Twilight Time / Redwind

[Boosmahn]

Next Stop, Greenwich Village (a Fox title) was out-of-stock yesterday but is back now, though I'm not sure how long it'll last.

[Ribs]

I would also say that Indicator definitely didn’t release “many” Fox titles - they had one deal that ended a year+ ago. And the Fox titles from Arrow, Eureka, and Criterion have not exactly been abundant of late as presumably they approach the end of their titles allotted in whatever their prior deals were (I’m sure a handful more will still pop up). TT’s model just was always built on the false idea of the death of home video which will not be the case - their competitors all adopting better models and basically no one else emulating them sealed their fate, regardless of the access to certain libraries disappearing.

[Cronenfly]

I’m curious if they will even have anything to hand over to Screen Archives come July. Most of what I’m looking at now is fairly recent but I suppose it’s impossible to know what will last and what will not.

[dwk]

tenia I don't disagree with what you are saying. I think swo17 is correct, they weren't flexible, they had a mindset that this is the end of physical media, and when that turned out not to be the case, they couldn't, or wouldn't, shift their business model. Like, I get the impression that MGM ended up not being too thrilled with their deal with TT, and they forced TT to re-release a number of the titles that sold out. TT did this, but clearly were not happy about it and that really was the end of them licensing MGM titles. The rigidity of their model worked against the needs of a company that could have kept them in titles for quite awhile.

TT also licensed from the same studios as Indicator and/or KLSC: Sony, StudioCanal, and Universal. They weren’t just a Fox outlet. But because they took forever, theirs were some of the last Fox titles released, so it just felt like it

I'm unaware of any StudioCanal titles, and the Universal deal apparently was only for a few titles and it seems like that door likely would've gotten shut as KLSC licensed a big batch of the Universal titles that would've appealed to TT's base.

[Feego]

I’m curious if they will even have anything to hand over to Screen Archives come July. Most of what I’m looking at now is fairly recent but I suppose it’s impossible to know what will last and what will not.

I bet those remaining DVD copies of Woman Obsessed and Violent Saturday that have been languishing for 9 years and even at $2.50 still aren't being designated as low stock will still be around!

[domino harvey]

I'm unaware of any StudioCanal titles

Is L-Shaped Room held by another studio in the states?

[swo17]

Sony?

But at least they left behind them a legacy of the most consistently awful array of covers of any boutique label (or any label, period, save maybe Alpha Video)

Them's fightin' words!

Spoiler

Or maybe you just need to lie down and have a nap

Spoiler

[dwk]

I'm unaware of any StudioCanal titles

Is L-Shaped Room held by another studio in the states?

Scan of the backcover shows it is a Sony title.

[nitin]

They still have at least 200 odd titles exclusive to them and a lot of them I am quite happy to own.

As for the comparisons, Kino (at least Kino in 2019-2020) is fair but Olive is not. Olive (like Kino used to) just shoved whatever master existed on to disc. TT did wait around for restorations from Sony and Fox in most cases apart from their very early years.

[tojoed]

On the cover of "Fortune Cookie" I thought Jack Lemon was Tony Hancock.

[Adam X]

Bless you all for the recommendations. From the $8.95 price bracket, how about Short Night of the Glass Dolls and The Doll of Satan, any fans?

I don't know what direction soundchaser's opinion of Glass Dolls sent you in, L.A., but I can absolutely recommend the film. I've got the Camera Obscura disc, so can't comment on the release, but the film itself is absolutely beautiful. It's not a giallo in the Argento/Fulci vein, but it's a wonderful mystery, with a great score and cinematography. I liked it far better the second time I saw it (possibly due to the restoration), and easily think of it as one of the better giallo around.
The Doll of Satan, I remember thinking it wasn't bad? I actually don't remember anything about it, which possibly isn't a good sign. If you need to spend the money, I don't think you'd be disappointed, but it obviously wasn't that memorable.

[domino harvey]

My order from ScreenArchives already arrived. Even in death, TT sux compared to any other retailer

[senseabove]

My huge order from TT arrived yesterday... I imagine SAE was just a lot less slammed than TT, since I have the impression folks started at the TT site and went to SAE when they were out of something.

[domino harvey]

Did TT send you a shipping notice?

[senseabove]

Yep. Subject was "Your Twilight Time Movies Order Has Been Updated (#12345)" But that came before they even sent out the "sorry we're slammed" email.

[domino harvey]

Thanks, just wanted to make sure I didn't miss anything. I never use FedEx and any other shipper (UPS, USPS) gives me direct updates when my package is en route

[Adam X]

I can’t speak to the TT store experience, but FedEx provide updates just like UPS/USPS.

[domino harvey]

I meant I have it set up with an account for those shippers where they email/text me directly without me having to do anything

[dustybooks]

My order from Sunday night (from TT directly) showed up yesterday, amazingly, so I must've gotten in just ahead of the rush.

[senseabove]

Just when you thought the ride was over...

Screen Archives Entertainment has reached an agreement with Twilight Time Movies to purchase the company’s extensive Twilight Time Movies inventory or back catalog, along with reprint rights of limited titles, and its website effective July 1, 2020. The agreement ensures that the Twilight Time label will continue indefinitely, according to the principals.

Announcement email

[Reverend Drewcifer]

What's the over/under that it'll be a zombie brand used for repackaging?

[domino harvey]

I know name brand recognition is often what investors buy in situations like this, but does Twilight Time have a good rep for anyone but the brown nosers on the Blu-Ray.com forums? Most people seem to avoid them like the plague unless they’re going out of business and selling at ~30% of retail

[tenia]

I also wonder what good it will serve except preventing labels to offer better cheaper releases than what TT used to do.
Hurray for $30 bare-bones reprints !

I'm also glad to see Jamieson will keep providing his marketing expertise considering what he showed last October at Lyon. He had pretty much given any hope to do anything and simply admit TT's model was not adapted anymore to the market, forcing them to do sales after sales while they said they never would. He felt stuck with no idea how to exit the dead end. And, well, 6 months later, this is where TT is.

[domino harvey]

Another quickly gone Fox title, the Hot Rock, is also available from Screen Archives for $14.95-- I almost never blind buy these days, but that cast and plot sounded promising. If I hate it I pledge to sell it here for what it cost me instead of milking the suckers on eBay

The Hot Rock is great and essential viewing for Soderbergh fans who want to find out what his heist movies have been stealing from.

I thought this was okay, and I liked the structure of the film and can see the impact it appeared to have on Soderbergh’s style. But it’s the kind of film where it wouldn’t have been hard to give the script to someone else for a couple hours to punch up the dialogue and imbue the characters with more color, as everyone is boring and the gags all fall flat— more details like the getaway driver listening to speedway recordings like an audiophile and less anything else offered here as characterization. 70s American cinema is full of the same low ambition tendency as this film, and it doesn’t really rise above it. A pleasant if unexceptional way to spend an afternoon

[Reverend Drewcifer]

I know name brand recognition is often what investors buy in situations like this, but does Twilight Time have a good rep for anyone but the brown nosers on the Blu-Ray.com forums? Most people seem to avoid them like the plague unless they’re going out of business and selling at ~30% of retail

Well put. I suspect Screen Archives could draft off of the (relative) rep of a boutique label, but it's more likely Twilight Time will become a Mill Creek-style clearinghouse for library acquisitions. Worst case: Twilight Time becomes the Aldi Aisle of Shame.