Twilight Time Discussion Thread

[Dex Robinson]

Originally Posted by CinemaScope

Yeah, when I bought a Blu-ray machine I decided not to go down the multi-region route (I'm UK region B). I haven't regretted it.

Yes (and I know it's a bit off topic) but I have no desire to go the multi-region route player either. I have bought multi-region BDs from overseas...but not other region locked discs.

The problem is that, once you start buying BDs that aren't native to your region, you are essentially "forced" into continuing to owning multi-region players for as long as you are into Blu-ray. And we don't know what the future holds in terms of copyright protection technology or how players may react to future firmware upgrades. The BDA loves their digital rights management and I'm not so sure that they won't find some way to mess us up. I don't want to tempt fate.

Today, if my Blu-ray player breaks down, I can walk to Best Buy, get a new one for $70.00 and have it up and running in 40 minutes. And my whole collection will be playable.

Oh, the magnet stuff is really starting to get funny. Pretty soon we'll be seeing reviews with star ratings for magnets and slip covers.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by dsman71

Yeah really, a magnet makes someone that excited, please...Id rather their movies come with extras

That has nothing to do with SAE...or TT for that matter dsman71. It's what the Studio will allow the label to use under these licensing agreements. When TT has access to commentaries and other special features, they've already shown they are more than willing to add them to the package (e.g. we've had 4 discs with commentaries to date). Whether SAE chooses to occasionally promote the TT line with some branded magnets is totally unrelated.

In any case, the other catalogue licensees face exactly the same issue. It's the nature of Studio licensing because much of this value-add content has back-end legal agreements restricting ancillary 3rd party use.

[Dex Robinson]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

I can't recall the last time I had any issue with disc playback, TT or otherwise. Mysterious Island prompted a firmware update during disc load...but that was about it.

Ironically, of the 490 BDs I own, the only one that ever forced a firmware update was PAL JOEY from Twilight Time. And it forced a firmware update on both of my machines.

It wouldn't play on my old PS3 at all without an update. It was kinda' scary because something locked up on the machine and it took a couple of attempts to get the firmware updated (thought I'd bricked it for sure). But this is a first generation fat PS3 so it's pretty long in the tooth. However,once the firmware took, the disc played perfectly.

PAL JOEY would play in Panasonic BD75 but would momentarily freeze at the end of the the song Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered . This was quite disconcerting as I'd never had a BD glitch before. Once again, a firmware update fixed it and all was well.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Dex Robinson

Yes (and I know it's a bit off topic) but I have no desire to go the multi-region route player either. I have bought multi-region BDs from overseas...but not other region locked discs.

This is not really off-topic Dex because there are many All-Region aficionado's on this site who accept as a given that if a Region A title is deemed too expensive (TT has been a lightning rod for that), or doesn't have all the desired features (ditto), they can just import a Region B version instead. Their goal is a good one - for more consumer freedom - but when their All-Region players can't even handle disc menus authored to the latest standards, and their manufacturer doesn't yet offer a corrective firmware update, or they can't upgrade their firmware without defeating some other hack, then you've got a 'lag' which translates into more frustration and less freedom overall. At least for me...I don't want to muck around with all that stuff. The disc goes in, and I watch the movie.

Originally Posted by Dex Robinson

The problem is that, once you start buying BDs that aren't native to your region, you are essentially "forced" into continuing to owning multi-region players for as long as you are into Blu-ray. And we don't know what the future holds in terms of copyright protection technology or how players may react to future firmware upgrades. The BDA loves their digital rights management and I'm not so sure that they won't find some way to mess us up. I don't want to tempt fate.

This neatly encapsulates what I was trying to say, but you've said it much better. When you go All-Region, you free yourself from the whims of studio marketing, but suddenly become slave to your player manufacturer. Either way, you're still at someone else's mercy...not only in the present, but also the more uncertain future. What if some of those All-Region player manufacturers go under, or just discontinue support for those models? Like you, I freely import All-Region titles from overseas, but never anything locked. In a perfect world, all Blu-rays would be completely open, including feature content. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world.

What happens with the release of The Rains of Ranchipur from both Twilight Time and Fox* Germany will be interesting to see though, especially if the German edition is half the price, but Region B-locked.

* EDIT: It's not clear at all that this Blu-ray will be from Fox Germany. Both MGM and an Indie label have been mentioned on other threads.

