Twilight Time Discussion Thread

[Page14]

The low quantity alert also spurred me into action sooner than I would have liked, but I would have picked up everything I ordered at some point anyway, so why not. Ordered from TT directly since they had the Ken Loach double-feature on sale and SAE didn't.

Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte
9 to 5
The Best of Everything
Garden of Evil
Titus
Riff Raff/Raining Stones

[benbess]

I got Hombre, Fate is the Hunter, The Prime of Miss Jean Brody, Breaking Away, and Titus.

And I recommend Conrack, a poignant and yet often inspiring story starring the very young Jon Voight. Fine picture quality, nice score by John Williams, excellent audio commentary by Paul Seydor and Nick Redman, and, as always, perceptive essay by Julie Kirgo. Very good direction by Martin Ritt (Hud, Hombre, Norma Rae, etc.). A bargain at $9.95 during this sale.

[spanky87]

Originally Posted by hariseldon

Send TT a message and try to cancel the order if it that big of a difference. It is odd that it's only $11 to ship to Canada. It's $10 to the US with std shipping (3-4 less with Media Mail).

It's been a very rare sale that TT has without a similar/equivalent SAE sale. SAE has several extra sales that TT doesn't participate or only maybe only partially.

Twilight Time canceled and refunded me no problem, and I ordered from SAE instead.

Yup, I'm surprised too, shipping was $10.85 for 4 titles to Canada via SAE. The $9 shipping difference from Twilight Time saved me $13 CAD which is pretty significant.

[JoeBuck]

Could only get one but scored me a copy of Where the Sidewalk Ends for $20 shipped, this is one happy camper right here!

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by spanky87

Yup, I'm surprised too, shipping was $10.85 for 4 titles to Canada via SAE. The $9 shipping difference from Twilight Time saved me $13 CAD which is pretty significant.

Well, for one TT uses First Class Package International Services and SAE states they won't refund lost shipments unless you select a traceable shipping method which begins at an additional $25 on top of the shipping cost.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by xxnomad

is fate is the hunter any good?

Yes. Fate is the Hunter was a blind buy for me three years ago based on its cast. I then let it sit on my shelf for months before actually watching it..... at the time I was flying a lot for work and wasn't keen on watching a movie about an aircraft accident....lol.



The story is the autopsy of an air crash. The special effects are good by the standards of the day. The opening sequence is frightening; what begins as a routine flight.... checking in the passengers, introducing the audience to pilot Jack Savage (played by Rod Taylor, The Time Machine) and the flight crew, as well as the manager of flight operations Sam McBane (played by Glenn Ford)...... ends in terror as the pilot struggles to land the plane after a series of mechanical problems knock out both engines. The opening credits blaze onto the screen moments later, and the effect is electrifying. The story then becomes an investigation of what happened. The airline and news media want to blame Savage when it begins to look like mechanical problems may not have been the cause of the crash. Ford's character is Savage's buddy from when they flew transport aircraft together in the Army Air Corps during WWII and works to piece together enough evidence to save the reputation of his friend.

The cinematography is superb, displaying that luscious black and white Cinemascope picture quality that I really enjoy watching. With its well written dialogue and frequently hard-hitting scenes, Fate is the Hunter is part melodrama and part cinema verite that draws the viewer in and doesn't let go. Flashback sequences are effective and serve the purpose of establishing connections between the different characters. The script and staging are intelligent, implying much even when showing us the periphery. There is a lot to be said for the emotional impact of a child's broken doll found at the site of the crash by a desperate mother. It is a brief scene, but is as devastating as anything ever put on film.

Some may find elements of the story quaint by today's standards. This is an early 60s film and should be taken on its own merits. I found the events to be compelling and the mystery believable. Many of the safety aspects of commercial aircraft we take for granted today only exist because of events portrayed in this film. In the early 1960s, passenger air travel was still a work in progress in terms of safety systems and advances toward more automated flight controls. I get a real kick out of watching these old films with their "Pan-Am" look to air travel, pretty air hostesses, pilots who were invariably veterans of WWII and Korea, and passengers who actually dressed up to board an airplane as if flying was a special event deserving a bit of style and elegance. Even walking across the tarmac from the terminal to board a flight using rollaway staircases is somehow much more inviting than using a modern jetway.

Fate is the Hunter is a who's-who of early 60s stars, including in supporting roles Jane Russell (as herself), Constance Towers (star of Samuel Fuller's The Naked Kiss and Shock Corridor), and the wonderful Suzanne Pleshette. Pleshette is particularly good as a stewardess suffering from physical and mental trauma from her ordeal aboard the fated aircraft. Nancy Kwan is also memorable and gives an endearing performance that makes it easy to understand the feelings Taylor's character develops for her. She gives Ford a perspective on fate - as an entity in our lives - that provides comfort to them both, although Ford with his focus on facts and numbers is at first reluctant to accept such a concept.

