Twilight Time Discussion Thread

[theater dreamer]

It’s high, but I keep finding more and more films from Twilight Time that I really want, so many of them I’ve only recently discovered.

My latest buys are an early career dramatic performance from Marilyn Monroe (opposite Richard Widmark) Don’t Bother to Knock, and my just-placed purchase, Leslie Caron’s The L-Shaped Room, which offered her a real opportunity to stretch her dramatic legs; she won another BAFTA, a Golden Globe, and earned her second Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.

The last four titles I’ve bought from SAE, the above mentioned two, plus I Want to Live and Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? cost about $105 in total. But I’m thrilled to have each one, and I sincerely hope Twilight Time gets back to putting out additional releases. They find some truly fantastic, if lesser-known gems.

I keep hearing how physical media’s death rattle is imminent. I’m just not experiencing that reality, myself. I’m having so much fun with my film collection, it’s unreal.

Originally Posted by klauswhereareyou

I don't mind the price of the discs, but I find the shipping too expensive from Screen Archives.

[jkoffman]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

I sincerely hope Twilight Time gets back to putting out additional releases. They find some truly fantastic, if lesser-known gems.

There was a lot of discussion in this thread when TT went out of business and then SA bought what was left. The studio contracts did not appear to carry over to SA, and the 5 titles that they released in the last year were likely deals already in the works at TT. They haven't released anything new since July 2021. There's no reason to expect a huge change with SA, unless they have a going-out-print sale as well.

[koberulz]

You'd think, if that was the case, they wouldn't have made such a big splash of the "TT is back" announcement.

[jkoffman]

Originally Posted by koberulz

You'd think, if that was the case, they wouldn't have made such a big splash of the "TT is back" announcement.

I'm not sure what qualifies as a "big splash", but why wouldn't they hype themselves as much as possible? It doesn't mean they will be successful though. I think this was the "we're back" post, from Dec. 2020. Again, since then, they've only released 5 titles, and 0 in the last 7 months. I imagine they might have had rookie ideas about being able to continue various contracts, as others swooped in and picked up new ones left and right. The proof will be when they actually continue releasing anything of note and with any regularity. Their comment under that same Dec. 2020 announcement:
Screen Shot 2022-02-27 at 11.01.31 AM.jpg

[DukeTogo84]

I actually thought that Screen Archives started off strong, but it's been radio silence too quickly. Selling their products only on their website with not a lot of promotion probably didn't help move a ton of product.

[koberulz]

Originally Posted by jkoffman

I'm not sure what qualifies as a "big splash", but why wouldn't they hype themselves as much as possible?

Because people assumed it meant "we'll be releasing more things going forward", and not "we'll be releasing a movie and then going back to doing nothing."

[jkoffman]

Originally Posted by koberulz

Because people assumed it meant "we'll be releasing more things going forward", and not "we'll be releasing a movie and then going back to doing nothing."

I guess people were wrong to assume.

[JasonMichael]

Originally Posted by koberulz

Because people assumed it meant "we'll be releasing more things going forward", and not "we'll be releasing a movie and then going back to doing nothing."

Originally Posted by jkoffman

I guess people were wrong to assume.

Yes, and it could have turned out that sales were not what they hoped and they decided not to continue the line, or at least slow it down. Starting a new side of a business is not always easy or successful.

[MifuneFan]

I think pretty much everything that can be said about the difficulty in licensing and producing new titles can be seen in those posts from SAE.

[theater dreamer]

I’m hopeful that more will come. Time will tell.

I would imagine starting off a whole new business venture in this uncertain climate would slow things considerably. Until then, I’ll continue to add catalogue titles.

[Hammerlover]

In name only. TT died when Nick Redman died.

[SpaceBlackKnight]

Originally Posted by jkoffman

There was a lot of discussion in this thread when TT went out of business and then SA bought what was left. The studio contracts did not appear to carry over to SA, and the 5 titles that they released in the last year were likely deals already in the works at TT. They haven't released anything new since July 2021. There's no reason to expect a huge change with SA, unless they have a going-out-print sale as well.

The 5 titles the new TT released were from the likes of Umbrella and an Italian company that SA were able to license directly from. Screen Archives is mostly a reseller (aside producing soundtrack CDs) and they don't really have connections to the likes of Sony and Fox as TT did with Nick Redman.

[jkoffman]

Originally Posted by SpaceBlackKnight

The 5 titles the new TT released were from the likes of Umbrella and an Italian company that SA were able to license directly from. Screen Archives is mostly a reseller (aside producing soundtrack CDs) and they don't really have connections to the likes of Sony and Fox as TT did with Nick Redman.

You don’t have to convince me. I think this post is what led people to think there would continue to be a larger output, but it never materialized.

[SpaceBlackKnight]

They also released Messalina, probably from the same Italian licensor as Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye.

[vortexx]

Originally Posted by SpaceBlackKnight

The 5 titles the new TT released were from the likes of Umbrella and an Italian company that SA were able to license directly from. Screen Archives is mostly a reseller (aside producing soundtrack CDs) and they don't really have connections to the likes of Sony and Fox as TT did with Nick Redman.

