Twilight Time Discussion Thread

[oildude]

Originally Posted by Scooter1836

If you can please write a little about it. I have never seen it and I am thinking it would be a good blind buy. Your reviews are usually quite useful to me in determining that.

Ok, here is more than just a few words. I really liked Fate is the Hunter, which was a blind buy for me. I wanted to watch it sooner but I have been flying a lot the past two months to West Texas and wasn't keen on watching a movie about an aircraft accident....lol.

The story is the autopsy of an air crash. The special effects are good by the standards of the day. The opening sequence is pretty frightening; what begins as a routine flight.... checking in the passengers, introducing the audience to pilot Jack Savage (played by Rod Taylor, The Time Machine) and the flight crew, as well as the manager of flight operations Sam McBane (played by Glenn Ford)...... ends in terror as the pilot struggles to land the plane after a series of mechanical problems knock out both engines. The opening credits blaze onto the screen moments later, and the effect is electrifying. The story then becomes an investigation of what happened. The airline and news media want to blame the pilot when it begins to look like mechanical problems may not have been the cause of the crash. Ford's character is a friend of the pilot from when they flew transport aircraft together in the army air corps during WWII, and spends the rest of the film trying to piece together enough evidence to save the reputation of his friend. Ford believes it had to be mechanical failure no matter what the ongoing FAA investigation seems to indicate. In the process, Ford meets several lady friends of Taylor, including Nancy Kwan as a marine scientist who appears to be the love of his friend's life. As the FAA investigation proceeds, we are introduced to a series of improbable events that occurred leading up to and during the flight, any one of which by itself may not have been of concern, but taken together they all seem to indicate an outside purpose - the hand of fate, it would seem; hence, the title of the film.

The cinematography is superb, with that luscious black and white Cinemascope picture that I really enjoy watching. Ford gives his usual hard-nosed performance, refusing to believe his friend is an irresponsible drunk and lothario who would callously jeopardize the lives of so many people. The film is a melodrama in a good way. There is a lot to be said for the emotional impact of a child's broken doll found at the site of the crash by a mother. It is a brief scene, but is as effective as anything ever put on film. The flashback sequences are effective and serve a purpose of establishing connections between the different characters. While I can see the faults that JMK reports in his Blu-ray.com review, I disagree with his diagnosis. This is an early 60s film and should be taken on its own merits. I found the story line compelling and the mystery believable. Many of the safety aspects of commercial aircraft we take for granted today only exist because of things like the events portrayed in this film; in the early 1960s, passenger air travel was still a work in progress in terms of safety systems and advances toward more automated flight controls. I get a real kick out of watching these old films with their "Pan-Am" look to air travel, pretty air hostesses, pilots who were invariably veterans of WWII and Korea, passengers who actually dressed up to board an airplane as if flying was a special event deserving a bit of style and elegance. Even walking across the tarmac from the terminal to board a flight using rollaway staircases is somehow much more inviting than using a modern jetway.

Fate is the Hunter is a who's-who of early 60s stars, including in supporting roles Jane Russell (as herself), Constance Towers (star of Samuel Fuller's The Naked Kiss and Shock Corridor), and the wonderful Suzanne Pleshette. Suzanne Pleshette is particularly good as a stewardess suffering from physical and mental trauma from her ordeal aboard the fated aircraft. Nancy Kwan is also memorable and gives an endearing performance that makes it easy to understand the feelings Taylor's character develops for her. She gives Ford a perspective on fate as a real entity in our lives that provides comfort to them both, although Ford with his focus on facts and numbers is at first reluctant to accept such a concept. And it is Kwan who is the subject of the other main reason to get this Blu-ray: the heartfelt documentary To Whom it May Concern: Ka Shen's Journey, included as an extra. Really well done docu-film, at almost two hours it is a tour of Hong Kong and Hollywood from the past seventy years, told through the interesting life of Nancy Kwan, beginning with her parents (her mother a beautiful blond Scottish model and her father a Hong Kong businessman), the Japanese invasion that affected her childhood, and her personal triumphs to become a ballet dancer and actress. I have not yet listened to the commentary with Kwan and Nick Redman, but together with the documentary on Nancy's life, I would rate Fate is the Hunter to be one of the most value-packed of Twilight Time's releases so far.

