Twilight Time Discussion Thread

[octagon]

Originally Posted by Akijama

Lol.I'd looooove to see 'The Abyss' released on Blu by TT.Reading the comments on various forums,and quite possibly riots in the streets,would be fun to read/watch Priceless!

And the spirit of a long-dead Mayan crosses one more item off an alarmingly short checklist...

[gpn]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

Any hints which ones?

No hints, but since some of the Hammer's are already available in Region B, they seem like good candidates. I have the Region B Quatermass and the Pit and it looks great; you can literally count the hairs on Julian Glover's ears.

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by gpn

I have the Region B Quatermass and the Pit and it looks great; you can literally count the hairs on Julian Glover's ears.

Funny thing you should mention that. I was just doing that the other day.

[captveg]

I saw Bell Book & Candle about a month ago, and I think that cover art is excellent and very appropriate for the film, which has a cool blue look to it in the night and Night Club scenes.

[arcadeforest]

Finally got aroung to pre-ordering Demetrius and the Gladiators today. Looking forward to watching this next week - never seen it but have recently watched The Robe, Ben-Hur, The Egyptian, Quo Vadis and have liked those so . . .

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by captveg

I saw Bell Book & Candle about a month ago, and I think that cover art is excellent and very appropriate for the film, which has a cool blue look to it in the night and Night Club scenes.

Believe it or not, I've never seen Bell, Book and Candle, so I can't say how well the cover ties in captveg, but what I liked about this art was its cool simplicity...definitely 50s...very iconic.

It looks like TT is still feeling their way along with their cover art as the collection settles in. I've noticed a big change and improvement in their covers, just since Pal Joey. These aren't merely 1-sheet redux covers anymore...they really seem to be using any vintage design elements more as a jumping off point to capture the 'feel' of the movie. Criterion does a similar thing; they just don't make it as much fun or casually inviting.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Page14

Thank you for the wonderful link. I didn't see any mention of the "One Million Years B.C." film, but it sounds very promising for any films they *are* restoring. Love all the new special features they're working on for these films too! I hope other studios take notice and follow suit.

You're certainly welcome Page14.

These Hammer restorations/remasters will probably be treated to deluxe boxes or a collector series release when they finally do make it to Region A. Hammer movies have a worldwide following, and have been a VHS and DVD staple, re-released multiple times in both formats, especially via Warners. Since most of these movies are also in the horror genre, they are naturally a more comfortable fit for mass retail.

As for One Million Years B.C., that one kind of falls into a special category. Although a Hammer film, it's not horror, and I think Fox totally owns the video rights...which is probably why they bundled it in the Raquel DVD collection, and why they might go out out with it themselves as a single release.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by oildude

I was about to write the exact same thing. The cover art to Bell, Book, and Candle would make a cool poster.

I am really liking Twilight Times's cover art. Mysterious Island, Swamp Water, Demetrius and the Gladiators, Bite the Bullet, and now these. All top notch. Even what I think is their most minimalist cover to date, the picture of Patricia Gozzi on what is my favorite Twilight Time film so far - Rapture - is well done. I am actually enjoying seeing their designs every month.

Me too oildude. They feel more like loving tributes to these movies, echoing the original promo, rather than merely rubber stamping it (the ad art is always reproduced on the back cover of the 8-page insert anyway). Like you, I enjoy being delightfully surprised by what new 'variation on a theme' they come up with each month.

For example, the Demetrius and the Gladiators and Bite the Bullet covers were nothing like I imagined...happy to say. Both stopped my eyes where they roamed on the page. Great re-interpretations.

[jaaguir]

Originally Posted by Arkadin

Stewart is clearly the main character in Bell.., but Novak's character is very prominent--almost equal.
the movie is a

[Show spoiler]comedy-romance.

Thanks again.

[scottc1992]

Originally Posted by Seymour

Yep, I'll take Kim Novak and Jimmy Stewart's lovable mug over this abomination any day--which looks like it was submitted by a 10 year old:

So what's the street date for this?

[bboisvert]

Originally Posted by scottc1992

So what's the street date for this?

Didja check the first post?

