Twilight Time Discussion Thread

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by Dex Robinson

Very disappointing.

No, not disappointing that we will get the titles. Just disappointing that they have to come from Twilight Time.

That paragraph could just as easily have started off by saying, "I think people are going to be surprised at the number of heavyweight titles that Sony and Fox have given up on..." .

I'll reiterate that my disappointment is not with Twilight Time itself. I have a Twilight Time account. I've bought three of their Blu-rays and I'll be ordering JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH the day it goes up for pre-order. But a "heavyweight" title from Twilight Time is a no confidence vote in catalogue titles from the majors. I remember hearing over a year ago about THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN...being prepped for Blu-ray. That was exciting news. The knowledge that I'll likely end up paying $30.00 plus $15.00 shipping to Canada to mail order it from the far corner of the internet is less exciting.

Thank goodness I can get Paramount catalogue titles from Olive at my local store. I'd sure had to see other major studios going the Twilight Time route for their catalogue.

Look, catalogue titles outside of some well known titles just do not interest the majority of people. They rather have the new releases and just can't be bothered with the movies of the 40's and 50's .....It is sad but it's how it is

[popeflick]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

Well, isn't that sweet?

Hopefully it's the scan or compressions, but I don't like how "to the" and "of the" are difficult to read and do get kinda lost. Other than that, love the concept and this is a purchase for sure.

[JoeDeM]

Originally Posted by P@t_Mtl

Look, catalogue titles outside of some well known titles just do not interest the majority of people. They rather have the new releases and just can't be bothered with the movies of the 40's and 50's .....It is sad but it's how it is

I agree, I love old movies, it's what I grew up with so I have all these fond memories of watching them, my brothers on the other hand won't buy anything that's older than the 80's or 90's.

[Robert Siegel]

Originally Posted by Dex Robinson

Very disappointing.

No, not disappointing that we will get the titles. Just disappointing that they have to come from Twilight Time.

That paragraph could just as easily have started off by saying, "I think people are going to be surprised at the number of heavyweight titles that Sony and Fox have given up on..." .

I'll reiterate that my disappointment is not with Twilight Time itself. I have a Twilight Time account. I've bought three of their Blu-rays and I'll be ordering JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH the day it goes up for pre-order. But a "heavyweight" title from Twilight Time is a no confidence vote in catalogue titles from the majors. I remember hearing over a year ago about THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN...being prepped for Blu-ray. That was exciting news. The knowledge that I'll likely end up paying $30.00 plus $15.00 shipping to Canada to mail order it from the far corner of the internet is less exciting.

Thank goodness I can get Paramount catalogue titles from Olive at my local store. I'd sure had to see other major studios going the Twilight Time route for their catalogue.

I see what you are saying. Who knows, maybe Twilight Time will be in stores eventually. The label is certainly showing great success with what they have done, and that is completely understandable to me. It would be nice to see these titles in stores, I hope TT does consider that one day. I truly believe their releases would sell off the shelf, I am sure there are many people out there who just don't know these films are being released, not everyone reads the video sites especially the mainstream, and there are plenty of people in the mainstream who might buy these titles.

As for the studios giving up on the titles, we have to face the fact that newer generations have grown up and some don't even know these movies. Fox is releasing Zorba the Greek and The Grapes of Wrath, but not Journey to the Center of the Earth. Personally, I don't understand their thinking. But I do absolutely take a "hats off" to the people at Twilight Time. Without them, we wouldn't have these movies at all. Personally, I am sick and tired of watching all of the newly announced releases, and 75% of them are bombs and just plain unknown junk and cheap awful horror/teen/sex films. It is nice to finally see Olive and Twilight Time giving us what we want, actual movies with quality.

In a perfect world, these would all be newly restored with modern technology and the releases would all look like The Sound of Music and they would be coming outat a rate of dozens per month. But for classic film from the pre-1970 era on Blu-ray, it just isn't a perfect world. These two companies make it so much better.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by benbess

great tidbits from TT's FB page...

"Any chance of Fox allowing you to release some of their Todd-AO films? "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines", "Hello, Dolly" , "Can-Can" "The Agony and the Esctasy" "Star!" - some of these had isloated soundtracks on the DVD or laserdisc.
Like · · 5 hours ago

Twilight Time DVD Label Hi Greg, yes it's possible--we are trying to sort out the practicalities. In fact here's a little tease; one of the titles you list is our July release, and when Mike Matessino and I went in to view the transfer we couldn't believe the quality of it--right off the 65mm camera neg. Absolutely jawdropping...and yes, we know about the isolated scores, because we did them all!"