[ParticleDan]

I'm arriving kind of late to Twilight Time, but I recently ordered a number of titles I'm really excited about:

- Magnificent men... Flying machines
- The Egyptian
- As Good as it Gets
- Rapture
- Swamp Water
- The Big Heat
- Journey to.... (had to pay about $80 w/shipping for this, but I can't complain too much as I've picked up a few other titles in the past for reg. price that are now collectors' items such as Criterion's The Third Man and The Man Who Fell to Earth)

I'm also very interested in Mysterious Island but haven't found that at a good price yet.

Any other 'essential' titles I should be looking at?

[Blu Titan]

Originally Posted by dsman71

Yeah really, a magnet makes someone that excited, please...Id rather their movies come with extras

If people like them, great. Personally I believe TT should focus their efforts on their upcoming title announcements rather than on including a little trincket. TT started with some strong titles but most of their upcoming releases...well I do not see a MUST have title in the entire slate (my personal opinion only, of course).

[Arkadin]

whitesheik says the magnets come from SAE, not TT.
(just a little inside info)

[EddieLarkin]

My solution to the above discussed was to just import a separate Region A player to have alongside my Region B player. At the time, it ended up being much cheaper than replacing my Region B player with a fancy (and expensive!) Multi-Region player.

And I don't have to worry about firmware updates.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by ParticleDan

I'm arriving kind of late to Twilight Time, but I recently ordered a number of titles I'm really excited about:

[Show spoiler]- Magnificent men... Flying machines
- The Egyptian
- As Good as it Gets
- Rapture
- Swamp Water
- The Big Heat
- Journey to.... (had to pay about $80 w/shipping for this, but I can't complain too much as I've picked up a few other titles in the past for reg. price that are now collectors' items such as Criterion's The Third Man and The Man Who Fell to Earth)
I'm also very interested in Mysterious Island but haven't found that at a good price yet.

Any other 'essential' titles I should be looking at?

I suppose any of them could be considered "essential" ParticleDan if you happen to like the movie and it's never been available on DVD, or if previously released, was not treated with due care in the mastering and authoring.

For example, among TT's Blu-rays, Bite the Bullet was a movie that never drew me in either theatrically or via its previous DVD release, but damn that is one fine disc, and a blast of a movie to boot! I might never have even seen this movie had TT not chosen to do it...I'm just growing to trust this label's collector instincts and tastes, so I'm willing to take a chance like that.

This month it was High Time, a movie I thought whitesheik just had a soft spot in his head over, but when I finally saw it, yeah, I 'get' it...this is exactly the kind of lost-in-the-vault stuff TT has been resurrecting with such class (pardon the pun). Of course, everyone's mileage will vary, but I can see why they gave High Time this limited collector showcase. Had they not, it would have continued to remain lost in limbo, probably indefinitely, just as it had for the first 25 years of home video. Same story with equally obscure titles like The Roots of Heaven, The Wayward Bus, and Désirée. Of course, some of these titles are better movies than others, but all have at least been interesting, previously unavailable glimpses into a mostly forgotten era and style of movie making. Anyone interested in that screen history will be thrilled; to everyone else, they're just a bunch of 2nd tier old movies that probably deserved to remain in the vault anyway. I just don't happen to agree with that, nor will the 3000 fans and collectors who will ultimately buy most of these TT Blu-rays.

Redman has freely admitted that this collection will be a rather eclectic mash-up of classic and arcane, old and not-that-old. So just go with your gut ParticleDan...that will be your best guide as to which TT titles should be considered "essential." The only thing they all have in common is that the home studio sees little commercial value in this stuff and can't justify releasing it on Blu-ray themselves.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by EddieLarkin

My solution to the above discussed was to just import a separate Region A player to have alongside my Region B player. At the time, it ended up being much cheaper than replacing my Region B player with a fancy (and expensive!) Multi-Region player.

And I don't have to worry about firmware updates.

I've considered this solution too Eddie. If there's no power supply issue with the PS3, then I think this makes the most sense in terms of assured downstream support. Almost every overseas Blu-ray title I would seriously consider buying comes from Region B - to date, nada from C.

[ParticleDan]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

I suppose any of them could be considered "essential" ParticleDan if you happen to like the movie and it's never been available on DVD, or if previously released, was not treated with due care in the mastering and authoring.