And it is Kwan who is the subject of the other main reason to get this Blu-ray: the heartfelt documentary To Whom it May Concern: Ka Shen's Journey, included as an extra. This is a really well done docu-film. At almost two hours, it is a tour of Hong Kong and Hollywood from the past seventy years, told through the interesting life of Nancy Kwan, beginning with her parents (her mother was a beautiful blond Scottish model and her father a Hong Kong businessman), the Japanese invasion that affected her childhood, and her personal triumphs to become a ballet dancer and actress. Considering you also get a great commentary with Kwan and Nick Redman, I rate Fate is the Hunter as outstanding and one of the most shelf-worthy and value-packed releases from Twilight Time.

[Blu_Beard]

Originally Posted by oildude

Yes. Fate is the Hunter was a blind buy for me three years ago based on its cast. I then let it sit on my shelf for months before actually watching it..... at the time I was flying a lot for work and wasn't keen on watching a movie about an aircraft accident....lol.

I admit this is one of my un-watched Twilights, too. I really love Glenn Ford, which was the main reason I purchased it, but I wasn't aware Constance Towers was in this. You've definitely triggered a viewing soon. After I finish both commentaries on House of Bamboo tonight...

[gates70]

Originally Posted by spanky87

Twilight Time canceled and refunded me no problem, and I ordered from SAE instead.

Yup, I'm surprised too, shipping was $10.85 for 4 titles to Canada via SAE. The $9 shipping difference from Twilight Time saved me $13 CAD which is pretty significant.

Ya $10.85 is a great price for shipping from there. I just ordered 4 as well. Expensive but still worth it for me.

FATE IS THE HUNTER
HOW TO STEAL A MILLION
THE BOSTON STRANGLER
RAPTURE

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by oildude

Yes. Fate is the Hunter was a blind buy for me three years ago based on its cast. I then let it sit on my shelf for months before actually watching it..... at the time I was flying a lot for work and wasn't keen on watching a movie about an aircraft accident....lol.

[Show spoiler]The story is the autopsy of an air crash. The special effects are good by the standards of the day. The opening sequence is frightening; what begins as a routine flight.... checking in the passengers, introducing the audience to pilot Jack Savage (played by Rod Taylor, The Time Machine) and the flight crew, as well as the manager of flight operations Sam McBane (played by Glenn Ford)...... ends in terror as the pilot struggles to land the plane after a series of mechanical problems knock out both engines. The opening credits blaze onto the screen moments later, and the effect is electrifying. The story then becomes an investigation of what happened. The airline and news media want to blame Savage when it begins to look like mechanical problems may not have been the cause of the crash. Ford's character is Savage's buddy from when they flew transport aircraft together in the Army Air Corps during WWII and works to piece together enough evidence to save the reputation of his friend.

The cinematography is superb, displaying that luscious black and white Cinemascope picture quality that I really enjoy watching. With its well written dialogue and frequently hard-hitting scenes, Fate is the Hunter is part melodrama and part cinema verite that draws the viewer in and doesn't let go. Flashback sequences are effective and serve the purpose of establishing connections between the different characters. The script and staging are intelligent, implying much even when showing us the periphery. There is a lot to be said for the emotional impact of a child's broken doll found at the site of the crash by a desperate mother. It is a brief scene, but is as devastating as anything ever put on film.

Some may find elements of the story quaint by today's standards. This is an early 60s film and should be taken on its own merits. I found the events to be compelling and the mystery believable. Many of the safety aspects of commercial aircraft we take for granted today only exist because of events portrayed in this film. In the early 1960s, passenger air travel was still a work in progress in terms of safety systems and advances toward more automated flight controls. I get a real kick out of watching these old films with their "Pan-Am" look to air travel, pretty air hostesses, pilots who were invariably veterans of WWII and Korea, and passengers who actually dressed up to board an airplane as if flying was a special event deserving a bit of style and elegance. Even walking across the tarmac from the terminal to board a flight using rollaway staircases is somehow much more inviting than using a modern jetway.

Fate is the Hunter is a who's-who of early 60s stars, including in supporting roles Jane Russell (as herself), Constance Towers (star of Samuel Fuller's The Naked Kiss and Shock Corridor), and the wonderful Suzanne Pleshette. Pleshette is particularly good as a stewardess suffering from physical and mental trauma from her ordeal aboard the fated aircraft. Nancy Kwan is also memorable and gives an endearing performance that makes it easy to understand the feelings Taylor's character develops for her. She gives Ford a perspective on fate - as an entity in our lives - that provides comfort to them both, although Ford with his focus on facts and numbers is at first reluctant to accept such a concept.