When the Ultra Panavision 70 It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World was released last July from an 8K scan, the following blurb was posted on FotoKem's site:

"65mm classics handled by FotoKem include: Dr.Dolittle, West Side Story, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, South Pacific, Khartoum, Can-Can, The Sound of Music, Baraka, Oklahoma!, The Bible, Cleopatra and Star!"

TT did say "jawdropping", so note the titles I bolded. Although a lower-rez scan from 65mm elements plus pro workflow might yield "very good" results, they would not likely be "jawdropping." So going out on a limb here, I'm predicting that TT's July Fox release will be one of these already completed FotoKem jobs, either Can-Can or Star! Both were released once on DVD, with the former appearing much later than the latter. But neither was a barnstorming sales success for Fox, which suggests that, despite the dough Fox invested in high-rez rescanning/remastering, they might have had second thoughts about releasing their own version on Blu. Of the two, Can-Can is the more *interesting* title for collectors (even historically significant since Khrushchev visited the set during his landmark Cold War tour of the U.S.), with an indifferent to poor history on home video, in keeping with the underappreciated "lost-in-the-vault" fare TT has been doing so far...although the same could be said about Star! as well. So it could go either way, but my pick (and preference) between these two would be Can-Can.

Less likely to be "jawdropping", but more of a high-profile coup for the label would be Hello, Dolly (that was Todd-AO, wasn't it?). Starring la Streisand and directed by Gene Kelly...with outrageously lavish sets and costumes. Only one DVD release for that title, back in 2003. The Agony and the Ecstasy makes a lot of sense too, but again, it had a Fox Cinema Classics special edition DVD which the studio can't seem to give away for even $5 or $6 bucks. So just do the math re: studio interest in doing their own Blu-ray release. Makes perfect sense for TT's model though.

But the real *wildcard* on that list is Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, which was a another Todd-AO 70mm production...a roadshow to boot...with a memorable score...and a very dedicated worldwide following, especially among classic aviation buffs. Fox tossed it out on DVD in 2004 as part of their Family Feature series, but never revisited it. Coincidentally, I watched that DVD again a few months ago after seeing Legend's iffy-to-so-so Blu-ray of Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies. At the time, I was struck by how well Those Magnificent Men... upscaled to 1080p, thinking, "Now this would be a great candidate for Blu-ray."

So I guess it depends how you interpret "jawdropping". If they mean state-of-the-art, maxed-out eye and ear candy, then the likely choice would be Can-Can. But if they mean a more high-profile, cult classic with great elements to work from, then Those Magnificent Men... might be many fans' midsummer night's dream for 2012.

[Blu-Velvet]

Whichever title it is, it's a good bet that I'll be ordering it!

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Dex Robinson

I'll reiterate that my disappointment is not with Twilight Time itself. I have a Twilight Time account. I've bought three of their Blu-rays and I'll be ordering JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH the day it goes up for pre-order. But a "heavyweight" title from Twilight Time is a no confidence vote in catalogue titles from the majors. I remember hearing over a year ago about THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN...being prepped for Blu-ray. That was exciting news. The knowledge that I'll likely end up paying $30.00 plus $15.00 shipping to Canada to mail order it from the far corner of the internet is less exciting.

Although we've had a couple of previous votes for Can-Can, this retrospective news about Those Magnificent Men... already being in Fox' Blu-ray pipeline might be more telling about its chances in July Dex. The DVD master for that title is among the oldest of all the titles listed, which means it has more to benefit from a Blu-ray upgrade.

Originally Posted by Dex Robinson

Thank goodness I can get Paramount catalogue titles from Olive at my local store. I'd sure had to see other major studios going the Twilight Time route for their catalogue.

I don't really care any more how I acquire catalogue titles on Blu-ray as long as the quality is worth the extra expense and effort. Most of the stuff I'm really interested in doesn't even make it to retail shelves anyway. Just yesterday, another street date passed where I ended up buying zip, zero, zilch from any of the 4 chains that I checked for new stock. The one title I was interested in and would have bought day-one, Polanski's Carnage, was nowhere to be found on Blu-ray, only on DVD...a ridiculous product approach in 2012. And yet, during the previous week, I spent over $200 online. So apart from the dribble of high profile studio classics still making it to store shelves, modern retail has done next to nothing for catalogue Blu-ray collectors, and I'm starting to return that disinterest in kind...with the only means at my disposal, buying power. I save it for those who do care. Paying a premium, but getting much more.

