Twilight Time Discussion Thread

[BluBonnet]

Marilyn has always been greatly underestimated as an actress, imho. It really wasn't until I watched "Don't Bother to Knock" that I realized what an incredible actress she really was. Of course, one can also come away after watching her "sexy blonde" comedies with the impression she was a one-trick pony. But that would be greatly underestimating her.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by The Duke

Well, any popular actor who dies in the prime of their career is going to have an iconic status that over blows their career. How well would James Dean's career be thought of had he lived into his 70s? And look at how fondly Heath Ledger is remembered, yet most of his roles were pretty mediocre, with the notable exceptions of Brokeback Mountain and The Dark Knight.

Marilyn Monroe made up for her shortcomings as actress with her comedic timing and sense of humor - she was a great comedienne. Her rendition of "A kiss on the hand may be quite continental, but diamonds are a girl's best friend" from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is timeless, and she played it perfectly against the far more talented Jane Russell.

Jane Russell's autobiography "My Path and My Detours", had some very candid and insightful, yet ultimately kind words about Monroe. Like just about all of the above-the-line creative talents who worked closely with Monroe (including Olivier, very well portrayed in My Week With Marilyn), Russell freely admitted that Monroe could be exasperating on the set, but understood the mass of insecurities driving her behaviour, especially over her acting abilities. So like most of her other creative cohorts, Russell tried to remain patient, because when Monroe was on, she was "ON"...the screen jumped to life.

The closest Marilyn Monroe ever got to serious roles were the aforementioned Niagara, John Huston's The Misfits, and Joshua Logan's Bus Stop. All are fine examples of the other side of her talent (especially Bus Stop), although as you say, she shone in the lighter stuff.

And she could sing too! Not opera, but pitch-perfect for those roles.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

The closest Marilyn Monroe ever got to serious roles was in the aforementioned Niagra, John Huston's The Misfits, and Joshua Logan's Bus Stop. All are fine examples of the other side of her talent (especially Bus Stop), although as you say, she shone in the lighter stuff.

I would add "Don't Bother to Knock" to the list

Don't Bother to Knock Movie Trailer - YouTube

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by BluBonnet

I would add "Don't Bother to Knock" to the list

[Show spoiler]Don't Bother to Knock Movie Trailer - YouTube

I meant after her jump to stardom BluBonnet. In '52 Fox was still trying to figure out how to use Monroe in pictures. Her role in Don't Bother to Knock kind of straddled those phases of her career, as did Niagara one year later, so maybe it wasn't fair to include that one as an example either.

After How to Marry a Millionaire, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, and There's No Business Like Show Business, the 'sex kitten' reigned, and it just became harder for her to be taken seriously.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

I meant after her jump to stardom BluBonnet. In '52 Fox was still trying to figure out how to use Monroe in pictures. Her role in Don't Bother to Knock kind of straddled those phases of her career, as did Niagara one year later. So maybe it wasn't fair to include that one as an example either.

Ah, point taken.

[Clark Kent]

Twilight Time's current business model really necessitates dealing solely with Sony and Fox at the moment. They are the only two studios willing to license high-quality HD masters that are ready to be immediately put out on Blu-ray. Twilight Time wouldn't want to deal with Universal, as their catalog masters look absolutely atrocious. Warner is very tough to license anything from.

Twilight Time is not in the business of restoring film masters. TT is taking advantage of the restoration work that Fox and Sony have already done but are not willing to release on BD. TT would have to raise the MSRP much higher if they got in the business of picking a random film and financing their own transfers from any studio.

[benbess]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

Twilight Time's current business model really necessitates dealing solely with Sony and Fox at the moment. They are the only two studios willing to license high-quality HD masters that are ready to be immediately put out on Blu-ray. Twilight Time wouldn't want to deal with Universal, as their catalog masters look absolutely atrocious. Warner is very tough to license anything from.

Twilight Time is not in the business of restoring film masters. TT is taking advantage of the restoration work that Fox and Sony have already done but are not willing to release on BD. TT would have to raise the MSRP much higher if they got in the business of picking a random film and financing their own transfers from any studio.

