The Criterion Collection

[CQD84]

Originally Posted by Reddington

For those interested, the Bergman's Cinema box set is now $195.39 on Amazon. I hadn't placed a preorder yet, but decided to do so at this price. Got a random "Extra Savings" discount of $2.72 at checkout, taking the pre-tax total to $192.67. The thing I like about Amazon is that one can lock in the preorder price without paying up-front. If the set is included in the B&N sale that should be happening around release date, it's easy to cancel with Amazon.

I'd imagine that the box set will be included in the B&N sale in a couple of months. Criterion has never excluded anything from the sale before.

[KJones77]

Originally Posted by CQD84

I'd imagine that the box set will be included in the B&N sale in a couple of months. Criterion has never excluded anything from the sale before.

Yeah there is no reason to think it will not be. Criterion never excludes items from the sale. The most comparable release, the Olympics box, has been on sale every time since its release.

If you're a B&N member, it will be $135 in store plus tax. It is a no brainer to wait.

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by CQD84

I'd imagine that the box set will be included in the B&N sale in a couple of months. Criterion has never excluded anything from the sale before.

Originally Posted by KJones77

Yeah there is no reason to think it will not be. Criterion never excludes items from the sale. The most comparable release, the Olympics box, has been on sale every time since its release.

If you're a B&N member, it will be $135 in store plus tax. It is a no brainer to wait.

I am a member. And I'm sure you are both right, and that the B&N sale will run all month as usual. Having said that, I don't have much confidence in the way B&N treat box sets. My first Olympics set was trashed on receipt, and the replacement I picked up in-store was also dinged due to being wrapped too tightly with one of those alarm "straps" to deter theft (perhaps a moot point now that B&N Media Departments are unmanned).

If it does time with the sale and I can pick up early on release day before they've had a chance to monkey about with it, then I definitely will.

[hariseldon]

Originally Posted by Reddington

I am a member. And I'm sure you are both right, and that the B&N sale will run all month as usual. Having said that, I don't have much confidence in the way B&N treat box sets. My first Olympics set was trashed on receipt, and the replacement I picked up in-store was also dinged due to being wrapped too tightly with one of those alarm "straps" to deter theft (perhaps a moot point now that B&N Media Departments are unmanned).

If it does time with the sale and I can pick up early on release day before they've had a chance to monkey about with it, then I definitely will.

Make sure to call early and see if they'll let you reserve a copy for pickup. Those should be held behind the main customer counter or in a secure area and not even get to the spider wrap stage. My stores have different policies on whether they'll allow that or not -- 2 of my main stores still avoid the spider wraps, one seems to use them on everything, and the other it's hit or miss. I "quizzed" the Everything is strapped" Manager to task last year with one of the $100 Criterion Boxsets and $150 LP set that were strangled.

1) Who is the Customer this $100+ set is aimed at? A Collector, not a Joe Six Pack. Joe Six isn't going to buy a $100 Criterion Bluray set.
2) Do Collectors care about LE packaging? Of course they do
3) Would you as a Collector pay $100-150 for this damaged set? No
4) Why wrap this at all and if you're going to do it anyway why do it so aggressively to damage the package? "Well, to stop theft?" In addition -- how is someone going to walk out with the 2 ft/ x 18 in, 20 lb boxset?
5) Why bother? "So we can sell it to a customer."
6) What customer, did you find another customer base --see 1/2/3? confused look
7) So you have a set you can't sell, but it is less likely to be stolen--what's going to happen to it after 4 months sitting on the shelf unsold b/c it's destroyed in the Collectors Mind? "It will get sent back or we'll discount it to clearance levels of 75-80%."
8) So why not come up with a better answer that allows you sell it to the Collector for a price the Collector is willing to pay? Almost Blank look though maybe a bit of understanding starting to creep in

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by hariseldon

Make sure to call early and see if they'll let you reserve a copy for pickup. Those should be held behind the main customer counter or in a secure area and not even get to the spider wrap stage. My stores have different policies on whether they'll allow that or not -- 2 of my main stores still avoid the spider wraps, one seems to use them on everything, and the other it's hit or miss. I "quizzed" the Everything is strapped" Manager to task last year with one of the $100 Criterion Boxsets and $150 LP set that were strangled.

1) Who is the Customer this $100+ set is aimed at? A Collector, not a Joe Six Pack. Joe Six isn't going to buy a $100 Criterion Bluray set.
2) Do Collectors care about LE packaging? Of course they do
3) Would you as a Collector pay $100-150 for this damaged set? No
4) Why wrap this at all and if you're going to do it anyway why do it so aggressively to damage the package? "Well, to stop theft?" In addition -- how is someone going to walk out with the 2 ft/ x 18 in, 20 lb boxset?
5) Why bother? "So we can sell it to a customer."
6) What customer, did you find another customer base --see 1/2/3? confused look
7) So you have a set you can't sell, but it is less likely to be stolen--what's going to happen to it after 4 months sitting on the shelf unsold b/c it's destroyed in the Collectors Mind? "It will get sent back or we'll discount it to clearance levels of 75-80%."
8) So why not come up with a better answer that allows you sell it to the Collector for a price the Collector is willing to pay? Almost Blank look though maybe a bit of understanding starting to creep in

Ridiculous. But unsurprising.