[MikeZ.]

Originally Posted by oildude

Ok, here is more than just a few words. I really liked Fate is the Hunter, which was a blind buy for me. I wanted to watch it sooner but I have been flying a lot the past two months to West Texas and wasn't keen on watching a movie about an aircraft accident....lol.

The story is the autopsy of an air crash. The special effects are good by the standards of the day. The opening sequence is pretty frightening; what begins as a routine flight.... checking in the passengers, introducing the audience to Captain Jack Savage (played by Rod Taylor, The Time Machine) and the flight crew, as well as the manager of flight operations Sam McBane (played by Glenn Ford)...... ends in terror as the captain struggles to land the plane after a series of mechanical problems knock out both engines. The opening credits blaze onto the screen moments later, and the effect is electrifying. The story then becomes an investigation of what happened. The airline wants to blame the pilot when it begins to look like mechanical problems may not have been the cause. Ford's character is a friend of Taylor's Jack Savage from when they flew transport aircraft together in the army air corps during WWII, and spends the rest of the film trying to piece together enough evidence to save the reputation of his friend. Ford believes it had to be mechanical failure no matter what the ongoing FAA investigation seems to indicate. In the process, Ford meets several lady friends of Taylor, including Nancy Kwan as a marine scientist who appears to be the love of his friend's life. As the FAA investigation proceeds, we are introduced to a series of improbable events that occurred leading up to and during the flight, any one of which by itself may not have been of concern, but taken together they all seem to indicate an outside purpose - the hand of fate, it would seem; hence, the title of the film.

The cinematography is superb, with that luscious black and white Cinemascope look that I really enjoy watching. Ford gives his usual hard-nosed performance, refusing to believe his friend is an irresponsible drunk and lothario who would callously jeopardize the lives of so many people. The film is a melodrama in a good way. There is a lot to be said for the emotional impact of a child's broken doll found at the site of the crash by a mother. It is a brief scene, but is as effective as anything ever put on film. The flashback sequences are effective and serve a purpose of establishing connections between the different characters. While I can see the faults that JMK reports in his Blu-ray.com review, I disagree with his diagnosis. This is an early 60s film, and should be taken on its own merits. I found the story line compelling and the mystery believable. Remember, passenger air travel was still something special in the early 60s. I get a real kick out of watching these old films with their "Pan-Am" look to air travel, pretty air hostesses, pilots who were invariably veterans of WWII and Korea, passengers who actually dressed up to board an airplane as if flying was an event demanding a bit of style and elegance. Even walking across the tarmac from the terminal to board a flight using rollaway staircases is somehow much more inviting than using a modern jetway.

As an extra, Fate is the Hunter is a who's-who of early 60s stars, including in supporting roles Jane Russell (as herself), Constance Towers (star of Samuel Fuller's The Naked Kiss and Shock Corridor), and the wonderful Suzanne Pleshette. Suzanne Pleshette is particularly effective as a stewardess suffering from physical and mental trauma from her ordeal aboard the fated aircraft. Nancy Kwan is also memorable, with an endearing performance. And it is Kwan who is the subject of the other main reason to get this Blu-ray: the heartfelt documentary To Whom it May Concern: Ka Shen's Journey, included as an extra. Really well done docu-film, at almost two hours it is a tour of Hong Kong and Hollywood from the past seventy years, told through the interesting life of Nancy Kwan, beginning with her parents (her mother a beautiful blond Scottish model and her father a Hong Kong businessman), the Japanese invasion that affected her childhood, and her personal triumphs to become a ballet dancer and actress. I have not yet listened to the commentary with Kwan and Nick Redman, but together with the documentary on Nancy's life, I would rate Fate is the Hunter to be one of the most value-packed of Twilight Time's releases so far.

Sounds like Flight may have borrowed a few things from this film ?

