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 Post subject: CASTLE FILMS - lenght vs cost. What's your opinion?
PostPosted: Tue May 13, 2014 2:08 pm 
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At one time I collected the 200ft horror films from Castle Films. I did not collect them for the artwork on the boxes but rather for the content on the film. I decided to purchase FRANKENSTEIN from UNIVERSAL 8 on their 400ft reel and although it lacked some of the scenes that Castle had it contained scenes that were not present in the shorter version. I eventually sold all my Castle and replaced them with Universal. Castle Film prices continue to increase and I find it hard to pay anywhere from $25.00 to $50.00 for an 8 minute run. Majority of my Universal 8 films cost me $35.00 - $40.00 with twice the running time, plastic cases and not cardboard boxes. Are sellers over pricing these 5" films or are they actually worth what they are asking? What's your opinion?


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 Post subject: Re: CASTLE FILMS - lenght vs cost. What's your opinion?
PostPosted: Tue May 13, 2014 3:11 pm 
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For the content, I think they're, or are becoming, overpriced. However, with the Castle cutdowns, I feel it's the nostalgia value that pushes the price up.
How many of us remember lusting (yes....for lust it was :lol: ) over these in FM back in the day and how many like me can point to these as the beginning of their collecting careers?

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 Post subject: Re: CASTLE FILMS - lenght vs cost. What's your opinion?
PostPosted: Tue May 13, 2014 4:29 pm 
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Castle film did a very good job cutting down these films, I believe. Their excellent work is evident film after film. The time and effort it must have taken to remove 8 minutes from an hour, hour and a half film and still develop something that people would enjoy and desire. Wish they had made longer versions.


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 Post subject: Re: CASTLE FILMS - lenght vs cost. What's your opinion?
PostPosted: Tue May 13, 2014 5:57 pm 
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Roger Cathey wrote:
Castle film did a very good job cutting down these films, I believe.


I agree.

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 Post subject: Re: CASTLE FILMS - lenght vs cost. What's your opinion?
PostPosted: Tue May 13, 2014 7:15 pm 
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The films are worth what someone is willing to pay for them. I collect the Castle films, but not just horror and sci-fi. I like the box art and I enjoy the films as well. I have set a limit for myself for the horror and sci-fi films...for a complete silent film in good shape with a nice box $17....for a sound version, under $30. Most of the Castle films I buy are anywhere from $2-10. But every once in a while there will be one I have been after for a long time and my rules get forgotten! On eBay I see the horror films start cheap and before I even bid they are way out of my range....I see the Universal 400's starting at $75....that's a bit much for me. Most of the ones I have I got for $25-35 maybe 5 or 6 years ago. I guess it is nice to see the value of the films up there, that means my films are worth something. I do however enjoy screening and seeking out titles for my collection.

Bill :D


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 Post subject: Re: CASTLE FILMS - lenght vs cost. What's your opinion?
PostPosted: Tue May 13, 2014 9:25 pm 
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Hi Bill,

AGREED. If the right film comes along we do tend to come out of our price comfort zone to add it to our collection. I too have seen some Universal 8 films soring through the roof with their prices as the 400ft classic horror seems to be thinning down a bit on eBay from what they once were. There are prints such as FRANKENSTEIN meets the WOLFMAN and the MUMMY that usually will bring top dollar if you can even find one. So I suppose it is with castle. Depends on the collectability of the title.


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 Post subject: Re: CASTLE FILMS - lenght vs cost. What's your opinion?
PostPosted: Wed May 14, 2014 7:22 am 
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Buying them now = who knows.

I've got a few of the Castle 200 foot sound Universal horrors that I bought in the 1970's and watched most recently maybe a couple of years ago. (Frankenstein, Invisible Man, Tarantula, Abbot and Costello meet Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, the various Creature from the Black Lagoons etc). At their best they had great density/contrast and sharp definition. Also the editing was good and they had rather polished post production that pulled them together as nice little samples of the feature they represented. I mostly prefer them to the later 400 ft Universal 8 releases - but then again some of those were fine - Psycho for example (although part of a later genre). I note there is a seller on ebay posting the 400 ft Universal classics at a buy it now price of $80 US - too much I think?

I'm just editing this - about 10 mins after posting. When I bought the prints I'm mentioning in this post a 200 ft b/w sound print cost about $30 1977 - 80 and a 400 ft about $40 -50. In todays money that would be between $150 and $250 I suppose. Notwithstanding the technologies that have overtaken Super 8/16mm since then a good print now for a serious collector at a third of that price - if you want it - is probably not too bad?


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 Post subject: Re: CASTLE FILMS - lenght vs cost. What's your opinion?
PostPosted: Wed May 14, 2014 7:42 am 
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Guy....thanks for pointing that out. The prices I'm willing to pay now are what the films cost new 35 years ago....looking back that was a lot of money for those digests.

Bill :smile:


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 Post subject: Re: CASTLE FILMS - lenght vs cost. What's your opinion?
PostPosted: Wed May 14, 2014 9:04 am 
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Greetings Guy,

Excellent observation! Point well taken. I too have seen the $80.00 price on a few U8 films. One particular print that I had attempted to win at auction several times and never did I purchased for $50.00 post paid by making an offer on an $80.00 listing. That was the most that I have ever paid for a U8 print.


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 Post subject: Re: CASTLE FILMS - lenght vs cost. What's your opinion?
PostPosted: Wed May 14, 2014 5:55 pm 
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The most I ever paid for a U8 digest was $80....

But this one is special....SON OF FRANKENSTEIN. The U8 digest and both Castle versions (there are 2 different edits) spliced together and then re-recorded on overflowing 400' reel. Very nice film and worth every dollar to me for the work put into it by the former owner.

Bill :D

PS...I need to learn to spell....


Last edited by Bill Phelps on Wed May 14, 2014 8:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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