Twilight Time Discussion Thread

[kingofthejungle]

I've been a long time lurker around here, and had to jump into this heated Twilight Time debate.

I very much agree with ROclockCK's praise of TT's eclectic taste. I think the 'mixed bag' approach is kinda what keeps the premium priced/limited edition business model within the realm of the ethical. They cast a wide net in choosing titles that the studios aren't interested in, drawing economic support from many different cult followings.

The $30 price point limits my purchases to those I have a relatively high degree of interest in, which is why I'm glad I'm only occasionally interested in their releases. But that's how it's supposed to be -- that's why the eclectic limited model works.

$30 every now and then for a pristine HD copy of a film you really love isn't that bad. I consider the TT releases of The Big Heat and Picnic to be among the best Blu-Ray purchases I have made.

That being said, I've purchased a total of 6 TT titles since the label's creation. If their price point was $20-$25 instead of $30-$35, I would feel much freer to take chances and would have already purchased the 12 other titles on my "maybe if there's a slow month" wish list. Olive Films model/price point has made a lot more money off of me personally. I generally don't hesitate to purchase a Blu-Ray that I'm even moderately interested in from them at the $14 importcd price point.

I don't know which model is more profitable for it's company, but i know Olive's makes my wallet open up more frequently, even if the image quality is less consistently stellar than TT's.

I'm glad to see Leave Her To Heaven coming to TT. I'll have to bite on that one.

[Arkadin]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

I guess it would be cool if they include extras and are region free. Otherwise, not worth it as importing Blu-rays from Germany is VERY expensive.

not if Groove.inc happens to get them.
usually 2 bds or 1 dvd and a bd is enough to get free shipping.
I just got My Name is Nobody for just over $20 I believe, so you never know.
I'm just glad Tootsie is finally getting released.
(it's mentioned in that same announcement)

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

I guess it would be cool if they include extras and are region free. Otherwise, not worth it as importing Blu-rays from Germany is VERY expensive.

I'm not exactly a student of these things but didn't Amazon.de recently change their shipping charges (or somesuch thing) that brought their prices more in line with Amazon.uk?

I seem to recall something about that from a Lynch box set thread.

[HD Goofnut]

Originally Posted by octagon

I'm not exactly a student of these things but didn't Amazon.de recently change their shipping charges (or somesuch thing) that brought their prices more in line with Amazon.uk?

I seem to recall something about that from a Lynch box set thread.

Yes, they did. I just ordered 4 BDs from Germany and the shipping was only 3.96 Euros or $5.35.

[rdodolak]

Originally Posted by Lemmy Lugosi

Interesting! I'll be keeping an eye on those two, myself. Possibly region free? Yeah, that's cool.

Sony isn't always region free although a lot of times they are. I see no reason why Sony couldn't release this region free. As people have already pointed out TT is region free even though they don't have worldwide rights. The only thing that appears to have changed is the releasing studio and the country of release.

Wonder if FN and NOLTD aren't far behind.

[jetthead]

Originally Posted by octagon

I'm not exactly a student of these things but didn't Amazon.de recently change their shipping charges (or somesuch thing) that brought their prices more in line with Amazon.uk?

I seem to recall something about that from a Lynch box set thread.

I recently ordered a Blu-ray from Amazon.de and the shipping cost was 6 euros ($8).

[Lemmy Lugosi]

Originally Posted by rdodolak

Sony isn't always region free although a lot of times they are. I see no reason why Sony couldn't release this region free. As people have already pointed out TT is region free even though they don't have worldwide rights. The only thing that appears to have changed is the releasing studio and the country of release.

Wonder if FN and NOLTD aren't far behind.

Heh heh.....my thoughts exactly.

[IndyMLVC]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

I guess it would be cool if they include extras and are region free. Otherwise, not worth it as importing Blu-rays from Germany is VERY expensive.

No it's not. It's actually quite cheap.

[retablo]

Originally Posted by Blu Titan

I guess it would be cool if they include extras and are region free. Otherwise, not worth it as importing Blu-rays from Japan is VERY expensive.

Fixed.

[Erhen]

I'm very happy to see Philadelphia is coming.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by kingofthejungle

I've been a long time lurker around here, and had to jump into this heated Twilight Time debate.

I very much agree with ROclockCK's praise of TT's eclectic taste. I think the 'mixed bag' approach is kinda what keeps the premium priced/limited edition business model within the realm of the ethical. They cast a wide net in choosing titles that the studios aren't interested in, drawing economic support from many different cult followings.

Thanks kingofthejungle, and welcome aboard...I think you'll find we're as eclectic as TT's catalogue. Naturally, I'm the resident mouth, but if you've been lurking, then you already know that.

Originally Posted by kingofthejungle

The $30 price point limits my purchases to those I have a relatively high degree of interest in, which is why I'm glad I'm only occasionally interested in their releases. But that's how it's supposed to be -- that's why the eclectic limited model works. $30 every now and then for a pristine HD copy of a film you really love isn't that bad. I consider the TT releases of The Big Heat and Picnic to be among the best Blu-Ray purchases I have made.

That being said, I've purchased a total of 6 TT titles since the label's creation. If their price point was $20-$25 instead of $30-$35, I would feel much freer to take chances and would have already purchased the 12 other titles on my "maybe if there's a slow month" wish list. Olive Films model/price point has made a lot more money off of me personally. I generally don't hesitate to purchase a Blu-Ray that I'm even moderately interested in from them at the $14 importcd price point.

I purchase many Blu-rays at a discount from those other labels too, and since I discovered ImportCDs last summer, barely a week goes by without another order.

