8mm Forum: Star Trek Canterbury Films

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Posted by Ernie Zahn (Member # 274) on June 15, 2013, 09:37 AM:

I just bought an episode of Star Trek from the Canterbury Films label.

I found an old post that briefly talks about these films but I was hoping for a more specific assessment of them from someone.

How's the color? Is it low fade stock? Sound? Picture? Thanks!

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on June 16, 2013, 06:25 AM:

I have the full episode "Space Seed" which is Khan before he got the wrath.

At the time there were three episodes for sale, but I had to bite my lip and choose just one! (Busted the film budget that month as it was!)

I think it's a Canterbury print, but I'm not 100% sure because it came united on a single 1200 foot reel without the original packaging.

The color is very slightly faded towards red: for example there's that "Space, the final frontier..." title sequence at the very beginning. "Space" here is a very deep shade of burgundy and not black. This is as bad as it gets: for the most part the colors are fine.

If I remember right this one has a little bit of hiss in the sound track. A little fine tuning with the tone control takes care of it.

The print is not razor sharp, but better than OK.

I like having this print. It fits in the middle ground between a short and a feature and just showing this one reel can be enough for the night.

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on June 16, 2013, 07:09 AM:

I never found in my experience the Star Trek episodes in good color.

They are always faded badly. No matter is from Canterbury or Thunderbirds.

Posted by Steve Klare (Member # 12) on June 16, 2013, 07:27 AM:

Interesting,

At that rate I really wish I had bought all three!

Mine's not bad at all. The colors are basically as you'd expect, but don't exactly jump off the screen at you. Let's face it: the original Star Trek episodes were not that colorful anyway. The uniforms are pastels and black. The sets are often shades of white. The exteriors are often desert colors.

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on June 16, 2013, 08:52 AM:

I agree with Winbert and the others. Sadly, these were printed on either quick fade eastman od lesser quick fae (but still fading) Kodak SP.

Now, that would be good news if any of them were printed on FUJI, AGFA or LPP! If I could find a print of "City on the Edge of Forever" or "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (both made it on super 8), I would be tickled pink!

Posted by Ernie Zahn (Member # 274) on June 18, 2013, 07:04 AM:

Cool! Thanks for all the feedback. I guess I'll have to wait and see.

Posted by Adrian Winchester (Member # 248) on June 19, 2013, 08:08 AM:

I have some good news! I bought a new Canterbury print of 'Catspaw' from Perry's Movies around 1985, so they were still in business beyond the start of the low fade era. I just examined it and the colour is fine. It must be Agfa as the only markings I can find are 1 S one one reel and 2 S on another. I haven't screened it for ages but I recall the print and sound being quite good.

So there are definitely low fade prints out there, though these may only be some or all of the Canterbury releases. Be warned that in the 80s I also had another Trek episode - I think it was 'Dagger of the Mind' - that unlike 'Catspaw' had quite warm colour that indicated some fading of the master, so even if you find a low fade print, there's no guarantee that the colour will be great.

Posted by Paul Spinks (Member # 573) on June 19, 2013, 08:25 AM:

I have "Catspaw" and "The Squire Of Gothos" both have good colour. One is definitely a Canterbury Films print but I am not sure about the other one as the original leaders are missing.

Paul.

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on June 19, 2013, 08:27 AM:

Hi Adrian, I had a print of the "Squire of Gothos" 3x400, that had
beautiful colour, which I eventually traded in,but was pleasantly
suprised by "Menagerie", which was sold as faded, but wasn't
that bad,when viewed twenty years later, I THOUGHT it was red
at the time when bought from Phil, which he DID say, I watched
it about three weeks ago, and it isn't as bad as I thought, placing an amber gel over the lens, decent colour was more or less restored. A pleasent suprise, giving that I do buy in faded prints of loved films.

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