[JoeDeM]

looks like the poster

[bluskies]

Originally Posted by JoeDeM

looks like the poster

But they should use that photo instead of the art. It's a very effective piece of the film.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by scottc1992

So what's the street date for this?

As bboisvert noted, Twilight Time's release dates are continuously updated in the OP.

I'd hesitate to use the term "street date" though, since TT's Blu-rays never actually go to the 'street' (i.e. conventional retail outlets); they can only be purchased via mail order from Screen Archives Entertainment. Pre-orders for the next month's releases go up around the middle of the current month, so I use this bookmark to track when they become available.

[TJS_Blu]

Have they always had a 'wishlist', Rock? or anybody else, for that matter.

[Page14]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

<snip>
As for One Million Years B.C., that one kind of falls into a special category. Although a Hammer film, it's not horror, and I think Fox totally owns the video rights...which is probably why they bundled it in the Raquel DVD collection, and why they might go out out with it themselves as a single release.

I'd be okay with that. I read somewhere that the current DVD version has parts cut out of it. I would hope that Fox (or whoever) cares enough about the film to remaster it ... adding whatever was cut out of it ... if it makes it to bluray at all.

[Arkadin]

TT lists Demetrius and Bite the Bullet release date as March 13th NOT March 8th as listed in OP.

[benbess]

I broke down and ordered Rapture, Pal Joey, and The Roots of Heaven. I already had ordered Demetrius and Bullet. Yikes, I'll need to save a bit somewhere else!

There are blu-rays I watch with the whole family that seem like bargains. For instance, tonight we watched Lady in the Tramp--a new blu-ray I just got for about $22. At that price it was less than $6 per person to watch!

The TT titles are usually just for me though, and so it a bit pricier.

Still I wonder what a reserved seat in a New York theater for one of these films might have cost back in the 1950s? Adjusted for inflation that might be something toward the price of what I think of as the best these movies have looked since opening night...

[Brad1107]

I'm really not one to complain, but I do have a slight negative comment about Twilight Time to share.

Is anyone else a little annoyed about the spines of the blu-rays? The spines are what shows from our shelves... the most visible part of the case at all times, yet all the spines are the same black with standard titles in white. It looks a little boring and almost like they're homemade covers.

When the collection eventually does start to get quite big, and we end up with more and more of these, i think they're going to stick out like a sore thumb. (Not to mention i'm in Australia where our cases are a fair bit wider than the US cases, so they stick out even more amongst my Aussie blu's).

Just my one quick criticism of an otherwise wonderful company.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Brad1107

I'm really not one to complain, but I do have a slight negative comment about Twilight Time to share.

Is anyone else a little annoyed about the spines of the blu-rays? The spines are what shows from our shelves... the most visible part of the case at all times, yet all the spines are the same black with standard titles in white. It looks a little boring and almost like they're homemade covers.

When the collection eventually does start to get quite big, and we end up with more and more of these, i think they're going to stick out like a sore thumb. (Not to mention i'm in Australia where our cases are a fair bit wider than the US cases, so they stick out even more amongst my Aussie blu's).

Just my one quick criticism of an otherwise wonderful company.

Well, how do you please everyone Brad? Obviously, you can't, so you have to make choices. But if you're smart, you stick with those choices so at least they are consistent, trusting that they will make greater sense and be more appreciated over time. How often have all of us eventually grown to love what we initially hated?

I happen to agree with Twilight Time's choice re: spine design. In fact, I think the underlying theme is pretty shrewd and rather cheeky - a solid black background (representing the darkness of night), pierced by fulsome white lettering (representing a spotlight, starlight, or full moon)...which visually sums up this label's role and approach. Thanks to that seemingly minor, out-of-the-gate design choice, my little (yet rapidly growing) TT collection has become distinctive at a glance. These Blu-rays stand out...in a good way.

The thing is, the movies in this series are all so different, with such different approaches to their cover art, that TT's simple, yet tasteful spine choice has become a plus in terms of series 'unification'. Actually, at this point, I would be alarmed if TT suddenly started reproducing logos against different coloured backgrounds. So whatever their original reason(s) for this desgin choice, what I care about most is that TT has remained consistent with it. Now that 8 of these TT titles are sitting side by side on my shelf, they truly are beginning to look like a collection.