Twilight Time Discussion Thread

[StLouisRibs]

To address your question from that other thread about whether TT is a competitor to Criterion; they are in the literal sense of being another company putting out BDs, but in practice they are putting out a very different product. TT simply doesn't have the resources that Criterion has - no other independent label does. They seem to have done a good job finding their style (a mix of the kind of cult-appeal titles Arrow Video would put out interspersed with movies that were serious awards contenders in their day that have been all but forgotten now, for the most part), and they are absolutely doing a service putting out films of this ilk (especially the latter) that literally would never come to BD otherwise, but despite a consistently great product I can't help but be mildly disappointed when TT surprisingly announces a title I figured was a shoe-in for a more widespread release. The cost is hard to get over.

(Mind, Bound for Glory (releasing in three weeks) is the first title I'll be pre-ordering from TT ever, so I'm not all so doom and gloom on the label, as I do think the prohibitive cost goes a long way towards making each release I do get feel special)

[RalphoR]

Originally Posted by jw007

Hello, I just wanted to say I just discovered this Twilight Time thread, after being stuck in the Criterion thread for the past 3 1/2 years!

Thanks, jayembee, for illuminating me... although I could have found this thread on my own. But just a few hours ago I finally caught the Twilight Theme contagion, and now I am suddenly infected by them, having just created an account on their website and have 5 movies added to my wishlist.

I only own 1 Twilight Time movie as far as I know (and almost 250 Criterions). The 1 film I have is Crimes and Misdemeanors. That is about to change soon enough!

Welcome aboard! Get ready to pony up some cash

[Page14]

Originally Posted by StLouisRibs

To address your question from that other thread about whether TT is a competitor to Criterion; they are in the literal sense of being another company putting out BDs, but in practice they are putting out a very different product. TT simply doesn't have the resources that Criterion has - no other independent label does. They seem to have done a good job finding their style (a mix of the kind of cult-appeal titles Arrow Video would put out interspersed with movies that were serious awards contenders in their day that have been all but forgotten now, for the most part), and they are absolutely doing a service putting out films of this ilk (especially the latter) that literally would never come to BD otherwise, but despite a consistently great product I can't help but be mildly disappointed when TT surprisingly announces a title I figured was a shoe-in for a more widespread release. The cost is hard to get over.

(Mind, Bound for Glory (releasing in three weeks) is the first title I'll be pre-ordering from TT ever, so I'm not all so doom and gloom on the label, as I do think the prohibitive cost goes a long way towards making each release I do get feel special)

That's a pretty good summary (in bold above).

I'm really liking the look of their cover art these days too.

[RickDee]

Originally Posted by StLouisRibs

To address your question from that other thread about whether TT is a competitor to Criterion; they are in the literal sense of being another company putting out BDs, but in practice they are putting out a very different product. TT simply doesn't have the resources that Criterion has - no other independent label does. They seem to have done a good job finding their style (a mix of the kind of cult-appeal titles Arrow Video would put out interspersed with movies that were serious awards contenders in their day that have been all but forgotten now, for the most part), and they are absolutely doing a service putting out films of this ilk (especially the latter) that literally would never come to BD otherwise, but despite a consistently great product I can't help but be mildly disappointed when TT surprisingly announces a title I figured was a shoe-in for a more widespread release. The cost is hard to get over.

(Mind, Bound for Glory (releasing in three weeks) is the first title I'll be pre-ordering from TT ever, so I'm not all so doom and gloom on the label, as I do think the prohibitive cost goes a long way towards making each release I do get feel special)

They are in no way shape or form are they a competitor to Criterion. Just look at the titles and it will tell you all you need to know. 34.00 dollar BD's that studios do not want to put out. The only thing they are doing really is deceiving all these people into thinking that because of the limited run they are actually getting a collectors item but in reality once the next medium comes out they are worth zilch. Not trying to slam TT but I pretty much call it as I see it.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by RickDee

They are in no way shape or form are they a competitor to Criterion. Just look at the titles and it will tell you all you need to know. 34.00 dollar BD's that studios do not want to put out. The only thing they are doing really is deceiving all these people into thinking that because of the limited run they are actually getting a collectors item but in reality once the next medium comes out they are worth zilch. Not trying to slam TT but I pretty much call it as I see it.

