Mark Williams’ first volume of Bootlace Cinema focused mainly on horror, sci-fi, and exploitation films released in the Super 8 format. This second book looks at everything else. The emphasis is still on movies of interest to STARBURST readers, essentially mopping up titles he couldn’t fit into the first book.
This isn’t a selection of uninteresting, forgotten films, though. There are some you may not have thought about for years, or even heard of, alongside titles such as The Empire Strikes Back, Grease, Saturday Night Fever, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind which need no introduction – but Williams offers great insight into how they were released for home viewing in the small format. What makes this book (and its predecessor) indispensable is the illustrations. Not only are the box arts shown, but there are great trade ads for some releases.
If, like this writer, you remember the adverts in the back of magazines and newspapers for the 8mm digest films, you will get a kick out of perusing what’s reproduced here. The box art is unique and a great time capsule of how we used to rewatch movies.
An interesting section is an overview of a forgotten film series, Lemon Popsicle. This Israeli production predated Porky’s and transcended the ‘70s sex comedy tropes, focusing on a group of lads in the ‘50s getting in all manner of sexual situations and high jinks, all set to a soundtrack of classic rock ‘n’ roll tunes. As Williams mentions, everyone who rented a videotape in the early eighties would’ve seen at least one of these movies, even if they can’t name it. No one else has mentioned these films in years, so it’s good to see them get a spotlight.
While Bootlace Cinema Vol. 2 might not appeal to the casual film fan, those who appreciate physical media – particularly its history – will devour every page.