[erlinmeyer]

Originally Posted by oildude

Ok, here is more than just a few words. I really liked Fate is the Hunter, which was a blind buy for me. I wanted to watch it sooner but I have been flying a lot the past two months to West Texas and wasn't keen on watching a movie about an aircraft accident....lol.

[Show spoiler]
The story is the autopsy of an air crash. The special effects are good by the standards of the day. The opening sequence is pretty frightening; what begins as a routine flight.... checking in the passengers, introducing the audience to Captain Jack Savage (played by Rod Taylor, The Time Machine) and the flight crew, as well as the manager of flight operations Sam McBane (played by Glenn Ford)...... ends in terror as the captain struggles to land the plane after a series of mechanical problems knock out both engines. The opening credits blaze onto the screen moments later, and the effect is electrifying. The story then becomes an investigation of what happened. The airline wants to blame the pilot when it begins to look like mechanical problems may not have been the cause. Ford's character is a friend of Taylor's Jack Savage from when they flew transport aircraft together in the army air corps during WWII, and spends the rest of the film trying to piece together enough evidence to save the reputation of his friend. Ford believes it had to be mechanical failure no matter what the ongoing FAA investigation seems to indicate. In the process, Ford meets several lady friends of Taylor, including Nancy Kwan as a marine scientist who appears to be the love of his friend's life. As the FAA investigation proceeds, we are introduced to a series of improbable events that occurred leading up to and during the flight, any one of which by itself may not have been of concern, but taken together they all seem to indicate an outside purpose - the hand of fate, it would seem; hence, the title of the film.

The cinematography is superb, with that luscious black and white Cinemascope look that I really enjoy watching. Ford gives his usual hard-nosed performance, refusing to believe his friend is an irresponsible drunk and lothario who would callously jeopardize the lives of so many people. The film is a melodrama in a good way. There is a lot to be said for the emotional impact of a child's broken doll found at the site of the crash by a mother. It is a brief scene, but is as effective as anything ever put on film. The flashback sequences are effective and serve a purpose of establishing connections between the different characters. While I can see the faults that JMK reports in his Blu-ray.com review, I disagree with his diagnosis. This is an early 60s film, and should be taken on its own merits. I found the story line compelling and the mystery believable. Many of the safety aspects of commercial aircraft we take for granted today only exist because of things like the events portrayed in this film; in the early 1960s, passenger air travel was still a work in progress in terms of safety systems and advances toward more automated flight controls. I get a real kick out of watching these old films with their "Pan-Am" look to air travel, pretty air hostesses, pilots who were invariably veterans of WWII and Korea, passengers who actually dressed up to board an airplane as if flying was a special event deserving a bit of style and elegance. Even walking across the tarmac from the terminal to board a flight using rollaway staircases is somehow much more inviting than using a modern jetway.

Fate is the Hunter is a who's-who of early 60s stars, including in supporting roles Jane Russell (as herself), Constance Towers (star of Samuel Fuller's The Naked Kiss and Shock Corridor), and the wonderful Suzanne Pleshette. Suzanne Pleshette is particularly good as a stewardess suffering from physical and mental trauma from her ordeal aboard the fated aircraft. Nancy Kwan is also memorable and gives an endearing performance. And it is Kwan who is the subject of the other main reason to get this Blu-ray: the heartfelt documentary To Whom it May Concern: Ka Shen's Journey, included as an extra. Really well done docu-film, at almost two hours it is a tour of Hong Kong and Hollywood from the past seventy years, told through the interesting life of Nancy Kwan, beginning with her parents (her mother a beautiful blond Scottish model and her father a Hong Kong businessman), the Japanese invasion that affected her childhood, and her personal triumphs to become a ballet dancer and actress. I have not yet listened to the commentary with Kwan and Nick Redman, but together with the documentary on Nancy's life, I would rate Fate is the Hunter to be one of the most value-packed of Twilight Time's releases so far

.

Time for a coffee break.
Thanks for the additional insight.

[The Great Owl]

I've fallen out of the habit of writing User Reviews for Twilight Time titles, because they're often close to selling out before I get to chime in, but this one deserves a shout-out.



