Your Twilight Time/MGM wishlist? (2 Viewers)

[Bryan^H]

I'd love to see Bright Lights Big City from Twilight Time. It deserves their care.

 

[RobertSiegel]

Hats off again to Twilight Time. MGM/UA titles are now in the hands of the experts who care.

There are so many great films owned by MGM-UA. Personally, my top title would be the roadshow version of Exodus (1960). The film has been showing on the MGM-HD channel and looks stunning, so I can imagine what the Blu-ray would look like (and sound because the stereo sound is definately remastered.)

The other films topping my list are the Pink Panther films. It would be nice to see the first box set from Twilight Time with all of the Pink Panther titles (perhaps Twilight Time can get the rights to The Return of the Pink Panther which I don't believe is owned by MGM).

I would also LOVE to see Meteor, in my opinion a very under-rated disaster film, though recent showings on cable, even though in beautiful high-def, are mono. I saw this film in stereo in the theaters and it was either on cable or its first video release was stereo. Hawaii (1966) would be great as well, hoping the stereo tracks are available, they must be lurking somewhere and MGM just didn't use them.

If MGM owns the rights to Electric Dreams, it would be fantastic on Blu-ray considering it was skipped on DVD. I am wondering if music rights were an issue with the film. Also The Earthling (William Holden) is such a great movie. Halleluujah Trail has been showing on the MGM HD channel with a great soundtrack and includes overture, ect. This would make a great release as well.

In thinking more on the subject, I left out several great movies from UA, Khartoum (1966), Solomon and Sheba (1959), Judgement at Nuremberg (1961), The Russians are Coming The Russians are Coming!, Pocketful of Miracles (1961), Irma La Douce (1963), The Party (1968), Man of La Mancha (1972)

Khartoum was on MGM HD several years ago and has been beautifully remastered and I think it would make an excellent Blu-ray release. The stereo sound is excellent for its age. The Russians are Coming seems to be another remaster that has been shown. Solomon and Sheba is a first rate biblical epic (in my opinion) and also has a great stereo soundtrack. Man of La Mancha has also been shown in HD and its transfer is excellent, as is the stereo soundtrack. Alexander the Great also has surviving stereo tracks that are quite good.



So, my list of wants is as follows:

Alexander the Great (1956)Solomon and Sheba (1959)Exodus (1960)Judgement at Nuremberg (1961)Pocketful of Miracles (1961)Irma La Douce (1963)The Hallelujah Trail (1965)Hawaii (1966)The Russians are Coming The Russians are Coming! (1966)Khartoum (1966)The Party (1968)Man of La Mancha (1972)Meteor (1979)The Earthling (1980)Electric Dreams (1984)Yentl (1983)The Birdcage (1996)

 

[Robin9]

Glenn Lovell's book about John Sturges says the rights to Hour Of The Gun passed to MGM/UA in 1992, presumably from Mirisch and Sturges. If that is correct, then this is the film more than any other I'd like Twilight Time to release on Blu-ray.

There is already an Australian BRD which I haven't seen.

 

[Keith Cobby]

I particularly want the large format films as I think they look best on blu-ray. Top of my list would therefore be Khartoum, Exodus, The Hallelujah Trail.

 

[John Hermes]

Glenn Lovell's book about John Sturges says the rights to Hour Of The Gun passed to MGM/UA in 1992, presumably from Mirisch and Sturges. If that is correct, then this is the film more than any other I'd like Twilight Time to release on Blu-ray.

There is already an Australian BRD which I haven't seen.

The Australian BD is pretty nice. It could be a little cleaner as far as debris. It has the kind of opticals where they don't cut back to the original footage until the end of the shot, so there are some sections with longer dupes than I would like. I doubt that would change with a TT release. I prefer opticals where it pops out of the dupe as soon as it is completed, even if you can see the point of change. Long dupe sections are rather annoying to me.

 

[Richard Gallagher]

I particularly want the large format films as I think they look best on blu-ray. Top of my list would therefore be Khartoum, Exodus, The Hallelujah Trail.

Khartoum is coming from Twilight Time on January 21.

 

[Robin9]

Khartoum is coming from Twilight Time on January 21.

Very good news. Very good news indeed.

In his biography of David Lean, Kevin Brownlow writes that Freddie Young was photographing Khartoum when David Lean sent him a distress call from Doctor Zhivago. Apparently Freddie Young left the production to rejoin Lean. I hope Julie Kirgo's essay deals with this and explains which scenes were shot by which cinematographer.

 

[Didier R]

Khartoum
Zulu
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Thunderbolt & Lightfoot

!!!

Brilliant!

 

[FoxyMulder]

Khartoum
Zulu
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Thunderbolt & Lightfoot

!!!

Brilliant!

