As Good As It Gets (1997) - June 12, '12 Limited to 3,000 copies Review

[gates70]

Originally Posted by danny24

I wasn't aware it was up on Amazon, best guess probably late September than.

Ya it's there, and it would cost me a total of $43 to get it I still have the DVD so I'm unsure if it would be worth the upgrade.

[WJWS Channel 13:Amity]

Originally Posted by slimdude

This shouldn't be a concern to us as consumers anyway, because it's none of our business. We're not earning a salary from the studios for our input and solutions, so why should we worry about how the studios manage their companies. Some things are just not meant for us to fully understand because, we're not employed by Sony or any other studio. We only buy their movies, and that's all that should matter. Leave all the business aspects to the studios because, they are the ones who's getting paid to do so, not the consumer.

You do realize there are more than a few of us on here do work for one of the studios right? and even the people who dont work for a studio in some capacity, it doesnt hurt trying to speculate or talk about why we think something was done or ask why.

[#Darren]

I've got a pretty good track record at calling double dips, and I think AGAIG will get a re-release in approx 3 years. But if you can't wait, it is available right now for $30.00.

[KubrickFan]

Originally Posted by #Darren

I've got a pretty good track record at calling double dips, and I think AGAIG will get a re-release in approx 3 years. But if you can't wait, it is available right now for $30.00.

I don't think so. Sony either doesn't care, or the sales on catalog titles are so abysmal that they didn't want to release it. If Sony doesn't want to release a title that won many Oscars, and made quite a bit of money, something must be going on.

[BJQ1972]

Originally Posted by BrandonJF

I wish there could be just one "Twilight Time licensing speculation/conspiracy theory/complaint" thread and these threads can deal with the actual disc rather than the incessant business analysis from people who have no insight into the deal. How many times can the same thing be repeatedly brought up? Each new TT release gets a thread where the same moaning from the previous threads is just regurgitated ad nauseum.

Hear, hear.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by BrandonJF
I wish there could be just one "Twilight Time licensing speculation/conspiracy theory/complaint" thread and these threads can deal with the actual disc rather than the incessant business analysis from people who have no insight into the deal. How many times can the same thing be repeatedly brought up? Each new TT release gets a thread where the same moaning from the previous threads is just regurgitated ad nauseum.

Originally Posted by BJQ1972

Hear, hear.

What all of these threads need pinned up front are links to the very candid and informative interviews with TT's Nick Redman on the Home Theater Forum and KQEK. Unfortunately, his interview with Blu-ray.com was early in the history of this label, and not detailed enough to answer most of the recurring questions about what Twilight Time is about, how, and why*.

* I can't even find that piece now.

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

What all of these threads need pinned up front are links to the very candid and informative interviews with TT's Nick Redman on the Home Theater Forum and KQEK. Unfortunately, his interview with Blu-ray.com was early in the history of this label, and not detailed enough to answer most of the recurring questions about what Twilight Time is about, how, and why*.

* I can't even find that piece now.

I believe you're referring to this one.

Exclusive Interview: Nick Redman discusses The Egyptian

[BJQ1972]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

What all of these threads need pinned up front are links to the very candid and informative interviews with TT's Nick Redman on the Home Theater Forum and KQEK. Unfortunately, his interview with Blu-ray.com was early in the history of this label, and not detailed enough to answer most of the recurring questions about what Twilight Time is about, how, and why*.

* I can't even find that piece now.

Excellent interviews. Thanks for the links. It also explains the discrepancies between the Fox releases in continental Europe and the UK and US - I'm thinking of release like Von Ryan's Express, for example.

Edit: having said that, I've just read that the French release of Von Ryan has an FBI warning, so I am back to being confused again.

[PeterTHX]

Originally Posted by Stinky-Dinkins

Yeah... the same site that gave Patton nearly prefect marks in the PQ department.

That was one of, if not the, most botched transfers I have ever seen. It could not have been more blatantly F'ed. The DNR was so abused it was actually laughable.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not defending what they did to the disc: but Patton is a great transfer. Beautiful color. It looks awesome on first glance, but then you look closely and see the texture and fine details have been filtered away. That is the master, not the transfer itself.