As for Olive, the jury is still out. Although I love what they're trying to do - their choice of titles has certainly been good news for catalogue collectors - unfortunately, they're still all over the map in terms of AQ and PQ. I've purchased 5 titles from Olive so far, which have run the gamut from the very good to not so good...with most of them landing somewhere in the so-so range...none have been excellent. Of course, like TT, Olive is at the mercy of what masters the studios have available, but unlike TT (with the possible exception of Demetrius and the Gladiators), Olive has a tendency to "get it out, just because they can, not because they should." I certainly wish the label well, and continue to support them, but much more cautiously than I initially did. They really need to up their game in terms of what they deem "high-def ready." If an upscaled legacy DVD master is all the studio has available for a particular title, then Olive's response should be "What else have you got?"

With TT though, even a marginal release like Demetrius this month was more than balanced off by the flat out stunning Bite the Bullet. So my confidence in the label remains very high, with my sometimes blind pre-orders still a day-one lock. In just a few short months, their output has become the 'quality corner' of my Blu-ray collection, and worth every penny.

Sometimes you really do get exactly what you pay for.

[LazerTron]

From the Screen Archives website:

Special Announcement! THE GRAPES OF WRATH & ZORBA THE GREEK Blu-ray prices have been reduced to $24.95!! All pending orders will reflect this price drop immediately and charges will be adjusted/refunded at time of shipment next week!

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by JoeDeM

I agree, I love old movies, it's what I grew up with so I have all these fond memories of watching them, my brothers on the other hand won't buy anything that's older than the 80's or 90's.

We see it on these boards Joe. Catalogue fans and collectors have always been in the minority, even with DVD, but definitely more so than ever with the Blu-ray format. Not since the VHS/Laserdisc days has there been such a clearly drawn line between mainstream and collector content. I mean, when a thread for The Hunger Games Blu-ray goes up the same weekend the movie hits theatres - and this is no reflection on its worth as a movie; I hear it's pretty good - you can really see the cultural gap.

Each to his own. I'm just grateful that studios are finally realizing that although our numbers are much smaller, our passion for this stuff translates into genuine buying power, and we are a market still worth serving...however creative cottage labels like Twilight Time must be about prying open studio vaults to get at these titles.

[Persianimmortal]

Originally Posted by Robert Siegel

Personally, I am sick and tired of watching all of the newly announced releases, and 75% of them are bombs and just plain unknown junk and cheap awful horror/teen/sex films. It is nice to finally see Olive and Twilight Time giving us what we want, actual movies with quality

I have to agree with this completely.

Worse still, aside from the tide of mediocre releases, many of the major modern releases are atrocious in my opinion. Unoriginal predictable cgi-laden formulaic dross with no style and even less substance. The vast majority of my viewing now consists of 50's and 60's classics plus a smattering of 70's and 80's stuff I grew up with. Without back catalog releases I'd have very few BDs to enjoy. That's why I'm grateful for TT, despite their limited release and premium pricing strategy. The alternative would be to wait endlessly for the slow dribble of studio back catalog releases, and of course some films would never make it to BD at all that way.

[jayputter]

Originally Posted by Dex Robinson

Very disappointing.

No, not disappointing that we will get the titles. Just disappointing that they have to come from Twilight Time.

That paragraph could just as easily have started off by saying, "I think people are going to be surprised at the number of heavyweight titles that Sony and Fox have given up on..." .

I'll reiterate that my disappointment is not with Twilight Time itself. I have a Twilight Time account. I've bought three of their Blu-rays and I'll be ordering JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH the day it goes up for pre-order. But a "heavyweight" title from Twilight Time is a no confidence vote in catalogue titles from the majors. I remember hearing over a year ago about THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN...being prepped for Blu-ray. That was exciting news. The knowledge that I'll likely end up paying $30.00 plus $15.00 shipping to Canada to mail order it from the far corner of the internet is less exciting.

Thank goodness I can get Paramount catalogue titles from Olive at my local store. I'd sure had to see other major studios going the Twilight Time route for their catalogue.

