Business Models: Twilight Time vs. Other Boutique Labels
- EddieLarkin
- Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:25 am
Re: Twilight Time
But it is a regular length feature film. It's only 8 minutes shorter than Hitchcock's Rope! If it was sub 1 hour then I'd be on board with what you're saying, and would expect them to at least make it a double feature with something else. But there's nothing unusual about a 70 minute film, especially from that period of film making.
- Gregory
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm
Re: Twilight Time
Does a licensor get any discount if the feature is shorter than average length? As for the extras, we'll just have to wait and see, but TT charging special-edition prices for a (near-)bare-bones release would hardly be anything out of the ordinary.knives wrote:I agree with that but, especially since I presume TT didn't have any additional costs like restoration, selling a short movie minus extras for the same as a regular length feature plus extras seems weird to me.Gregory wrote:I thought we were talking about the main feature being relatively short (~70 minutes) which in my house often means it gets viewed sooner and more often than something 2-3 times that length.
- knives
- Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 6:49 pm
Re: Twilight Time
The Rope BD is MSRP $30 and can be found much cheaper than that. I'd say that would be a reasonable price for a new release.EddieLarkin wrote:But it is a regular length feature film. It's only 8 minutes shorter than Hitchcock's Rope! If it was sub 1 hour then I'd be on board with what you're saying, and would expect them to at least make it a double feature with something else. But there's nothing unusual about a 70 minute film, especially from that period of film making.
- Gregory
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm
Re: Twilight Time
Complaints about pricing structure, however valid, should probably go in the "Business Models: Twilight Time vs. Olive Films" thread, to which many pages of this thread were already moved.
- EddieLarkin
- Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:25 am
Re: Twilight Time
Sure, but Rope is not specially discounted because it has a short runtime. You can pick Gone with the Wind up for a similar bargain price.
As for Man in the Dark, it too will probably have a $30 MSRP like all other TT discs these days. They went for $35 with Major Dundee because it required two discs, but I don't think that will be necessary for Man in the Dark even allowing for the additional 3D version, precisely because of the short runtime.
As for Man in the Dark, it too will probably have a $30 MSRP like all other TT discs these days. They went for $35 with Major Dundee because it required two discs, but I don't think that will be necessary for Man in the Dark even allowing for the additional 3D version, precisely because of the short runtime.
- jindianajonz
- Jindiana Jonz Abrams
- Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 8:11 pm
Re: Business Models: Twilight Time vs. Olive Films
Whoever compared it to Night and Fog, this film is over twice the length of that one. A better comparison would be the 63 minute Most Dangerous Game, which had no special features and was priced at $25, though considering this is Blu-Ray, I think a slightly higher price would be excusable.
And who knows, maybe it'll be relatively loaded, in which case a $35 price would make it a better deal than Criterion's 70 minute Island of Lost Souls (you know, if you base your movie purchases only on run time, special features and price, and don't factor in trivial things like the quality of the movie itself)
And who knows, maybe it'll be relatively loaded, in which case a $35 price would make it a better deal than Criterion's 70 minute Island of Lost Souls (you know, if you base your movie purchases only on run time, special features and price, and don't factor in trivial things like the quality of the movie itself)
- matrixschmatrix
- Joined: Tue May 25, 2010 11:26 pm
Re: Business Models: Twilight Time vs. Olive Films
I'm sure Twilight Time is tired of being compared to Olive, but but Olive dropped the MSRP on their blu release of Anthony Mann's 56 minute Strangers in the Night to $25, $5 cheaper than their longer releases. Though honestly at 70 minutes, that's feature length- I don't know that one is owed anything for brevity there.
- Roger Ryan
- Joined: Wed Apr 28, 2010 12:04 pm
- Location: A Midland town spread and darkened into a city
Re: Business Models: Twilight Time vs. Olive Films
Using Chico Marx economics, for some films you should pay more for being able to sit through a shorter running time: $35 for 70 minutes, $70 for 35 minutes, $100 for 15 minutes, etc.
Theoretical straight man: "What if I don't watch the film at all?"
Chico Marx: "You couldn't afford it."
Theoretical straight man: "What if I don't watch the film at all?"
Chico Marx: "You couldn't afford it."
- Moe Dickstein
- Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2012 11:19 pm
Re: Twilight Time
Personally I think this demonstrates TT's commitment to bringing out a quality product for their price point. Time and again, they've shown a willingness to do things like this and adjust course to make a better product. Notice how many commentaries we're getting these days?
- TMDaines
- Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2009 1:01 pm
- Location: Stretford, Manchester
Re: Twilight Time
Twilight Time / SAE is a company that will sell their product at a greatly inflated price, but then offer to doctor their shipping labels so you don't have pay taxes on importing their product, (thus insuring the only money you spend ends up in their pocket) so they've got previous with their peculiar ethics in the hunt for your order.
- Moe Dickstein
- Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2012 11:19 pm
Re: Twilight Time
I've read that last sentence 3 times and can't understand it...
