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View Full Version : Saw it just once - lost movies


the Dia
09-08-2003, 03:09 AM
Any filmfreak knows the feeling to well. You saw what you think is one of the greatest movies of all time during a one time situation in a one time only screening - and then it got lost forever. In my case even the DVD-Craze hasnīt help - yet.

The year was 1983 the place bruxelles. At the "festival for fantastic, horror-films and thriller" the opening night always holds some surprises in stock. This time ist was a short-movie - just 30 minutes long wich changed everything and sent me on a hunt wich now lasts 20 Years without any results. :(

The movie in Question is named QUEST (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086162/maindetails) and has nothing to do with Jean Claude van Damme.
Quest is based on a short story by Ray Bradbury and tells the story of a tribe of humans wich have to live in a valley where the sun has been blocked out by a gigantic "thing".

The people of the valley have only a eight days lifespan, so itīs impossible for them to reach the far away place where it is possible to let the sunshine in again.

So they start training a warrior literally right after his birth and sent him of after just two days to ave them from etarnal darkness. And such the quest began.

The story ist told in a really impressive way and with masses of computerized Effects wich where never seen before (remember these where the early eighties). The whole movie was really expensive and you can see it in every take (no wonder it was produced by some of the -then- largest computer companys) but itīs it heart warming story and the human touch wich has burned it soo deeply into my movie lovers heart.

QUEST was directed by Saul Bass (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000866/) who also made Phase IV, so this will give you a hint to what to expect if it ever shows up.

Well, Iīm living in germany so this makes hunting down such pearls a lot tougher, so if any of you has seen a release of Quest anywhere (propably as a bonus on some strange DVD no one knows of) let me know. I NEED to see it again before my eight days are over. :)

dia

PS: Anyone else with lost movies or comparable experiences out there?

Seedy Edgewick
09-08-2003, 12:16 PM
Saw this on USA's Night Flight. Thought it was absolutely hysterical.

Once upon a time, there was a troupe of performers called the Firesign Theater. They did "radio" shows, all audio and sound fx. Their satire was pretty biting, especially for the 70's. Well, two of the guys from that troupe got some cash together and made a movie. Sort of. They dug up a bunch of Republic serials, re-edited and re-dubbed them, and created a story about the villianous Lightning Bug who tries to take over the world using rock 'n' roll and marijuana. The "J-Men" are the heroes who must stop him.

It ain't out on video, which is a dirty shame. Anyone know of a bootleg floating around out there?

Bonus points for "Reefer Madness 2," which is "Reefer Madness" given the same comic re-dub treatment.

automanic
09-22-2003, 12:06 AM
There are definitely available copies of "J-Men Forever." A friend of mine has it on VHS, and I've seen it at least once in a store somewhere. I also found a copy on eBay for about 8 bucks, and even found it on DVD at half.com.

Seedy Edgewick
09-22-2003, 10:57 AM
Gotta be bootlegs. I used to have a Betamax copy that I taped from Night Flight, commercials and all. After I lost that, I searched all over for a released copy, to no avail. My searchings all over the Web have only revealed that ex-Firesign Theater members have not released the film on video, nor are there any immediate plans to. And that info came from an interview with Phil Proctor himself.

But, if any of those bootlegs are good quality, hook me up, man.

automanic
09-22-2003, 06:22 PM
Just check out eBay or half.com.

As of this posting, there were two VHS copies on eBay, and four DVD copies on half.com.