Twilight Time Discussion Thread

[Iamspartacus]

Is there a certain date when TT announces new releases like Criterion does on the 15th?

[Page14]

Originally Posted by oildude

[Show spoiler]JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG - fewer than 100 copies remaining
SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE - fewer than 100 copies remaining
FIRST MEN IN THE MOON - fewer 150 copies remaining (out of 5,000)
CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS - fewer than 150 copies remaining
THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO/THUNDERBIRD 6 - fewer than 200 copies remaining
IN LIKE FLINT - fewer than 200 copies remaining
THE BLUE LAGOON - fewer than 300 copies remaining
MAJOR DUNDEE - fewer than 300 copies remaining
A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS - fewer than 300 copies remaining
DEMETRIUS AND THE GLADIATORS - fewer than 500 copies remaining
THE MECHANIC - fewer than 500 copies remaining
John Carpenter's VAMPIRES - fewer than 550 units remaining (out of 5,000) (remaining stock only available at http://www.twilighttimemovies.com)
KHARTOUM - fewer than 550 copies remaining

<snip>

Thanks so much for the update, oildude.

I couldn't agree more with everybody's praises of Zulu ... a personal fave watched many times over on TV as a kid ... great action, fantastic score, beautiful scenery.

Another personal standout (from the low quantity list) is First Men In The Moon. A childhood favorite. Ray Harryhausen bits (although I wish there was even more). A fun movie. And the TT release looks gorgeous ... colorful and crisp.

Others on the list that I own but have yet to see are Major Dundee, A Man For All Seasons, Khartoum and Vampires. (I'm very wary on what to expect from Vampires, but figured if it was good enough to sell [almost] 5,000 copies, there must be something to it ... hopefully more than just John Carpenter's name being attached to it).

[Page14]

I watched Cat Ballou a couple of nights ago. Great movie. If you're a Lee Marvin fan, you already own it (or will soon enough). What a great role for him. I thought Jane Fonda was great too. (Sorry for all the "greats". It's the first word that pops into my head). And Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye's parts are like adding spice to an already good recipe.

But the main reason I'm posting this is because when going through the special features, I noticed there is a video feature produced by Twilight Time (Lee and Pamela: A Romance). I know they do their own exclusive audio-commentaries and isolated score tracks, but I don't recall ever seeing an exclusive video before. Is this a first? I hope they do more.

[atfree]

Originally Posted by Iamspartacus

Is there a certain date when TT announces new releases like Criterion does on the 15th?

They announce 2 months worth of titles on the 2nd Saturday of every other month. They give HTF "exclusive" right to announce the titles first, then they release on Facebook and other places (and it gets announced here by a member).

For example, TT announced the September/October slate of releases on June 11th, so the next announcement will be in August (probably Saturday the 6th or Saturday the 13) for the November/December titles.

[Iamspartacus]

THank you Atfree.

[skullmurphy]

Just ordered 10 Rillington Place; hope that it is as good as described, one of my faves!

[cinerama]

Originally Posted by BixmanJ

I'm also surprised that Zulu isn't low yet, it's one of the best war movies ever made. It's great to see A Man For All Seasons sell so well and so quickly. Just over a year after being released and it's under 300. Impressive.

A lot of people bought the Zulu UK version so that's probably why. I have both.

[Iamspartacus]

Really hoping Peyton Place gets announced soon as well as Panic Room. I believe both were rumored by TT.

[Herandar]

I thought Zardoz was down to like 600 copies?

[BixmanJ]

Sleepless in Seattle was one of those titles that I was surprised TT landed and wasn't more of a wide release. Same with As Good As It Gets (which sold out right before I even knew TT existed). There's some bluray releases I'm surprised even get an upgrade and there are others I'm surprised never have. I really want to know what different factors come into play for a studio's decision. I'm sure there are many and that they are weighed differently at different times.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Reddington

Noticed Zardoz has dropped off the list. Assume this is because, relatively speaking, there are more copies available than the new titles added?

Originally Posted by Herandar

I thought Zardoz was down to like 600 copies?

It has never gotten down that low. The first (and I think last) time TT mentioned the number of copies left for Zardoz, it was just under 1200 (out of 5000). That was also the time that Vampires was mentioned as being at about 1500. That was in January, posted here by CriterionBlues.

Vampires has since dropped considerably (now down to under 550) since then, but obviously Zardoz sales have stalled somewhat.

Generally speaking, a title doesn't hit the LQA list until it's under 600. I think they mentioned the 1000+ numbers for these two titles back in January because they were (at the time) selling briskly, and were both from 5000-copy press runs.

I was initially surprised that they chose to press 5000 copies of Zardoz, as I didn't think there would be that much of a cult following for it. But given that they've sold over 3800 copies in a little over a year, I suppose they made the right decision. If they went with the usual 3000 copies, it would've probably sold out by some time in the fall (if not the summer).

[RalphoR]

I don't see Judgment at Nuremberg, Sleepless in Seattle, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Thunderbirds, and In Like Flint selling out in a mad dash. They've been around for a while. But I do think First Men in the Moon will start to go really fast. I wouldn't wait on that title.

[klauswhereareyou]

Looks like quite a few good titles selling out. Glad I picked up most of them already! By the way congrats oildude: Twilight Time posted something on their Facebook page about the excellent job you've been doing with this thread.

