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This wasn't TT's first rodeo with Allen. Presumably they would have also gone through the same process to clear all the written material on their previous Allen releases, and Interiors, too.

Allen's reps signed off on the packaging without noticing the mention of a commentary on the back. They never listened to it, and certainly never "approved" it.

captveg wrote:This wasn't TT's first rodeo with Allen. Presumably they would have also gone through the same process to clear all the written material on their previous Allen releases, and Interiors, too.

Most likely to me is that TT tried to pull a fast one on Allen's people, sneaking commentary approval in with the approval for the written material, and got Allen's office to sign off on the commentary without realizing what they were doing. Then the announcement is made, shit hits the fan, and TT pulls it.

It's consistent both with TT's statement and Allen's (well-known and unlikely to change) aversion to supplements.

If that was the case I think Redman would have just said Allen's people got cold feet at the last minute rather than the studio. There's no reason to make the distinction otherwise, unless one has the conspiracy tinfoil hat on.

Other than the entire history of Allen's well-established predilections towards this, sure

It sounds a lot better to say "those damned studio meddlers stopped us from giving you the best possible edition" than to say "we tried to go against the filmmaker's repeatedly expressed wishes and got caught." If it were anybody but Twilight Time* I would be reluctant to assign such a crude, face-saving motivation, but, well, it's Twilight Time.

*Maybe Mr. Bongo too

Well, whatever. I find it... odd to consider someone a liar because one disagrees with their business model.

I don't think it's that. It's just really hard to believe Allen would say "no" on features to Criterion right from their LaserDisc days, through MGM'S (and even Sony's and Dreamworks') DVD releases, to Arrow's box sets but then be okay with this one title from Twilight Time.

Another possibility is Allen's people having signed off on it by mistake (thinking perhaps is was a written commentary and not an audio commentary) and then using their MGM channels to nix it for TT in a roundabout way.

In other news, Lilies of the Field is sold out at Screen Archives, but still available at Twilight Time's site.

captveg wrote:Another possibility is Allen's people having signed off on it by mistake (thinking perhaps is was a written commentary and not an audio commentary) and then using their MGM channels to nix it for TT in a roundabout way.

Funny, that sounds suspiciously like the scenario I outlined above, that you said there was "no reason" to believe.

Brian C wrote:

captveg wrote:Another possibility is Allen's people having signed off on it by mistake (thinking perhaps is was a written commentary and not an audio commentary) and then using their MGM channels to nix it for TT in a roundabout way.

Funny, that sounds suspiciously like the scenario I outlined above, that you said there was "no reason" to believe.

I see some key differences:

1. No one in my scenario is trying to screw over someone else intentionally. Mine's a result of unintentional miscommunication rather than some sneaky scheming.

2. No one in my scenario is lying about what occurred, based on the information they are actually privy to.


Not every scenario needs a villain. That's what there's no reason to believe.

Forget it Jake, it's Twilight Time.

captveg wrote:In other news, Lilies of the Field is sold out at Screen Archives, but still available at Twilight Time's site.

Now looks as if the same applies to Moby Dick.

Front page of the Screen Archives website offers a 30% off code. When I put it into my order it said "Code accepted and applied" but it actually didn't do the math. Wondering if anyone else encountered this.

I'm assuming the code is only for the CD soundtracks listed below the code announcement.

Ah, it was all kind of jumbled together so I figured I could swing it.

CSM126 wrote:Forget it Jake, it's Twilight Time.

Stephen wrote:

captveg wrote:In other news, Lilies of the Field is sold out at Screen Archives, but still available at Twilight Time's site.

Now looks as if the same applies to Moby Dick.

And getting low in quantity at their site, too:

MISSISSIPPI BURNING - fewer than 300
10 TO MIDNIGHT - fewer than 100
LILIES OF THE FIELD - fewer than 200
MOBY DICK - fewer than 220

I wouldn't normally post reviews of TT's discs, but I found this one particular odd. Gary tried to be effusive about the PQ, especially the colors, yet did a take down on everything else about the PQ. Clearly there is DNR applied. His captures appear to show a waxiness... Gary seems to me that he's trying to be diplomatic about this awful presentation. I'm not sure why. Even the colors, again based on his caps,

Beaver wrote: They are as saturated and deep as I have witnessed on home video.

don't seem anymore luminous than some of the other 50's color films to my eye... Maybe he's playing to a certain someone?

Beaver on Payton Place

Judging from the caps on Beaver, I'd be wary on making any definitive statement on PQ.
First, Gary's caps are what they are, meaning notoriously untrustworthy on colors, compression and digital filtering.
Second, it looks like it's a Fox restoration akin to The Blue Max, Desk Set, Wild River and co, where the restored color timing is debatable to say the least.
But it does seem to be a new 4K restoration which doesn't appear to be noticeably tinkered with. It might just be a combination of softer elements, 4K very fine grain and Gary's capturing method.

(just my 2 cents)

tenia wrote:Judging from the caps on Beaver, I'd be wary on making any definitive statement on PQ.
First, Gary's caps are what they are, meaning notoriously untrustworthy on colors, compression and digital filtering.
Second, it looks like it's a Fox restoration akin to The Blue Max, Desk Set, Wild River and co, where the restored color timing is debatable to say the least.
But it does seem to be a new 4K restoration which doesn't appear to be noticeably tinkered with. It might just be a combination of softer elements, 4K very fine grain and Gary's capturing method.

(just my 2 cents)

Fox restorations also seem to apply varying levels of 'grain management', particularly in the darker areas of the image (which seems to flatten the blacks somewhat IMHO)

I'm not sure if it's so much the result of a grain management or of the newer color timing.

tenia wrote:I'm not sure if it's so much the result of a grain management or of the newer color timing.

Check out some of the B&W Fox restorations, it does seem like they like to degrain the blacks, and flatten them to varying degrees in the process.

Moby Dick has sold out.

Update for quantities at Twilight Time's site:

Fewer than 10 Copies

Funny Lady
Violent Saturday

Fewer than 25

Birdman of Alcatraz
Mindwarp

Fewer than 50

The Happy Ending
Runaway Train

Fewer than 100

10 to Midnight (Sold Out at SAE)
The Believers
Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (Encore Edition)
The Hawaiians
Save Your Legs!
Solomon and Sheba

Seeing how Thunderbirds double feature ended up with Kino Lorber and the Sony titles getting released in superior region Free editions from Powerhouse/Indicator Series, I no longer see the need to support this label, at least until the prices drop below $14.95...

10 to Midnight has sold out.