Twilight Time Discussion Thread

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by Professor Echo

I can understand lost packages, though I don’t see that as a regular occurrence, but what I don’t understand from your post above is that you state their packing is remarkably state of the art safe and secure and, at least for you, utterly foolproof for eight years. Yet they claim so many people are complaining about damaged shipments? Seems like a contradiction to me.

I suspect that the contradiction has more to do with differing ideas of what constitutes "damage". A crack in a case, or a scrunched booklet, or a broken "finger" in a hub, to me are at worst disappointments. They're not worth the effort or energy to get into a disagreement over.

To someone else, they might cause apoplexy. Reading forums of various subjects over the past 35 years has shown me that there are a class of people who go ballistic if they think the contents don't live up to their idea of perfection.

[johnpaul2]

Originally Posted by jayembee

To someone else, they might cause apoplexy. Reading forums of various subjects over the past 35 years has shown me that there are a class of people who go ballistic if they think the contents don't live up to their idea of perfection.

I think the issue is that when the market moved more and more towards online purchasing, people expected they'd still be able to get their products perfectly reaching their homes.
It's a legitimate expectation, but it seemingly didn't occur to some that, in practice, it's unlikely to be the case, and that the practicity of being able to order stuff online and receive them at home instead of having to go the store was coming with shortcomings such as... postal issues like slightly damaged goods.

I don't blame people for believing extra practicity would come at no price, but it just so happens it's very rarely the case.
And yet, I probably bought over 2000 BDs only, including many imports, and I only had to ask for replacements many a couple of times. I had a few lost shipments, but never from US imports. And even slightly broken cases are rare to me. So maybe I'm lucky, or maybe some people are really too picky.

[FragnitoM]

Originally Posted by MovieDood

TT ships all their orders in cardboard boxes. I never have an issue with their packaging.

Me either. I wish criterion packaged their orders the same way

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by johnpaul2

I think the issue is that when the market moved more and more towards online purchasing, people expected they'd still be able to get their products perfectly reaching their homes.
It's a legitimate expectation, but it seemingly didn't occur to some that, in practice, it's unlikely to be the case,

[Show spoiler]and that the practicity of being able to order stuff online and receive them at home instead of having to go the store was coming with shortcomings such as... postal issues like slightly damaged goods.

I don't blame people for believing extra practicity would come at no price, but it just so happens it's very rarely the case.
And yet, I probably bought over 2000 BDs only, including many imports, and I only had to ask for replacements many a couple of times. I had a few lost shipments, but never from US imports. And even slightly broken cases are rare to me. So maybe I'm lucky, or maybe some people are really too picky.

I also think one of the issues is that Amazon used to package items much more carefully, thereby creating an expectation that it could not maintain due to its exponential growth.

I've ordered films and music from all over the world, but the only replacements/refunds I think I've had to request have been for Amazon shipments. That doesn't mean that other vendors all package particularly well, just that Amazon seems to now have a business model that anticipates a certain amount of damage - which one can only assume is more cost-effective than using better packaging materials/methods.

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by FragnitoM

Me either. I wish criterion packaged their orders the same way

When I’ve ordered from Criterion direct I’ve only gotten Criterion’s in cardboard box with an air pack.

[FragnitoM]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

When I’ve ordered from Criterion direct I’ve only gotten Criterion’s in cardboard box with an air pack.

Lucky you. Mine get mailed in those tight brown cardboard envelopes. Had 3 discs in this past flash sale and 2 cases were damaged. 2 others orders from previous flash sales were damaged as well.

Thankfully they replace anything damaged

[Page14]

Originally Posted by Gacivory

When I’ve ordered from Criterion direct I’ve only gotten Criterion’s in cardboard box with an air pack.

For what it's worth, I made 2 separate orders during the last flash sale. The first order was 3 titles and came in a cardboard envelope. The second order was 4 titles and came in a cardboard box. Both came in pristine shape.

EDIT: Oops, forgot that this is the Twilight Time thread for a little bit ... talking about Criterion and all.

[FragnitoM]

Originally Posted by Page14

For what it's worth, I made 2 separate orders during the last flash sale. The first order was 3 titles and came in a cardboard envelope. The second order was 4 titles and came in a cardboard box. Both came in pristine shape.