As for qualitative differences, from what I've seen to date, Criterion is the only company other than TT getting any 4k scans/remasters from Sony, and what little of the deep vault Fox library that has surfaced overseas, hasn't matched TT's editions in terms of either AQ or PQ. I know others don't value the IST feature, but I'm a soundtrack hound from way back, so those wonderful, rare, isolated scores are huge factor in my appreciation of TT's editions. Even if Germany or the U.K. were to release a comparable transfer for any of these titles, my bias towards TT's edition would be swayed by that IST factor alone.

So yeah, I pay a little more for this label's output, but these are the often lost movies I really want to see and scores I really want to hear. I save considerably elsewhere, since these days I buy very few new/recent movies...mostly select Olive, KINO, and Shout!/Scream! catalogue titles, plus pretty much all of TT and Criterion's Blu-ray output. As others have noted throughout this thread though, you spend a little more here, you save a little there...it all averages out over time.

Originally Posted by kingofthejungle

I don't know which model is more profitable for it's company, but i know Olive's makes my wallet open up more frequently, even if the image quality is less consistently stellar than TT's.

Well, other than each company's accountants, no one can ever know for sure. But it is interesting that this time last year, Image was releasing some very nicely produced and packaged Sony titles at a very reasonable price, and then just stopped dead in their tracks. Was Image simply squeezed by TT and Criterion at the higher end of Sony's output, and Mill Creek at the lower end? Whatever the reason, we won't really know which model works better for catalogue except over time...i.e. which company is still standing and still delivering in 2 or 3 years.

Originally Posted by kingofthejungle

I'm glad to see Leave Her To Heaven coming to TT. I'll have to bite on that one.

That announcement was such a surprise after Fox' recent resurrection of its Studio Classics series on Blu-ray, especially after already investing in the restoration of the film's vintage 3-strip Technicolor. Beats me why Fox would give up that title, yet keep Wild River and Viva Zapata, but that's the way it fell...

[Dex Robinson]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

That announcement was such a surprise after Fox' recent resurrection of its Studio Classics series on Blu-ray, especially after already investing in the restoration of the film's vintage 3-strip Technicolor. Beats me why Fox would give up that title, yet keep Wild River and Viva Zapata, but that's the way it fell...

I wish there was a forum or thread where we could discuss the practices of the licensors without sounding critical of the licensees.

I've got many Twilight Time releases and Nick Redman in particular has been very kind to me. It makes perfect sense that Twilight Time should avail themselves of the better titles that are made available to them.

The trouble is, if we raise questions about the titles that the licensor decides to release through Twilight Time, we get called complaining cheapskates.

Frankly, I'm absolutely mystified as to why the studios choose to release some obscure, or low quality movies themselves but license better titles to Twilight Time. Does Fox believe that WILD RIVER is more commercially viable than JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH? The know-it-alls freely tell us (and have been telling us for years) that the Twilight Time releases exist because catalogue doesn't sell. But the studios themselves continue to release catalogue titles that have even less commercial viability.

[Henke007]

As good as it gets is being released in Sweden aswell. I might wait for titles like philadelphia and steel magnolias to be released in Eu aswell.
http://www.discshop.se/filmer/bluray...lu_ray/P109612

[deltasun]

Originally Posted by rdodolak

Sony isn't always region free although a lot of times they are. I see no reason why Sony couldn't release this region free. As people have already pointed out TT is region free even though they don't have worldwide rights. The only thing that appears to have changed is the releasing studio and the country of release.

Wonder if FN and NOLTD aren't far behind.

That's exactly why they may not release those region free - so that they don't interfere with TT's exclusivity to those titles.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Dex Robinson

I've got many Twilight Time releases and Nick Redman in particular has been very kind to me. It makes perfect sense that Twilight Time should avail themselves of the better titles that are made available to them.

The trouble is, if we raise questions about the titles that the licensor decides to release through Twilight Time, we get called complaining cheapskates.

Absolutely. I would be surprised and disappointed if something like The Lady From Shanghai went to TT instead of somebody like Criterion but I would certainly have no quarrel with TT for taking it.

They'd have to be crazy not to.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by deltasun

That's exactly why they may not release those region free - so that they don't interfere with TT's exclusivity to those titles.

...or possibly with forced subtitles.

[DetroitSportsFan]

Originally Posted by rdodolak

Wonder if FN and NOLTD aren't far behind.

Why wouldn't Sony want to release their best selling TT releases first?

Originally Posted by deltasun

That's exactly why they may not release those region free - so that they don't interfere with TT's exclusivity to those titles.

It wouldn't surprise me if they're locked.

[Arkadin]

personally I don't expect forced subs or locking because TT's contract with Sony has nothing to do with foreign releases.
at least that is what TT has stated.
I mean could it happen? sure.
but I am not on the side that will be expecting it due to the TT releases.
btw: I just got 9 emails from SAE telling me the same thing--my copy of Nicholas and Alexandra has shipped!

.

[fuzzymctiger]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Looks like The Blue Lagoon, and As Good as it Gets are being released by Sony in Germany:

http://www.bluray-disc.de/blu-ray-ne...-im-april-2013

credit to IndyMLVC for mentioning it in the AGAIG thread

Hmm, I may get Blue Lagoon.

Seems like it would be a good movie, the only problem is that I wouldn't pay Twilight Time amount.

[fuzzymctiger]

Originally Posted by retablo

Fixed.

Not even just importing.

They are extremely expensive over there too.

A new release blu ray is about 6000¥ even in a cheap shop.