I have three stores near me, all of which are disorganized to say the least. For the Dietrich & von Sternberg set, I was at the "best" of the three around opening time on release day, and they were still in the stock room - so there is every chance I could do the same and get a fresh and unmolested Bergman set. Admittedly, the Dietrich set was less expensive and didn't warrant the spider wrap, so the hope would be to get there before any meddling begins. I'll definitely ask in advance as you suggest.

[Knaldskalle]

Given the above discussion, it may be worth waiting for the Criterion flash sale and buy directly from them instead.

[hariseldon]

Originally Posted by Knaldskalle

Given the above discussion, it may be worth waiting for the Criterion flash sale and buy directly from them instead.

Maybe, except they use mostly the same Fulfillment warehouses as BN though there is a bit of variation depending on the region of the country

During the Holiday Season and Black Friday week there is a much better chance that many/most of the Media Dept will be staffed the weeks until Christmas so that leads to better chances they'll leave everything unmolested.

More staff, more open registers, extra hands/eyes. the checkout is so overwhelmed at that time of the year, surely they'll keep those open just for traffic flow if nothing else

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by StarDestroyer52

Since I know many, including me, have been hammering for the release of The Lady Eve. The screenshots of the French version released on the Preston Sturges boxset look very good:

[Show spoiler]

Source(in French): http://www.dvdclassik.com/test/blu-r...rges-wild-side

Oh, just give me a Barbara Stanwyck box set, already. I'm already going to be selling a lung to get the Bergman and Dietrich/von Sternberg sets, might as well hock another organ for Missy.

I wonder what percentage of my DVR is filled with her films. Good God, it has to be at least a third, and that's after deleting like six movies.

[bluraydvdcollector]

Can't wait to see if they release any horror for Halloween

[GaragePoet]

Originally Posted by bluraydvdcollector

Can't wait to see if they release any horror for Halloween

October releases have already been announced...

[Arawn]

Nine thousand pages. That's really something.

[SleazyForWeasley]

Just read the review of Criterion's Tree of Life. Another blue-pushed transfer. What the **** is going on over there?

[postmodel]

Not sure if it’s been shared yet, but there are a few Jodorowsky films up on FilmStruck, with The Holy Mountain and The Dance of Reality sporting the ever so enlightening “C” we’ve all come to love.

[ravenus]

Ordered this off WowHD for 27$ (free shipping) because I am a sucker when it comes to double-dipping for my favorite films, even though for a long time I was torn between getting this and waiting for the possibility of a newer restoration (in any region) that would yield better results:

[willtopower]

Looking for some quick answers regarding Fanny and Alexander.

1) Should a person watch both versions?
2) If both are watched, should they be watched in specific order?
3) Are they drastically different? (with the run times I can't imagine they're not)
4a) For the television version, because of the length, are there internal breaks? Like Acts, or Parts, etc?
4b) Since the television is so long, if there aren't internal breaks, would anyone have suggestions about breaks? I would love to watch it all in one sitting, but it would take some careful planning for me to do that. If there are internal breaks, then this is N/A.

Thanks!

[bsend]

Hoping Criterion announces a Haxan upgrade

[javy]

Originally Posted by bsend

Hoping Criterion announces a Haxan upgrade

I've been wanting to watch that. I love the subject and have considered getting the dvd many times.

[javy]

Originally Posted by willtopower

Looking for some quick answers regarding Fanny and Alexander.

1) Should a person watch both versions?
2) If both are watched, should they be watched in specific order?
3) Are they drastically different? (with the run times I can't imagine they're not)
4a) For the television version, because of the length, are there internal breaks? Like Acts, or Parts, etc?
4b) Since the television is so long, if there aren't internal breaks, would anyone have suggestions about breaks? I would love to watch it all in one sitting, but it would take some careful planning for me to do that. If there are internal breaks, then this is N/A.

Thanks!

I would like to know all this as well.

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by willtopower

Looking for some quick answers regarding Fanny and Alexander.

1) Should a person watch both versions?
2) If both are watched, should they be watched in specific order?
3) Are they drastically different? (with the run times I can't imagine they're not)
4a) For the television version, because of the length, are there internal breaks? Like Acts, or Parts, etc?
4b) Since the television is so long, if there aren't internal breaks, would anyone have suggestions about breaks? I would love to watch it all in one sitting, but it would take some careful planning for me to do that. If there are internal breaks, then this is N/A.

Thanks!

1. Yes.
2. The theatrical is possibly a better film in the traditional sense of focusing on all the most dramatic "plot" elements. The TV cut is a better Bergman film because a lot of his signature humor is in there.
3. I think so. The tone is more consistent in theatrical but the TV has something for everyone I think.
4. Yes, it's broken up in episodes. The breaks are separated on the disc.

I strongly recommend the TV cut first and then the theatrical.

[Cremildo]

On the Criterion DVD, the Fanny & Alexander miniseries was presented in episodes. I see no reason why they'd change that on the Blu-ray.

As to whether one should watch both versions, well, it depends on whether how much you like the first one you watch!

I recommend starting with the complete miniseries, because, well, it's the complete, fleshed-out thing, and then the theatrical version, for curiosity sake (I myself did precisely the contrary, btw, but I had no access to the miniseries when I first watched the theatrical cut). If you watch the theatrical first, the miniseries - which is what F&A is - might become a little anticlimactic, for obvious reasons.