EDIT: Oops, forgot that this is the Twilight Time thread for a little bit ... talking about Criterion and all.

Maybe they only do boxes for 4 or more. I usually do 3 to get free shipping.

Twilight I’ve gotten a box with only 1

[darkness2918]

Originally Posted by MovieDood

TT ships all their orders in cardboard boxes. I never have an issue with their packaging.

Yep. I ordered only 1 movie, Rapid Fire, & it came in a box.

[SeanJoyce]

Gotta say, Lawman looks and sounds rough. Good western, but "ew" presentation. I curse MGM for the way they've handled their filmic properties over the years.

[johnpaul2]

Originally Posted by Reddington

I also think one of the issues is that Amazon used to package items much more carefully, thereby creating an expectation that it could not maintain due to its exponential growth.

I'm not sure if not maintained due to its exponential growth or from the fact that once the competition was reduced to bits, the standard could be lowered.
Also, one could theorize that the exponential growth shouldn't prevent items being packaged more carefully, maybe at a cost of a oh so slightly longer delivery time or shipping costs, but I guess people chose with their wallets what their priority was.

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by Cooper67

Kino insider,

[Show spoiler]I made a pre-order for Blu beards Eight wife along with Bend of the River and The Good Fairy all for the normal sale price. Then the sale happened and Bend of the River and The Good Fairy went way down in price. Since the sale ends today I need to know if the sale price will remain on the order until they are shipped on the 31st or if they will go back up to regular sale price before shipping. I have other titles ordered that this happened as well on another pre-order. I tried to cancel the orders and re-order all the sale titles on the same order so that they could ship out when the sale was still going on but it wouldn't let me cancel the one order on line so I kept it all as it is.

This is the TT thread...

[amputd]

Originally Posted by exzachary

There's a clown currently selling The Killer Elite (more than 9 available), Gun Fury (more than 10 available) and Miss Sadie Thompson (more than 10 available) on eBay for $999.99 each. You would think he'd give you free shipping, but no, it'll cost you $4.70.

Wow, that’s a deal breaker for sure

[SlamDawg78]

Scored a copy of Devil in a Blue Dress off eBay.

Disappointed that the transfer is so soft in comparison to the Amazon streaming version.

Carl Franklin's commentary track may be the dullest I've ever heard, it could probably be used for ASMR.

Fun Fact: Franklin was the director of the incredibly low budget Full Fathom Five a 1990 mockbuster rip-off of The Hunt for Red October that starred Michael Moriarty as a sub commander taking on Panamanian terrorists.

[andantelise]

Went with:

[DrBabylon]

I have a soft spot for The True Story of Jesse James, flaws and all. Curious to know if the Return of Frank James is any good

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by DrBabylon

I have a soft spot for The True Story of Jesse James, flaws and all. Curious to know if the Return of Frank James is any good

It's a Fritz Lang western starring Henry Fonda and Gene Tierney.

What's not to like?

[thatguamguy]

Originally Posted by DrBabylon

I have a soft spot for The True Story of Jesse James, flaws and all. Curious to know if the Return of Frank James is any good

At the risk of telling you something you already know, Fritz Lang's "Return of Frank James" (1940) is a sequel to Henry King's "Jesse James" (1939), not to Nicholas Ray's "The True Story of Jesse James" (1957). I'm worried the cover designs gave you an incorrect impression about that.

[Dailyan]

Originally Posted by DrBabylon

I have a soft spot for The True Story of Jesse James, flaws and all.

The opening sequence is damn good. To me, the whole film just reeks of contractual obligation (which it was for Ray) but I wouldn't of minded that if Wagner wasn't such a dull Jesse James.

[DrBabylon]

Originally Posted by thatguamguy

At the risk of telling you something you already know, Fritz Lang's "Return of Frank James" (1940) is a sequel to Henry King's "Jesse James" (1939), not to Nicholas Ray's "The True Story of Jesse James" (1957). I'm worried the cover designs gave you an incorrect impression about that.

Ah, thanks for that. Should have looked into it more, but yeah the identical title fonts and whatnot did give me that impression. But I have to say the thought of a Fritz Lang western now has me far more interested.