Fritz Lang's 1941 proto-noir, Man Hunt, has instantly taken a place on my top five list of Twilight Time Blu-ray releases, not far behind another Lang film, The Big Heat, which remains my favorite title from this label. This Blu-ray brings out the best in Arthur C. Miller's cinematography, and stands as a strong example of how black levels and contrast take on a new resonance when competently restored to high definition. Like most of Lang's films, Man Hunt should be watched at least twice so that one can focus on the story during the first viewing and then appreciate the visual brilliance of almost every still frame during the next viewing. Man Hunt introduces us to several disparate landscapes, and the splendor of the images never loses a beat through the forest chases, through claustrophobic city streets that invite comparisons to Lang's M, into subway tunnels, across foggy London bridges, and even inside a darkened cave. The shadowy visuals, a bridge between German Expressionism and film noir, serve as effective symbolism for character predicaments. All the while, Alfred Newman's music score pulls the viewer deeper into the fold.

During a trek through a German forest, Captain Alan Thorndike, a renowned big game hunter played by Walter Pidgeon (How Green Was My Valley, Forbidden Planet) takes a sporting aim at Hitler and subsequently becomes a target of Nazi agents, namely a major played by George Sanders (All About Eve, Rebecca, Journey to Italy) and an eerie trenchcoat figure played by John Carradine (Stagecoach, The Grapes of Wrath). Man Hunt makes several plays on predator-becomes-prey interactions, a concept that is prominent in the 1932 film, The Most Dangerous Game, and the chase scenes are still gripping even by today's standards. Joan Bennett makes her first appearance in a Lang film, and she would later serve as a muse of sorts in Lang's fascinating noirs, The Woman in the Window, Scarlet Street, and Secret Beyond the Door. Bennett, who resembles the contemporary pop artist Katy Perry, easily captures our affection and ultimately serves as an emotional anchor when Man Hunt transforms from a chase thriller to an intense call-to-arms to America before the events of Pearl Harbor. If you are interested in exploring pre-World War II sentiment in America, then I recommend a double feature of Man Hunt and Alfred Hitchcock's Foreign Correspondent.

A short supplement, Rogue Male: The Making of Man Hunt, is one of the best Twilight Time extras that I have seen in recent memory, because it makes the most of its brief running time to summarize the creation and the historical relevance of this movie. A commentary track by Patrick McGilligan is a great excuse to go through another viewing of this fantastic film, because of his well-paced discussion of all aspects of the production. The isolated score track speaks for itself as a wonderful feature. As always, Julie Kirgo makes some keen observations in the booklet.

[LucasM2012]

Originally Posted by oildude

Ok, here is more than just a few words. I really liked Fate is the Hunter, which was a blind buy for me. I wanted to watch it sooner but I have been flying a lot the past two months to West Texas and wasn't keen on watching a movie about an aircraft accident....lol.

[Show spoiler]The story is the autopsy of an air crash. The special effects are good by the standards of the day. The opening sequence is pretty frightening; what begins as a routine flight.... checking in the passengers, introducing the audience to Captain Jack Savage (played by Rod Taylor, The Time Machine) and the flight crew, as well as the manager of flight operations Sam McBane (played by Glenn Ford)...... ends in terror as the captain struggles to land the plane after a series of mechanical problems knock out both engines. The opening credits blaze onto the screen moments later, and the effect is electrifying. The story then becomes an investigation of what happened. The airline wants to blame the pilot when it begins to look like mechanical problems may not have been the cause. Ford's character is a friend of Taylor's Jack Savage from when they flew transport aircraft together in the army air corps during WWII, and spends the rest of the film trying to piece together enough evidence to save the reputation of his friend. Ford believes it had to be mechanical failure no matter what the ongoing FAA investigation seems to indicate. In the process, Ford meets several lady friends of Taylor, including Nancy Kwan as a marine scientist who appears to be the love of his friend's life. As the FAA investigation proceeds, we are introduced to a series of improbable events that occurred leading up to and during the flight, any one of which by itself may not have been of concern, but taken together they all seem to indicate an outside purpose - the hand of fate, it would seem; hence, the title of the film.

