Twilight Time Discussion Thread

[neo_reloaded]

Originally Posted by Arkadin

wide date for the 2 Fox exclusives is 6/5/12.
hardly a long wait, and kind of ridiculous imo.
what's the point of pre-ordering again?
oh wait--the magnet--I forgot.

Where do you see this date?

[Arkadin]

go to SAE website and read at top next to info about the two releases.

March 14 - Screen Archives announces two new Blu-ray releases from 20th Century Fox starting with THE GRAPES OF WRATH and ZORBA THE GREEK! Ships 4/3/12. National street date 6/5/12. All 20th Century Fox releases will feature extras and commentary!

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Arkadin

March 14 - Screen Archives announces two new Blu-ray releases from 20th Century Fox starting with THE GRAPES OF WRATH and ZORBA THE GREEK! Ships 4/3/12. National street date 6/5/12. All 20th Century Fox releases will feature extras and commentary!

Ouch! Fox will only get away with that ploy once. I mean, it's nice that they're finally getting around to doing more of their catalogue. But yeeeesh, who can't wait 2 months for a retail street date?

Magnet schmagnet.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Persianimmortal

I disagree. I like all the nice touches on TT releases. For example the tastefully stylish covers, the 8 page booklets that come with the movies, the fact that the movie is presented in the best possible way without being molested with DNR or EE, or crammed onto a disc full of extras. Frankly I'm not fussed about any extras - the movies are the main game for me. And unlike some studio releases, that seems to be what TT focuses on too. That's not to say that all studio releases are bad of course, just that TT releases seem to be consistently good.

I agree Persianimmortal. After you've seen a few of these TT releases, you really start to appreciate all the collector details...little touches like those 8-page booklets written from a true fan's perspective, not some studio hack hastily cut-and-pasting boilerplate promo...or those wonderfully evocative 'one-off' covers capturing the 'feel' of the movie rather than photoshopping a still to death trying to fit it into a series 'look'...and of course, those not so little touches like letting the master land where it will in terms of disc footprint, allowing it to spill over onto a 50GB disc if that's what it takes to deliver a 1:1 transfer without additional compression. And the isolated scores speak for themselves.

Finally, just look at the titles TT has done so far...they've been unearthing some very deeply buried vault gems, not just strip mining open pits already worked multiple times on DVD. And although nobody has mentioned this yet, doesn't Fox tend to Region A encode when they go wider via retail?

So this FOX/SAE announcement changes nothing for me - Twilight Time has been finding and doing well all the neglected or lost stuff I really want anyway.

[ROclockCK]

From the same guy who put together "Rita Hayworth 'Stayin' Alive'"...

Rita Jumps in the Line

With TT's fingers in the Columbia catalogue, they've got to at least do Gilda.

[JoeDeM]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

From the same guy who put together "Rita Hayworth 'Stayin' Alive'"...

Rita Jumps in the Line

With TT's fingers in the Columbia catalogue, they've got to at least do Gilda.

I've got mine crossed as well, it's sad that there's only one Rita Hayworth blu-ray.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by JoeDeM

I've got mine crossed as well, it's sad that there's only one Rita Hayworth blu-ray.

I'd love to see TT do The Lady From Shanghai, but suspect Criterion will go after that one because it's Welles.

But hey...what about Salome? Now there's a Columbia title which I don't ever recall on R1 DVD. Or Angels Over Broadway, which did have a DVD, but was produced written, and directed by the legendary Ben Hecht for some increased collector cachet?

Another possibility would be Down to Earth , Hayworth's Technicolor musical sequel to the classic Here Comes Mr. Jordan. That Columbia title has been out of print on DVD for at least a year...

[JoeDeM]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

I'd love to see TT do The Lady From Shanghai, but suspect Criterion will go after that one because it's Welles.

But hey...what about Salome? Now there's a Columbia title which I don't ever recall on R1 DVD. Or Angels Over Broadway, which did have a DVD, but was produced written, and directed by the legendary Ben Hecht for some increased cachet?

Another possibility would be Down to Earth , Hayworth's Technicolor musical sequel to the classic Here Comes Mr. Jordan). That Columbia title has been out of print on DVD for at least a year...

I would take any of those. Another Columbia title I would love is Cover Girl (1944), it's also a Technicolor, I just love the way the old Technicolor prints look on blu-ray. Salome was available in a box set.

[HyperRealist]

we also want to thank all of you for the many messages of support we have received from concerned friends worried about what might happen to us as a result of a report indicating a competing relationship between Fox Home Entertainment, and our distributors, Screen Archives. We are happy to say that our extremely good relationship with Fox Home Ent., remains unchanged, and that our mutual commitment to release a wide variety of classic Fox titles via the TT brand will not only continue but gather greater steam in the months ahead...once again, your dedication has been touching and inspirational...and we really appreciate it.

http://www.facebook.com/twilighttimemovies

[jaaguir]

In my opinion people are making a big fuss about Fox starting this exclusive deal with SAE, just because TT also happens to be releasing their titles through them. But I think it really has nothing to do. Don't forget that Fox is also doing exlcusives with Walmart (The big trail, The barbarian and the geisha), and Best-buy (the Poseidon movie) in the coming months.

So it seems to me they're just changing their classic wide release policy for exclusives with retailers. I think they're just tyring out to see if it's worth it to release old catalog titles this way, since you could say they've already abandoned the regular way (it seems they have canceled the release of Titanic(1953)). I'm guessing, in exchange for having the exclusive of the title for a few months (when it's suppposed to sell best, because fans can't wait), retailers agree to some favored terms to Fox on the sales, or maybe the returns (no returns?).

