It's been/is interesting to see two copies of this rare super 8 titles come up on ebay more or less at the same time.
Everyone knows there were only a very limited run on this film and many people seem to have different views.

Here's what i know about this release and the same version came from three different people, Roger Lily of Movieland International who was a good friend of Derek's, and two other people, a dealer still going today who for that reason will remain with me and an ex employee of Derann, not Ged or Paul Foster.

Close Encounters was an official release agreed with Columbia as a part of a deal with other titles to be released, not an import, unfortunately for Derann they advertised this title for sale, made some prints and started selling before Columbia gave the date for official release, it was a title in high demand, Columbia were outraged at this breech of the contract and took the rights away along with other titles which were in one of the Derann catalogue's as forthcoming releases. Fact as far as i'm concerned with so many people from the trade confirming this over the years and one an ex Derann employee.

At one point when second hand 16mm films started getting there own sales pages on the second hands lists, (and my word they were cheap), this also rattled the cage with film company's as at the time 16mm prints belonged only to film and TV companies. Derann were told to either stop selling these films or lose all their rights to any super 8 films.
Do you not remember this? One day all the sales lists suddenly stopped having any second hand 16mm feature films for sale.

Close encounters of the third kind is one of my favourite s, i cant remember how many times i saw in the cinema when it was release, well over ten, and it would be fantastic to have a print but unfortunately, i am sane and wont pay the prices its commands now on ebay but it very good luck to the sellers.
At the time i tried to order a print it had already been removed from sale at Derann, that was when one of the employees told me why but said "strictly between you and i", but as this is years ago now and those guys have all gone it no longer matters, but i will not name him so please dont ask. I gave him my word . It was only when, over the following months and years that two other people in the trade told me exactly the same thing i knew this had to be the reason why it was so short lived.

Derann were tops but i love a bit of controversy, i also enjoy reading some of the bollocks people out up about these things when most of it is clearly guess work.

I HAVE A COPY OF THIS FILM TOM, BOUGHT SOME TIME BACK, YET TO BE CONVERTED BACK TO ENGLISH FROM GERMAN, I THINK THE REMAINING COPY ON EBAY BECAUSE ITS ALREADY IN ENGLISH WILL £1500 BY THE END .........

I would guess that too Paul, it is a rare film and has been since it went on sale for the reasons above.

Well my guess of £1500 was pretty close to the end, finished at £1485.75, what a fantastic price for this classic sci fi film by Spielberg, i hope both parties are happy with the deal..........

It would be interesting to see how a print of the same title from Derann would compare to a new Andec print in terms of image and sound quality…I am not sure a new print would be any better?

My own guess is that so many things have changed in the way the prints are made now, any print would be good, i just dont think it would be anywhere near the same as the 80s/early 90s prints. The film stocks dont appear to be verified, there is no markings on the new releases and that still concerns me and with a slight shift more to the yellow. Later prints, as we recently talked about, dont have the same bright contrast, or as it was put, the image doesn't jump out out at you the same way good though they are.
This thread was a similar item regarding todays quality, i think another issue would be the cost of a two hour plus print would be such, that unless it could match those 80s/90s LPP Derann prints (among others) in image quality then there would be very few takers.

New prints and quality

The other evening i ran a few 8mm prints, i ran three short 8mm films and i left Jurassic Park until last to make a good comparison to show the Wife, The Godfather is a movie promo, Coal black and de seben dwarfs, Gremlins and finally JP. The difference in my view is clear to see. All the older releases have stunning image, with vibrant colours and a great contrast, and sound is absolutely fine, the whites are truly white and the blacks are black, while JP, excellent though it is wins over on the sound, the image is pin sharp but the quality of the image, while very good, has a different look. There's nothing wrong with it, but the labs at Andec are no where up to the quality of image a real cine collector is use to.
Those main fellows who shout out, (and it's usually the same one) that it's the best thing ever to happen to our hobby, are doing so because they have a vested interest, mainly, they want to make money.

Regarding a comparison of the excellent Close encounters from Andec compared to the Derann prints, i suspect, (unless a miracle happened) the image side would not be up to those same exceptionally high standards.

I think with the costs today, the digital way has to be looked at more, the second hand cine market at present time is very good but for 8mm, it is too much of the same titles going around, hence why we moved more to 16mm in recent years. The new titles are great on 8mm and credit to those trying to keep the hobby going with new releases but you also have to be realistic, for every 8/9 minutes you pay a 100 quid.
I bet there isn't one collector out there who would have thought that some of our second hand films would be selling for the prices they are today.
It's for these reasons we have gone to 16mm more because 8mm rarely matches the same image quality, and 16mm offers a huge array of titles which will never be found on 8mm.

I agree with your comments Tom - I’m awaiting 3 16mm prints that should be with me this week. And I’m determined to sell some of my older super 8 prints off later this year - especially those that very rarely get a viewing.

Thanks Terry, the thing is, super 8 is of course our main stay simply because of the space 16 takes up, and we have been collecting now for over 40 years, but we tend to do a month of super 8 shows and a month of 16, the difference is chalk and cheese with the exception of a few really big titles, (Disney especially), mainly in contrast and clarity, but equally, i love the unique digests and mini features of super 8, always have and always will, but like you, we are slowly selling off items that are viewed once in blue moon or have the dreaded fade creeping in.

I think with the new releases coinciding with the higher costs of living is unfortunate as new releases are important, unfortunately, the way its being done now via the UK with no prices upfront and deposits required, is a bit too dubious for me. I want to know a price when i order and i want an idea when i'm going to get it.

Back to Close Encounters, i for one would love a copy on super 8 or better still, 16mm but it would have to be scope and no fade. I would imagine they would be far a few between as it was an era of crappy fast fade film, I'd almost certainly have to re mortgage the house to pay for it, but this is a title where i suspect super 8 wins over with those lovely looking scope prints on low fade stock. If only Derann had behaved and NOT printed 16mm copies and not advertised the title and sold them before they were meant too, it may have been one of there biggest sellers. They also missed out on releasing the 600ft version of the Thunderbirds film, (original puppets), as it was tied in with the same deal, those who have a certain catalogue of Derann will see this and other titles that were up and coming, sadly, they never materialised.

No problem Tom - but who is Terry ?? Lol

Sorry Dave.

Also sorry to Terry.