Twilight Time Discussion Thread

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by thatguamguy

It is kind of weird to have one company focusing on Woody Allen *and* Walter Hill. Can't wait till they get Crossroads.

Wish someone would release EXTREME PREJUDICE in U.S. I think Lionsgate has that, but they don't release much in terms of catalogue titles.

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I already own the Kino Blu-ray of The Birth of a Nation, but I would like to see how much the 2015 Photoplay restoration improves upon the presentation.

Quite a bit:

http://www.nitrateville.com/viewtopi...art=90#p162471

https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=81...47&i=0&l=0&a=0

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

I'm in for Geronimo: An American Legend and Hilda Crane.

I already own the Kino Blu-ray of The Birth of a Nation, but I would like to see how much the 2015 Photoplay restoration improves upon the presentation.

The Birth of a Nation is not exactly a movie that I am eager to pop in the player on a frequent basis, but I am interested in upgrading if the end result is more visually impressive on the upcoming Twilight Time disc.

Same here. It would never be a film I watch more than once if I bought it and I'm still really debating whether I want to buy it for film history. Looking at comparisons it does look clearer than the Kino version:

https://caps-a-holic.com/c.php?d1=8153&d2=7306&c=2934

[Michael24]

Just saw about TT's sale, so I finally grabbed Theatre of Blood for $14.95.

[koberulz]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

The Birth of a Nation is not exactly a movie that I am eager to pop in the player on a frequent basis, but I am interested in upgrading if the end result is more visually impressive on the upcoming Twilight Time disc.

I've never seen it, and I struggle with silent films so I look at the length of this one and doubt I'll handle it...but at the same time, I feel like I should.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by koberulz

I've never seen it, and I struggle with silent films so I look at the length of this one and doubt I'll handle it...but at the same time, I feel like I should.

The Birth of a Nation is an important film, and it has a place in my collection.

The movie, especially the second half, is hugely offensive and unpleasant to watch because of the way that blacks are portrayed. I was quite uncomfortable while watching it the first time around, and I still am.

That said, this film marks a point in time when motion pictures became a viable entertainment medium instead of simply being carnival tent exhibits. From a visual standpoint and technical standpoint, it's a brilliant and groundbreaking work.

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

The Birth of a Nation is an important film, and it has a place in my collection.

The movie, especially the second half, is hugely offensive and unpleasant to watch because of the way that blacks are portrayed. I was quite uncomfortable while watching it the first time around, and I still am.

That said, this film marks a point in time when motion pictures became a viable entertainment medium instead of simply being carnival tent exhibits. From a visual standpoint and technical standpoint, it's a brilliant and groundbreaking work.

The Birth of a Nation is an important movie but it’s basically a recruiting tool for the KKK. This is a movie that would greatly benefit from commentary tracks and other supplements to put it into historical and artistic context. I don’t picture TT doing that. I just think it’s an odd choice for them.

[Jobla]

I'm definitely in for NEXT STOP, GREENWICH VILLAGE. I'll have to research HILDA CRANE, as I'm completely unfamiliar with it.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by belcherman

The Birth of a Nation is an important movie but it’s basically a recruiting tool for the KKK. This is a movie that would greatly benefit from commentary tracks and other supplements to put it into historical and artistic context. I don’t picture TT doing that. I just think it’s an odd choice for them.

I think that it would be entertaining if Nick Redman, Julie Kirgo, and the usual Twilight Time commentary crowd, record a track for this one. I'd almost rather hear something like that for this feature than the usual dry historian commentary.

[StarDestroyer52]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

The Birth of a Nation is an important film, and it has a place in my collection.

The movie, especially the second half, is hugely offensive and unpleasant to watch because of the way that blacks are portrayed. I was quite uncomfortable while watching it the first time around, and I still am.

That said, this film marks a point in time when motion pictures became a viable entertainment medium instead of simply being carnival tent exhibits. From a visual standpoint and technical standpoint, it's a brilliant and groundbreaking work.

Ebert wrote a part in his review:

To understand "The Birth of a Nation" we must first understand the difference between what we bring to the film, and what the film brings to us. All serious moviegoers must sooner or later arrive at a point where they see a film for what it is, and not simply for what they feel about it. "The Birth of a Nation" is not a bad film because it argues for evil. Like Riefenstahl’s “The Triumph of the Will,” it is a great film that argues for evil. To understand how it does so is to learn a great deal about film, and even something about evil.

But it is possible to separate the content from the craft? Garry Wills observes that Griffith's film "raises the same questions that Leni Riefenstahl's films do, or Ezra Pound's poems. If art should serve beauty and truth, how can great art be in the thrall of hateful ideologies?"