My biggest concern with Twilight Time isn't the elevated price. I've spent enough on criterions over the years. With the 3,000 unit run, I have to buy it almost immediately or risk paying collectors prices.

[Pirate King]

Originally Posted by Persianimmortal

Worse still, aside from the tide of mediocre releases, many of the major modern releases are atrocious in my opinion. Unoriginal predictable cgi-laden formulaic dross with no style and even less substance. The vast majority of my viewing now consists of 50's and 60's classics plus a smattering of 70's and 80's stuff I grew up with. Without back catalog releases I'd have very few BDs to enjoy. That's why I'm grateful for TT, despite their limited release and premium pricing strategy. The alternative would be to wait endlessly for the slow dribble of studio back catalog releases, and of course some films would never make it to BD at all that way.

Well said.

[Lemmy Lugosi]

Originally Posted by Persianimmortal

.....aside from the tide of mediocre releases, many of the major modern releases are atrocious in my opinion. Unoriginal predictable cgi-laden formulaic dross with no style and even less substance. The vast majority of my viewing now consists of 50's and 60's classics plus a smattering of 70's and 80's stuff I grew up with. Without back catalog releases I'd have very few BDs to enjoy. That's why I'm grateful for TT, despite their limited release and premium pricing strategy. The alternative would be to wait endlessly for the slow dribble of studio back catalog releases, and of course some films would never make it to BD at all that way.

Very well said. Reflective of my thoughts/opinions as well.

[rkolinski]

I just cancelled my order by phone for "Zorba the Greek" and "Grapes of Wrath" after reading that they will be available from Amazon for $4.95 each less than Screen Archives newest low price. Waiting two extra months isn't a problem for me in these tough economic times.

[JoeDeM]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

So I guess it depends how you interpret "jawdropping". If they mean state-of-the-art, maxed-out eye and ear candy, then the likely choice would be Can-Can. But if they mean a more high-profile, cult classic with great elements to work from, then Those Magnificent Men... might be many fans' midsummer night's dream for 2012.

In either case I'm in, just watched Pal Joey again last night, and thought there isn't too much out with Sinatra, Olive just released a couple.

[Arkadin]

my guess for July--The Agony and the Ecstasy.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by Arkadin

my guess for July--The Agony and the Ecstasy.

Woot! Hope it is The Agony and the Ecstacy, since that would make the second announcement from my Fox Top 13 Most Wanted Titles List. But I would think Fox would give it a wide release themselves. Unless Charleton Heston carries no filmic weight anymore (that would mean we live in sad times indeed).

The Blue Max
China Gate
Fantastic Voyage
Journey to the Center of the Earth
The Agony and the Ecstacy
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
North to Alaska
The Enemy Below
King of the Khyber Rifles
Sink the Bismarck!
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
Von Ryan's Express
The Young Lions

There are a lot titles I want from Fox, but these are the biggest ones for me.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Arkadin

my guess for July--The Agony and the Ecstasy.

TT hasn't said much about their next wave of acquisitions from Columbia...except for Major Dundee. Will July be Chuck Heston month?

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by popeflick

Hopefully it's the scan or compressions, but I don't like how "to the" and "of the" are difficult to read and do get kinda lost. Other than that, love the concept and this is a purchase for sure.

Didn't even notice that issue with the prepositions and articles popeflick. For me, the overall impression was very organic...uhm, literally)... although personally, I would have preferred the insert version as the cover. In any case, pretty niggling...nothing will keep this baby out of my hands short of an SAE server crash when Journey pre-orders go up.

BTW, anyone seen the art for The Big Heat yet?

[Seymour]

Originally Posted by oildude

Woot! Hope it is The Agony and the Ecstacy, since that would make the second announcement from my Fox Top 13 Most Wanted Titles List. But I would think Fox would give it a wide release themselves. Unless Charleton Heston carries no filmic weight anymore (that would mean we live in sad times indeed).

The Blue Max
China Gate
Fantastic Voyage
Journey to the Center of the Earth
The Agony and the Ecstacy
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
North to Alaska
The Enemy Below
King of the Khyber Rifles
Sink the Bismarck!
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
Von Ryan's Express
The Young Lions

There are a lot titles I want from Fox, but these are the biggest ones for me.

Olive Films, thru Paramount, now has access to the Republic Pictures library, and China Gate was announced as one of the titles that they will release.