And it is Kwan who is the subject of the other main reason to get this Blu-ray: the heartfelt documentary To Whom it May Concern: Ka Shen's Journey, included as an extra. This is a really well done docu-film. At almost two hours, it is a tour of Hong Kong and Hollywood from the past seventy years, told through the interesting life of Nancy Kwan, beginning with her parents (her mother was a beautiful blond Scottish model and her father a Hong Kong businessman), the Japanese invasion that affected her childhood, and her personal triumphs to become a ballet dancer and actress. Considering you also get a great commentary with Kwan and Nick Redman, I rate Fate is the Hunter as outstanding and one of the most shelf-worthy and value-packed releases from Twilight Time.

Thanks! I always get this and No Highway In the Sky mixed up. A great double feature as long as you have no immediate plans to fly.

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by hoytereden

[/SPOILER]

Thanks! I always get this and No Highway In the Sky mixed up. A great double feature as long as you have no immediate plans to fly.

By sheer coincidence, I watched No Highway in the Sky last night for the first time, and enjoyed it. Hard to sum it up; an intelligent drama, with a dash of domestic melodrama for good measure. A very British film, graced by the superstar presence of James Stewart, and Marlene Dietrich. Particularly enjoyed the extensive scenes in the cabin of the "Reindeer" plane.

Embarrassed to say my blind-buy copy of Fate is the Hunter has sat on the shelf for a while, but definitely a priority now.

[welcometothepartypal]

Originally Posted by spanky87

Twilight Time canceled and refunded me no problem, and I ordered from SAE instead.

How long did it take for them to refund you? I had to cancel an order because they had an old address. Just waiting to get refunded before I re-order.

[spanky87]

Originally Posted by welcometothepartypal

How long did it take for them to refund you? I had to cancel an order because they had an old address. Just waiting to get refunded before I re-order.

I sent TT a message early yesterday morning, they cancelled and refunded later in the evening. I paid using my bank card via PayPal though, and the confirmation email from PP said it may take 6-8 days to receive the refund in my account.

[welcometothepartypal]

Originally Posted by spanky87

I sent TT a message early yesterday morning, they cancelled and refunded later in the evening. I paid using my bank card via PayPal though, and the confirmation email from PP said it may take 6-8 days to receive the refund in my account.

Ok, I paid the same way but it's been 24hrs and I've heard nothing from TT after they confirmed cancellation. Nothing has changed in my paypal either. I'll wait a bit and contact them again. Thanks for your response.

[PowellPressburger]

Originally Posted by JoeBuck

Could only get one but scored me a copy of Where the Sidewalk Ends for $20 shipped, this is one happy camper right here!

The movie is great and the commentary from Eddie Muller is a great bonus!

I try to get all the Noir films I can.

[spawningblue]

Originally Posted by rdodolak

Well, for one TT uses First Class Package International Services and SAE states they won't refund lost shipments unless you select a traceable shipping method which begins at an additional $25 on top of the shipping cost.

Does anyone know if VISA or Mastercard would still cover the order if it was lost, if SAE wouldn't?

[drb124]

Is anyone else having problems with the Twilight Time site? It only shows the Priority mail option rather than First Class, even for just one title.

[theater dreamer]

Yes, I just noticed the same thing. Shipping was going to be over $9. I went to the SAE site, and ordered there using media mail. Shipping price was cut in half.

I grabbed Anastasia and Where the Sidewalk Ends. If I've ever had mail coming with two more beautiful ladies, I can't recall. Ingrid Bergman and Gene Tierney! I love Otto Preminger's work, so seeing Sidewalk for the first time will be a treat.

Originally Posted by drb124

Is anyone else having problems with the Twilight Time site? It only shows the Priority mail option rather than First Class, even for just one title.

[Page14]

Originally Posted by drb124

Is anyone else having problems with the Twilight Time site? It only shows the Priority mail option rather than First Class, even for just one title.

I thought that when I had 4 titles in my cart yesterday, both options were available. But when I had 5 or more titles, only the Priority mail option was available. I figured it was due to the number of titles in the cart.

[drb124]

Originally Posted by Page14

I thought that when I had 4 titles in my cart yesterday, both options were available. But when I had 5 or more titles, only the Priority mail option was available. I figured it was due to the number of titles in the cart.

Yeah that was how it worked yesterday for me too. But when I went back today, it was priority only. Odd.

[GumballRally]

Anyone nab How to Succeed in Business....have an opinion on it? Thanks.