When they reissue Patton they can still use the same transfer/telecine, just leave off the DNR pass when mastering it and it will be fine.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by rdodolak

I believe you're referring to this one.

Exclusive Interview: Nick Redman discusses The Egyptian

Yes, that's the one rdodolak...thanks.

I hope Mr. Kauffman does a more in-depth 'one year later' follow-up interview. There's much more to the TT story now, and considering how often the subject comes up here, that might be something the mods would be willing to pin to these threads.

[JMK]

I'd love to do another interview, though Nick and Brian are not immune to the constant griping that goes on in this neck of the woods. Interestingly, my first interview went into quite a bit of the info that ultimately made it to HTF, but as TT was just launching, Nick asked me to utilize some discretion in dealing with some items (like the "meaning" of the label's name, etc.).

As I've mentioned in many of my reviews of either TT or Olive releases, it's certainly understandable to have concerns about price or the lack of supplements, but for this catalog film enthusiast, those complaints simply vanish in the light of being able to see so many of these great older films in HD. When you look at the slate of releases we've had from TT and Olive (not to mention what's coming up), it's a veritable "whoda thunk it" list of films I personally never thought I'd ever see on Blu-ray.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by JMK

I'd love to do another interview, though Nick and Brian are not immune to the constant griping that goes on in this neck of the woods. Interestingly, my first interview went into quite a bit of the info that ultimately made it to HTF, but as TT was just launching, Nick asked me to utilize some discretion in dealing with some items (like the "meaning" of the label's name, etc.).

That's too bad JMK. Although in their shoes, I don't know if I'd be willing to wade into this hotbed of often misdirected hostility either. From what I've seen so far in terms of TT's choice of titles and production standards, they've really tried to take the high road with this label, and don't deserve to be pilloried in such "damned if they do, damned if they don't" fashion. To your credit, you've always been clear-eyed and even-handed in your assessments of TT releases, which is all anyone can ask wherever opinion is concerned. As for some of your peers...well...I've always tried to place my faith in the potential for human growth.

Originally Posted by JMK

As I've mentioned in many of my reviews of either TT or Olive releases, it's certainly understandable to have concerns about price or the lack of supplements, but for this catalog film enthusiast, those complaints simply vanish in the light of being able to see so many of these great older films in HD. When you look at the slate of releases we've had from TT and Olive (not to mention what's coming up), it's a veritable "whoda thunk it" list of films I personally never thought I'd ever see on Blu-ray.

Ditto, ditto as the source of my enthusiasm too JMK. Actually, it's why I landed in these forums, and have stayed (). This time last year, all I knew was something was terribly amiss with the Blu-ray format, especially at retail. The expected catalogue coverage simply wasn't there, except for the 'usual suspects', mostly near-recent horror and action movies, or 'tween comedies. I knew that some kind of sea change must have occured when Sony, the creator of Blu-ray, at that point 5 years into the format, was still ignoring most of its 40s through 70s catalogue, including its venerable Columbia Classics series.

This time last year, The Egyptian was my sole Blu-ray purchase during the entire month of July. Since then, I've seen a remarkable uptick in catalogue releases on Blu-ray, and not just lazily ported SD junk either. Already this month, I have purchased 10 times what I did a year ago, and am willingly doing so from any and every Blu-ray label...with easily 90% of that action online. All I demand from any label is that they get the high def content right...or right-enough given the challenges of the source. Some titles have been pricier than others - well, that's just life - but all are welcome in my home as long as that basic high-def integrity is there. Oh sure, I wish there were more features on the discs from Twilight Time and Olive, and I'd love to be snagging all of them at $15 to $20 bucks a pop. But the respective studios are to blame for that situation, not these down-in-the-trenches production houses.

All I know is that good, niche catalogue titles are finally getting released on Blu-ray, being done very well, and are affordable (relatively speaking, at least by traditional collector's standards). I really don't care what business mechanisms are necessary for either of these companies to convince the studios to open their vaults wider. The point is they're managing to do it, and I hope both labels survive and thrive so that they can continue doing so.