Argue against their business model all you like, they release licensed catalog films into a niche market, which make them a Criterion competitor in every single sense of the word.

[KilloWertz]

Originally Posted by RickDee

They are in no way shape or form are they a competitor to Criterion. Just look at the titles and it will tell you all you need to know. 34.00 dollar BD's that studios do not want to put out. The only thing they are doing really is deceiving all these people into thinking that because of the limited run they are actually getting a collectors item but in reality once the next medium comes out they are worth zilch. Not trying to slam TT but I pretty much call it as I see it.

As much as I love the Criterion Collection, you are not really correct. Whether you were trying to or not, you did slam TT, but that's beside the point. The thing you really are not correct about is the fact that TT just releases titles that studios dump. You make it seem like all they put out is crap. The vast majority of the Ray Harryhausen movies that they have put out would have sold otherwise, especially the legitimate classics like Journey to the Center of the Earth and Mysterious Island. They also have released a lot of legitimate classics in other genres, but I don't really feel like listing them and it's not difficult to find them.

[AgentOrange]

Originally Posted by KilloWertz

As much as I love the Criterion Collection, you are not really correct. Whether you were trying to or not, you did slam TT, but that's beside the point. The thing you really are not correct about is the fact that TT just releases titles that studios dump. You make it seem like all they put out is crap. The vast majority of the Ray Harryhausen movies that they have put out would have sold otherwise, especially the legitimate classics like Journey to the Center of the Earth and Mysterious Island. They also have released a lot of legitimate classics in other genres, but I don't really feel like listing them and it's not difficult to find them.

Well, actually you are both right.

Twilight Time has always sort of been taking on films that the studios wanted no part of releasing on blu-ray. In fact, that seeemd to be the original intent! Some of their earlier releases were Sony/Fox controlled films that never even had a DVD release (such as Rapture and The Egyptian). However these are most certainly not "rubbish", they are FANTASTIC films!

As things have evolved - they've started getting some minor classics from the studios as well. So it's not like they are just getting discarded rubbish (and even early on, they had Fright Night which could have easily had a mainstream release). I think since they added MGM, the quality has been more mixed - more classics - but also more duds.

They are very much a competitor to Criterion based on the quality of content they have gotten - but unlike Criterion they are (for the most part) strictly dealing with these 3 studios archival vaults. Criterion has a broader reach than that, commissions their own extras, works with film foundations and partners for restorations, deals with foreign film, independently controlled films, etc. So it's fair to say Criterion is a bit more "premium" in what they do compared to Twilight Time, but Twilight Time has still come a long way in a short time - and now has a very impressive assortment of blu-ray releases.

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by RickDee

They are in no way shape or form are they a competitor to Criterion. Just look at the titles and it will tell you all you need to know. 34.00 dollar BD's that studios do not want to put out. The only thing they are doing really is deceiving all these people into thinking that because of the limited run they are actually getting a collectors item but in reality once the next medium comes out they are worth zilch. Not trying to slam TT but I pretty much call it as I see it.

Wow, $34? Criterions are $40, and they also get movies the studios don't want to put out.

Every distributor is a competitor to every other one, because that's business.

[jw007]

In my further research, what I've noticed about Twilight Time, is that they offer select features that other video distributors, including the large labels, do not offer.

Two examples would be:

Isolated Scores

and

Signed Editions

This is what sets them a bit apart from other companies. For instance, Brian Depalma's Christine was just released on Sony/Columbia blu-ray this past September, yet did not contain the isolated score track (which in the review on this website said was a "key supplement" that was absent). Do isolated scores really mean a lot to viewers? That's not something I tend to look for in my movie purchases, but TT sure does a good job getting isolated scores and music tracks on their discs for many of their films.

