Hi Woodsy,
Here is a look at the world of 8mm home movies, from the days before videotape. Mostly silent, black and white, and heavily cut down.
It does mention the more risque side of the 8mm world, including the 'under the counter' titles. However, most are regular movies, shorts, and cartoons, in various lengths.
Often a single film would be cut up, and made in to several different 8mm releases, each under a different title. Lots of great old artwork from the box tops.
The prices are impressive – collecting these films was only for the dedicated. As I have said before, I did not even know this world existed in the 1960s and 1970s, and never saw any of these 8mm movies in New Zealand.
Paul Adams from New Zealand
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Do you collect 8mm, Super 8 or Cinefilms readers?
Fascinating Paul. I've bought a lot of cine films over the years including Universal monsters. Alas, sold them all, which I regret!
ReplyDeleteI got into Super 8, and Standard 8, in a big way at the age of 16, when I recieved a Cine Camera and Projector for my birthday.
ReplyDeleteI both made films, mostly daft animations using toys and plastic kits, and began a small collection of short (4 - 5 mins ) Super 8 versions of Sci Fi and Fantasy TV shows and Movies.
These included Fireball XL5, Stingray, a couple of Godzilla films and a few 1950s B movies.
Later, in my early 30s, I shot a couple of test animations, again using toys, and bought a more expensive Sound Projector along with some longer sound versions (15 - 20 mins) of other TV and Movie Sci Fi, including UFO, The Lost World, Atomic Submarine, and It : The Terror From Beyond Space.
By then though, VHS versions of whole movies were available for a fraction of the price, so like most of us, I turned to those instead.
How cool Mish. You were clearly destined for the film and TV industry! Are your digests long gone?
DeleteOh, I could write a book about 8mm movie digests! Over the years, I had hundreds. SFZ
ReplyDeleteYou must do it SF!
DeleteI had a Super 8 projector in the late 70's. I remember going to a party at College and projecting my B&W shorts on the ceiling. Destroy all Monsters and Star Wars! ( it was just the Escape from the Death Star scene!)
ReplyDeleteYou too Looey! Your destiny lay in film! How fab!
DeleteI was into Super 8 films in a big way in the 70s. I made my own and bought the output of Castle, Ken Films, Blackhawk, and others. Among the movies I collected were abridged color sound movies such as STAR WARS and similar hits. Then in the 1980s I threw the batch into storage. Eventually I replaced all my Super 8 films with more complete DVD versions. In the mid-2000s I rediscovered the old reels and put them on ebay. The prices for which they sold were astronomical, far in excess of what I expected.
ReplyDeleteWow,a great investment then Wallace. For me the box art was enough reason to collect them. I had about 25, so not that many. I regret selling them.
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