What 8mm films did I watch last night?

[Melvin England]

I had an hour or two to spare this evening after it got dark, so I carried on watching another of my CHC purchases of 10 days ago, or so.

Tonight.....

Chinatown - 3x 400' - Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. Never seen it before. Very good edit. Must watch it full length on dvd when I can ! I must also say that the boxes were also in perfect condition. Very rare to see them in that condition nowadays.

Not quite finished watching my CHC purchases, so there is more to come soon.........

[Chip Gelmini]

Last night, August 13

The elephant man

Cinema scope, full length

[Chip Gelmini]

August 14

pink hawaii
elvis p

well, there was no blue.......

[Graham Ritchie]

Once Upon A Mouse brilliant Super 8 film excellent image. I bought this film from the Derann second hand list long ago. Although the image looked great the sound quality was not. I contacted Derann after about a year owning it and asked if they could re-record it. I told them I was willing to pay for it but they refused to take any money, not only that they sent the film back to me at no cost and the sound quality this time was excellent. Derann as we all know were a excellent company to deal with you couldn't ask for more.

[Melvin England]

On Friday evening, 15th, I had my first open air film show for about 2 years or so. Last year was a total loss with the lousy summer weather, but recently the UK has been through a heat wave, so I thought "Why not ?"
One thing that an open air film show has for me which usually doesn't happen up in the mancave....... is an audience! So I was delighted when a total of FIVE of us flaked out in the wicker furniture under the gazebo, with extra large screen in front of the shed, and enjoyed The Wizard of Oz (4x 600') in all its black and white AND colour glory! I knew it was a big favourite of my friend who was absolutely gobsmacked to see it on super 8 on the big screen full length, particularly as they thought I only had the 400' cut down which they had seen several times. A real treat for them.

I don't know how many other people in the UK do outside film shows, but I have found that usually there is only about a 6 week stretch, give and take a week or so, starting in August, when it is hot enough and dark early enough to have a show that I try to finish by 11pm to not annoy the neighbours. Within this 6 week window, we are talking weekends, if we have a spell of bad or cold weather that really can mess up ones well intentioned plans, hence they can be few and far between.

But that is not all..........

Tonight, Sunday, I was back indoors to see my final purchase from the CHC sale a couple of weeks ago..... WITH Mrs.E. in attendance! That is twice in three days, so she must be catching the bug I hope !

We enjoyed......

Last Train From Gun Hill - 5x 400' - Kirk Douglas and Anthony Quinn. A corking cowboy film which I can't have seen for probably 40 years and couldn't remember how it ended.

I projected both Friday and Sunday using my newly acquired Sankyo Hi-Pro F1.0 lens. Oh Boy, What a difference it makes!!! If you have either a Sankyo or Bell & Howell Filmosonic DC(X) projector, I would strongly urge you to invest in one of these wonderful lens'. Nice and bright and VERY sharp. You wouldn't regret it. The icing on a well made cake !

[Douglas Meltzer]

The Moving Picture Boys in the Great War, an excellent documentary about Hollywood film production during WWI, produced and released by Blackhawk Films. Narrated by Lowell Thomas. 3x400', sound.

[Paul Adsett]

High Society 4 x 600ft Derann. Never tire of this one. Glorious Derann print of the VistaVision Technicolor feature film, re-recorded in stereo so those great Cole Porter songs can be heard to the best quality and fully appreciated. Crosby and Sinatra have some terrific songs here, particularly That's jazz ( Crosby and Louis Armstrong) and Well Did You Evah ( Crosby and Sinatra). Also starring Grace Kelly, Celeste Holm, the great Louis Calhern, and Directed by Chuck Walters, it is MGM at their musical best, and a showstopper print on Super 8. Two hours of sheer joy!