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I agree that CROSS OF IRON is easily the best of the three under discussion but it's a lead pipe cinch that the title in question is KILLER ELITE as it's the only MGM/UA in the bunch. CONVOY was distributed in North America by UA (not sure about other terrirtories) but seems to be either in public domain hell or possibly copyright contested. This seems an odd situation as the financing and production originated with Michael Deeley and Barry Spikings who produced a number of high profile features in the late '70s (most notable among them THE DEER HUNTER) and I wonder how they managed to lose provenance. Perhaps they lost licensing to the song in which case they wouldn't have a picture. In any event it's only shown up stateside in a patheticly crapulous P&S atrocity that by all reports appears to be mastered from a pay-tv tape source. For what it's worth (not much I'm sure) but as a Peckinpah partisan from way back I find his last two films almost unwatchable in any respect and his first in the sense that it barely exists in any presentable form.

TT's Facebook discussion of the release schedule does seem to confirm The Killer Elite as the one.

Question: If it is The Killer Elite will it be the uncut version? It was cut in the U.S. and everywhere (i think) got the same cut version. It's recently come out in France on Blu with cut and uncut versions. I was going to get it but will hold back now just in case you put it out.

Nick Redman: To our knowledge...there has never been a longer cut than the 122 minute version, which is the one we have.

Well, they're right in some way : the longer cut Wild Side released is 2:03:27.566, while the shorter one is 1:56:06.918.

So it sounds like they do have the longer version...

Actually I just reremembered that JUNIOR BONNER (originally ABC Films/Cinerama Releasing Corp) is now under the MGM banner and had a DVD release concurrent with ALFREDO GARCIA after Anchor Bay lost the ABC library. I guess TT could also have another go at STRAW DOGS as well at some point in the future, possibly with more features and a second commentary track. That's if the sun hasn't finally set on physical media :-"

If I'm not mistaken, the ABC Pictures catalog is owned by Disney and they licensed the titles to MGM. Since Disney has not licensed any titles to TT, and they may not allow MGM to sublicense the ABC Pictures films, I don't see it happening.

Hopefully, when MGM's license for the ABC Pictures films expire, Disney will license them to Criterion.

I believe you're likely correct, dwk. I seem to recall something about Disney and ABC (I guess via their network merger/purchase/takeover deal. These libraries seem to drift like corporate orphans from door to door like the children in NIGHT OF THE HUNTER. What with situations like this and Lionsgate taking on the entirety of Studio Canal to control a few dozen mega-titles in R1 it's a wonder anything gets released any more!

Re: CONVOY - I just recalled that Deeley/Spikings were backed/partnered by EMI so this association may have had some effect on its availability. Universal undoubtedly would have been the senior partner with THE DEER HUNTER and this would have kept it from falling into any corporate black hole. But until someone authoritively reports otherwise I'd still bet the license on the song is the key to the CONVOY disappearance.

I just got a notice from Screen Archives that Crimes And Misdimeanors has shipped.

I wonder if there's some sort of secret cult of George Sidney admirers, and Screen Archives is on it, because they've released apparently gorgeous editions of three of his films so far (including The Eddy Duchin Story, a rewatch of which I'm eagerly anticipating for reasons I'm not too clear on). Its too bad that Kiss Me Kate and Scaramouche are Warner titles, because THOSE would be great in HD.

Props55 wrote:Re: CONVOY - I just recalled that Deeley/Spikings were backed/partnered by EMI so this association may have had some effect on its availability. Universal undoubtedly would have been the senior partner with THE DEER HUNTER and this would have kept it from falling into any corporate black hole. But until someone authoritively reports otherwise I'd still bet the license on the song is the key to the CONVOY disappearance.

Anyone who enjoys the movie and wants it might want to check out the UK Studio Canal disc, which looks and sounds great.

Re: CONVOY - Damned inexplicable to me!

Although if Studio Canal now owns it then Lionsgate has the R1 license and we all know how eager they are to actually sell physical media. Perhaps it may yet show up streaming for those stateside who can't do without it.

Thanks for the info, feihong.

Fever Pitch - Release Date: March 11th, 2014.
Pre-order date: Wednesday, Feb 19th.

Special Features:

• Isolated Score Track
  Audio Commentary with Film Historians Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman

Cover art:


Booklet art:

I watched TT's Crimes and Misdemeanors. I found the transfer to be much like Hannah and Her Sisters. Nothing outstanding but certainly not terrible. Blacks nice, detail and grain good, but skin tones inconsistent. Didn't get a sense of depth. C&M is not one of the stronger soundtracks of an Allen film.

As far as performances and storyline, this is one of Woody's best.

TT confirmed on Facebook that The Blob will be release on October 14th.

TT will be giving away a "plethora" of copies of The Driver at 4pm EST Wednesday (pre order day for Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, Equus, Conrack, All the King's Men and Fever Pitch), signed by Walter Hill, for people who purchase $100 worth of Twilight Time product.

And I just bought it, too. Oh well.

For those who have gotten these freebies before, do you have to put The Driver in your cart at the time of purchase to indicate you want it, or does anyone who spends $100 automatically get a free copy while supplies last?

There will be an item labelled as "autographed copy", which you have to add to your cart to get it as free.

No, you have to put it in your cart, but you don't select the normal edition that is available now. At 4pm an alternative The Driver option will appear in the "New DVD releases" feed on the SAE home page (which can be filtered to include only TT titles). It'll say something like "The Driver Autographed Copy" and have a price of $0.00. Anyone can add it to their cart, but you'll need $100 worth of other TT stuff to complete your order.

Thanks guys. I'll probably grab Swamp Water, Bell, Book and Candle, Bye Bye Birdie, and either Crimes and Misdemeanors or Alfredo Garcia, which will be enough to get the autographed copy.

TT's Facebook page reports that Enemy Mine is sold out at SAE.

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia inside booklet art:

Equus booklet art:

Conrack booklet art:

All the King's Men booklet art: