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Timeless Media Group - New Releases - Page 2

post #31 of 291
11/14/07 at 6:41pm

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

Right now, I'm juggling "Checkmate," "Cimarron City" and "Arrest and Trial," and enjoying them all immensely. Can't wait to get the others! And, I certainly hope this little arrangement between Timeless and Universal continues.
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post #32 of 291
11/15/07 at 4:23am

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bert Greene
Right now, I'm juggling "Checkmate," "Cimarron City" and "Arrest and Trial," and enjoying them all immensely. Can't wait to get the others! And, I certainly hope this little arrangement between Timeless and Universal continues.

Bert, care to share your thoughts on "Cimarron City?" I've never seen this series and don't know much about it.
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post #33 of 291
11/15/07 at 6:38am

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

This was my first encounter with "Cimarron City." I'd say it comes across very much like its fellow Revue western, "Wagon Train," although the latter was obviously far more successful. In other words, some pretty traditional, middle-of-the-road western fare... more character-study than found in the WB shows, but not as edgy/downbeat as the CBS shows.

The plots trapse very familiar territory. I've viewed the first seven episodes on the set, and pretty much every storyline rang a bell. But, the adept guest-casts seem to give it enough of a sparkle. For example, in "Hired Hand," you have the old one about a nefarious foreman who covets a young widow and her ranch... yet guests Mike Connors and Elizabeth Montgomery manage to make it an entirely satisfying effort.

Interestingly, a bearded Dan Blocker portrays a particularly menacing villain in the first episode in the set, "Terror Town." But a few episodes later, sans beard but with a big brushy mustache, he's an altogether different character, a semi-regular, as one of the Cimarron townsfolk.
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post #34 of 291
11/15/07 at 7:02am

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

Thanks for your thoughts, Bert. Looks like something I'll pick up down the line.
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post #35 of 291
11/15/07 at 2:09pm

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

Quote:
Originally Posted by michael_ks
Whenever I get ahold of a dvd set that features Royal Dano, I always bring that particular episode in to work and play it for a co-worker. We've practically started a fan club.

I'd join that club--he's one of my favorite character actors. I've seen Dano in the past year in episodes of Twin Peaks (one of his final roles), The Rifleman (as a preacher harassed by Warren Oates and L.Q. Jones), and Cimarron Strip, among other series. Encore Westerns showed a 1-hour b/w Gunsmoke a couple of years ago in which Dano played a character who spoke in a monotone and who was basically the Haggen family hatchet man.

Speaking of Timeless releases, Dano is apparently in the "Home Town" episode of Tate. Anyone seen that one yet?
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post #36 of 291
11/15/07 at 8:27pm

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

So,are the TATE episodes from video tape masters or kinescopes.
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post #37 of 291
11/16/07 at 6:30am

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

Quote:
I've seen Dano in the past year in episodes of Twin Peaks (one of his final roles), The Rifleman (as a preacher harassed by Warren Oates and L.Q. Jones), and Cimarron Strip, among other series.

"Day of Reckoning" I gather? http://www.riflemanconnors.com/cactor-royal_dano.htm This one and "Honest Abe" remain unreleased unfortunately. I've yet to purchase Timeless Media's release for "Tate" myself--has anyone purchased this set? Impressions?

Quote:
So,are the TATE episodes from video tape masters or kinescopes.

I'm no expert on the matter but I'm nearly certain the episodes were made on video tape and should bear a similar appearance to the 5 episodes of "The Twilight Zone" that were done in like fashion. Kinescope has to do with videotaping from a tv monitor for live performance type shows (a practice that ended sometime around the mide to late 50s).
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post #38 of 291
11/16/07 at 6:46am

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

I don't own "Tate" but found these comments from Charles H in an October 24th post in the "Route 66" thread:

"I just received ARREST & TRIAL and TATE from Timeless Media. TATE is an interesting western loaded with unusual guest stars like Louise Fletcher, Robert Redford, Leonard Nemoy, James Coburn, and it is in impeccable condition."

