Twilight Time Discussion Thread

[Persianimmortal]

The whole point appears to be to have a different, stylish, minimalist look. The official posters typically have anything but that, many of them are incredibly corny and dated, and do not stand up to being 21st century Blu-ray covers. In any case why should BD covers look like promotional posters? They're two different mediums, with two different aims. TT has consistently hit a home run in the cover stakes.

[Seymour]

Originally Posted by Persianimmortal

The whole point appears to be to have a different, stylish, minimalist look. The official posters typically have anything but that, many of them are incredibly corny and dated, and do not stand up to being 21st century Blu-ray covers. In any case why should BD covers look like promotional posters? They're two different mediums, with two different aims. TT has consistently hit a home run in the cover stakes.

I disagree wholeheartedly. Tell me, which looks 1000x better than the other?

[Persianimmortal]

Originally Posted by Seymour

I disagree wholeheartedly. Tell me, which looks 1000x better than the other?

[Show spoiler]

Why exactly would you want to compare images for two entirely different films (That's a Barbarella cover in the first pic by the way)? Why not compare the poster art for Bell, Book and Candle vs. the TT BD cover art? I.e.:



The second one definitely looks 1000x times better than the original. In the original, aside from having an art style not dissimilar to 1940's/1950's era advertising posters for coffee, it appears as though James Stewart has just swallowed a fly, and Kim Novak has either been forced to kiss him, or has bumped into his cheek. It doesn't look like anything I'd want on a BD cover on my shelf.

A second example, Picnic:



Which one of the above images not only encapsulates the entire film in one shot, but also looks stylish and not severely dated?

The TT covers really do a great job of being sleek and sophisticated, but capturing the spirit of each movie perfectly. I can appreciate that everyone has different tastes, but honestly I think these covers are about the last thing any sane person should be complaining about. With the exception of the recent To Catch a Thief release, TT covers beat studio covers and promo posters by the proverbial country mile.

[Arkadin]

big heat cover is very cool.
gotta say I like the dvd columbia classics cover better though. I like having Ford on the cover as well.
It's certainly not as stylish as the TT one by any means, but has both stars in it.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...5L._AA160_.jpg

.

[Akijama]

I think this cover would have been even better choice

[Arkadin]

April 13th is the pre-order date for the two May titles.

[Persianimmortal]

Originally Posted by joie

I haven't seen Twilight's cover for To Catch A Thief.

I meant it was the only studio release cover that might actually match or beat a TT cover

[Pirate King]

Originally Posted by Arkadin

April 13th is the pre-order date for the two May titles.

Thanks. Gonna get both of them! Even if they may not have those $%#&@^% magnets.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Seymour

But if Twilight Time doesn't use the official poster for As Good as It Gets, then they might as well retire.

[Show spoiler]

Why should TT use it...except as a negative example of what not to do? That original 1-sheet for As Good As It Gets pretty much sums up everything wrong with movie promotion in the PhotoShop era. In any case, this middlebrow 'feel good' cliché was already used for the legacy DVD, so thankfully TT won't be merely duplicating that.

[neo_reloaded]

Originally Posted by joie

Wild Side Video has an entry for The Big Heat. It should be vastly superior to Twilight's release.

And.... why would that be? Sony is providing the master, and they hit it out of the park every time. The only complaint about TT releases is the price, and I don't think importing from France is going to help in that regard.... Unless you live in France, of course.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by Persianimmortal

Why not compare the poster art for Bell, Book and Candle vs. the TT BD cover art? I.e.:



The second one definitely looks 1000x times better than the original. In the original, aside from having an art style not dissimilar to 1940's/1950's era advertising posters for coffee, it appears as though James Stewart has just swallowed a fly, and Kim Novak has either been forced to kiss him, or has bumped into his cheek. It doesn't look like anything I'd want on a BD cover on my shelf.

Also, in the first one, that poor kitty looks like it's being smothered by Novak's...uhm...'milk of human kindness'.

I'm sure there are worse fates, but it still smacks of borderline animal abuse.

[anthonyls]

I must say... I've been very happy/pleased with all of TT cover art so far. Who ever has been doing them has been doing a great job... very classy stuff. They are far better than most of Criterion's cover art. Keep it up TT!

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by oildude

That cover art for The Big Heat just plain rocks! The lettering composed of the sunlight coming through the shade and thrown against the wall.... Love it.

As much as I like, and have nostalgia for, the original art work for these films, Twilight Time keeps hitting home runs with their cover art updates. Bell, Book, and Candle, Bite the Bullet, and others - all are eye catching. They should make posters of these.