The cinematography is superb, with that luscious black and white Cinemascope look that I really enjoy watching. Ford gives his usual hard-nosed performance, refusing to believe his friend is an irresponsible drunk and lothario who would callously jeopardize the lives of so many people. The film is a melodrama in a good way. There is a lot to be said for the emotional impact of a child's broken doll found at the site of the crash by a mother. It is a brief scene, but is as effective as anything ever put on film. The flashback sequences are effective and serve a purpose of establishing connections between the different characters. While I can see the faults that JMK reports in his Blu-ray.com review, I disagree with his diagnosis. This is an early 60s film, and should be taken on its own merits. I found the story line compelling and the mystery believable. Many of the safety aspects of commercial aircraft we take for granted today only exist because of things like the events portrayed in this film; in the early 1960s, passenger air travel was still a work in progress in terms of safety systems and advances toward more automated flight controls. I get a real kick out of watching these old films with their "Pan-Am" look to air travel, pretty air hostesses, pilots who were invariably veterans of WWII and Korea, passengers who actually dressed up to board an airplane as if flying was a special event deserving a bit of style and elegance. Even walking across the tarmac from the terminal to board a flight using rollaway staircases is somehow much more inviting than using a modern jetway.

Fate is the Hunter is a who's-who of early 60s stars, including in supporting roles Jane Russell (as herself), Constance Towers (star of Samuel Fuller's The Naked Kiss and Shock Corridor), and the wonderful Suzanne Pleshette. Suzanne Pleshette is particularly good as a stewardess suffering from physical and mental trauma from her ordeal aboard the fated aircraft. Nancy Kwan is also memorable and gives an endearing performance that makes it easy to understand the feelings Taylor's character develops for her. She gives Ford a perspective on fate as a real entity in our lives that gives comfort to them both, although Ford with his focus on facts and numbers is at first reluctant to accept such a concept. And it is Kwan who is the subject of the other main reason to get this Blu-ray: the heartfelt documentary To Whom it May Concern: Ka Shen's Journey, included as an extra. Really well done docu-film, at almost two hours it is a tour of Hong Kong and Hollywood from the past seventy years, told through the interesting life of Nancy Kwan, beginning with her parents (her mother a beautiful blond Scottish model and her father a Hong Kong businessman), the Japanese invasion that affected her childhood, and her personal triumphs to become a ballet dancer and actress. I have not yet listened to the commentary with Kwan and Nick Redman, but together with the documentary on Nancy's life, I would rate Fate is the Hunter to be one of the most value-packed of Twilight Time's releases so far.

I am usually only interested in 'genre' pictures (Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Universal Horror, etc.), but after reading this I'm going to look for it to screen, then possibly buy. It (esp the Twilight Time release) truly sounds exceptional. [Kinda' funny: looked for it on Amazon, in case it was available as a Prime vid (it's not), and saw that - on DVD - the current price for the film is $79.99! So Twilight Time's Blu's price point is a bargain!] If I can't find a way to see it beforehand, it may become an 'impaired vision' buy for me [since, with your review, I'd no longer consider the buy 'blind'].

Thank you for such a compelling review! [Do you 'publish' yours on Blu-ray.com's individual disc pages for each? If not, you should.]

[Blu-Velvet]

Originally Posted by LucasM2012

I am usually only interested in 'genre' pictures (Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Universal Horror, etc.), but after reading this I'm going to look for it to screen, then possibly buy. It (esp the Twilight Time release) truly sounds exceptional. [Kinda' funny: looked for it on Amazon, in case it was available as a Prime vid (it's not), and saw that - on DVD - the current price for the film is $79.99! So Twilight Time's Blu's price point is a bargain!] If I can't find a way to see it beforehand, it may become an 'impaired vision' buy for me [since, with your review, I'd no longer consider the buy 'blind'].

Thank you for such a compelling review! [Do you 'publish' yours on Blu-ray.com's individual disc pages for each? If not, you should.]

