WELCOME TO RETRO-ACTIVE: THIS FEATURE ALLOWS NEW READERS TO CATCH UP WITH ARTICLES FROM OUR ARCHIVES THAT THEY MAY HAVE MISSED. THIS PIECE ORIGINALLY RAN IN AUGUST 2007.
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Back when the Betamax was qualified to be included in Disney's "World of Tomorrow" exhibit, movie fanatics had few choices when it came to acquiring their favorite films and watching them at their convenience. The hardcore elitists collected bootleg prints on 16mm and 35mm, but those who played by the rules had to suffice with official studio condensations of classic movies on 8mm (and later Super 8mm). Initially, these even lacked sound but as technology progressed, the more upscale projection systems could allow you to watch these gems with their original soundtracks intact. The only problem was that the films were cut down worse than the features shown on the old 90 miinute daily 4:30 Movie in New York City. For example, you could enjoy Ben-Hur in
a convenient, 18 minute edition. (It must have opened with the
Crucifixtion!) The advent of home video in the mid 1970s was the death
knell for the
hobby, though 8mm provides a high quality way to enjoy a film. There
are still hoardes of movie collectors who continue to purchase movies
on actual film, feeling it is the purest way to watch a movie. However,
there numbers are doubtlessly shrinking as a younger generation is
preoccupied by the increasingly sophisticated video projection systems
which often display a picture that approaches the quality of film
itself.
These 8mm editions were generally marketed as "highlights" of the feature film. In the 1960s most were distributed by Castle Films and featured gloriously cheesy box art that has become highly collectible. As the hobby matured, so did the marketing and by the 1970s the cover art generally reproduced a still from the film or the original poster art. In England, fans had a more desirable situation: if they could shell out relatively serious money, they were allowed to legally purchase entire 8mm feature films - though, curiously, 16mm prints were all but forbidden in the UK and had to be dealt with through a collector's "underground". The one remaining vibrant source for 8mm and 16mm is Derann
Films which has been servicing collectors worldwide since 1964. Located
in England, the company still makes prints of 8mm and 16mm feature
films available, along with unusual shorts and trailers. (We once
purchased a reel of British cinema advertisements used to get patrons
to the snack stand- only to find young pre-James Bond George Lazenby
slurping an ice cream cone in one of the spots!) To visit Derann's web
site click here
If you have a memory or anecdote you'd like to share about collecting movies on 8mm film, write to us at cinemretro@hotmail.com