I'm so hooked on this series now, I'd probably buy...

You know the other thing I like about TT's cover approach oildude...it's always vaguely annoyed me to see colour covers for black and white movies (and vice versa). Yet so far, all of TT's black and white releases have also had black and white cover artwork, which is refreshing. I mean, if these limited editions are the last hard media releases some of these titles receive, then B&W for B&W is how they should be packaged. Just seems right somehow.

Admittedly, this is a really, really minor detail though. But I just never cared for the traditional approach (especially by MGM) of giving all vault classics - even their grittier Black and White titles - the same glitzy, glamourous, faux-Technicolor look in their home video packaging.

[Seymour]

Originally Posted by Persianimmortal

Why exactly would you want to compare images for two entirely different films (That's a Barbarella cover in the first pic by the way)? Why not compare the poster art for Bell, Book and Candle vs. the TT BD cover art?

I compared those two because I wanted to show that the original poster art of Barbarella completely destroyed the amateurish design of Bell, Book and Candle. You mentioned that the original art had no place in the 21st century on a blu-ray cover, and I provided an example that disproves your theory.

Also, the original poster art for Bell, Book and Candle isn't the same as the DVD cover art that you provided.

[neo_reloaded]

Originally Posted by joie

The important thing is that this movie won't be "limited" to sale by "out-of-print" scalpers.

If you're aware enough of this film to be scoping out foreign imports for it, you'll have ZERO problem getting a copy of the TT release if you so choose. This isn't like Mondo posters or Ticketmaster sales for big events like Madonna - they aren't going to disappear in the first 10 milliseconds, forcing you to deal with scalpers. There will be WEEKS worth of time to casually order whenever you feel like it.

Even their biggest release, Fright Night, survived the entire month pre-order period, plus several weeks after the actual release, before selling out. This is The Big Heat, a black-and-white noir from the 50's. While Fright Night / As Good As It Gets are arguably more popular than this limited release format is truly suited for, The Big Heat is right up TT's alley. There is nothing to worry about it.

[rock, stone]

The thing I don't like about TT covers is that everything has a very photoshop/illustrator flavor to it. True, it is a house style and could be worse, but I don't consider their covers a selling point. But that is just me.

[Pirate King]

Re: Cover Art... My order has been placed for Bell Book and Candle. Now.. I respect those of you who value slip covers... and I can appreciate those of you who value the appearance of the blu-ray packaging. That's great. I am glad you like it.. or... as the case may be.. dislike it. I do not care. If Lawrence of Arabia comes with a white piece of paper with the title typed on it, I will buy it. Personally, I think Twilight Time is doing an outstanding job with their cover art. I like the way Bell Book and Candle looks. But it is not a deal breaker for me. Maybe I need to sell my slip covers?

[JoeDeM]

Originally Posted by Pirate King

Re: Cover Art... My order has been placed for Bell Book and Candle. Now.. I respect those of you who value slip covers... and I can appreciate those of you who value the appearance of the blu-ray packaging. That's great. I am glad you like it.. or... as the case may be.. dislike it. I do not care. If Lawrence of Arabia comes with a white piece of paper with the title typed on it, I will buy it. Personally, I think Twilight Time is doing an outstanding job with their cover art. I like the way Bell Book and Candle looks. But it is not a deal breaker for me. Maybe I need to sell my slip covers?

I'm with you, all I care about is the movies.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by JoeDeM

I'm with you, all I care about is the movies.

Ditto guys, but I also appreciate pride in craftsmanship. In almost any field you care to name that's what distinguishes mundane mass product from something manufactured with above average care and attention to detail. TT Blu-ray collectibility isn't only about the quality of content or limited numbers, but all those other fan-friendly elements (custom cover art, 8-page booklet, etc.)

To borrow a fave quote from The Castle: "It's the vibe of it."

[Persianimmortal]

I know I spent the last couple of pages of this thread heaping scorn on slipcovers and the like, but I actually do care about the presentation of a BD movie to a reasonable extent. If you're going to pay $35 for a BD, there's no reason for it to have a tacky cover. TT covers are a very nice part of the package, without going to the lengths of adding superfluous gimmickry like slipcovers which I usually bin. As ROclockCK says, they are indicative of the pride TT has in what they are selling. The covers show that a lot of thought and effort has gone into the presentation of the movie to fans of classic cinema. It would be so much easier for TT (and much more disappointing) if they simply whacked on the stock promo poster as a cover.

Anyway looking forward to my Bell Book and Candle and Desiree arriving later this month