I'll second the enthusiasm for FATE IS THE HUNTER, especially the gorgeous black-and-white CinemaScope picture quality. The original mono soundtrack is quite good, but interestingly the isolated score is in stereo, and the audio commentary is between music cues (there's not really that much music, compared to most films). Oildude already wrote a pretty thorough review, but here's some of what I wrote about it on another discussion forum:

An airliner crashes shortly after takeoff with only one survivor, with the media and airline executives quick to blame “pilot error” because the pilot was seen at a bar shortly before the flight and also had a loose reputation with women. Even the pilot’s ex-fiancée is strangely unmoved by his sudden demise. One executive, however (Glenn Ford), an old war buddy of the dead pilot (Rod Taylor), refuses to believe his old friend would ever endanger his crew or passengers. As FAA officials try to reconstruct the remains of the plane, he conducts his own private investigation, leading to a number of flashbacks detailing how others remember the pilot, as well as a wartime memory of his own with gaps later filled in by another former crewmember’s memories. Eventually he arranges to recreate the flight step by step to figure out what really happened.

Starting out as a typical Hollywood disaster film (it would make a good double-bill to contrast with AIRPORT), it soon becomes an involving mystery, and there’s an interestingly downplayed subplot with an interracial romance. Overall it’s an effective procedural of special interest to aviation buffs, with good performances by Ford and Taylor, well-supported by Nancy Kwan, Suzanne Pleshette, Wally Cox, Nehemiah Persoff, and Mark Stevens. There’s also a cameo appearance by Jane Russell playing herself in a wartime flashback.

[Wildcat47]

Was able to watch Man Hunt and Buddy Holly Story over the weekend, both of which were blind buys for me, but neither I was worried about not liking. And I couldn't be more happy with them both, beyond maybe a couple more bonus features (especially Buddy Holly, as Ive read that the movie is very far from the true story).

Man Hunt was just amazing. I had no issues with the video or audio and was sucked into the story immediately. Beginning to end, this is a true classic and I highly recommend it to anyone on the fence. As good as this was, along with it being a Fritz Lang film, I can see this one selling out faster than the normal TT title (no reason to go into panic mode, but definitely grab it in a couple months time frame). The only part I had any issue with was the very end. I wont go into detail to keep from possibly spoiling anything, but the propaganda part of the end seemed to take away from what I considered to be the true ending(the cave sequence). Add this one to your carts sooner than later!

Buddy Holly Story was just pure fun. I love movies like this, stories about rock n roll, or other music, that tell/show the times and what the artists went through. As I have noted, Ive read that its very inaccurate historically, but I still recommend picking it up. The music sequences, which there are MANY, were very well done. Busey is outstanding as Buddy, and the whole movie just flies by. If you are into movies like this, you wont be disappointed. However if you are hung up on the fact that its not a very accurate telling of his life, you should probably pass, as you will probably spend most of your watching time being upset. I would have loved for it to be more accurate, but I could not tell what part(s) are not true, as I don't really know much of his life story beyond his tragic death. Another high recommendation from me, audio and video were acceptable by my standards. Cant wait to add La Bamba now!

[Elvis]

Originally Posted by Wildcat47

Was able to watch Man Hunt and Buddy Holly Story over the weekend, both of which were blind buys for me, but neither I was worried about not liking. And I couldn't be more happy with them both, beyond maybe a couple more bonus features (especially Buddy Holly, as Ive read that the movie is very far from the true story).

Man Hunt was just amazing. I had no issues with the video or audio and was sucked into the story immediately. Beginning to end, this is a true classic and I highly recommend it to anyone on the fence. As good as this was, along with it being a Fritz Lang film, I can see this one selling out faster than the normal TT title (no reason to go into panic mode, but definitely grab it in a couple months time frame). The only part I had any issue with was the very end. I wont go into detail to keep from possibly spoiling anything, but the propaganda part of the end seemed to take away from what I considered to be the true ending(the cave sequence). Add this one to your carts sooner than later!

