Interview Interview with Twilight Time: Nick Redman on who they are, their business model and more. (1 Viewer)

[Towergrove]

Originally Posted by John Hodson ! BTW... I notice you are from Bolton, lovely place. There is nothing like the historic Victoria Square Market in Bolton around the holidays!

 

[John Hodson]

Land of Spring and Port Wine

 

[Adam Gregorich]

Originally Posted by John Hodson

Originally Posted by Towergrove [url=/t/317186/interview-with-twilight-time-nick-redman-on-who-they-are-their-business-model-and-more/150#post_3883500]

Thanks Jim. Im going to try all the ones you suggested! Looking at Region 2 truly does open up a whole new world of collecting. Thanks again!

Sarah; the HTF has a very useful R2 DVD thread [url=http://www.hometheaterforum.com/t/298833/pal-and-other-region-dvd-announcements-reviews]here.

Thanks for posting that John. If we need the BD equivalent lets get it started. I can sticky it in the BD area.

 

[Alan Tully]

I stated this in another threat, but I think its work repeating. I recently worked a temp job at a cardiologists office, digitizing their medical records. I worked with a group of people who's ages ranged from about 23 to 60, but the majority of them were under 35. All of them were college graduates. Naturally I brought up the subject of classic films, and the movies of Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, Betty Davis, Rita Hayworth, even Steve McQueen. Only the 60 year old knew who these people were, and even she hadn't seen a film with Davis or Bogart. Now all of them had heard of John Wayne, but hadn't seen any of his films. When I brought up Jimmy Stewart, I had to tell them that he was the guy in Its A Wonderful Life, and only then did they know who I was talking about. I was startled. I was shocked to find that most of them considered movies from the 80's as "old movies", meaning that they really weren't interested in watching them.

For the past twenty years I've worked with a lot of young people who have media studies degree's, & I mention names like, Michael Curtiz, John Ford, Howard Hawks, John Huston, & get a blank stare, even my 81 year old mother only likes the new stuff. Let's face it, if you like old movies you're a nerd! I can't think of 60's & 70's films as old movies, I saw them at the cinema, & it doesn't seem that long ago (I know it is). But not all is lost, the last three months of 2011 have been amazing for old movie releases on Blu-ray, & 2012 could be the best year yet, with a ton of stuff coming from Warner. For me it starts at the end of January with Cleopatra. I'm sure there's a lot of great stuff coming out next year.

 

[Douglas R]

For the past twenty years I've worked with a lot of young people who have media studies degree's, & I mention names like, Michael Curtiz, John Ford, Howard Hawks, John Huston, & get a blank stare, even my 81 year old mother only likes the new stuff. Let's face it, if you like old movies you're a nerd! I can't think of 60's & 70's films as old movies, I saw them at the cinema, & it doesn't seem that long ago (I know it is). But not all is lost, the last three months of 2011 have been amazing for old movie releases on Blu-ray, & 2012 could be the best year yet, with a ton of stuff coming from Warner. For me it starts at the end of January with Cleopatra. I'm sure there's a lot of great stuff coming out next year.

An interest in old films has always been a minority interest. I enjoyed old and new films when I was in my 20s but few people I knew were interested in the old ones. I remember back in the late '70s talking to 20 year olds who I worked with about film stars and, even then, most had never heard of Cary Grant or James Stewart.

 

[cineMANIAC]

I'm in my late 30's and consider myself a film buff. I've seen hundreds of films and am aware of who people are but even I haven't seen most pre-1960's movies and it's not because of a lack of interest. One of the joys of cinema is the excitement of discovering a great film from an era when studios put their hearts into them and didn't just churn out product like it's done today. I'm also not one of those people who think Fast and the Furious is an example of a great film and can recite every line of dialogue spoken by Vin Diesel (like most people I know). I just think today's generation needs a bit of a push - you gotta sit them down and watch a classic film with them every now and then. Any true film buff will never take into consideration the age of a film and call it old, just a piece of great art and great entertainment. Show 'em how it should be done!

 

[Marc Hampton]

For the past twenty years I've worked with a lot of young people who have media studies degree's, & I mention names like, Michael Curtiz, John Ford, Howard Hawks, John Huston, & get a blank stare, even my 81 year old mother only likes the new stuff. Let's face it, if you like old movies you're a nerd! I can't think of 60's & 70's films as old movies, I saw them at the cinema, & it doesn't seem that long ago (I know it is). But not all is lost, the last three months of 2011 have been amazing for old movie releases on Blu-ray, & 2012 could be the best year yet, with a ton of stuff coming from Warner. For me it starts at the end of January with Cleopatra. I'm sure there's a lot of great stuff coming out next year.