For example, among TT's Blu-rays, Bite the Bullet was a movie that never drew me in either theatrically or via its previous DVD release, but damn that is one fine disc, and a blast of a movie to boot! I might never have even seen this movie had TT not chosen to do it...I'm just growing to trust this label's collector instincts and tastes, so I'm willing to take a chance like that.

This month it was High Time, a movie I thought whitesheik just had a soft spot in his head over, but when I finally saw it, yeah, I 'get' it...this is exactly the kind of lost-in-the-vault stuff TT has been resurrecting with such class (pardon the pun). Of course, everyone's mileage will vary, but I can see why they gave High Time this limited collector showcase. Had they not, it would have continued to remain lost in limbo, probably indefinitely, just as it had for the first 25 years of home video. Same story with equally obscure titles like The Roots of Heaven, The Wayward Bus, and Désirée. Of course, some of these titles are better movies than others, but all have at least been interesting, previously unavailable glimpses into a mostly forgotten era and style of movie making. Anyone interested in that screen history will be thrilled; to everyone else, they're just a bunch of 2nd tier old movies that probably deserved to remain in the vault anyway. I just don't happen to agree with that, nor will the 3000 fans and collectors who will ultimately buy most of these TT Blu-rays.

Redman has freely admitted that this collection will be a rather eclectic mash-up of classic and arcane, old and not-that-old. So just go with your gut ParticleDan...that will be your best guide as to which TT titles should be considered "essential." The only thing they all have in common is that the home studio sees little commercial value in this stuff and can't justify releasing it on Blu-ray themselves.

Thanks very much for your detailed response. I go into the vast majority of movies released by the 'boutique' labels (eg Criterion, Kino, Olive) sight-unseen as I'm just under 30 and grew up being exposed only to mainstream fare. But, in a way that's a blessing as many or most of the titles have never received the kind of quality releases they're getting now.

As you suggest, it's a real treat to constantly discover unknown gems. For me, getting the occasional dud is a small price to pay, and if offset by the knowledge that I'm supporting independents to continue to put out quality products.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by ParticleDan

Thanks very much for your detailed response. I go into the vast majority of movies released by the 'boutique' labels (eg Criterion, Kino, Olive) sight-unseen as I'm just under 30 and grew up being exposed only to mainstream fare. But, in a way that's a blessing as many or most of the titles have never received the kind of quality releases they're getting now.

Even with nearly twice the miles on my life's odometer, I often find myself doing the same thing these days ParticleDan...especially all those 40s Olive Noirs I never saw because they were previously either VHS-only, or public domain titles released on cheapjack bargain DVD labels transferred from gnarly unrestored 16mm prints. And I'd never seen at least 8 of these TT titles before springing for those Blu-rays, which isn't even counting the upcoming Sound and the Fury, Beloved Infidel, Rains of Ranchipur, or Lost Horizon '73. All represent new/old turf.

Originally Posted by ParticleDan

As you suggest, it's a real treat to constantly discover unknown gems. For me, getting the occasional dud is a small price to pay, and if offset by the knowledge that I'm supporting independents to continue to put out quality products.

Yeah, they don't all need to be cinematic masterpieces for me to at least enjoy the discovery and experience. This has just been a fun crapshoot for me...seeing some 50 year old movie for the first time that I'd only ever read about before. Stuff like Roots of Heaven with Orson Welles' feisty supporting performance, which frankly, I never expected I'd live to see, much less presented this well.

Although I'm reluctant to use the 'L' word here - Laserdisc - this was the same kind of movie esoterica I sought out then too. The 'pop' titles always seem to survive and thrive on their own...most of this other stuff needs some serious collector interest plus a viable business model to ever see the light of day. I'm just glad it's finally getting out there...

[Blu Titan]

I need to make a clarification on an ealier statement NOTLD 1990 is a must title for me. I remember going to the movies to see it with a bunch of friends and related gfs and we just had an awesome time . Probably having similar nostalgia effect/cult following to Fright Night.

As far as a region free player, I just got one this year and it has been a great decision. Ozu, Tati, Pasolini, Lang, Wilder, ect..awesome cinema to be enjoyed now. Paid $60 for my Insignia player and it is only used for region B titles. I actually got two of them one for my living room and one for my bedroom.

Take a look at a couple of threads mantained by pro-b and we can all see the gems we would be missing by playing a waiting game.

