Twilight Time Announces January/February 2014 Releases (1 Viewer)

[ahollis]

Another idea worthy of consideration for the TT "powers-that-be" would be to release the Samuel Goldwyn PORGY AND BESS on Blu Ray. Originally a Columbia release, the Gershwin estate withheld it for decades but have finally lightened up to-sadly- little or no effect.I read that MGM/UA held the rights for a period in recent days but let them lapse, believing the restoration costs would be prohibitive. Legions have been expressing their desire for this 70mm Oscar-winner and -I believe- would settle for a less-than-perfect image, such as that presented in the clip employed in the (excellent) documentary on Samuel Goldwyn.A 70mm print was shown in NY a few years ago which must be in watchable condition. Joe Caps states on a HTF forum topic dealing with MIA musicals : "Tom Bodley,who was head of postproduction for Goldwyn did a restoration of the 70mm neg and the 6 track of PORGY around 1983. No prints have been made since then. I don't see why it should not be in good shape now". I believe it's very worth looking into and would be a much-heralded, monumental home video release

PORGY AND BESS more than likely resides with WARNER BROTHERS HOME VIDEO due to their agreement with the Samuel Goldwyn Company. There is one SG title that is not in the agreement and there is speculation that it is P&B but no one has said yes or no. The PORGY & BESS print shown at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York was a collectors print. How the legalities of that works I do not know, but I was there for the show and it did have some age problems. I have heard that the SG company has taken good care of the elements and I look forward to a great release some time. But it will come from WHV or WAC.

 

[ahollis]

Well with the announcements of KHARTOUM, ZULU and THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT, and line Woody Allen films we can now start mor speculation. How about EXODUSTHE HALLELUJAH TRAILLORD JIMTHE AGONY AND THE ECSTASYTHE VIKINGSTHE PARTYDOCTOR DOLITTLE STAR!THE LONG SHIPS

 

[moviepas]

I wonder if the missing title from the(besides the Silents Frances Howard Goldwyn is said to have all elements destroyed) Warner's Goldwyn deal is These Three(which is or was on You Tube)? The remake as The Children's Hour(the original stage name, The Loudest Whisper in Australia for that 1962 film) may be in the way.

 

[Doug Bull]

A 3D "Miss Sadie Thompson" heads my list of wants from TT.

Rita in 3D and an isolated George Duning Score would be sensational.

In the meantime I will happily snap up both "Man in the Dark" and "The Eddie Duchin Story"

 

[Mark B]

I think TT could do a great service to Fox 'Scope lovers and seek HD masters of two Fox films recently restored and screened in L.A. which were given horrendous pan+scan transfers by Fox Cinema Archives: THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE and APRIL LOVE. The latter was announced as a TT release when they began but apparently the master offered was unacceptable (because it was pan+ scan? A Wide Screen transfer used to be broadcast on AMC years ago but I did not see it).

APRIL LOVE never aired in widescreen on AMC. I recorded it every single time it was on and it was always the pan and scan. Nearly every other Fox film broadcast back in those days was shown in dual formats, but never APRIL LOVE.

 

[OliverK]

Many will be very happy about Zulu due those that found the UK BD lacking PQ-wise. The same with The Blue Max that has a European release. There's about 4-5 titles that I'll buy from TT.

Can you please tell us how you come to the conclusion that Zulu will look different than the UK release?Good news about Khartoum although it should be noted that it "only" has gotten the 2k treatment which is a shame for this kind of movie and with a 4k disc format around the corner.

 

[OliverK]

Many will be very happy about Zulu due those that found the UK BD lacking PQ-wise. The same with The Blue Max that has a European release. There's about 4-5 titles that I'll buy from TT.

Can you please tell us how you come to the conclusion that Zulu will look different than the UK release?Good news about Khartoum although it should be noted that it "only" has gotten the 2k treatment which is a shame for this kind of movie and with a 4k disc format around the corner.

 

[Matt Hough]

APRIL LOVE never aired in widescreen on AMC. I recorded it every single time it was on and it was always the pan and scan. Nearly every other Fox film broadcast back in those days was shown in dual formats, but never APRIL LOVE.

I really have to disagree. I would never have watched a pan and scan showing of April Love, and I watched it on AMC, taped off an early morning (like 2 a.m.) broadcast. I'll look through my tape collection to see if I can find it, but I'd swear I saw it.

 

[Mark B]

I really have to disagree. I would never have watched a pan and scan showing of April Love, and I watched it on AMC, taped off an early morning (like 2 a.m.) broadcast. I'll look through my tape collection to see if I can find it, but I'd swear I saw it.

I'd love to be wrong but I'm not. If a letterbox master existed you'd have seen it released through the Fox MOD program.

 

[Douglas R]

Can you please tell us how you come to the conclusion that Zulu will look different than the UK release?

