Business Models: Twilight Time vs. Other Boutique Labels

[TMDaines]

Well, it's out of print so people don't really have a choice to support the dear label.

[Nadsat]

It is available a scandinavian dual-format edition:

http://www.discshop.se/filmer/bluray/si ... dvd/P95274" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Nadsat]

A thread about the edition:

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=219067" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[domino harvey]

But the Twilight Time actually has extras, like a commentary from the Fox Noir guys

[McCrutchy]

So I read in this Sunday's NY Times that "Leave Her To Heaven" was coming out on Twilight Time in mid-May. I ordered it fast and furiously before checking what was said about the company here. It sounds as if I may have made a big mistake. Dang!

Twilight Time are little more than glorified middle men, who take another studio's film presentation and extras, add an isolated score and some liner notes (and often poor cover art) and then sell their films for list price through one online web site (screenarchives.com) in a limited quantity of 3,000 copies each. Their reputation is well-deserved, because they have learned to exploit fans of popular horror films they license, and react rudely to criticism of their business model.

Since their content, however, is supplied by Fox or Sony, (i.e. people who know what they are doing) the actual quality of their discs ranges from good to outstanding, with many films leaning more towards the latter.

I would not worry about Leave Her to Heaven, as I'm sure that Fox will produce at least a very good Blu-ray for Twilight Time, but at the same time, it would be nice to buy it direct from Fox through Amazon for around $10, than to pay over $30 for the same content (plus an isolated score and liner notes) from Twilight Time.

[Cash Flagg]

they have learned to exploit fans of popular horror films they license

With said popular horror films representing a grand total of 4 out of their 48 releases, and none in the pipeline until The Blob next fall. Those scheming bastards!

[EddieLarkin]

I can only think of 3? Fright Night, Night of the Living Dead, Christine. They're certainly the only 3 that were snapped up in a matter of days/hours.

[Cash Flagg]

I had added The Fury to the list, but it's really only the three you mention.

[swo17]

Fright Night took at least a month to sell out, and The Fury is still readily available.

[EddieLarkin]

Fright Night took at least a month to sell out

True. Though it was only 8 days after its actual release date that it was gone. I think this can be attributed to lack of awareness of TT/SAE at the time.

[Props55]

How about the older (and necessarily tamer) but related fantasy titles MYSTERIOUS ISLAND and JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH? Did they sell out? If so, how quickly?

[McCrutchy]

With said popular horror films representing a grand total of 4 out of their 48 releases, and none in the pipeline until The Blob next fall. Those scheming bastards!

The point is still valid (and they have plenty of time to add more horror releases before The Blob, and with Halloween coming right around their next announcement period, I would expect them to). They have learned to pit fans of certain films against one another in order to make their business model run as efficiently as possible, and they sit back and watch the free-for-all. They gussy up someone else's product and try to sell it as first-class, and I don't think its the way to sell most films, at all. All of it would be okay if they were more user-friendly, but they are rude and irritable, on top of everything else, and after the whole Christine situation, it's unlikely that I will be buying more of their releases.

[EddieLarkin]

How about the older (and necessarily tamer) but related fantasy titles MYSTERIOUS ISLAND and JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH? Did they sell out? If so, how quickly?

10 and 4 months respectively.

[captveg]

ROclockCK at bluray.com has kindly compiled the sell-out stats:


Christine (Blu-ray):
Feb. 15, 2013 - Feb. 15, 2013
< 1 Day (4.5 to 5 hours)

Night of the Living Dead '90 (Blu-ray):
Sept. 14, 2012 - Sept. 22, 2012
8 Days

Fright Night (Blu-ray):
Nov. 15, 2011 - Dec. 19, 2011
35 Days

Journey to the Center of the Earth (Blu-ray):
Apr. 13, 2012 - July 11, 2012
90 Days

Mysterious Island (Blu-ray):
Oct. 14, 2011 - July 13, 2012
277 Days

The Flim-Flam Man (DVD):
Aug. 9, 2011* - Jan. 28, 2013
538 Days (1 year, 5 months, and 19 days)*

Fate is the Hunter (DVD):
May 10, 2011* - Jan. 23, 2013
624 Days (1 year, 8 months, and 13 days)*

The Egyptian (Blu-ray):
July 12, 2011* - April 25, 2013
653 Days (1 year, 9 months, and 13 days)*

* NOTE: Calculated from Release Date. Exact Pre-Order Date Unknown, so add approximately 30 days to the date ranges shown here.