When I worked at Borders back in the early 90s, a LOT of the customers buying classic movies on VHS were 55+. That demographic wanted movies they grew up with or fondly remembered. I think I got 2 or 3 requests a month for Deanna Durbin and Tyrone Power. Even my 70 year old great aunt had a healthy VHS collection. It's likely that--20 years later--this demographic isn't buying a lot of DVDs and Blu-rays of classic movies. The consumers now are largely dedicated film buffs, most of whom weren't alive when Deanna Durbin was on the screen. If you visit something like the forums on theTurner Classic Movies website (and I'm not really recommending it), you'll find people yearning to see movies that it turns out have been on DVD for years, or that they could go get a stunning Blu-ray of for about $20. It's like the whole idea of how to see a classic movie has shifted...if they can't get it on Netflix or see it on TCM...it doesn't exist. (People get downright hostile about Blu-ray...saying its all just a marketing ploy and they don't see any difference in quality...not just at TCM but on other web forums as well). Seems to me the group that now buys classics on Blu-ray (beyond the big A-list titles) is about as "niche" as it gets. Amazon doesn't even let you sort Blu-rays under a "classic" category. It definitely feels like I'm back in laserdisc times again (tho I'm OK with being part of the nerdy elite).

 

[Jeff Ulmer]

Hence experiments like the Warner Archive and venders like Twilight Time. Some of these will find their audience, and some will fail.

If the idea is to create a new market for "old" films, then high priced models simply aren't the way to do it. I can attest from personal experience that I had no interest in these "old" films either until I was able to discover them through low priced DVDs, which raised my awareness that they were out there and got me to investigate what I had been missing. If these has been limited to obscure distribution and premium pricing, I would have had no interest in them whatsoever.

 

[JoHud]

In all seriousness, I am as a big a collector of physical media--Blu-ray, DVD, books, CDs, vinyl, laserdiscs, VHS--as anyone, but if I completely put the kibosh on streaming, there are so many "not-on-DVD "/ "not-on-home video" titles that I would completely miss out on.

I've been warming up to Netflix streaming this past month. I'm an avid DVD (and blu-ray) buyer and won't stream something that's already on DVD (unless it's a poor quality public domain company) but I've been impressed by the quality of most of these. Granted they're usually not pristine and sometimes spotty, but usually still good enough for a future DVD release. I'll likely buy most of these on DVD when they get around to releasing them, but I'm concerned that some may be streaming-only for a long time.

 

[Bryan^H]

I love classic films(especially from the 20's and 30's). Being 38 years old, I have absolutely no way to gauge what films are good, or bad considering most all of them are unheard of to my age bracket. I find the best way to collect these old films is this: Catch a film on TCM, if I enjoy it enough I look to see if it available on dvd. 75% of the time It is not, but the MOD programs from WB, and Columbia have changed this greatly.

 

[Towergrove]

Originally Posted by Marc Hampton

Originally Posted by Billy Batson [url=/t/317186/interview-with-twilight-time-nick-redman-on-who-they-are-their-business-model-and-more/150#post_3883623]

For the past twenty years I've worked with a lot of young people who have media studies degree's, & I mention names like, Michael Curtiz, John Ford, Howard Hawks, John Huston, & get a blank stare, even my 81 year old mother only likes the new stuff. Let's face it, if you like old movies you're a nerd! I can't think of 60's & 70's films as old movies, I saw them at the cinema, & it doesn't seem that long ago (I know it is). But not all is lost, the last three months of 2011 have been amazing for old movie releases on Blu-ray, & 2012 could be the best year yet, with a ton of stuff coming from Warner. For me it starts at the end of January with Cleopatra. I'm sure there's a lot of great stuff coming out next year.

When I worked at Borders back in the early 90s, a LOT of the customers buying classic movies on VHS were 55+. That demographic wanted movies they grew up with or fondly remembered. I think I got 2 or 3 requests a month for Deanna Durbin and Tyrone Power. Even my 70 year old great aunt had a healthy VHS collection. It's likely that--20 years later--this demographic isn't buying a lot of DVDs and Blu-rays of classic movies. The consumers now are largely dedicated film buffs, most of whom weren't alive when Deanna Durbin was on the screen.

If you visit something like the forums on theTurner Classic Movies website (and I'm not really recommending it), you'll find people yearning to see movies that it turns out have been on DVD for years, or that they could go get a stunning Blu-ray of for about $20. It's like the whole idea of how to see a classic movie has shifted...if they can't get it on Netflix or see it on TCM...it doesn't exist. (People get downright hostile about Blu-ray...saying its all just a marketing ploy and they don't see any difference in quality...not just at TCM but on other web forums as well).