The crucial assumption here is that art should serve beauty and truth. I would like to think it should, but there is art that serves neither, and yet provides an insight into human nature, helping us understand good and evil. In that case, "The Birth of a Nation" is worth considering, if only for the inescapable fact that it did more than any other work of art to dramatize and encourage racist attitudes in America. (The contemporary works that made the most useful statements against racism were “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and "Huckleberry Finn.")

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/g...-a-nation-1915

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by Michael24

Just saw about TT's sale, so I finally grabbed Theatre of Blood for $14.95.

that's a "must own" if you enjoy Vincent Price films!

[movieben1138]

I realize BIRTH OF A NATION is from a new restoration, but doesn't this kind of break one of TT's own guidelines? I thought they strictly weren't going to release films that had previously been released on blu in Region A. Only debuts.

[mja345]

I watched TT's excellent BD of "Pretty Poison" last night. Anthony Perkins plays a young man on parole from a mental institution who falls for a teen cheerleader, played by Tuesday Weld. Perkins initially thinks that Weld will be an innocent companion for his crimes, but it turns out that Weld is a complete psychopath who puts him to shame.

It's the type of biting, dark comedy that seldom gets made now, let alone gets made well. Anthony Perkins' deadpan performance reminds the viewer that he was a brilliant actor who unfortunately got a bit pigeonholed after Norman Bates. Tuesday Weld is fantastic in a role that transitions from innocence to malice very quickly and, although she's clearly far more mature that the character she's playing, she lends the role complete credibility.

It's a film that is still very relevant today in that those with malicious intent can be very relevant or even influential if they can pantomime even a strain of credibility or innocence. It foreshadows a shift in American culture and certainly is influenced by "Bonnie and Clyde", but the difference is that the man and woman are not equal in their psychosis, with the Perkins' character, comfortable with his level of insanity initially, attempting to play catch up. Oliver Stone likely took cues from films like this for his far more obvious, in-your-face "Natural Born Killers". Highly recommended

[Michael24]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

that's a "must own" if you enjoy Vincent Price films!

Oh yeah. I first started digging into Vincent Price movies only about 5-6 years ago and that was one of the first ones I happened to see, and I loved it. It's just completely bonkers!

[CV19]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

that's a "must own" if you enjoy Vincent Price films!

Originally Posted by Michael24

Oh yeah. I first started digging into Vincent Price movies only about 5-6 years ago and that was one of the first ones I happened to see, and I loved it. It's just completely bonkers!

A brilliant Vincent Price film. Here in the UK we have the Arrow release of this film, but if it wasn't for that, I'd have the TT version without any hesitation.

This film, plus the American International movie Comedy Of Terrors, shows how good an actor Price was where he can fit in perfectly in comedy roles as well as his more traditional parts as a horror villain.

[MJD64]

I really need to pick up Theatre of Blood, which is great fun and where it's obvious Price is having the time of his life. It's great to see Diana Rigg (still the best Bond girl ever) as well. I recently re-watched Price in one of his most effective and evil roles in Witchfinder General; the tension between director Michael Reeves and Price, though regrettable, did pay off in a great performance. I remain thankful I grabbed that first Shout/Scream volume of Vincent Price films before it went OOP...a sterling collection of some of Price's absolute best performances and movies beautifully represented on Blu!

[Doc Moonlight]

Originally Posted by CV19

A brilliant Vincent Price film. Here in the UK we have the Arrow release of this film, but if it wasn't for that, I'd have the TT version without any hesitation.

This film, plus the American International movie Comedy Of Terrors, shows how good an actor Price was where he can fit in perfectly in comedy roles as well as his more traditional parts as a horror villain.

Price delivers an hilarious comedic performance in CHAMPAGNE FOR CAESAR. The DVD is on sale for $9.99 at TT.

[Hoke Moseley]

Great news about Next Stop, Greenwich Village.

[CV19]

Originally Posted by Doc Moonlight

Price delivers an hilarious comedic performance in CHAMPAGNE FOR CAESAR. The DVD is on sale for $9.99 at TT.

Thank you for that.
It's one of those films I've heard of, but have never actually seen. I'm about to put in another TT order for some blu-rays shortly, so I'll add this title to that.

[CV19]

Originally Posted by Michael24

Oh yeah. I first started digging into Vincent Price movies only about 5-6 years ago and that was one of the first ones I happened to see, and I loved it. It's just completely bonkers!

Another film(s) from Vincent Price I haven't seen are the Dr. Goldfoot movies he made in the mid-60's, for example, Dr. Goldfoot And The Bikini Machine. I think he made possibly 3 in total, and they sound like comedies (with titles like that what else could they be), but I've no idea if they're any good or not.