It'll be interesting to see what, if any, difference there is. Presumably Twilight Time's release will be via MGM who, as far as I know, have the US rights via Studio Canal.. As reported by Home Cinema Choice magazine, the UK Paramount BD was from a HD remaster paid for by Sky Television (they did THE ITALIAN JOB at the same time - spot the connection?), who first broadcast it about 5 years ago. It looked great on TV and looks great on the Paramount disc.

 

[DP 70]

Shame Khartoum is only getting a 2k scan, but I have been informed it looks great on MGM HD in 2.76.1.
Also the UK version of Zulu only has a Dolby Digital track so a DTS MA track would be much better.

Also does anyone know if the Original 6 Track mix of Zulu is around.

thanks.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Can you please tell us how you come to the conclusion that Zulu will look different than the UK release?Good news about Khartoum although it should be noted that it "only" has gotten the 2k treatment which is a shame for this kind of movie and with a 4k disc format around the corner.

I don't know if it will, but it gives others that are unhappy with the UK disc an opportunity for that possibility.

 

[OliverK]

I don't know if it will, but it gives others that are unhappy with the UK disc an opportunity for that possibility.

Thanks, I will wait then, I would have preordered if there had been an official confirmation.When it was released ther was talk about how it came to look that way and if a rerelease was in the cards and I was told from two different sources that is was more likely than not that the existing master (with baked in DNR etc.) would be the only digital file that remained with no option to go back to the harvested raw data. Hopefully this isn't true.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Thanks, I will wait then, I would have preordered if there had been an official confirmation.When it was released ther was talk about how it came to look that way and if a rerelease was in the cards and I was told from two different sources that is was more likely than not that the existing master (with baked in DNR etc.) would be the only digital file that remained with no option to go back to the harvested raw data. Hopefully this isn't true.

Hopefully, before its release date, Mr. Redman will enlighten us regarding your concern.

 

[OliverK]

Shame Khartoum is only getting a 2k scan, but I have been informed it looks great on MGM HD in 2.76.1.Also the UK version of Zulu only has a Dolby Digital track so a DTS MA track would be much better. Also does anyone know if the Original 6 Track mix of Zulu is around. thanks.

The MGM HD version suffers from a much too low bitrate or should I say that there is so much detail on screen that the measly 14 Mbit MPEG2 bitrate afforded to it by MGM HD is not enough for Khartoum? So there is a lot of room for improvement on the Blu-ray in that regard and it should look good but probably not quite as good as IAMMMMW or Ben Hur. Better though than the other 4 UP70 movies released on Blu-ray that range in picture quality from mediocre to painfully bad.

 

[lionel59]

Fox Archives have released a number of CinemaScope titles in pan/scan for which original ratio masters exist egs
THE VISIT (released in 16:9 2.35:1 in Europe)
NIGHT PEOPLE (released in 16:9, 2.35:1 in Australia and in non-anamorphic LBX in Spain)
23 PACES TO BAKER STREET (released in 16:9, 2.35:1 in Australia and screened in LBX on the Fox Movie Channel)
THE FIEND WHO WALKED THE WEST (released in 16:9, 2.35:1 in France)
WARLOCK (released in 16:9, 2.35:1 in recent years as a pressed disc)
TEENAGE REBEL( 2.35 LBX transfer shown regularly on FMC)
TENDER IS THE NIGHT( 2.35 LBX transfer broadcast regularly on FMC and released in Spain)
The main problem with the Archives people is that they seem to go out of their way to release a poor and/or non-OAR version of a title when they could do otherwise. It is inconceivable that Fox would restore APRIL LOVE and THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE and screen them in LA and NOT make up a new HD master of these titles in CinemaScope for use in cinemas and elsewhere. I would not be surprised to see these turn up overseas in their correct aspect ratio. This is now the "rule" rather than the exception with Fox Archives.

 

[OliverK]

Hopefully, before its release date, Mr. Redman will enlighten us regarding your concern.

That would be most welcome, do they usually elaborate a bit on masters used and technical specifications?

 

[Robert Crawford]

That would be most welcome, do they usually elaborate a bit on masters used and technical specifications?

I guess you haven't been following the TT discussions here as Mr. Redman pops in here from time to time.

 

[haineshisway]

I can tell you there is absolutely a letterboxed transfer of April Love - I've seen it. Twilight Time passed on it at the very beginning when it was doing only DVDs, as well they should have as the color was pretty faded and it was letterboxed 4.3. So, it conceivably could have been shown on some cable channel.

 

[JoHud]

It's just that the UK Zulu transfer is pretty old at this point and there's a good chance another, better one was made since then. Drums Along the Mohawk is a recent example of this, offering a new (and superior) transfer instead of just aping what the European blu-ray delivered.

If it does turn out to be the same, I'll just not buy it or return it. Usually the TT staff has answers to these sorts of questions well before the release date.

Fox Archives have released a number of CinemaScope titles in pan/scan for which original ratio masters exist egs

Don't forget the other TT hopeful, Goodbye Charlie, which was released by the Fox Cinema Archives in an old P&S transfer despite the letterboxed transfer making regular rounds on the Fox Movie Channel.