The Criterion Collection

[Monty70]

Originally Posted by drbikeshorts

I watched Harakiri (I bought the Region B Masters of Cinema edition). If any of you are wondering if you should blind-buy it, the answer is YES! Truly masterful storytelling. The cinematography and Tôru Takemitsu's music are outstanding. And of course, Tatsuya Nakadai is great in the lead role.

+1

I love Takemitsu's music. His contribution to the films of the Japanese New Wave is remarkable. (especially the Three Films by Hiroshi Teshigahara box set)

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

Ahhhh, one of the luxuries of living in the U.S. CoopFilm. International buyers are often at a serious disadvantage when purchasing off Amazon.COM, which quite often carries product not available at 2 to 4 times list price on their native Amazon sites. Excessive shipping cost is one factor (no free shipping Internationally regardless of $$$ spent), plus an automatic import levy, plus fulfillment restrictions on some items (my attempt to purchase the Magic Blu-ray was blocked), and now apparently no discounts for combined shopping cart items.

Normally I purchase my Criterion Blu-rays off Amazon.CA, but made an exception this week because of the current Criterion sale on *.COM. This order included Kuroneko and Dazed and Confused (both around 40% off the *.CA list price), and Identification of a Woman (currently flagged on *.CA with a 1 to 3 month wait, which usually means they won't be getting it at all), plus a couple of non-Criterion 50% markdowns. Total item cost for the 3 Criterions + 2 other Blu's was $95.95 (yay!) + undiscounted shipping & handling of $39.90 (yikes!) + an Import Fee deposit of $4.80 (shrug!). In total, I still bested the cost of the same items on *.CA, but not by a whole heckuva lot. I just plugged my nose and clicked Submit anyway, concerned about getting stuck in the *.CA queue for Identification of a Woman , and never actually receiving it (as happened with the Crack in the World Blu, which still isn't available from *.CA after nearly 2 months, and that was a pre-order)!

So I suspect many of those bidders on eBay and elsewhere who you might think have lost their minds over price, are merely working within their restricted purchase options for some of those products.

I'm Canadian, and I buy from Amazon US all the time. I've only ever ordered 3 Criterion items from them: BBS, because I never knew US site allowed Canadians to order from them, Diabolique, which was only 40 cents more, but ended up being cheaper than the US site once shipping and such was factored in, and I've pre-ordered Gojira, which again was 50 cents more, but is cheaper once shipping is factored in.

What type of shipping are you using? I've ordered 4-5 items from Amazon US before, and the most my shipping has ever cost me has been 16 something. I usually go with standard as the expedited isn't worth the extra, and to have it couriered is high. I can handle waiting a week for my films.

Import fees are usually refunded 3-4 months later as well. I just got the import fee refunded on my If.... yesterday.

Even with the shipping and import fee, and the looong wait, Amazon US and B&N are still cheaper than Amazon Canada

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by Monty70

+1

I love Takemitsu's music. His contribution to the films of the Japanese New Wave are remarkable. (especially the Three Films by Hiroshi Teshigahara box set)

Yeah, Takemitsu's scores for the Teshigahara films are so good.
I think I have at least six films on blu-ray and DVD that have a Takemitsu score.
I'm thinking of getting the DVD box-set Rebel Samurai: Sixties Swordplay Classics in the B&N sale, which will add two more Takemitsu scores.

[GeorgeP12]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

and now apparently no discounts for combined shopping cart items.

It seems to be a bug recently introduced to a program that amazon uses to calculate the shipping cost. Amazon.com is not the only one that is affected. The similar issue was reported for amazon.co.uk

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

FWIW SpiderBaby your apparent obsession over Fassbinder's World on a Wire - a film I'd unfortunately never even heard of before reading this forum - has won another convert. Now I want that one too!

It can always happen in next month's announcements.

[oildude]

The Larisa Shepitko Eclipse set is now on hold for me until Tuesday. I thought I would have to order it online, but there was one available at the B&N closest to me. I am centrally located to three B&Ns, none more than three miles away, and they are always well stocked with Criterions. Going into the one closest to where I live is like walking into a toy store of Criterion goodness.