[WJWS Channel 13:Amity]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

That's too bad JMK. Although in their shoes, I don't know if I'd be willing to wade into this hotbed of often misdirected hostility either. From what I've seen so far in terms of TT's choice of titles and production standards, they've really tried to take the high road with this label, and don't deserve to be pilloried in such "damned if they do, damned if they don't" fashion. To your credit, you've always been clear-eyed and even-handed in your assessments of TT releases, which is all anyone can ask wherever opinion is concerned. As for some of your peers...well...I've always tried to place my faith in the potential for human growth.



Ditto, ditto as the source of my enthusiasm too JMK. Actually, it's why I landed in these forums, and have stayed (). This time last year, all I knew was something was terribly amiss with the Blu-ray format, especially at retail. The expected catalogue coverage simply wasn't there, except for the 'usual suspects', mostly near-recent horror and action movies, or 'tween comedies. I knew that some kind of sea change must have occured when Sony, the creator of Blu-ray, at that point 5 years into the format, was still ignoring most of its 40s through 70s catalogue, including its venerable Columbia Classics series.

This time last year, The Egyptian was my sole Blu-ray purchase during the entire month of July. Since then, I've seen a remarkable uptick in catalogue releases on Blu-ray, and not just lazily ported SD junk either. Already this month, I have purchased 10 times what I did a year ago, and am willingly doing so from any and every Blu-ray label...with easily 90% of that action online. All I demand from any label is that they get the high def content right...or right-enough given the challenges of the source. Some titles have been pricier than others - well, that's just life - but all are welcome in my home as long as that basic high-def integrity is there. Oh sure, I wish there were more features on the discs from Twilight Time and Olive, and I'd love to be snagging all of them at $15 to $20 bucks a pop. But the respective studios are to blame for that situation, not these down-in-the-trenches production houses.

All I know is that good, niche catalogue titles are finally getting released on Blu-ray, being done very well, and are affordable (relatively speaking, at least by traditional collector's standards). I really don't care what business mechanisms are necessary for either of these companies to convince the studios to open their vaults wider. The point is they're managing to do it, and I hope both labels survive and thrive so that they can continue doing so.

The thing with Olive those is they dont make you buy it strictly from one specific website and they dont make it a limited edition. I can go on Amazon.com or any site i want and easily pick up an Olive films release for 18.00- 25 dollars shipped. TT they force you to go through SA and on top of the 29.99 fee, you get slapped with a 4.95 shipping charge.
if they would open up their sales to other online avenues, and even just lower the price by a few bucks it would go a long way.

or even drop the 4.95 shipping

[Seymour]

It really would be nice if they considered two models for selling their blu-rays. Titles that are more on the mainstream side, why not make it a run of 5,000 and charge $5-$10 less? For titles with clearly less demand, keep the model now in place. Maybe it's something they would consider in the future...

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by WJWS Channel 13:Amity

You do realize there are more than a few of us on here do work for one of the studios right? and even the people who dont work for a studio in some capacity, it doesnt hurt trying to speculate or talk about why we think something was done or ask why.

Whenever I buy electronics, movies, or any other products, I don't contact the manufacturer and inquire as to why, how they produce and distribute their products because it doesn't interests, nor benefit me to know. All I do as a consumer is, buy the movies, take them home and enjoy them... That's it! Now why do I need to know all the inside details on how a studio manage their business. What are they going to do, hire me? No! That'll be less to worry about, especially when I'm not being compensated for it.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Seymour

It really would be nice if they considered two models for selling their blu-rays. Titles that are more on the mainstream side, why not make it a run of 5,000 and charge $5-$10 less? For titles with clearly less demand, keep the model now in place. Maybe it's something they would consider in the future...

Seems reasonable Seymour, except that 3000 units was not a figure chosen arbitrarily to limit these runs. It's called the "magazine rate", as discussed in more detail in the KQEK interview. This is an industry accepted ceiling for limited media runs (usually for promotion or review), above which additional fees for music rights, union scale production, plus other profit participation kick-in...all requiring more ongoing involvement by the studio's lawyers and accountants (read: big buck$$$). This is why some studio titles seem to get released and re-released with almost yearly regularity...their backend deals aren't complicated or expensive. The studio just keeps repackaging and reissuing them until they can't sell them anymore.