They likely do have some connections due to their soundtrack business as well as contacts from the original owner, but most studios want package deals with a preset amount of titles. That might be too much for SAE and the limited edition model. There are tons of films in the hands of independent filmmakers, but trying to find them and usable prints requires detective work.

[SpaceBlackKnight]

Originally Posted by vortexx

They likely do have some connections due to their soundtrack business as well as contacts from the original owner, but most studios want package deals with a preset amount of titles. That might be too much for SAE and the limited edition model. There are tons of films in the hands of independent filmmakers, but trying to find them and usable prints requires detective work.

Music licensing (weather from the studio/artist or license holder) is different than feature film licensing. The latter is also far more expensive not just in costs of obtaining/mastering elements and title package agreements, but with residuals between guilds and actors. Plus, there's set conditions or added advances the production committees impose.

[vortexx]

Originally Posted by SpaceBlackKnight

Music licensing (weather from the studio/artist or license holder) is different than feature film licensing. The latter is also far more expensive not just in costs of obtaining/mastering elements and title package agreements, but with residuals between guilds and actors. Plus, there's set conditions or added advances the production committees impose.

That is very interesting. There is a soundtrack for a low budget film I co-produced and directed coming out. It's an independent film, and the music was provided for free except for one piece. The music releases, including the one that we paid for, allowed the music to be used, without residuals also included the rights to a soundtrack without residuals or further payment to the musicians. A very different scenario though, than the big titles SAE was releasing.

[SpaceBlackKnight]

Originally Posted by vortexx

That is very interesting. There is a soundtrack for a low budget film I co-produced and directed coming out. It's an independent film, and the music was provided for free except for one piece. The music releases, including the one that we paid for, allowed the music to be used, without residuals also included the rights to a soundtrack without residuals or further payment to the musicians. A very different scenario though, than the big titles SAE was releasing.

Licences and agreements widely vary with independent productions and especially ones from very small entities. John Waters used whatever songs from his record collection for Pink Flamingos up to Polyester, which later caused problems when New Line/Warner got distribution rights and were trying to sort out what was used and how much in royalties the artist would want.

[gudemameshiba]

20% off sale at SAE:

March 30th - TWILIGHT TIME SPRING SALE!
20% off with code TWILIGHT0322 at checkout. SALE ENDS TUESDAY, APRIL 5TH AT MIDNIGHT EASTERN! LIMITED STOCKS ON MANY TITLES - BUY NOW AND DON'T BE DISAPPOINTED BY MISSING OUT ON GREAT TITLES! Only orders placed during the sale period will qualify for the promotion. No previously placed, currently pending or future orders will qualify. Code must be applied to the order at checkout to receive the discount. PLEASE BE SURE TO PLACE YOUR ORDERS WITH THE PROPER DELIVERY ADDRESS, SHIPPING METHOD, ITEMS OF YOUR CHOICE AND THE DISCOUNT CODE. WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO AMEND ORDERS DURING THE SALE.

TWILIGHT TIME low quantity alert update!

Fewer than 50 copies:

ALAMO BAY (1985) this looks to be sold out already
APPASSIONATA (1974)
GRAN BOLLITO (BLACK JOURNAL / 1977)
HAPPY ENDING, THE (1969)
I WANT TO LIVE (1958) this has been out of print! did they find more, which sold as soon as they relisted them?
VALACHI PAPERS, THE (1972)

Fewer than 100 copies:

AMERICAN BUFFALO (1996) (CLOSE OUT PRICING)
EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEX* (*BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK / 1972)
FORTUNE COOKIE, THE (1966)
ROMEO IS BLEEDING (1993)

Fewer than 150 copies:
EMPEROR IN AUGUST, THE (NIHON NO ICHIBAN NAGAI HI KETTEIBAN / 2015 - REGION A ONLY)
GARDEN OF EVIL (1954)
HELL AND HIGH WATER (1954)
INTERIORS (1978)

Fewer than 200 copies:

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S SEX COMEDY (1982)
ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS (1986)
BAREFOOT CONTESSA (1954)
BULLET TRAIN, THE (AKA SHINKANSEN DAIBAKUHA / 1975 / REGION A ONLY)
CRIMSON KIMONO, THE (1959)
DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK (1952)
EUREKA (1983)
FROM NOON TILL THREE (1976)
MEMBER OF THE WEDDING, THE (1952)
STONE KILLER, THE (1973)

THE VANISHING (1993) is still in stock, but the 20% discount doesn't work on it.

Edit: for what it's worth, the site allows me to add 50 copies of APPASSIONATA (1974) or VALACHI PAPERS, THE (1972) to my cart, but GRAN BOLLITO (BLACK JOURNAL / 1977) maxes out at 40, and HAPPY ENDING, THE (1969) at 34.

[OceanBlue]

Another sale starting.

Seriously, it's tempting. There are a couple of TT titles I'm interested in getting, but one of them I was going to hold out on (was told elsewhere here (after I suggested it in Wish Lists, wanting to see a Blu-ray release in another country with expanded-on extras (interviews) that there are two different endings for Chilly Scenes of Winter).