[easydreamer]

Originally Posted by Page14

I watched Cat Ballou a couple of nights ago. Great movie. If you're a Lee Marvin fan, you already own it (or will soon enough). What a great role for him. I thought Jane Fonda was great too. (Sorry for all the "greats". It's the first word that pops into my head). And Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye's parts are like adding spice to an already good recipe.

But the main reason I'm posting this is because when going through the special features, I noticed there is a video feature produced by Twilight Time (Lee and Pamela: A Romance). I know they do their own exclusive audio-commentaries and isolated score tracks, but I don't recall ever seeing an exclusive video before. Is this a first? I hope they do more.

This featurette is detailed at the TT's own blog:

http://www.twilighttimemovies.com/ne...ela-with-love/

This was directed by Nick Redman, most likely created for the love of Lee Marvin.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by jayembee

I was initially surprised that they chose to press 5000 copies of Zardoz, as I didn't think there would be that much of a cult following for it. But given that they've sold over 3800 copies in a little over a year, I suppose they made the right decision. If they went with the usual 3000 copies, it would've probably sold out by some time in the fall (if not the summer).

Yeah I said at the time Zardoz ain't no beloved classic or horror hound token, it's a rough, niche movie. I'm surprised they have sold that much, let alone 5,000. They also have competition in Europe from Arrow Video.

[The Great Owl]

Last night, I watched my Twilight Time Blu-ray of Flaming Star.

Elvis Presley starred in roughly 30 films, but many of them were simply extended "music videos" or cinematic vehicles to promote his stardom. This 1960 western, however, features Elvis in a genuine honest-to-goodness character role as Pacer, a Texas cowboy whose life is thrown into turmoil during escalating tensions between settlers and native Americans, because he is the son of a white father and a native American mother. It's surreal to see Elvis as a tough-as-nails gunfighter who can also fist-fight with the best of them. Steve Forrest, who is best known for his role in the S.W.A.T. television show, is excellent as Pacer's half-brother who is thrown into the conflict as well, while Dolores del Rio shines in her role as the mother. Barbara Eden, whom we all know from I Dream Of Jeannie, also has a prominent role as a friend who is sympathetic to both brothers.

Flaming Star depicts an older America that is beset with difficult times, because increased polarization between races posed a hardship for those in the middle ground. Pacer and his family seem to represent such a middle ground as people who get along with those from both sides, so it's all the more sad to see them pulled apart as the story progresses.

The video presentation of this CinemaScope classic on Blu-ray is quite impressive, even if colors seem somewhat muted. The audio quality is near flawless.

The sleep monster caught me last night as I was listening to the commentary track, but I enjoyed the early part of the commentary where Nick Redman and Lem Dobbs discuss this movie in relation to Elvis Presley's cinematic career as a whole.

[eapfan69]

I concur, a good performance from Presley in a dramatic role and a decent movie. The success of Blue Hawaii soon after ensured no more such roles for him. I haven't watched my copy of it yet, or Follow That Dream (a respectable musical comedy from that period). As a young lad, Tom Petty's family took him to the filming location in Florida for Follow That Dream to get a glimpse of Presley. That's the point when he decided that his life's ambition was to be a rock star.

[HuggyBear73]

During the last Screenarchives sale, I had ordered both Woody Allen films...Love and Death and Broadway Danny Rose. Both came in a clear case. These titles weren't repressed, so does anyone know why they came in a clear case? Just curious.

[The Great Owl]

I just finished watching my Twilight Time Blu-ray of Garden of Evil.

Garden of Evil is one of the most beautiful-looking westerns ever made, and, if you do not own it, then you are doing a tremendous disservice to yourself and your collection. This is a sprawlingly scenic CinemaScope movie that benefits from wise use of matte paintings and sunlit vistas. A soaring Bernard Herrmann music score blends well with the colors and spaciousness of the widescreen images.

Three American adventurers, played by Gary Cooper (High Noon), Richard Widmark (Pickup on South Street), and Cameron Mitchell (Blood and Black Lace), stop by a Mexican village while on their way to California for the gold rush. Their plans change when the gorgeous Susan Hayward (Valley of the Dolls) recruits them, along with a Mexican tough guy, played by Víctor Manuel Mendoza (Cowboy), to rescue her husband, who is trapped in a gold mine in the "Garden of Evil", a beautiful remote area in hostile native American territory. These men and one woman are all driven by different motivations, and one of the joys of the film is watching how they all interact as they get to know one another better. When the husband, played by Hugh Marlowe (The Day the Earth Stood Still), turns out to be alive and capable of riding out, the story changes focus to observe the flight of these characters from the native American hunters.

This film takes jabs in present-day reviews for not delving farther into the greed angle that The Treasure of the Sierra Madre explored, but I rather appreciate the fact that the vibe of that bleak film is combined somewhat with the more adventure-matinee-esque feel of movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark. There's even a distinct "bros before hoes" moment that is a pleasant surprise. Early in the film, the sexy Rita Moreno (West Side Story) has a memorable cameo as a barroom singer.

This Twilight Time Blu-ray sports a great-looking transfer to my eyes, even if the audio presentation deservedly earns more acclaim. An informative set of short documentaries rounds out the title, along with another one of Twilight Time's good-natured and fact-filled commentary tracks.

Garden of Evil is a superb title. Hopefully, more of you will buy this one, spread the word, and help me get it to the 3,000 sell-out mark.

[Page14]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

<snip>

Garden of Evil is one of the most beautiful-looking westerns ever made, and, if you do not own it, then you are doing a tremendous disservice to yourself and your collection.

<snip>

Statements like that perk up the eyes. Will give it a look.