+1

Has this one already been suggested? From wikipedia:

Broken Lance is a 1954 Western film made by Twentieth Century-Fox, directed by Edward Dmytryk and produced by Sol C. Siegel. The movie stars Spencer Tracy and features Katy Jurado, Richard Widmark, Robert Wagner, Jean Peters, Eduard Franz, Hugh O'Brian and Earl Holliman. Shot in color and CinemaScope...

[hootowls]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

Twilight Time's current business model really necessitates dealing solely with Sony and Fox at the moment. They are the only two studios willing to license high-quality HD masters that are ready to be immediately put out on Blu-ray. Twilight Time wouldn't want to deal with Universal, as their catalog masters look absolutely atrocious. Warner is very tough to license anything from.

Twilight Time is not in the business of restoring film masters. TT is taking advantage of the restoration work that Fox and Sony have already done but are not willing to release on BD. TT would have to raise the MSRP much higher if they got in the business of picking a random film and financing their own transfers from any studio.

Eureka Entertainment seems to have a very similar business model to TT, and they're trying Universal titles.

[Yami]

Eureka are more like Criterion than TT.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Yami

Eureka are more like Criterion than TT.

They're also Region B and locked, aren't they? Or did I miss something along the way?

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

They're also Region B and locked, aren't they? Or did I miss something along the way?

I believe most of there releases are region lock like those of Criterion.

[hootowls]

Originally Posted by Yami

Eureka are more like Criterion than TT.

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

They're also Region B and locked, aren't they? Or did I miss something along the way?

How like Criterion; title selection? Not like price.

Not all all are B locked. Anyway, going region free is worth it.

[Yami]

Criterion region lock their titles as a rule and I think I remember hearing that they ask others to do the same when their titles overlap. Eureka/Masters of Cinema only lock when they are required to do so. They're more like Criterion than TT as they licence a wide variety of titles and their releases are on-par quality wise Plus, I think they usually do their own transfers.

What's this about price?

[Clark Kent]

Originally Posted by hootowls

Eureka Entertainment seems to have a very similar business model to TT, and they're trying Universal titles.

Anyone could license Universal movies, I'm inferring it's not economically worth it for a smaller distributor to do so. Universal has shown on Blu-ray their masters are in poor shape with a multitude of questionable film elements used as the source. If Universal had a trove of great-looking HD masters, we would have seen them already from the studio. Even Criterion has licensed a number of dated Universal masters for Blu-ray with uneven results.

I assume that Twilight Time wants to keep the quality of their BD releases high for the discriminating consumer likely to buy them. That is the best way to build a dedicated fanbase willing to make repeat purchases for niche fare on Blu-ray.

[Arkadin]

ROclockCK--can't believe you aren't region free.
I mean, c'mon man!
I wouldn't be able to stand it.

[hootowls]

Originally Posted by Yami

Criterion region lock their titles as a rule and I think I remember hearing that they ask others to do the same when their titles overlap. Eureka/Masters of Cinema only lock when they are required to do so. They're more like Criterion than TT as they licence a wide variety of titles and their releases are on-par quality wise Plus, I think they usually do their own transfers.

What's this about price?

I haven't paid more than $25, shipped, for a dual format MoC release (BD and DVD). There are similarities to Criterion, but with them you'll pay separately for each format, if that's your thing. I also see similarities to TT as well except that the value equation, for me, comes out in favor of Eureka at the moment. I'm supporting TT but in a more limited fashion. Too many good titles coming out from too many publishers too quickly to keep up.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

I assume that Twilight Time wants to keep the quality of their BD releases high for the discriminating consumer likely to buy them. That is the best way to build a dedicated fanbase willing to make repeat purchases for niche fare on Blu-ray.

...also because some - if not most - of these TT Blu's (especially the obscure titles like Rapture and Swamp Water) may never be released again in the Blu-ray format.

No doubt there's some measure of corporate pride in that kind of 'bell-ringing.' Not only being limited, but also 'definitive' increases the value of these editions in terms of acknowledging and preserving film history.