- EddieLarkin
- Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:25 am
Re: Twilight Time
You say this like it's some sort of advantage for SAE. They save you money, all of which stays in your pocket, not theirs.TMDaines wrote:Twilight Time / SAE is a company that will sell their product at a greatly inflated price, but then offer to doctor their shipping labels so you don't have pay taxes on importing their product, (thus insuring the only money you spend ends up in their pocket)
- fdm
- Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2006 1:25 pm
Re: Twilight Time
Besides that, Twilight Time and Screen Archives are two separate companies.EddieLarkin wrote:You say this like it's some sort of advantage for SAE. They save you money, all of which stays in your pocket, not theirs.TMDaines wrote:Twilight Time / SAE is a company that will sell their product at a greatly inflated price, but then offer to doctor their shipping labels so you don't have pay taxes on importing their product, (thus insuring the only money you spend ends up in their pocket)
- NABOB OF NOWHERE
- Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2005 12:30 pm
- Location: Brandywine River
Re: Twilight Time
Well I for one (in Europe) buy a shed load of CD soundtracks from SAE on which they mark down the declared value so it escapes what would otherwise be a very punitive import charge. Without this I would be forced to look elsewhere. So in that sense and I can hardly be alone on this they are benefiting from increased sales.EddieLarkin wrote:You say this like it's some sort of advantage for SAE. They save you money, all of which stays in your pocket, not theirs.TMDaines wrote:Twilight Time / SAE is a company that will sell their product at a greatly inflated price, but then offer to doctor their shipping labels so you don't have pay taxes on importing their product, (thus insuring the only money you spend ends up in their pocket)
- EddieLarkin
- Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:25 am
Re: Twilight Time
God forbid they benefit from increased sales by saving international customers shed loads of fees (again, none of which goes to them).
- NABOB OF NOWHERE
- Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2005 12:30 pm
- Location: Brandywine River
Re: Twilight Time
Why God Forbid.? if they didn't do what they do they wouldn't get the sales Is that not clear enough?EddieLarkin wrote:God forbid they benefit from increased sales by saving international customers shed loads of fees (again, none of which goes to them).
- EddieLarkin
- Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:25 am
Re: Twilight Time
I'm not saying they do it out of the goodness of their heart, but they don't advertise or promote it. Anyone buying from SAE for the first time would expect fees, so clearly they still would get sales. Are we not in agreement that it is a good thing they do this?
- Gregory
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm
Re: Twilight Time
It's illegal and seems like a foolish thing to get a reputation for routinely doing as a company.
- NABOB OF NOWHERE
- Joined: Thu Sep 01, 2005 12:30 pm
- Location: Brandywine River
Re: Twilight Time
Don't grass us up Greg, I need those Morricone reissues without paying through the nose. They're dear enough as it is.Gregory wrote:It's illegal and seems like a foolish thing to get a reputation for routinely doing as a company.
- EddieLarkin
- Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:25 am
Re: Twilight Time
I'm under the impression they've been doing it for decades, so I guess despite it being illegal the various border forces don't seem to care so much. Flicker Alley, Diabolik DVD and Mondo Vision all do it as well (in the latter case, they literally do advertise the fact on their site!).Gregory wrote:It's illegal and seems like a foolish thing to get a reputation for routinely doing as a company.
- Gregory
- Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm
Re: Business Models: Twilight Time vs. Olive Films
They do? I didn't think Mondo Vision even took orders on their site.
- EddieLarkin
- Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:25 am
Re: Business Models: Twilight Time vs. Olive Films
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- TMDaines
- Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2009 1:01 pm
- Location: Stretford, Manchester
Re: Twilight Time
Of course it is an advantage for them. Otherwise their customers, in the UK for example, would have to factor in a likely 20% + £8 fee on their outlay on orders made at their site. They do it for the exact same reason Amazon's European stores don't charge VAT to non-EEA buyers. The VAT wouldn't need to be going to them either, but they save their customers money by reducing unnecessary fixed costs. The difference is one site's policy is legitimate practice; the other is illegal.EddieLarkin wrote:You say this like it's some sort of advantage for SAE. They save you money, all of which stays in your pocket, not theirs.TMDaines wrote:Twilight Time / SAE is a company that will sell their product at a greatly inflated price, but then offer to doctor their shipping labels so you don't have pay taxes on importing their product, (thus insuring the only money you spend ends up in their pocket)
That was the point I was making. They're willing to bleed you dry but are then more than happy to cover their tracks to the authorities over the amount their charging. It's a complete hypocrisy. I hate the Royal Mail fee in the UK, and thankfully I've never had to pay it so far, but the hypocrisy of them enticing overseas customers by offsetting their overpriced products through customs tax dodging is ludicrous.NABOB OF NOWHERE wrote:Don't grass us up Greg, I need those Morricone reissues without paying through the nose. They're dear enough as it is.Gregory wrote:It's illegal and seems like a foolish thing to get a reputation for routinely doing as a company.
Last edited by TMDaines on Sat Mar 08, 2014 5:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- swo17
- Bloodthirsty Butcher
- Joined: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:25 am
- Location: SLC, UT
Re: Business Models: Twilight Time vs. Olive Films
Yes, they're lowering the stated value of their product on international orders out of fear that customs police are going to shut down their bleeding customers dry operation!TMDaines wrote:They're willing to bleed you dry but are then more than happy to cover their tracks to the authorities over the amount their charging. It's a complete hypocrisy.
- TMDaines
- Joined: Wed Nov 11, 2009 1:01 pm
- Location: Stretford, Manchester
Re: Business Models: Twilight Time vs. Olive Films
I'm sure you know what I meant!