Seems to me the group that now buys classics on Blu-ray (beyond the big A-list titles) is about as "niche" as it gets. Amazon doesn't even let you sort Blu-rays under a "classic" category. It definitely feels like I'm back in laserdisc times again (tho I'm OK with being part of the nerdy elite).

Marc I just checked Amazon.com and you can indeed search Bluray for classic releases. It's under Movies&tv>classics>Bluray. It is very easy to find and searchable.


Ihave been a TCM forum member for years and it seems many of their posters use the Warner Archive. I believe that is where much of the Classic Film business for DVD has gone in recent years.


The TCM Now Playing magazine has a section in the back for every movie shown for the month. It will tell you weather the film is available on Optical disc or not. It's an excellent resource.

 

[Jon Hertzberg]

I'm an avid DVD (and blu-ray) buyer and won't stream something that's already on DVD (unless it's a poor quality public domain company) but I've been impressed by the quality of most of these. .

I've found that a good number of titles that have been released on DVD at some point now appear on Netflix Streaming in superior, often HD, transfers. Universal titles such as BLUE COLLAR and NIGHTHAWKS come to mind. In addition, where these films have altered soundtracks on DVD, they retain their original theatrical soundtracks in the streaming version. 1983's BREATHLESS, from MGM, which is 4x3 full frame on DVD appears in a new HD transfer on Netflix. These are examples just off the top of my head. There are most assuredly many other examples like this. So, it would be wise to not entirely eliminate "films available on DVD" on Netflix.

 

[JoHud]

Now that you mention it, I imagine a lot of the early DVDs released by MGM, particularly letterboxed or pan & scanned widescreen films would look not as good as the Netflix streaming counterpart. I've tried to find some examples of those but so far they are unavailable for streaming. However, I've noticed that letterboxed Universal films like Madigan are available anamorphic on Netflix. Thanks for the heads up. I'll take your word for it on the HD transfers, though I don't think my connection can take full advantage of HD. I notice a difference, though not as well as titles on my Blu-ray player. I may be watching the wrong movies for that, though.

 

[Bob Cashill]

Those early MGM DVDs that have made the leap to Blu-ray, like THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, and THE MISFITS, look incredible.

 

[DavidBC]

edit; wrong forum

 

[ReggieW]

Hence experiments like the Warner Archive and venders like Twilight Time. Some of these will find their audience, and some will fail.

If the idea is to create a new market for "old" films, then high priced models simply aren't the way to do it. I can attest from personal experience that I had no interest in these "old" films either until I was able to discover them through low priced DVDs, which raised my awareness that they were out there and got me to investigate what I had been missing. If these has been limited to obscure distribution and premium pricing, I would have had no interest in them whatsoever.

You telling me. I just shelled out $70 for TWO films from Twilight Time: Mysterious Island & Rapture. I did this in a show of support, but I'll likely NEVER spend this much for two films ever again - especially once you consider that both are blind buys for me. For this amount of money, Twilight Time will have to find a way to add bonus material or offer some other incentive to at least make these titles worth their asking price. I never jumped on the Laserdisc bandwagon, so was never accustomed to paying the exorbitant LD prices mentioned by a few around here. Paying this amount for two films is something entirely new to me, and at these prices, someone will have to want the films badly - especially if they already own them on DVD.

 

[Adam Gregorich]

Release schedule update: Twilight Time has confirmed DEMETRIUS AND THE GLADIATORS along with BITE THE BULLET for a March 8th release on Blu-ray.

 

[PaulaJ]

Twilight Time would be just the right company to rescue Robert Totten's remake of The Red Pony (Universal / NBC, 1973). This was a different take from the original, an entirely new adaptation, and I think a better one. A poignant coming of age drama in the west, involving a horse. It was shot like a theatrical feature and could have played theatrically. It equates with Hallmark specials like Sarah Plain and Tall and O Pioneers, only better. Played on a small intimate scale by Henry Fonda, Maureen O'Hara, and Ben Johnson. Clint Howard played the kid, when he was still young enough to be cute. The saloon fight between Fonda and Johnson remains the best fight I've seen in a western since Shane (1953). If I remember correctly, there was no music under it, just grunts and breathing and the sound of bone hitting flesh and boots scraping a dusty floor. They fight until they are too exhausted to continue. The film also offers one of the best performances of Fonda's career, and that's saying a lot. The score by Jerry Goldsmith will just slay you. The film was repeated a few times in the 1970s and I'm sure I watched it each time, but it has never been released to home video and is impossible to obtain in any shape or form. There isn't even a poster or stills to be had anywhere. The Red Pony needs to be rescued from obscurity.