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=179234

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=111139

[Dex Robinson]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

As far as a region free player, I just got one this year and it has been a great decision. Ozu, Tati, Pasolini, Lang, Wilder, ect..awesome cinema to be enjoyed now

My concern isn't about owning a region free free player today.

My concern is five or ten years down the road.

If I was to invest any amount of money in Region B titles, I'd need assurances that I could have easy access to a suitable player for the life of my BD collection. I simply have no confidence that will be the case.

[Scooter1836]

Originally Posted by Dex Robinson

My concern isn't about owning a region free free player today.

My concern is five or ten years down the road.

If I was to invest any amount of money in Region B titles, I'd need assurances that I could have easy access to a suitable player for the life of my BD collection. I simply have no confidence that will be the case.

That is exactly why I don't go down that road. The only imports I have done is on region free titles.

[rdodolak]

I don't understand the concern that region free players might not being available in the future. An alternative to an all-in-one region free player is to have separate Region A, B, and/or C players. If you're afraid that Region B players won't be around in 5-10 years then you should also be equally concerned about Region A players and thus stop buying blu-ray altogether.

[prozacnation1978]

Still on the ropes about night of the living dead. I got like two weeks to decide on it

[Blu Titan]

Originally Posted by rdodolak

I don't understand the concern that region free players might not being available in the future. An alternative to an all-in-one region free player is to have separate Region A, B, and/or C players. If you're afraid that Region B players won't be around in 5-10 years then you should also be equally concerned about Region A players and thus stop buying blu-ray altogether.

Not to make it a region free player discussion, but "region free" players will be around as long as reigon a and region b players... They are really not much of a mystery.

[oildude]

Watched High Time this weekend. I agree with ROclockCK. Nice little lost-in-the-vault title that I am really glad Twilight Time released and that I picked up as a blind buy (like most of the TT releases). It is a wonderful time capsule film of another era half a century ago.

What really struck me, though, was the Henry Mancini theme song, which I had some vague memory of hearing before. An internet search revealed it was later used as the theme song to a late 1960s children's TV show produced in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and broadcast across Texas called Mr. Peppermint. This is really odd, because probably my earliest memory is watching the Mr. Peppermint Show while eating cereal at 6:30 am while my parents got ready for work (we lived in central Texas at that time). The host wore a peppermint red and white striped suit with a straw hat in the same design and was the ringmaster of a mix of silly puppets, 3 Stooges shorts, and Looney Tunes and Tom & Jerry cartoons. I was maybe two or three.

And suddenly this weekend that theme song triggered long buried memories. Thankfully, the internet found answers to the deja vu I was feeling. Really wild, and a testament to the wonders of the human brain that can hold on to lost memories waiting to be triggered by some random cue decades later.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by oildude

Watched High Time this weekend. I agree with ROclockCK. Nice little lost-in-the-vault title that I am really glad Twilight Time released and that I picked up as a blind buy (like most of the TT releases). It is a wonderful time capsule film of another era half a century ago.

What really struck me, though, was the Henry Mancini theme song, which I had some vague memory of hearing before. An internet search revealed it was later used as the theme song to a late 1960s children's TV show produced in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and broadcast across Texas called Mr. Peppermint. This is really odd, because probably my earliest memory is watching the Mr. Peppermint Show while eating cereal at 6:30 am while my parents got ready for work (we lived in central Texas at that time). The host wore a peppermint red and white striped suit with a straw hat in the same design and was the ringmaster of a mix of silly puppets, 3 Stooges shorts, and Looney Tunes and Tom & Jerry cartoons. I was maybe two or three.

And suddenly this weekend that theme song triggered long buried memories. Thankfully, the internet found answers to the deja vu I was feeling. Really wild, and a testament to the wonders of the human brain that can hold on to lost memories waiting to be triggered by some random cue decades later.

What a hoot! I looked it up, and you're absolutely right oildude. However, I couldn't find any video or audio of the early Mr. Peppermint intro which used Mancini's High Time march, except for snippets in the Mr. Peppermint Retrospective. This might explain why this movie was never given a regular video release by Fox, and why TT was able to fly a limited edition under the 'magazine rate'...perhaps the music rights to that title tune are now...well...sort of...complicated. In any case, that High Time title theme is nowhere to be found on YouTube despite vids for the rest of Mancini's score.

Anyway, just for a little Monday kick, here's Mancini's tasty "The Old College Try Cha-Cha":

Back to work...