[Perkins Cobb]

Somebody should Photoshop those onto tombstones and make a Twilight Time graveyard.

[peerpee]

THE TWILIGHT TOMB!

[Zot!]

I've already contacted Disney's lawyers.

[stroszeck]

Some of the films being released on this label which I thought was more of a specialty one initially seem to be critical and commercially successful films that would sell very well under the studios traditional Blu ray line. Sleepless in Seattle, as good as it gets, Philadelphia all should be available on Blu ray for much less than even a $19.99 price point...

[Moe Dickstein]

Sony would seem to disagree...

[captveg]

Sony would seem to disagree...

Yeah, Sony has essentially decided to move away from the distribution of catalog titles, with only a handful of exceptions (Lawrence of Arabia, Funny Girl). That's simply their business strategy these days it seems, 99% of the time regardless of the film's pedigree.

[Noiradelic]

I was very surprised TT got Sleepless in Seattle. Isn't it sort of the DIe Hard of rom-coms? Exposes the difference in home media buying habits between men and women. Also IMO Die Hard is the better movie, and I'm not particularly disposed to the action genre. Shame that Sony, like Paramount before them, has lost so much interest in their catalogue and has chosen TT as their #1 licensing outlet.

[The Fanciful Norwegian]

Some of the films being released on this label which I thought was more of a specialty one initially seem to be critical and commercially successful films that would sell very well under the studios traditional Blu ray line. Sleepless in Seattle, as good as it gets, Philadelphia all should be available on Blu ray for much less than even a $19.99 price point...

I've mentioned this before, but it was a few months and a couple of pages ago, so: What's really frustrating is that Sony themselves have released these in overseas markets. All three are out or soon to be out in Germany, Japan, Spain, and a bunch of other countries, and Philadelphia and Sleepless in Seattle are also out in Australia. Even with shipping to the U.S., you can get them from Germany or Australia for much less than you'd pay for the TT editions--in fact one Australian e-tailer is currently having a "2 for $20" sale on Philadelphia and Sleepless in Seattle, so you can actually get both for less than the cost of one TT release. The only hitch is that the extras are different: the TT Sleepless has an audio commentary and isolated score missing from the international releases, while the TT Philadelphia also has an "exclusive" commentary (ported from the DVD) but is missing some of the longer featurettes. I strongly suspect this is a deliberate move on Sony and TT's part to prevent any one version from being "definitive."

[rwaits]

Yeah, even more reason that I despise this label (not that I'd buy Sleepless or Philadelphia anyway, but...). I've managed to resist buying any of their releases to this point, but LHTH is VERY tempting. Surely it's getting a region B release, no?

[jedgeco]

I was very surprised TT got Sleepless in Seattle. Isn't it sort of the DIe Hard of rom-coms?

I'm having a hard time seeing the strategic value here for either party.

Surely Sony would be able to sell more than 3000 copies of a title like this, even considering the "no risk, money upfront" deal with TT. And for TT, while I understand the temptation of having a "hit" movie to put out, the people who might be interested aren't browsing to Screen Archives or forums like this to find out it's available.

I don't want to act like I know their business better than they do, but it seems odd.

[EddieLarkin]

Yes, how better we'd all be if Judgment at Nuremberg, Khartoum, Inherit The Wind, In the Heat of the Night, Huston's Moby Dick, Witness for the Prosecution et al, continued to languish on decade old DVDs. No one else seems interested, so if the only choice is the $35/limited window run around, so be it.

Surely the alternative is cutting off the nose to spite the face?