I do have a single episode of "Tate" that was released on a TV Westerns compilation from the Falcon Picture Group (1950s TV's Greatest Westerns) and I recall the episode to be fairly clean looking.
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post #39 of 291
11/16/07 at 7:09am

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan McW
I'd join that club--he's one of my favorite character actors. I've seen Dano in the past year in episodes of Twin Peaks (one of his final roles), The Rifleman (as a preacher harassed by Warren Oates and L.Q. Jones), and Cimarron Strip, among other series. Encore Westerns showed a 1-hour b/w Gunsmoke a couple of years ago in which Dano played a character who spoke in a monotone and who was basically the Haggen family hatchet man.

From a Disneyland trivia web page:

Dano was "....the original voice of Abe in 'Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.' A very talented character actor named Royal Dano gave voice to Mr. Lincoln well before he appeared at the New York 1964 world's Fair."
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post #40 of 291
11/16/07 at 7:29am

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

I've always called Royal Dano the poor man's Gregory Peck, because I think there is a definite resemblance to Peck both in voice and appearance. There is no doubt that he is one of the best character actors around. I wonder what his personality was like in real life? He so often played such an oppressed sad sack of a human being; it is hard to imagine him ever being happy. It seems like he was around forever. He was also in one of the episodes of Suspense that I just watched from around 1950.
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post #41 of 291
11/16/07 at 7:52am

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

Quote:
I've always called Royal Dano the poor man's Gregory Peck, because I think there is a definite resemblance to Peck both in voice and appearance. There is no doubt that he is one of the best character actors around. I wonder what his personality was like in real life? He so often played such an oppressed sad sack of a human being; it is hard to imagine him ever being happy.

Of the 10 or so episodes I have featuring Dano in my DVD collection, about the only one where he appears as a normal person is in "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" S2 (The episode with Harry Townes and Vera Miles). In practically everything else from "Daniel Boone" to "Big Valley" and "Rifleman" he comes across as you say, a 'sad sack' and very often a demented one at that. I love the scene in "The Big Valley" where he blasts Nick Barkley for his power and wealth, complaining about how he had to work the land on his hands and knees. I would love to see his performance in "The Rebel" where he attempts to explain to Nick Adams that he's only yelling like a crazy man to keep Indians away from his gold...! He did run away from home at age 12 and that may very well have contributed to his acting style and the roles he was offered.
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post #42 of 291
11/16/07 at 4:11pm

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

Quote:
Originally Posted by michael_ks
"Day of Reckoning" I gather?

That was the one. I recorded it off Encore Westerns a few months ago.
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post #43 of 291
11/25/07 at 6:52pm

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

Well, the "Tate" episodes must have been transferred to film sometime, as the prints do have tiny, tell-tale emulsion specks evident. I wonder if it was even perhaps originally aired via 35mm film-print copies, as opposed to tape masters. Whatever the case, they look sensational (although the 2nd episode is a tad grainy). Great black-and-white contrast. In fact, I'm somewhat amazed 1960-vintage videotape looked this good and was capable of capturing so much. Looking at them, I'm often hard-pressed to acknowledge they were 'not' shot on film. So far, I've watched the first five episodes. Eight more to go.

And, the series itself is quite nice. Better than I ever remotely expected. Although, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, especially once I noticed Harry Julian Fink's name in the credits (he was the writer responsible for some of the most memorable "Have Gun Will Travel" episodes). Star David McLean, however, sure doesn't have the charisma or acting chops of Richard Boone. Not that he needs much, considering the high calibre of the guest-stars backing him up in this little, short-lived series. Anyway, I'd certainly recommend this to any tv-western fans out there. It's well worth a look.
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post #44 of 291
11/26/07 at 7:43pm

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

Bert,I was thinking maybe TATE was actually filmed and later transfered onto video tape for easier editing for broadcast. There is a lot of very open outdoor photography in TATE. Were video cameras that portable in 1960?

Tate with his grim (but easy going) demeaner and poncho may have inspired The Man With No Name.

