Twilight Time Discussion Thread

[cakefactory]

Nothing sells out quickly anymore now that there are regular sales. There's nothing to worry about. Unless they release True Lies or something.

[RalphoR]

How things have changed so quickly. It used to be so exciting putting in our orders the second the titles became available. Watching the SAE site go down because we hammered them with orders. Now it has lost most of its luster although I'm still just as happy to get the titles I want. Nothing for me this go around but happy purchasing to those who are getting their flicks.

[Rodney-2187]

Love that Tony Rome cover!

[78deluxe]

Originally Posted by HitchcockLang

I can confirm that my copy of Love and Death came in a blue case.

Same here and I bought it within the last month.

[Reddington]

Pre-order in for Tony Rome / Lady in Cement.

[t_rav]

Ordered Hardcore, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia and Theatre of Blood. Can't wait!

I set the calendar on my phone to remind me so I could order right when pre-orders went up. This addiction of mine is getting ridiculous. I'll be homeless, but with a kick-ass blu-ray collection!

[Hellraiserfan]

Pre-ordered Theater of Blood.

I completely forgot I still had The Dogs of War in my shopping cart at ScreenArchives. I'll hold off on that one for now.

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by RalphoR

How things have changed so quickly. It used to be so exciting putting in our orders the second the titles became available. Watching the SAE site go down because we hammered them with orders. Now it has lost most of its luster although I'm still just as happy to get the titles I want. Nothing for me this go around but happy purchasing to those who are getting their flicks.

Things have improved now that the signed promos are not on the same day as the pre-orders. People are also realizing that except for some rare titles, which are obvious well in advance, these releases aren't going to sell out any time soon so there's no need to rush to get your order in as soon as 4:00 EST rolls around or fear losing out.

[goathunter]

EDIT: Never mind. I had forgotten that I paid via PayPal.

[balthazar_bee]

This is going way back, but I finally bought and watched Swamp Water, based largely on recommendations in this thread, and it was just terrific. I don't know what I was expecting, but I was quite impressed.

[oildude]

I am a big fan of Swamp Water. On the surface it is Southern Gothic melodrama that could have leaped off the pages of William Faulkner. Scratch a little deeper and, like the worlds of Faulkner, there is a swirl of themes regarding primitivism, the natural world, man's capacity for evil, and the heart in conflict with itself, all gathered up in the hands of master director Jean Renoir. This was my first Renoir film, a blind buy when it was released by TT, and spurred me to seek out other Renoir works on blu-ray. The remarkable elements in the film include the portrayal of the forbidding and dangerous swamp, as much alive and a driving force in the drama as the main characters themselves.

For those who have not seen Swamp Water, the cross and skull pictured on the Blu-ray cover art is a navigation marker used by the locals to warn them that going past that point deeper into the swamp meant you stood very little chance of finding your way back out. It also serves as an effective metaphor for character transformations in the film. The story centers around a community scratching out a living on the edge of a large inscrutable swamp, a dark "other" in the lives of its inhabitants, and of one individual who dares to venture past the warning marker into the depths in search of his missing dog. What he encounters there changes his life.

Starring one of my favorite classic actors, Dana Andrews, Swamp Water features memorable performances, rich atmospheric cinematography, a well written script, and a keen outsider's eye from Renoir that respectfully records the social structures of a simple backwoods people. Filling the screen with subtle allegory and metaphors that connect the film to his earlier humanistic observations of European society, including the importance of hunting as a binding tie between village families, Renoir shows us that the swamp folk share universal bonds with the world at large. To casually dismiss them for their primitive condition relative to modern 1940s society is to turn the mirror of ignorance back on ourselves. This was Renoir's first film made in the U.S. after relocating from his native France, which was then under German occupation. At a time when the rest of the world was tearing itself apart, the life portrayed in Swamp Water seems the most profoundly intelligent choice of all.

The cinematography on this one is simply gorgeous, with amazing depth of field that pulls the viewer into the watery labyrinths of the Okefenokee Swamp, where exteriors were filmed. You can practically smell the decaying plant life and hear the buzz of the mosquitoes, all in gloriously moody black and white. The Blu-ray PQ is stunning.

Swamp Water falls into that early wave of lost-in-the-vault titles released by Twilight Time that led me to take a closer look at their output and love what I was finding. Following closely on their previous release of Rapture, in bringing us Swamp Water TT pulled another lovely but forgotten rabbit out of the Hollywood hat, one that deserves to be rediscovered for the fine film it is.

