8mm Forum: Ken Films was still operating until 1984 (a proof)

»	8mm Forum » 8mm Forum » Ken Films was still operating until 1984 (a proof)

UBBFriend: Email this page to someone!

Author

Topic: Ken Films was still operating until 1984 (a proof)

Winbert Hutahaean
Film God

Posts: 5468
From: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 26, 2014 10:52 PM

We only knew that Ken Film had closed down in 1982 when they released Star Wars "Empire Strikes Back".

But I found this auction War Games.

Zoom on the picture and you will see this:

According to IMDB this title was released in May 1983.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086567/releaseinfo

Knowing that the window time is usually between 6 months to a year before a film can get released on video, I made then an assumption that this film was released by Ken Film in 1984.

So this is suffice to say that Ken Film was still operating until 1984.

Any advise or input?

--------------------
Winbert

| IP: Logged

Brad Kimball
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1171
From: Highland Mills, NY USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 30, 2014 02:26 PM

Is it possibly a reproduction from a catalog advertising a Beta or VHS version that somehow was exclusive to KEN? I'm pretty sure that by 1981-1982 Super 8 was pretty much limited to closeout sales, etc. with the only exception being DERANN, of course. It's petty clear that what's being shown are not original cartons.

| IP: Logged

Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted January 31, 2014 12:59 PM

I don't know if this would help, but many of the companies that supplied only super 8 (or 16MM) prints, ended up moving directly into video releases and only kept super 8 going as a sideline.

I do know that Ken Films did release they're low fade LPP STAR WARS and EMpire Strikes Back digests in mid December of 1982. It's possible that they continued in super 8 production, but I just don't have any facts as to any prints after December 1982.

I do know that WARGAMES made it onto super 8 as a low fade feature. If anybody has this feature, now, could they please look at it's original leaders and see if they say "Ken Films" anywhere on them, (as they did place they're names on the actual leaders).

--------------------
"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

| IP: Logged

David Ollerearnshaw
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1373
From: Penistone Sheffield UK
Registered: Oct 2012

posted January 31, 2014 01:22 PM

I'm sure I saw this film at the Blackpool do when it was first out and the box labels were like the above. Plus I think it was in one of those 7" 45rpm record boxes that the features were in.

--------------------
I love the smell of film in the morning.

http://www.thereelimage.co.uk/

| IP: Logged

Brad Kimball
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1171
From: Highland Mills, NY USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 31, 2014 05:07 PM

Come to think of it, I seem to recall RED FOX advertising this title, but I believe KEN actually printed it being that they had the rights to the MGM/UA titles.

| IP: Logged

Mark Todd
Film God

Posts: 3846
From: UK
Registered: Aug 2003

posted January 31, 2014 05:37 PM

I always though Derann released it. I`ve only been wrong for 25 years or so then !!!

Best Mark.

| IP: Logged

Adrian Winchester
Film God

Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004

posted January 31, 2014 07:38 PM

I've always thought of it as a Red Fox release, as Brad says, so presumably it was licensed via Ken, but the label is surprising. Derann did later sell it and I thought it was one of the negatives they obtained from Red Fox, but perhaps it was Ken who passed it on. It wouldn't surprise me if Ken still traded up to 1983 or 1984 as it must have been around then that I recall the enormous delivery that Derann received that was the remainder of Ken's stock. It was a great time to be a collector in the UK, due to the amount of bargains available, the early signs of the revival, and the availability of genuine imports from Red Fox and LA Films.

--------------------
Adrian Winchester

| IP: Logged

John Hourigan
Master Film Handler

Posts: 301
From: Colorado U.S.A.
Registered: Sep 2003

posted February 01, 2014 11:33 AM

I have a business filing (from a LexisNexis search) that shows that Ken Films ceased business in 1982.

| IP: Logged

Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted February 03, 2014 12:13 PM

It must have been at the end of the year, because film leader doesn't lie ...

Unless ...

Someone got ahold of Ken film negatives and continued to print them, but that would seem doubtful, being that they had an exclusive liscense with FOX films and I'm betting that FOX films would have demanded that the negatives be destroyed or given back to Fox?

--------------------
"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

| IP: Logged

Brad Kimball
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1171
From: Highland Mills, NY USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted February 03, 2014 12:19 PM

Unless DERANN or RED FOX worked out an arrangement where they agreed to take over the contract KEN had going with FOX, MGM/UA. DERANN did release "Die Hard" and several other FOX titles after 8mm was already on its way out.

| IP: Logged

Douglas Meltzer
Moderator

Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted February 04, 2014 10:53 AM

A 1984 Red Fox catalog lists Rocky & Some Like it Hot as Ken Films releases. None of the catalogs I have mentions these films as previously being available.

Doug

--------------------
I think there's room for just one more film.....

| IP: Logged

All times are Central

Printer-friendly view of this topic

UBB.classic^TM 6.3.1.2