Hey, Richard W, get outta my head! I watched The Red Pony just the other day, i.e., it is not impossible to obtain. Definitely needs an official release. For the record -- the saloon fight isn't between Henry Fonda and Ben Johnson. It's mainly between Fonda and another character, the husband of a woman a drunken Johnson has just smooched. The husband punches Johnson down to the floor and while he sits there dazed, Fonda (almost as drunk) comes to the rescue. It's a great fight and seems very realistic to me, i.e., Fonda and the other guy are almost instantly utterly exhausted and spend as much time staggering around as they do delivering punches. Sheriff Rance Howard (Clint's dad) finally breaks it up. Ditto also on Noon Wine and The Westerner. Director Robert Totten had been a friend of Ben Johnson's since he (Totten) was a teenager and directed him in a number of projects, my favorite being a very touching episode of the 1966-67 series The Monroes called "War Arrow." Now there's a series that should also be released on DVD. (Teenage Barbara Hershey, anyone?) Someone told me that he had heard the reason it wasn't on DVD was that one of the actors in the show had some kind of ownership interest in it and had refused to sign off on a home video release. No idea if that's actually true, though.

 

[Brandon Conway]

Originally Posted by Douglas Monce

I stated this in another threat, but I think its work repeating.
I recently worked a temp job at a cardiologists office, digitizing their medical records. I worked with a group of people who's ages ranged from about 23 to 60, but the majority of them were under 35. All of them were college graduates. Naturally I brought up the subject of classic films, and the movies of Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, Betty Davis, Rita Hayworth, even Steve McQueen. Only the 60 year old knew who these people were, and even she hadn't seen a film with Davis or Bogart. Now all of them had heard of John Wayne, but hadn't seen any of his films. When I brought up Jimmy Stewart, I had to tell them that he was the guy in Its A Wonderful Life, and only then did they know who I was talking about.
I was startled. I was shocked to find that most of them considered movies from the 80's as "old movies", meaning that they really weren't interested in watching them.
The reality is that these are the folks with the buying power, and the audience that the makers mass of entertainment are catering too. This doesn't mean that there isn't a market for classic films, I think its just a matter of the studios figuring out how to serve that somewhat limited market in a way that is profitable to them. Hence experiments like the Warner Archive and venders like Twilight Time. Some of these will find their audience, and some will fail.
Doug

I remember back in 2002 I had just transfered from a community college to BYU and was in my first film class, which was the main class to be in in order to apply for the Media Arts major. On the first day of class with 30 other students who were trying to get into the program our professor read the Sight & Sound greatest movie list and had us keep a tally of the films from the list we had seen, his point to the class being that in order to make great movies one should see great movies. I remember tallying about 75% of the films listed off, because I was quite the enthusiastic viewer of classic cinema in my early 20s. After class I overheard several classmates asking about some of the films. When a dozen of us decided to compare our tally numbers, I found that of the group (about 1/3rd of the class) I was the only one to tally more than 10%. I was frankly stunned - these were students who wanted to make movies. Over the next couple years it never again surprised me when a classmate of mine referred to Wes Anderson's style, while in the same conversation I'd bring up, say, Ozu. As far as I recall, I ended up being the only Critical Studies emphasis in the Media Arts department in my 2 years in the program.

 

[Adam Gregorich]

Originally Posted by Brandon Conway I remember back in 2002 I had just transfered from a community college to BYU and was in my first film class, which was the main class to be in in order to apply for the Media Arts major. On the first day of class with 30 other students who were trying to get into the program our professor read the Sight & Sound greatest movie list and had us keep a tally of the films from the list we had seen, his point to the class being that in order to make great movies one should see great movies. I remember tallying about 75% of the films listed off, because I was quite the enthusiastic viewer of classic cinema in my early 20s. After class I overheard several classmates asking about some of the films. When a dozen of us decided to compare our tally numbers, I found that of the group (about 1/3rd of the class) I was the only one to tally more than 10%. I was frankly stunned - these were students who wanted to make movies. Over the next couple years it never again surprised me when a classmate of mine referred to Wes Anderson's style, while in the same conversation I'd bring up, say, Ozu. As far as I recall, I ended up being the only Critical Studies emphasis in the Media Arts department in my 2 years in the program.

Wow. Thats sad. I can see the Dr Office that Doug posted about, but a film class?