Twilight Time Discussion Thread

[RalphoR]

Make that 2,998

[oildude]

Originally Posted by RalphoR

I think there are 2,999 copies left of Equus. Not sure who bought the one

Equus is one of the highlights of TT's collection. A top shelf release all the way.




I bought Equus as a blind buy two years ago. Not sure what I was expecting, but what I got was something extraordinary, very intense, and layers deep. One of the most superbly acted films I have ever seen, with Richard Burton giving a Shakespeareian quality performance. Peter Firth is mesmerizing as the deranged youth Alan Strang who becomes a patient of Burton's psychiatrist Martin Dysart after committing an inexplicable and horrific act of animal mutilation. Firth portrays Alan with a combination of lunacy and heartbreaking pathos. Through his interactions with Dysart, we begin to understand just how twisted his young psyche has become as the motives behind his actions are brought to light. The relationship between Strang and Dysart is so well developed that divisions between the two characters become blurred; we realize before long that Dysart is also on the couch next to his patient. And to top it off the movie also stars my teenage crush Jenny Agutter.

Sensuality plays an integral role in the plot. There are frequent references to stimulation of the senses through our proximity to natural beings, represented by horses with their muscular power, spirited temperament, and their symbiotic relationship to Man and his development since ancient times. This theme is transposed onto the human characters and is reflected in the sexual tensions in their lives. The intermittent nudity actually fits into the narrative in a way that makes sense to the thematic elements, and the camera doesn't shy away from showing us just about everything from dangling sausages to Jenny's naughty bits on full display.

Equus is a dark film, and one of the few of its type I have seen where I can say I benefited from a second viewing, especially in terms of the multiple themes and the dense dialog. Beautifully lensed, its cinematography is worthy of praise and shines on Blu-ray. Burton is a tour de force in this. I swear the man could read a cereal box on camera and make us tremble as if we are witnessing Hamlet.

Other main themes intertwined with natural sensuality are societal and religious conformity, the demands of faith, and the fragility of human beings. This is a film that keeps me glued to my seat throughout each viewing. It is not an easy film to comprehend, but everything in it is there for a reason and in the end it all makes sense.

And in case I wasn't clear, beyond the superb acting and dialogue, Jenny Agutter makes this film rewatchable X 10.

[Brad1963]

Originally Posted by RalphoR

I think there are 2,999 copies left of Equus. Not sure who bought the one

Great film. I bought it right away.

[RalphoR]

I love the movie. Anything with Richard Burton. I'm glad I'm not the only one but I thought as much because it never got any run on this forum. Oh, and Jenny Agutter.....nothing else needs to be said

Kind of a funny story. My wife watches a lot of the movies I get with me but she doesn't know any terminology that goes along with this hobby. I taught her about "theatrical cut", "uncut, "extended cut", etc.....Well, after we watched Equus she asked me was it uncut...to which I said...."what....the movie or Peter Firth?" She has never uttered that word since

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by oildude

And in case I wasn't clear, beyond the superb acting and dialogue, Jenny Agutter makes this film rewatchable X 10.

What what say what? Jenny Agutter stars in Equus?

I might have to add this to my next Twilight Time haul.

[CinemaScope]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

What what say what? Jenny Agutter stars in Equus?

I might have to add this to my next Twilight Time haul.

Yes, & with her kit off

[schlock]

Bought EQUUS day one as well. A great film, and unfortunately not that well remembered today.

[schlock]

Never saw Stanley Kramer's INHERIT THE WIND until a few days ago. Really terrific! I think someone on here recommended it recently, so whoever that was, thanks! Yes, some of the acting is way out there (Fredric March, especially), but it all works perfectly anyway (and it's based on the play, so a little over emoting is par for the course). Highly recommended.

[thatguamguy]

Originally Posted by 4000dvds2many

H*E*A*L*T*H would be fantastic.

Is there anything that Twilight Time has put out that was never on home video before their release?

[s7e]

I might be alone but I really enjoy Equus

[Widescreenfilmguy]

Equus is a brilliant film and the TT blu is the best it has ever looked

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by thatguamguy

Is there anything that Twilight Time has put out that was never on home video before their release?

Rapture?
The Roots of Heaven?

[mja345]

Just chiming in to say how terrific "Equus" is. Burton and Firth are beyond fantastic in it. Jenny Agutter was/is a truly beautiful woman and also an excellent actress. It's a dark, depressing film, but beautifully made. Sidney Lumet helmed another similar film several years earlier, 1973's "The Offence". Dark, but brilliant films. If you enjoy "The Offence", then "Equus" will likely also be to your taste. The "Equus" disc also features a fantastic documentary profiling Richard Burton that's worth checking out.

[Dan_Shane]

Originally Posted by CinemaScope

Yes, & with her kit off

Wasn't that pretty much standard for Miss Agutter at that time?

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[thatguamguy]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Rapture?
The Roots of Heaven?

Very interesting, thank you. Are those the only examples or just off the top of your head? Just curious, I'm glad that it's possible (albeit still probably pretty unlikely, especially with music rights factored in) that they even *could* release HealtH.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by thatguamguy

Very interesting, thank you. Are those the only examples or just off the top of your head? Just curious, I'm glad that it's possible (albeit still probably pretty unlikely, especially with music rights factored in) that they even *could* release HealtH.

I don't know if they are the only examples. Some others might've been released on home video in other countries and not the US. Like the various British films they've released.

The vast bulk of the TT releases I know have been released (in the US) on home video before, as I have or have had them on DVD and/or LD. Rapture and The Roots of Heaven were two that I wasn't sure had previous releases. I checked the "company credits" pages for each at the IMDb to see if there was anything noted for a previous release and there wasn't. Which doesn't mean that a previous release doesn't exist -- which is why I put question marks after each title -- but I'm not aware of any.

As far as music rights, it depends. License fees often depend on the size of the expected market. So a small label like Twilight Time might get away with paying a lot less (especially with a limited press run, and limited number of sales outlets) than a larger company like Fox.

[thatguamguy]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Rapture and The Roots of Heaven were two that I wasn't sure had previous releases. I checked the "company credits" pages for each at the IMDb to see if there was anything noted for a previous release and there wasn't. Which doesn't mean that a previous release doesn't exist -- which is why I put question marks after each title -- but I'm not aware of any.

Oh, well, for the record, I found a review of "Roots of Heaven" which confirmed that the only previous release was a Spanish DVD, and I found a review of "Rapture" which all but definitively says it was never released before. So, good guesses!

As far as music rights, it depends. License fees often depend on the size of the expected market. So a small label like Twilight Time might get away with paying a lot less (especially with a limited press run, and limited number of sales outlets) than a larger company like Fox.

That may be true, but I would also think it would make the entire package far less palatable for various reasons (like, is Fox going to pay for a restoration of footage they can't release themselves? Would they charge more to license a title in that kind of capacity? etc). I think it would be more likely that something like Olive or Criterion, a company with a history of releasing other Robert Altman movies, would have to be the one to step up here. But I don't care who does it, I just hope somebody does!

[4000dvds2many]

http://deadline.com/2016/06/peter-sh...us-1201767931/

Oh great, we killed him.

[Brad1963]

Originally Posted by thatguamguy

Is there anything that Twilight Time has put out that was never on home video before their release?

I do not think The Only Game in Town or Swamp Water ever had a DVD or VHS release.

[Doc Moonlight]

THE RAPTURE was available on laserdisc.