Let's hope Zulu is better than the poor UK edition. ( Cue certain people entering the thread and saying Zulu looks great )

 

[Richard Gallagher]

Here is the full January/February schedule:
KHARTOUM (1966) BLU-RAY - Jan 21st (from the 65 mm elements)

ZULU (1963) BLU-RAY - Jan 22nd (on the 50th anniversary of the film's premiere, and the 135th anniversary of the battle of Rorke's Drift)

TITUS (1999) BLU-RAY - Jan 21st

MAN IN THE DARK (1953) 3D - Jan 21st

CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS (1989) BLU-RAY - Feb 11th

THE FRONT (1975) BLU-RAY - Feb 11th

THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT (1974) BLU-RAY - Feb 11th

THE BLUE MAX (1966) BLU-RAY - Feb 11th

THE EDDY DUCHIN STORY (1956) - Feb 11th

It looks like we will be seeing TT's first 3-D Blu-ray.

 

[Jobla]

I wonder if MAN IN THE DARK will include a 2-D version as well? I'd only buy it if that were the case.

 

[Matt Hough]

I'm not speaking for Twilight Time, of course, but I can't imagine that both 2D and 3D won't be in the package. Classic 3D is a very niche market, so trying to sell 3,000 of these only in 3D would be commercial suicide.

 

[revgen]

One film (released by UA) that I'd like to see is Witness to Murder (1954), a rare film noir starring Barbara Stanwyck as a widow who witnesses her neighbor accross the street murder a woman through her window. Her neighbor, played devilishly by british actor George Sanders, manages to convince everybody except one police sergeant (Gary Merrill) who likes her that Stanwyck is crazy and should be commited to an asylum. If the plot sounds a little like Rear Window (1954), keep in mind that Witness to Murder (1954) was released 6 months before Rear Window was. No offense to Jimmy Stewart, but Stanwyck simply gives a more dynamic performance as the lead in this one.

 

[Mike*HTF]

Definitely on board for Man in the Dark and Khartoum.

I have the UK-release of Zulu and thought it was quite good - was there some problem?

 

[John Hermes]

Definitely on board for Man in the Dark and Khartoum.

I have the UK-release of Zulu and thought it was quite good - was there some problem?

Some people thought there was too much DNR (smoothness, lack of grain). The luminosity and color on the disc are pretty fabulous though.

 

[Richard Gallagher]

Some people thought there was too much DNR (smoothness, lack of grain). The luminosity and color on the disc are pretty fabulous though.

I welcomed the UK Blu-ray of Zulu because it is head and shoulders above every DVD release of the film. I'm looking forward to comparing it to the TT release.

 

[Mike*HTF]

I agree - thought the UK disc's colours were fabulous and of course the aspect ratio was much improved over the DVD.
I'm curious to see what TT can do better.

 

[FoxyMulder]

Some people thought there was too much DNR (smoothness, lack of grain). The luminosity and color on the disc are pretty fabulous though.

There was more to it than just DNR.

They did several automated ( rather than manual ) dust busting and scratch removal passes, this causes issues, some DNR, some edge enhancement, i wouldn't call Zulu a good blu ray release, i think Twilight Time will re-use the UK transfer, if they redid it with a brand new 4K scan then i think it could look much better, i'm not holding my breath and in the meantime the arguments about the original release will continue with some being very satisfied and others being not so happy.

 

[Moe Dickstein]

I'm not speaking for Twilight Time, of course, but I can't imagine that both 2D and 3D won't be in the package. Classic 3D is a very niche market, so trying to sell 3,000 of these only in 3D would be commercial suicide.

3D Blu spec requires a 2D version be included, either on the same disc or an extra disc.

 

[ROclockCK]

I've owned the UK version of Zulu for a couple of years, and have watched it twice. Yes, there's use of DNR. But no, it's not as objectionable as some have claimed in response to its screen caps. What saved this presentation - in motion - was its overall stable and (from best recall) faithful colour reproduction. Plus - and this should never be underestimated - Baker and Endfield's colonial war epic is just such fine filmmaking I'm always too engaged with the characters and story to fixate on minutiae video specs...I mean, with something as epic, fast moving, and gripping as this, who is actually counting pixels or measuring grain dispersion...really??? In absolute terms, my left brain tells me the UK Blu-ray could have - and should have - looked even better, especially from a 65mm source, but my right brain wasn't complaining. Overall, what was done with it for that Blu-ray wasn't anywhere near as hideous as a vocal fringe still seems to believe. I've seen much, much worse.

TT's real coup with this baby though has little to do with the video...it's their showcase and preservation of John Barry's landmark score in isolated form. Zulu happened to be graced by one of the best scores ever composed for a motion picture...as impressive in terms of dramatic connective tissue as it was creative in Barry's seamless combination of indigenous tribal music with modern orchestral fanfare. The hybrid effect is frequently breathtaking, such as this excerpt from the first Zulu appearance and attack:



As well as some more samples in this thoughtful John Barry commemoration video:



Heck, I'd watch dupe slides of Zulu with that masterwork playing in the background.