By topping out at 3000 units with no backend legal or accounting considerations, TT's model is "whistle clean" for the studios...one upfront agreement, one flat fee, one cheque cut. After that, the risk is all on TT during their 3 year window of exclusivity. This is one reason why TT has been getting some very high profile studio titles with recent, Blu-ray ready remasters, instead of just 2nd and 3rd tier product that might not be quite up to snuff in terms of high-def specs. Except for VOD, Cable, and streaming, the studios have no immediate plans to do anything with these titles on Blu-ray anyway, and if some should prove to be fairly quick sellouts via TT/SAE, their deal is limited in numbers and timeboxed so they can release their own version in 3 years or so once more consumers own Blu-ray players.

5000 or 10000 units - or more - might represent the true demand for some titles, whereas for others even 2000 will be too many. 3000 just happens to represent the most manageable risk both parties are willing to take to cut these deals. Like I said, I might want to understand what's driving this release model out of idle interest, but my bottom line as a cinephile and collector is: "I don't care how these titles are getting out there, only that they finally are."

[PuppetMasterBlu]

Originally Posted by WJWS Channel 13:Amity

The thing with Olive those is they dont make you buy it strictly from one specific website and they dont make it a limited edition. I can go on Amazon.com or any site i want and easily pick up an Olive films release for 18.00- 25 dollars shipped. TT they force you to go through SA and on top of the 29.99 fee, you get slapped with a 4.95 shipping charge.
if they would open up their sales to other online avenues, and even just lower the price by a few bucks it would go a long way.

or even drop the 4.95 shipping

You can get Twilight Time's releases on Amazon. As Good as it Gets is available right now.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by PuppetMasterBlu

You can get Twilight Time's releases on Amazon. As Good as it Gets is available right now.

Only because people are selling them on Amazon Marketplace.

[Stinky-Dinkins]

Originally Posted by KilloWertz

Only because people are selling them on Amazon Marketplace.

No, they're being sold directly by Screen Archives Ent. through Amazon. The only difference between ordering it directly from SAE or buying it from them on Amazon is the website you use to order it... but it's sold by the same people and ships from the same place.

I'm sure you could find some random third party trying to sell it through Amazon and jack up the price of it too... but that's true for almost anything.

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

Seems reasonable Seymour, except that 3000 units was not a figure chosen arbitrarily to limit these runs. It's called the "magazine rate", as discussed in more detail in the KQEK interview. This is an industry accepted ceiling for limited media runs (usually for promotion or review), above which additional fees for music rights, union scale production, plus other profit participation kick-in...all requiring more ongoing involvement by the studio's lawyers and accountants (read: big buck$$$). This is why some studio titles seem to get released and re-released with almost yearly regularity...their backend deals aren't complicated or expensive. The studio just keeps repackaging and reissuing them until they can't sell them anymore.

By topping out at 3000 units with no backend legal or accounting considerations, TT's model is "whistle clean" for the studios...one upfront agreement, one flat fee, one cheque cut. After that, the risk is all on TT during their 3 year window of exclusivity. This is one reason why TT has been getting some very high profile studio titles with recent, Blu-ray ready remasters, instead of just 2nd and 3rd tier product that might not be quite up to snuff in terms of high-def specs. Except for VOD, Cable, and streaming, the studios have no immediate plans to do anything with these titles on Blu-ray anyway, and if some should prove to be fairly quick sellouts via TT/SAE, their deal is limited in numbers and timeboxed so they can release their own version in 3 years or so once more consumers own Blu-ray players.

5000 or 10000 units - or more - might represent the true demand for some titles, whereas for others even 2000 will be too many. 3000 just happens to represent the most manageable risk both parties are willing to take to cut these deals. Like I said, I might want to understand what's driving this release model out of idle interest, but my bottom line as a cinephile and collector is: "I don't care how these titles are getting out there, only that they finally are."

Do we actually know that to be true for movies releases as well, ROclockCK? It may be but everything I've read talks about the magazine rate in the context of soundtrack releases. That's a number Fox Music negotiated with the American Federation of Musicians. The question is whether that only applies to soundtrack releases or also to film releases. Based on the published interviews with Nick Redman it appears they stuck with the 3,000 number simply because that's what they know and are comfortable with.