The copy I put on hold was the only one available in the entire city. This makes me think the Larisa Shepitko set is probably one of the more poorer selling and least well known Eclipse sets. I suppose that makes sense when you consider the breadth of what is available in the Eclipse series. Shepitko died young and only made four films. The two in the Eclipse set are her most well known. I hope more people discover them. They are fantastic films.

[Rodyon Raskolnikov]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Even with the shipping and import fee, and the looong wait, Amazon US and B&N are still cheaper than Amazon Canada

Barnes take like 5 weeks to deliver to Canada, even though they state 7 to 12 days on their website. You better not be in a hurry.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

I'm Canadian, and I buy from Amazon US all the time. I've only ever ordered 3 Criterion items from them: BBS, because I never knew US site allowed Canadians to order from them, Diabolique, which was only 40 cents more, but ended up being cheaper than the US site once shipping and such was factored in, and I've pre-ordered Gojira, which again was 50 cents more, but is cheaper once shipping is factored in.

What type of shipping are you using? I've ordered 4-5 items from Amazon US before, and the most my shipping has ever cost me has been 16 something. I usually go with standard as the expedited isn't worth the extra, and to have it couriered is high. I can handle waiting a week for my films.

Import fees are usually refunded 3-4 months later as well. I just got the import fee refunded on my If.... yesterday.

Even with the shipping and import fee, and the looong wait, Amazon US and B&N are still cheaper than Amazon Canada

I used to have that experience on *.COM BohemianGraham. But somehow it changed since my last order about 2 months ago, and yes, I did everything you noted above, especially concerning shipping options. Possibly Amazon.COM has recently adjusted policy because our par or higher Canadian dollar was attracting too many buyers to *.COM instead of *.CA, or have just added some conditional background algorithm to sale products that instructs the system charge International customers full shipping per item regardless of quantity so as not to gut sales on the domestic *.CA site.

As previously noted, all things being equal, I typically order from Amazon.CA anyway because I'm a collector first and bargain hunter second. *.CA tends to pack better and there's defacto less risk of damage in transit due to Customs mishandling. But I have been registered on *.COM for almost 5 years, and still make at least half a dozen combined purchases from the parent site annually. But this was by far the worst checkout hit yet, and I'll certainly be on the phone with them Monday morning for an explanation how $95.95 in product now suddenly becomes $140.65 going north of the border to a longstanding registered customer.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by GeorgeP12

It seems to be a bug recently introduced to a program that amazon uses to calculate the shipping cost. Amazon.com is not the only one that is affected. The similar issue was reported for amazon.co.uk

Okay thanks GeorgeP12, then I'm not insane...at least not on that count. Do you know if they are making adjustments for this excessive shipping via post sale credits?

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by SpiderBaby

It can always happen in next month's announcements.

The more I read about this film SpiderBaby, the more I'm with you. Where's the petition?

[SpiderBaby]

Originally Posted by oildude

Shepitko died young and only made four films.

She actually did more than that (for the interested).

A short film Homeland of Electricity and V trinadtsatom chasu nochi (a weird, late 60's New Year's Eve Soviet TV special). Here is part of it to give you a taste:

V trinadtsatom chasu nochi (1969, USSR) - YouTube

There is also 2 more shorts which she did in film school (don't ask me where to find these, if you can even see them, I have no clue) The Blind Cook and Living Water.

Would of been great if Criterion released more than 2 films, because I don't think they will go back and release anymore.

I would think this is her final filmography:

Znoy
The Blind Cook (short)
Living Water (short)
Wings
Homeland of Electricity (short)
V trinadtsatom chasu nochi (T.V. special)
Ty i ya
The Ascent

sad we prob won't see the rest on any type of release (only rare screenings and the internet).

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

The more I read about this film SpiderBaby, the more I'm with you. Where's the petition?

No need to petition. It's just a matter of time.