Buddy Holly Story was just pure fun. I love movies like this, stories about rock n roll, or other music, that tell/show the times and what the artists went through. As I have noted, Ive read that its very inaccurate historically, but I still recommend picking it up. The music sequences, which there are MANY, were very well done. Busey is outstanding as Buddy, and the whole movie just flies by. If you are into movies like this, you wont be disappointed. However if you are hung up on the fact that its not a very accurate telling of his life, you should probably pass, as you will probably spend most of your watching time being upset. I would have loved for it to be more accurate, but I could not tell what part(s) are not true, as I don't really know much of his life story beyond his tragic death. Another high recommendation from me, audio and video were acceptable by my standards. Cant wait to add La Bamba now!

Also not in the least bit accurate either.

[ultlife2013]

Originally Posted by Elvis

Also not in the least bit accurate either.

Source please?

[Wildcat47]

Originally Posted by Elvis

Also not in the least bit accurate either.

Ah well, would still be fun to watch back to back one night. I have never actually seen the English version of La Bamba...In high school I took 4 years of Spanish, which our teacher never really taught us Spanish or even cared, it was an easy A class. But we did watch American Tail and La Bamba in Spanish at least once every other week. So I pretty much know what happens in the movie, but it will be the first time Ive seen it in English lol

Beyond their songs, I knew next to nothing about these 2 legends, and apparently still know nothing about their lives after seeing the movies. Maybe Ill research it one day, but both are very fun movies.

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by Wildcat47

Was able to watch Man Hunt and Buddy Holly Story over the weekend, both of which were blind buys for me, but neither I was worried about not liking. And I couldn't be more happy with them both, beyond maybe a couple more bonus features (especially Buddy Holly, as Ive read that the movie is very far from the true story).

Man Hunt was just amazing. I had no issues with the video or audio and was sucked into the story immediately. Beginning to end, this is a true classic and I highly recommend it to anyone on the fence. As good as this was, along with it being a Fritz Lang film, I can see this one selling out faster than the normal TT title (no reason to go into panic mode, but definitely grab it in a couple months time frame). The only part I had any issue with was the very end. I wont go into detail to keep from possibly spoiling anything, but the propaganda part of the end seemed to take away from what I considered to be the true ending(the cave sequence). Add this one to your carts sooner than later!

Buddy Holly Story was just pure fun. I love movies like this, stories about rock n roll, or other music, that tell/show the times and what the artists went through. As I have noted, Ive read that its very inaccurate historically, but I still recommend picking it up. The music sequences, which there are MANY, were very well done. Busey is outstanding as Buddy, and the whole movie just flies by. If you are into movies like this, you wont be disappointed. However if you are hung up on the fact that its not a very accurate telling of his life, you should probably pass, as you will probably spend most of your watching time being upset. I would have loved for it to be more accurate, but I could not tell what part(s) are not true, as I don't really know much of his life story beyond his tragic death. Another high recommendation from me, audio and video were acceptable by my standards. Cant wait to add La Bamba now!

I'm reading a lot of comments about how inaccurate The Buddy Holly Story is, which is fair enough, but frankly most Hollywood biopics are wildly inaccurate. Man on the Moon and Ed Wood (both written by the same guys) take huge liberties with their subjects, rearranging events to create a better dramatic narrative. Even Chariots of Fire, which is one of my most favourite films of all times, is inaccurate right down to depicting Harold Abrahams completing the Trinity Great Court Run (which he never did). Movie biopics are good for introducing audiences to their subjects and giving them a feel for those people and their lives, but they are a poor source for gleaming actual facts.

[Wildcat47]

Originally Posted by baheidstu

I'm reading a lot of comments about how inaccurate The Buddy Holly Story is, which is fair enough, but frankly most Hollywood biopics are wildly inaccurate. Man on the Moon and Ed Wood (both written by the same guys) take huge liberties with their subjects, rearranging events to create a better dramatic narrative. Even Chariots of Fire, which is one of my most favourite films of all times, is inaccurate right down to depicting Harold Abrahams completing the Trinity Great Court Run (which he never did). Movie biopics are good for introducing audiences to their subjects and giving them a feel for those people and their lives, but they are a poor source for gleaming actual facts.

