhaps Uncle Ian's memory is better than mine.

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Tony

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Alan Rik
Film God

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From: New York City, NY, USA
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posted August 01, 2005 02:43 PM

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Beauty and the Beast from Derann was my first. I couldn't believe that Super 8 could contain quality of that kind! The first film I ever purchased was "Phantasm" digest. Sadly that is getting blurry and Red. Not the best of prints but it was so cool to see that one.

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Steve Klare
Film Guy

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From: Long Island, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted August 01, 2005 03:20 PM

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My First Feature?

It’s a Niles Films print of Cattle Queen of Montana Starring Barbara Stanwyck and Ronald Reagan on 5x400’

It’s got all the classic Western Stuff including Good Injuns and Bad Injuns and folks shewtin’ fellers offa hosses at 300 yards with a six gun shot clean from the hip! (You can tell who the good guys are by their marksmanship!)

It’s also got the Gipper with that same smile he used to send Jimmy Carter back to the peanut farm in 1980!

The Good Guy gets the Gal, but this could be by default since most of the rest of the characters have been shot by the end of the 4th reel. (I’m sorry, did I give away the ending?) They are both real good with a shewtin’ arn, so I hope they got along real agreeable-like after they got hitched! (“This house aint big enough for the two of us!!! DRAW!!!”)

The sound is very good, but the image sharpness is not always up to par. The color is another matter. It’s red faded in places and even the good parts are nothing close to the Technicolor original. Still the same, I snagged it off E-bay for a song, so I don’t mind too much!

About once or twice a year I screen it and enjoy it quite a bit!

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All I ask is a wide screen and a projector to light her by...

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Chip Gelmini
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1733
From: Brooksville, FL
Registered: Jun 2003

posted August 01, 2005 07:59 PM

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Sadly, the new (but old stock) print of Godfather has certainly faded. It isn't red or pink, but more sepia tone throughout. Weird, because as sad as it is, the fade actually helps tell the story, since the time frame is 1930-1940 ish. This happens to be a Marketing Films print. And wouldn't you know it, the best color in the entire film is the Marketing logo snipe at the very beginning. Yikes! Sorry it took me awhile to see your question....I haven't opened this post for awhile. I really liked the movie, all 3 hours or so of it. The wedding sequence was particularly good, and that the sequence alone ran almost a full 20 minutes or more.

Chip G

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Adrian Winchester
Film God

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From: Croydon, London, UK
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posted August 01, 2005 09:20 PM

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Mine was the Derann 4x400' 'Dracula Prince of Darkness'. I now have the full length scope version but I don't want to part with the abridged feature. It's a rather grainy print but it does have nice vivid colours and impressively dark blacks for a feature from that period.

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Adrian Winchester

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Brad Kimball
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From: Highland Mills, NY USA
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posted August 02, 2005 12:20 AM

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Blackhawk's "Swiss Miss" with L&H was my first. It's still in flawlwss condition. It does have slight smell - not quite vinegar - it had this smell when it first arrived. Perhaps it's just the film stock itself and/or whatever Blackhawk's lab treated it with.

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Trevor Adams
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From: Auckland,New Zealand
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posted August 02, 2005 01:15 AM

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Think my first feature was "Up in the World"-which I still have. "Dirty Dozen" would be an early one also. On the silent side,"Metropolis" and Phantom are front runners! [Roll Eyes]

[Roll Eyes]

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Trevor

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Dan Lail
Film God

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From: Loganville, Georgia, USA
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posted August 02, 2005 01:47 AM

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The Marx Brothers in Love Happy. It came all the way from Great Britain. [Eek!]

[Eek!]

I still have it and I think it's about time to run it again! [Big Grin]

[Big Grin]

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