These Timeless releases are great fun. I've got LAREDO up next and CHECKMATE and THE RESTLESS GUN on the way, (along with MAN WITH A CAMERA).
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post #45 of 291
12/6/07 at 1:18am

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

It's amazing how sometimes misinformation gets repeated over and over as fact. I watched a few Tate episodes and there is no way in hell this was a videotaped show. It is film, it always was film. You can't take tape and make it look like this show looks. Maybe people got this confused with The Wrangler which was a videotaped summer replacement series from the same time period. But Tate is film, as sure as I can be about anything.
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post #46 of 291
12/6/07 at 4:19am

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

Has anyone bought TMG's three disc release of the Mickey Rooney Show? If you have, how does it look, and is it worth buying?

Doug
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post #47 of 291
12/6/07 at 5:22am

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

With respect to Timeless' release of "Riverboat," I'm getting a higher-than-normal amount of digital breakup on the episodes. The other two sets from Timeless that I've purchased thus far, "Arrest and Trial" and "Checkmate" have not had this problem. I suspect that it's because Timeless placed five episodes on each disc (245 minutes running time per disc) versus four episodes for "Checkmate" (196 min/disc) and three episodes for "Arrest and Trial," though A&T episodes run about 75 minutes each (225 min./disc). Anyone else experiencing any digital breakup problems on any of the other sets?
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post #48 of 291
12/6/07 at 6:24am

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

So far I've watched Checkmate, The Tall Man, The Restless Gun, and Cimarron City. I've experienced no digital break up, but Cimarron City had significantly worse video quality than the other sets I've seen so far. The stories however are very good and I'm still enjoying the set, but I think the quality of their masters must have been not quite up to par with this one.
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post #49 of 291
12/6/07 at 5:36pm

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

I'm glad to see Hank confirming my doubts regarding the 'videotape' origins to "Tate." I was really having a hard time buying that, based on its look. Usually you at least expect some trace of glitches, or a kind of subtle halo effect or something. These looked like film. Anyway, having watched a few more episodes, my opinion of the series keeps rising. Darned good little series. You can't help but feel sorry for ole Tate, as the writers do consistently put him in some hellishly uncomfortable situations.

Along with Doug, I'm also curious about the print quality on the "Mickey Rooney Show" set. I remember seeing a few of those on cable, years ago, under its "Hey Mulligan" title. CBN added it to its late-night sitcom lineup, but only for about a couple of weeks, before pulling it.
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post #50 of 291
12/7/07 at 7:03am

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

"The Mickey Rooney Show" is about the same calibre as most Timeless Media dvds--a bit soft, but nothing is edited out. The series was created by Richard Quine and Blake Edwards and is a cute, likeable sitcom. Rooney was always underrated--both as a comic and an actor.
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post #51 of 291
12/7/07 at 7:51am

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

Thanks for that information Charles. I'll probably pick this one up. I have to really wonder how TMG sells enough of these old forgotten shows to recoup their investment. They probably market these mostly, with I'm guessing a mail order catalog, catering to nostalgia buffs. I think they could sell a lot more of these sets if more people knew about them. They need to send out screeners to all the DVD reviewers around who review these older releases. I emailed Paul Mavis from DVD Talk to congratulate him on another great review for Family Affair, and asked him about reviewing any of the TMG sets. He indicated that he would be willing, but TMG would have to send him some free screeners. To me it would behoove TMG to send a stack of these out gratis to help publicize these new sets.
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post #52 of 291
12/31/07 at 5:47am

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

While browsing DVD Price Search this morning, I came across some Timeless Media titles due for a February 19, 2008 release (except the last one, which is due out February 5th):

Arrest and Trial: Best of Season 1 - I'm not certain how a show that only lasted one season can have a "Best of Season 1" release, but I'm sure Bob Hug is pumped about adding more A&T episodes to his collection. CD Universe has a pre-order price of $18.54.

Best of Checkmate: Season 2 - This is the one I'm stoked about; I finally got around to purchasing the first set and was very impressed--this is truly one hell of a show. DVD Pacific has a pre-order price of $15.39.