We'll see if it works well enough for Fox. If it doesn't, they'll just continue licencing to TT and others.

[Arkadin]

Titanic (1953) got cancelled?
please tell me that is not true.
btw: I thought the pre-orders for the April releases were going up later today, but now I don't see anything that mentions that. anyone know what the scoop is?

[Arkadin]

article from the NYT about Swamp Water blu-ray release.
looks like TT just got some mainstream press.
http://www10.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/...-ray.html?_r=5

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Arkadin

article from the NYT about Swamp Water blu-ray release.
looks like TT just got some mainstream press.
http://www10.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/...-ray.html?_r=5

About time! Swamp Water has been one of the most bafflingly underdiscussed/underappreciated releases in the collection so far. It's a terrific picture and first class TT edition.

Leonard Maltin recently had some enthusiastic words for it though...

P.S. for those of us without NY Times accounts, are there any highlights/excerpts you can share Arkakin?

[arcadeforest]

Nice to see TT getting good press - hopefully this will keep sales up while motivating more and more future releases.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by JoeDeM

I would take any of those. Another Columbia title I would love is Cover Girl (1944), it's also a Technicolor, I just love the way the old Technicolor prints look on blu-ray. Salome was available in a box set.

Wasn't aware of that edition Joe. But that's a good sign - a decent master must already exist for Salome.

BTW, Gilda is the only movie in that set that I have seen...

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by jaaguir

In my opinion people are making a big fuss about Fox starting this exclusive deal with SAE, just because TT also happens to be releasing their titles through them. But I think it really has nothing to do. Don't forget that Fox is also doing exlcusives with Walmart (The big trail, The barbarian and the geisha), and Best-buy (the Poseidon movie) in the coming months.

So it seems to me they're just changing their classic wide release policy for exclusives with retailers. I think they're just tyring out to see if it's worth it to release old catalog titles this way, since you could say they've already abandoned the regular way (it seems they have canceled the release of Titanic(1953)). I'm guessing, in exchange for having the exclusive of the title for a few months (when it's suppposed to sell best, because fans can't wait), retailers agree to some favored terms to Fox on the sales, or maybe the returns (no returns?).

We'll see if it works well enough for Fox. If it doesn't, they'll just continue licencing to TT and others.

Fox will continue licensing to TT because they're doing mostly 'lost in the vault' titles that the studio had no intention of releasing anyway...at any unit level or price point. I mean who, other than 'core collectors, would seriously want to own Blu-rays of movies like Rapture, Swamp Water, Roots of Heaven, or The Wayward Bus? Big Box and Online Retailers alike would laugh Fox right out of the office if they tried to pitch upcoming retail releases for any of those titles.

Interesting about that Titanic (1953) cancellation jaaguir (as of this morning, it's vanished from my Amazon wish list without even casual mention why), and very suspicious about the *coincidence* of the timing. After all, Titanic is another Fox Studio Classics title, just like the first two offerings via SAE. So no need to guess where that one is going now...

If TT is smart, they'll just hold the course and keep doing what they've already been doing so well. In a curious kind of 'upside', Fox' decision to take these catalogue *exclusives* to SAE in advance of general release merely increases traffic to the site and legitimizes SAE in the eyes of holdout buyers, which, by association, ups the visibility and credibility of TT's own limited editions.

[popeflick]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

If TT is smart, they'll just hold the course and keep doing what they've already been doing so well. In a curious kind of 'upside', Fox's decision to take these catalogue *exclusives* to SAE in advance of general release merely increases traffic to the site and legitimizes SAE in the eyes of holdout buyers, which, by association, ups the visibility and credibility of TT's own limited editions.

I was about to point that out. If Fox pushes their higher profile catalog titles through SAE, and pitch their smaller ones to TT it's a clear win/win since Grapes of Wrath in essence becomes a leader to finding the other Fox titles by TT.

[Arkadin]

Bell, Book, and Candle and Desiree pre-orders are up NOW!

[HonestJohn]

Originally Posted by Arkadin

Bell, Book, and Candle and Desiree pre-orders are up NOW!

Thanks, I'm down for anything with Jimmy in it .... haven't seen this one in years.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by popeflick

I was about to point that out. If Fox pushes their higher profile catalog titles through SAE, and pitch their smaller ones to TT it's a clear win/win since Grapes of Wrath in essence becomes a leader to finding the other Fox titles by TT.

Yes indeed popeflick. If a little ganging-on and "Me-Too-ism" by the home studio increases the flow of catalogue titles onto Blu-ray, then it is a good thing for collectors everywhere.

In other sidebar-but-related news, while browsing the pre-orders at SAE (BTW, TT's Bell, Book and Candle and Désirée are finally up), I noticed that SPHE now has a MOD DVD-R program called the "Sony Choice Collection". So far, SCC titles include former Columbia/TriStar DVD titles like Die, Die, My Darling, Wilder Napalm, It's My Turn, and Chapter Two, but the introduction of this series *might* affect which SPHE catalogue titles TT decides take on. Although a professionally authored, manufactured, and packaged Blu-ray will always be preferable over a hastily burned MOD DVD-R with uncertain player compatibility and disc longevity, still, if a MOD DVD-R already exists for a particular title, then TT might think twice about even a 3000 limited Blu-ray run.