I also like how TT offers films from some great directors, with films that aren't available elsewhere on blu-ray, such as:

Stanley Kramer
Otto Preminger
Oliver Stone
Richard Fleischer
Ken Loach
Woody Allen
John Huston
Brian Depalma
Roger Corman

Twilight Time is filling a gap with other independent labels (Kino Lorber, Arrow, Criterion, Cohen Media, Eureka/Masters of Cinema, Olive, Scream + Shout Factory, etc.) that is quite good. Looks like I'm gonna be ponying up some cash in 2016!

[wormraper]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

Wow, $34? Criterions are $40, and they also get movies the studios don't want to put out.

Every distributor is a competitor to every other one, because that's business.

street price and MSRP are two completely different things. I can get Criterions for $12-$16 several times a year, while you can't do that with TT due to them pretty much price fixing their titles.

[noirjunkie]

Originally Posted by jw007

Do isolated scores really mean a lot to viewers?

To most viewers, no.

[EVERYONE LIES]

I have never listened to an isolated score but I'm also not a big fan of extra features because most of the people I want to hear from are dead.

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by wormraper

street price and MSRP are two completely different things. I can get Criterions for $12-$16 several times a year, while you can't do that with TT due to them pretty much price fixing their titles.

Not everyone lives in the United States and is able to take advantage of those sales where you can get Criterion titles dirt cheap. Sure, some people might get them less than MSRP, but not for $12. For me, a Criterion costs about the same as a Twilight Time disc.

[SpartanIre]

Originally Posted by Bates_Motel

Wow, $34? Criterions are $40, and they also get movies the studios don't want to put out.

Every distributor is a competitor to every other one, because that's business.

This.

[TheProf89]

Originally Posted by baheidstu

Not everyone lives in the United States and is able to take advantage of those sales where you can get Criterion titles dirt cheap. Sure, some people might get them less than MSRP, but not for $12. For me, a Criterion costs about the same as a Twilight Time disc.

I live in Canada and Criterion is much more affordable and easy to get then Twilight Time.
I have seven TT so far and many more Criterion. Barnes and Noble sale tends to be the best place to grab them up along with the occasional Criterion Flash sale or HMV sale.

[AKORIS]

I guess when you get down to it, the price I pay for Criterion and Twilight titles can be the exact same amount.

I pay $19.99 for Criterions on sale (I don't play coupon and membership games).

I pay $19.99 for Twilight titles when they have their annual sale. The exception of course being titles that are popular and not included at sale prices. Most of those I pass on, a title that I know I have no choice or options (Fright Night for instance) I hold my nose and pay the $35....

[Monterey Jack]

Originally Posted by noirjunkie

To most viewers, no.

As a soundtrack collector, they do to me, even if I own the score in question on CD. There's no better way to demonstrate the power a good score can give to a film than to play a scene from it sans dialogue and sound F/X, just with the music. That's why I appreciate TT going the extra step to provide them.

[GenPion]

If anyone wants a like new copy of the re-release of Mysterious Island, I am selling mine for $28 shipped. I also have The Little House for $20 shipped. Will do $45 shipped for both.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by EVERYONE LIES

I have never listened to an isolated score but I'm also not a big fan of extra features because most of the people I want to hear from are dead.

Yeah but a few of them recorded some interviews before they died.

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by wormraper

street price and MSRP are two completely different things. I can get Criterions for $12-$16 several times a year, while you can't do that with TT due to them pretty much price fixing their titles.

So because a retailer decides to offer sales and lower prices independent of the company, you blame the companies themselves? Such logic.

And LOL at price fixing... oh brother. You seem to forget that TT also has sales of their own. but it's always easier to argue if you only include the information that supports your accusations, I guess.