[Cinemach]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

Jane Russell's autobiography "My Path and My Detours", had some very candid and insightful, yet ultimately kind words about Monroe. Like just about all of the above-the-line creative talents who worked closely with Monroe (including Olivier, very well portrayed in My Week With Marilyn), Russell freely admitted that Monroe could be exasperating on the set, but understood the mass of insecurities driving her behaviour, especially over her acting abilities. So like most of her other creative cohorts, Russell tried to remain patient, because when Monroe was on, she was "ON"...the screen jumped to life.

Bingo. That point was explicitly made by Lawrence Olivier (as played by Kenneth Branagh) in the recent My Week With Marilyn, which is a pretty good picture and recommended highly if you are at all a Monroe fan.

Yes, her status as a sex symbol and the numerous personal insecurities have far overshadowed her acting abilities, but she was a much better actress than she is popularly given credit for.

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Clark Kent

Anyone could license Universal movies, I'm inferring it's not economically worth it for a smaller distributor to do so. Universal has shown on Blu-ray their masters are in poor shape with a multitude of questionable film elements used as the source. If Universal had a trove of great-looking HD masters, we would have seen them already from the studio. Even Criterion has licensed a number of dated Universal masters for Blu-ray with uneven results.

I assume that Twilight Time wants to keep the quality of their BD releases high for the discriminating consumer likely to buy them. That is the best way to build a dedicated fanbase willing to make repeat purchases for niche fare on Blu-ray.

I'm not sure that's entirely true anymore. Universal still has its issues but lately it seems like the knocks against them have been predominantly related to post-processing and not the masters themselves.

Not that this is all that relevant to this particular discussion, of course. Criterion (and possibly Kino or Eureka) can take raw transfers and tweak them to their liking where TT is basically limited to whatever finished files they can get. That's not a knock on TT - that's just how it is.

But I think it's worth noting that even Universal at least appears to have turned the corner on recycling substandard/outdated transfers. If nothing else they're at least saying the right things which suggests that all the (in many cases justified) carping over iffy releases hasn't gone entirely unnoticed.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Arkadin

ROclockCK--can't believe you aren't region free.
I mean, c'mon man!
I wouldn't be able to stand it.

With each passing day and every passed up catalogue opportunity for Region A, that option increasingly crosses my mind Arkadin. So far though, I haven't found that one "straw that broke the camel's back" title which will compel me to purchase a region free player. Quatermass and the Pit *almost* did it, but Touch of Evil didn't because this is a Welles film with a fascinating backstory, making it something Criterion might logically get around to someday (they already have a relationship with Universal). Ditto for Company of Wolves, which I'd like to see in HD, but am not burning to do so.

As for stuff like the region free Cleopatra currently available in multiple editions throughout Region B, this is a Fox 'crown jewel' which they've spent a bundle restoring and remastering for HD. I have no doubt it will show up domestically later this year or early next in probably a jaw-dropping Special Edition (hopefully regrading that colour while they're at - sharp picture, but "ugh", too biased). So again, I'm willing to wait for a Region A edition, confident that when it finally does arrive, at very least, its cover won't be defaced by all those audience warnings in bold 'hazmat-syle' triangles and octagons. It's a little thing, but the collector in me just can't stand looking at those otherwise beautiful covers with those intrusive slugs.

One title that would have given me serious pause about remaining exclusively Region A is Journey to the Center of the Earth. But thanks to TT, I no longer have to worry about that one, so again, my decision has been pushed back for at least another few months...or until the Oppo players come down a bit more in price. Even though I work in a very technical field and understand stuff like firmware upgrades, when it comes to my movies, I basically, just want to "pop it in and hit play" with no second-guessing of settings, switching between region configurations, or additional hacks required to deliver smooth, dependable 1080p playback.

My view (hope) is that either one of the following will eventually happen: a) if the studios remain unwilling to release more catalogue product to Region A, cottage labels such as TT, KINO, Criterion, Olive, and Severin (plus others yet to be launched) will increasingly fill that gap, or b) the all-region players will eventually be spec'd to a more common global standard, their use will become easier and more seamless, and their prices will fall.

Either way, I'm not *quite* there yet...