The Lawless Years: Season 3 - I was wondering when Timeless would get around to releasing the rest of the shows in this series. Again, DVD Pacific has it for pre-order at $15.39.

Still no word on a Laredo: Best of Season 2 release. According to Timeless' website, it's their biggest seller.
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post #53 of 291
1/2/08 at 11:17am

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

Hasn't ARREST AND TRIAL: Best of Season #1 aready been released or should it be called MORE OF THE BEST OF SEASON 1? Has the original ARREST AND TRIAL been made available on any venue other than the Timeless website?
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post #54 of 291
1/2/08 at 12:46pm

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

Charles, Arrest & Trial, and all the other Timeless releases are available all over: Deepdiscount,Critic's Choice, Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc.


BEST OF LAREDO: Season 1 Part 2 is listed at BarnesandNoble.com with the same Feb 19,2008 release date.

Barnes & Noble lists the second sets of Checkmate and Arrest and Trial as:
Checkmate B and Arrest & Trial B.

Say, has everyone noticed that the Laredo theme is a faster version of the secondary theme from Rawhide called "Beyond The Sun" both composed by Rudy Garcia.
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post #55 of 291
1/2/08 at 2:12pm

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

Thanks for the additional info, Bob!
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post #56 of 291
1/3/08 at 7:05am

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

I rented Riverboat from Netflix to check out the quality and it's ok, alot of Dirt, scratches and little Glitches, but this is about the best we're gonna get,I might pick up the series I like McGavin I'll watch anything he's in, but Reynolds Looked Bored Here, I can see why he was replaced.
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post #57 of 291
1/7/08 at 4:12am

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ivan G
While browsing DVD Price Search this morning, I came across some Timeless Media titles due for a February 19, 2008 release (except the last one, which is due out February 5th):

Arrest and Trial: Best of Season 1 - I'm not certain how a show that only lasted one season can have a "Best of Season 1" release, but I'm sure Bob Hug is pumped about adding more A&T episodes to his collection. CD Universe has a pre-order price of $18.54.

Best of Checkmate: Season 2 - This is the one I'm stoked about; I finally got around to purchasing the first set and was very impressed--this is truly one hell of a show. DVD Pacific has a pre-order price of $15.39.

The Lawless Years: Season 3 - I was wondering when Timeless would get around to releasing the rest of the shows in this series. Again, DVD Pacific has it for pre-order at $15.39.

Still no word on a Laredo: Best of Season 2 release. According to Timeless' website, it's their biggest seller.

Just back from a brief hiatus from this board and glad to see these releases, Ivan. I'm somewhat surprised to see more of "Arrest and Trial" and "Checkmate" so quickly after the initial releases, but they are very welcome, indeed. And finishing up "The Lawless Years" does make some marketing sense to me, in light of Paramount's releases of "The Untouchables."
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post #58 of 291
1/7/08 at 6:42am

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

Welcome back Bob! 'Ditto' on Checkmate S2. I'm still early into the 1st set but that's another gem from that "golden era" of shows. I remember Dad watching that one from faint memories. I didn't see the "smoke-filled screen" with a chess Bd in the intros of the 1st couple of episodes in S1. Do you all know when that intro first appeared? S2?
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post #59 of 291
1/7/08 at 7:53am

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Willis
I didn't see the "smoke-filled screen" with a chess Bd in the intros of the 1st couple of episodes in S1. Do you all know when that intro first appeared? S2?

I vaguely seem to remember a chessboard opening sequence, but I very well may be confusing it with the American opening title sequence for "The Avengers."
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post #60 of 291
1/7/08 at 8:01pm

Re: Timeless Media Group - New Releases

Jeff, I have a season one episode on VHS of Checkmate called the "Human Touch" that has the swirling paint with the chess board and Checkmate title logo. It's a 'bumper' that is shown in front of the teaser sequence before the main title credits play. Probably cut off all the syndicated prints.
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