Agree on all you said, but it's a definite bonus the more accurate it is, to me anyhow. Regardless though, I didn't feel "robbed" after watching and reading such things. The movie is a worthy addition to me and I def recommend checking it out, even as a blind buy if that's how you roll

[ultlife2013]

Originally Posted by Wildcat47

Agree on all you said, but it's a definite bonus the more accurate it is, to me anyhow. Regardless though, I didn't feel "robbed" after watching and reading such things. The movie is a worthy addition to me and I def recommend checking it out, even as a blind buy if that's how you roll

They're not documentaries for one, second they are made to be more exciting and dramatic to make more money for the studios. Why would you ever think they would care about remaining true to fact?

[MikeZ.]

I saw The Buddy Holly Story so many times since 1978, I have no desire to ever see it again, let alone for $34.30.
That's what's great about America.
Choices.

[ultlife2013]

Originally Posted by MikeZ.

I saw The Buddy Holly Story so many times since 1978, I have no desire to ever see it again, let alone for $34.30.

That's what's great about America.

Choices.

Thanks for sharing that with the twilight time thread.

[The Great Owl]

I watched the Twilight Time Blu-ray of The Blue Lagoon last night.

My previous viewing of The Blue Lagoon took place when I was in fifth grade back in 1983, and my 11 year-old self had quite an infatuation with Brooke Shields. The movie had quite a reputation with kids my age who also snuck in viewings on HBO when they could.

As I watched the movie last night from the perspective of my 42 year-old self, I did not find it to be even remotely titillating or exploitative. It's just a cool-looking movie about two children who are left to survive for themselves on an island, and I connected with the artistic merits of the production. Certain plot developments are far-fetched, but I think that the movie does a fine job of selling the notion that these kids are traumatized by the death of the sailor from whom they learned crucial survival skills, and their mannerisms indicate a stunted development because of the isolation on the island. I like the side plot about the kids redefining their concept of God based on the stone structure on the island. I won't go so far as to say that The Blue Lagoon is an unrecognized masterpiece or anything of the sort, but I do think that the movie is unfairly maligned.

The Blue Lagoon looks spectacular on Blu-ray. It's one of the best color transfers from the studio, and the island setting looks incredible.

I'm enjoying the commentary track with Randal Kleiser, Douglas Day Stewart and Brooke Shields right now.

I cannot help wondering if a pivotal plot development in The Hunger Games that concerns poisonous berries was lifted from The Blue Lagoon. The similarities between the stories may be coincidental, but I don't know.

[rafaelsalguero]

you think "La Bamba" will sold out quick ??
Th epreorder begins Aug.20 right?

[MikeZ.]

Originally Posted by rafaelsalguero

you think "La Bamba" will sell out quick ??

Who knows ? I never would've predicted how Christine sold out in a matter of hours, and I love that film !!! Luckily, I got my copy over the phone ( the site kept crashing that day ).

[jlk5844]

Originally Posted by MikeZ.

Who knows ? I never would've predicted how Christine sold out in a matter of hours, and I love that film !!! Luckily, I got my copy over the phone ( the site kept crashing that day ).

The only reason I was able to snag a copy of Christine was because several horror websites wrote about the release and said it was going to go fast. I was prepared for that shitstorm and got mine easily.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by rafaelsalguero

you think "La Bamba" will sold out quick ??
Th epreorder begins Aug.20 right?

Originally Posted by MikeZ.

Who knows ? I never would've predicted how Christine sold out in a matter of hours, and I love that film !!! Luckily, I got my copy over the phone ( the site kept crashing that day ).

There seems to be an over-inflated idea of how quickly Twilight Time releases sell out. Including the five titles up for pre-order in two days, there will have been 100 TT Blu-rays released. Of those 100 titles, 19 of them are OOP. Of those 19, only 4 so far (to my knowledge) have sold out in less than one month: Fright Night, Night of the Living Dead, Christine, and Body Double. And only two of those sold out on the day their pre-orders went live.

So, will La Bamba sell out quickly? As MikeZ says, "Who knows?" but the probability that it will isn't really that high.

On the other hand, if it's something you really want, and are afraid of missing out, there's no point in delaying.