[jcs913]

I have most of the Eclipse sets and I would say that it obviously depends on your tastes. I am not a huge Japanese cinema fan, but the Ozu and Kurosawa, etc.. sets are very good. Personally my favorites are:
Malle 2
Fuller 5
Kaurismaki’s 12
Rossellini 14
Guitry 22
Dearden 25

The other items that may never see a BD release in a set that are musts are:
Von Sternberg silents
Berlin Anderplatz
John Cassavetes: Five Films

There are other sets and Eclipse releases that are now OOP, but IMO these choices are essential.

[jcs913]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

FWIW SpiderBaby your apparent obsession over Fassbinder's World on a Wire - a film I'd unfortunately never even heard of before reading this forum - has won another convert. Now I want that one too!

World on a Wire always hit me as a mixture of Blade Runner, Solaris and 2001, which is what made it interesting for me. The existential backdrop of the film is what makes you just want to watch it, but never analyze it. When Criterion releases it on BD, it will be a huge hit. The source material for it is supposed to be in great shape and will look great on BD. I missed the release here in Chicago last week at the Siskel Center, but those are the breaks when you have little ones...

[italy12]

Originally Posted by jcs913

World on a Wire always hit me as a mixture of Blade Runner, Solaris and 2001, which is what made it interesting for me. The existential backdrop of the film is what makes you just want to watch it, but never analyze it. When Criterion releases it on BD, it will be a huge hit. The source material for it is supposed to be in great shape and will look great on BD. I missed the release here in Chicago last week at the Siskel Center, but those are the breaks when you have little ones...

I cannot wait for World on a Wire! And that is just from hearing about it on this board. It seems like a movie to which I would gravitate most.

[ROclockCK]

Originally Posted by jcs913

World on a Wire always hit me as a mixture of Blade Runner, Solaris and 2001...

You could have stopped right there jcs913...those are 3 of my touchstone science fiction films. SOLD!

[ROclockCK]

Unless I missed this subject in the roughly 3 million posts here, I would like to offer a little plug for Criterion's superb disc menuing system. Having seen many disc access designs, and even worked with a few of them at the authoring level, Criterion's is by far the best in class. It provides a simple, elegant, intuitive user experience, and I wish some generic version of it was an industry standard.

Just wanted to add that little plaudit, although I'm no doubt preaching to the converted here.

[Matt24734]

Hey guys, I'm in for these on the B&N sale

Island of Lost Souls
Fanny and Alexander
The Phantom Carriage
Hunger
3 Women
The Battle of Algiers
Hunger

Thinking about getting one of these, which would you rec? Any of these would be blind buys.
Three Colors Trilogy
The Rules of the Game
Kuroneko

I'm most interested in Kuroneko, but I'm a big fan of extras and that has barely any while the Trilogy and Rules of the Game look loaded with them. I'm in Canada so shipping, while still cheap is a bit of a concern for me, I want to try and keep it around $200 this time as I'm most likely going to pay full price for 12 Angry Men and most likely Rushmore, so Three Colors would usually be a guarantee, but at 50% for $40 for the set seems like a great deal, so I wouldn't mind spending the extra 20 if need be.

[plataa89]

Originally Posted by ROclockCK

Unless I missed this subject in the roughly 3 million posts here, I would like to offer a little plug for Criterion's superb disc menuing system. Having seen many disc access designs, and even worked with a few of them at the authoring level, Criterion's is by far the best in class. It provides a simple, elegant, intuitive user experience, and I wish some generic version of it was an industry standard.

Just wanted to add that little plaudit, although I'm no doubt preaching to the converted here.

100% agree. There are some other good styles are used and of course plenty of terrible ones but Criterion does a phenomenal job. It's very clean, easy to navigate, informative, and consistent. Just another one of the many joys of Criterion blus.

[octagon]

Yeah, their menus are very well done. I love the clean, elegant, consistent look and the fact that you can get a little description of a supplement without starting it.

That last one is an admittedly minor point but sometimes it really is the little touches...