[schlock]

Agreed on SWAMP WATER. Blind bought it (finally) during their last sale and watched it a few weeks ago. I was totally taken aback at how good it was. Highly recommended.

[RalphoR]

Swamp Water has one of my favorite Twilight Time covers (even though I don't own it).

[hoytereden]

I'm also a fan of Renoir's Hollywood era's The Southerner and even what are considered his lesser efforts like This Land is Mine and Woman On the Beach I like quite a bit.

[The Great Owl]

Last night, I watched my Twilight Time Blu-ray of Major Dundee.

Major Dundee may be my favorite Sam Peckinpah film that I've seen to date, although I've seen several of his other films that are more highly acclaimed, namely The Wild Bunch, Straw Dogs, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, Convoy, and The Osterman Weekend. I'll have to experience this movie more than once before I make that call for good, but I'll say right off the bat that, in my eyes, this is his most fast-paced and character-rich film.

Charlton Heston plays the title character, Major Amos Charles Dundee, who leads a mixed group of soldiers and prisoners into Mexico to pursue a band of Apaches who have committed brutal massacres in Texas. Dundee's motley crew consists of Union troops, freed Confederate prisoners, African-American troops, ragtag civilians, and native American scouts. It goes without saying that Dundee has a tough enough time keeping these diverse groups focused so that they will not kill one another, and one of the joys of the movie lies in observing how these people come to work together as they venture through hostile territory in pursuit of the Apaches and in flight of the French Army. Richard Harris has a great supporting role as a Confederate captain who was friends with Dundee during their early days in the military before politics and circumstances made them enemies. James Coburn plays a gritty outdoorsman who is in charge of the scouting team. The beautiful Senta Berger plays a woman whose undeniably sensual presence at at Mexican village exacerbates existing tensions between the men. Warren Oates and Ben Johnson also appear in prominent supporting roles. My favorite character, however, is a tough-as-nails minister played by R.G. Armstrong.

Major Dundee was filmed in CinemaScope, and it features some breathtaking widescreen photography of beautiful location scenery. I watched an Extended Version of this movie that restores nearly 15 minutes to the theatrical cut for narrative clarity, but the film still flew by at a lightning pace.

I'll get around to watching the Theatrical Version one of these days, but I find the Extended Version to be a thing of beauty.

This Twilight Time Blu-ray sports superb picture quality, even if most of us are curious to see what a new restoration might bring to the table (I'm not holding my breath for that.). The audio presentation is quite marvelous, and I even had to turn down the volume toward the end during the gunfights.

The audio commentary track is fast-paced and fun, as are most of these tracks that feature Nick Redman.

[RalphoR]

Just received an email from SAE regarding a limited signed edition of Haunting of Morella bd promotion. Didn't know they did signed copies of anything but TT discs. Goes live 8/2 @ 4pm eastern time fyi to those who are interested.

[jmclick]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Last night, I watched my Twilight Time Blu-ray of Major Dundee.

Major Dundee may be my favorite Sam Peckinpah film that I've seen to date, although I've seen several of his other films that are more highly acclaimed, namely The Wild Bunch, Straw Dogs, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, Convoy, and The Osterman Weekend.

[Show spoiler]I'll have to experience this movie more than once before I make that call for good, but I'll say right off the bat that, in my eyes, this is his most fast-paced and character-rich film.

Charlton Heston plays the title character, Major Amos Charles Dundee, who leads a mixed group of soldiers and prisoners into Mexico to pursue a band of Apaches who have committed brutal massacres in Texas. Dundee's motley crew consists of Union troops, freed Confederate prisoners, African-American troops, ragtag civilians, and native American scouts. It goes without saying that Dundee has a tough enough time keeping these diverse groups focused so that they will not kill one another, and one of the joys of the movie lies in observing how these people come to work together as they venture through hostile territory in pursuit of the Apaches and in flight of the French Army. Richard Harris has a great supporting role as a Confederate captain who was friends with Dundee during their early days in the military before politics and circumstances made them enemies. James Coburn plays a gritty outdoorsman who is in charge of the scouting team. The beautiful Senta Berger plays a woman whose undeniably sensual presence at at Mexican village exacerbates existing tensions between the men. Warren Oates and Ben Johnson also appear in prominent supporting roles. My favorite character, however, is a tough-as-nails minister played by R.G. Armstrong.

Major Dundee was filmed in CinemaScope, and it features some breathtaking widescreen photography of beautiful location scenery. I watched an Extended Version of this movie that restores nearly 15 minutes to the theatrical cut for narrative clarity, but the film still flew by at a lightning pace.

I'll get around to watching the Theatrical Version one of these days, but I find the Extended Version to be a thing of beauty.

This Twilight Time Blu-ray sports superb picture quality, even if most of us are curious to see what a new restoration might bring to the table (I'm not holding my breath for that.). The audio presentation is quite marvelous, and I even had to turn down the volume toward the end during the gunfights.

The audio commentary track is fast-paced and fun, as are most of these tracks that feature Nick Redman.

Thanks for the wonderful write-up regarding Major Dundee. I bought a copy for myself recently, and you've made me want to open it and watch it.

I have to ask, however, have you seen Peckinpah's Ride the High Country yet? It's one of my all-time favorite films, and if you think that Major Dundee is a better film, then I really have a treat in store!

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by jmclick

I have to ask, however, have you seen Peckinpah's Ride the High Country yet? It's one of my all-time favorite films, and if you think that Major Dundee is a better film, then I really have a treat in store!

To my discredit, I have not seen Ride the High Country yet. Thanks for the recommendation! I'll have to add it to my list.

I'm going to take a break from the western genre after tonight, though, since I purposely dedicated the past month to watching westerns in my still-unwatched Blu-ray stack. After I watch Bite the Bullet tonight, I'll be caught up with all of my westerns. I've had a great movie month, though, because these westerns have been a blast.

[tisdivine]

Saw Diana Ross in concert tonight and as I was rocking out with the packed house I kept thinking why are Lady Sings The Blues & Mahogany not out on blu yet? Even if these wouldn't be huge sellers I would think TT could move a few thousand units esp of Lady.

What are the chances? Wishful thinking, slight possibility or could actually happen lol

[The Great Owl]

Last night, I watched my Twilight Time Blu-ray of Bite the Bullet.

This is one of the unsung gems of the Twilight Time catalog, in my opinion.

Bite the Bullet, which is based on an actual event, tells the story of a 700-mile horse race across the American West in 1906, and of the disparate group of participants and their reasons for being in the race. Gene Hackman and James Coburn play seasoned veterans of the Rough Riders (1st United States Volunteer Cavalry) who balance their longtime friendship with a spirited rivalry as they compete in the race for different purposes. The beautiful Candice Bergen plays an ex-prostitute who has joined the race so that she can use the prize money to help her husband. Jan-Michael Vincent plays a tough kid whose ego gets ahead of his capabilities at every turn. Ben Johnson, who is one of my favorite supporting actors of the western genre, plays an aging cowboy who wants recognition from winning. Ian Bannen plays an Englishman who competes just for the sport. Mario Arteaga plays a tough-as-nails Mexican who struggles with a toothache during the event. Dabney Coleman plays a wealthy contender with a championship horse that seems guaranteed to get him across the finish line before the others.

During its action-packed run time, Bite the Bullet ponders animal cruelty, racism, camaraderie and sportsmanship, and even the mythology of the Old West heroes. Each of the main actors get their share of pivotal scenes, and the fun of the movie lies in observing how the clashing personalities come together in times of distress.

Since I am an ultrarunner, I became immersed in this movie because of the endurance aspect of the story. Back in 2012, I finished a 100-mile race and, as such, qualified to compete in the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, which is a pinnacle event in our sport (Sadly, my lottery number for the event was not drawn.). The Western States race had its origins as a 100-mile horse race, but one participant completed the course on foot after his horse experienced an injury. Most don't realize this, but people can actually complete long distances faster than horses, because our physiques enable us to undergo such exertion in a more biologically efficient manner. I thought about this several times while watching Bite the Bullet, since the movie pulls no punches with regard to the toll that this race takes on the horses themselves.

Bite the Bullet also reminded me of a great book, Flanagan's Run by Tom McNab, which is about a trans-American foot race where many runners compete to finish the distance for a huge cash prize. The stories have many parallels, mainly with regard to the reasoning of each participant for being in the event, and with regard to the outcome (without revealing spoilers).

This Twilight Time Blu-ray looks beautiful in terms of technical presentation, and it sounds great.