The Criterion Collection

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by fitprod

So upon further review, Moonrise Kingdom was Universal.

Bottle Rocket might be a different beast while distributed by Sony, it was a Gracie Film Production, who are traditionally with 20 Centry Pictures, so maybe that has something to do with it? - Besides the fact Criterion has had the only release of film on BD.

Bottle Rocket was licensed from Sony.

[dwk]

Chris at the Criterion forum has confirmed that Killer of Sheep and the Musketeers set also have SDH subs for everything.

[Juan de Internet]

Originally Posted by regeyer

The choice is yours. You have the freedom to choose. Me? I chose to buy directly from Criterion because they get all the profits. Eventually I'll get enough for a $50 gift card Nice.

Originally Posted by CRASHLANDING

I think the answer just depends on whether you're willing to wait until the October flash sale to maximize your savings. If you are, you're unlikely to find a better deal anywhere than the 50% direct from Criterion, which would include free shipping and the best packaging, plus an additional ~9% from getting the $50 reward certificate. Amazon won't ever get down to 40% of MSRP, and has the highest risk of shipping damage. B&N meets the 50% discount but without the 10% extra reward, and also increased odds for shipping damage (unless you're lucky enough to find a physical copy in-store). Those tradeoffs would get you the items much earlier, and you'd still have your $100 GC to use for the October sale either way.

In the end, it's totally about your priorities But I'd probably choose to wait for the flash and buy direct.

Thanks folks. Yeah, I was mainly looking to hear what other people are doing as it's not a clear choice to me whether to wait or not.

In the end, I'll probably just do some sort of compromise like usual. There are two discs I've been waiting many years for so I'll probably get those in July. I can move down the list to find four more to get in October.

But that means once again I'll make little to no progress towards that $50 Criterion GC. I guess it's just never going to happen. I think I've spent about $1000 on Criterions over 22 years, so even if I exclusively bought from Criterion.com from now on it might take a decade or more to earn that $50 GC. Unless I lower my bar for buying Criterions, which is the classic sucker's bet w.r.t. sales.

[Vinyl]

Originally Posted by Juan de Internet

l
so even if I exclusively bought from Criterion.com from now on it might take a decade or more to earn that $50 GC.

Definitely like me because ya… 500 is a lot of money. But then, if you say that you spent 1,000 that means you could have had $100. Basically it boils down to 25 blu rays at 20 or 20 4ks at 25 will give you a $50 gc.

[CRASHLANDING]

Originally Posted by Juan de Internet

But that means once again I'll make little to no progress towards that $50 Criterion GC. I guess it's just never going to happen. I think I've spent about $1000 on Criterions over 22 years, so even if I exclusively bought from Criterion.com from now on it might take a decade or more to earn that $50 GC. Unless I lower my bar for buying Criterions, which is the classic sucker's bet w.r.t. sales.

I thought you said you had a couple of big box sets you wanted? If so, that seems like it would get you pretty close the the $500 even if purchased at 50% off? To each his own, but yeah if you're only spending $50-100/year it's definitely going to take a long time to get the bonus.

I probably spend between $100-200 each sale (depending on if I include a bigger set) and get a bonus every couple of years. But to me, the bonus is just that - a bonus. I buy direct to support the label and the 50% savings makes it price competitive with any other retailer. I have more than enough discs to watch, so it's rare that there's something I can't wait until the next sale to pick up 50% off.

[Juan de Internet]

Originally Posted by CRASHLANDING

I thought you said you had a couple of big box sets you wanted? If so, that seems like it would get you pretty close the the $500 even if purchased at 50% off? To each his own, but yeah if you're only spending $50-100/year it's definitely going to take a long time to get the bonus.

I probably spend between $100-200 each sale (depending on if I include a bigger set) and get a bonus every couple of years. But to me, the bonus is just that - a bonus. I buy direct to support the label and the 50% savings makes it price competitive with any other retailer. I have more than enough discs to watch, so it's rare that there's something I can't wait until the next sale to pick up 50% off.

Sorry, did I say big? I meant little box sets: the Marcel Pagnol and maybe Yojimbo/Sanjuro. That's only $75 for both at 50% off. Or if I include both Marcel Pagnol box sets that's still only $125.

It's in part because I'm not even halfway through my Ingmar Bergman boxset that I'm in no rush to buy Criterions - except Chungking Express. It's more a worry of trying so hard to save an extra 9% that the prices go up (or availability dries up) while I'm waiting. It's not that I'm that hung up on saving an extra 9% per se; it's that almost all Criterions (even at 50% off) are too expensive for me to justify given my viewing habits. There are probably only a half dozen or so I've bought (out of ~50, and not counting the cheap Ingmar Bergman set) that I've watched enough times to justify their price over renting/streaming.

[CRASHLANDING]

Originally Posted by Juan de Internet

Sorry, did I say big? I meant little box sets: the Marcel Pagnol and maybe Yojimbo/Sanjuro. That's only $75 for both at 50% off. Or if I include both Marcel Pagnol box sets that's still only $125.

It's in part because I'm not even halfway through my Ingmar Bergman boxset that I'm in no rush to buy Criterions - except Chungking Express. It's more a worry of trying so hard to save an extra 9% that the prices go up (or availability dries up) while I'm waiting. It's not that I'm that hung up on saving an extra 9% per se; it's that almost all Criterions (even at 50% off) are too expensive for me to justify given my viewing habits. There are probably only a half dozen or so I've bought (out of ~50, and not counting the cheap Ingmar Bergman set) that I've watched enough times to justify their price over renting/streaming.

No, that's fair...I probably assumed the "big" set part in my head because those are what I most associate with Criterion box sets - Bergman, Fellini, the Olympic films, etc. But the smaller ones you mentioned are great choices too. Totally understand watching the prices and wanting to get your money's worth, but then it's probably also not worth thinking too much about the $50 GC if you watch a lot of stuff via streaming. Good luck, sounds like you will have some great purchases either way.

[sherlockjr]

Originally Posted by CRASHLANDING

I think the answer just depends on whether you're willing to wait until the October flash sale to maximize your savings. If you are, you're unlikely to find a better deal anywhere than the 50% direct from Criterion, which would include free shipping and the best packaging, plus an additional ~9% from getting the $50 reward certificate. Amazon won't ever get down to 40% of MSRP, and has the highest risk of shipping damage. B&N meets the 50% discount but without the 10% extra reward, and also increased odds for shipping damage (unless you're lucky enough to find a physical copy in-store). Those tradeoffs would get you the items much earlier, and you'd still have your $100 GC to use for the October sale either way.

Actually, during the last B&N Criterion 50% off sale Amazon did match many of the prices (though not all of them). Amazon's doing that right now with a significant number of titles (but not all) during the current B&N 50% off Kino sale.

If you're a Prime member and use the Amazon Prime credit card you'll also get an additional 5-6% rebate on the sale price plus no shipping charge. But even with that additional discount, I do try to buy at least some disks from B&N because I know Amazon wouldn't be discounting without the B&N sale.

Buying direct from Criterion I can make use of the periodic gift certificates they send to Criterion Channel (charter, I think?) members. So another reason to order during their 50% off sale. I'd order direct from Criterion more often if those sales were longer than 24 hours, or at least more frequent! Rather send the money direct to Criterion than a third party that pockets some of it.

[Juan de Internet]

Originally Posted by Vinyl

Definitely like me because ya… 500 is a lot of money. But then, if you say that you spent 1,000 that means you could have had $100. Basically it boils down to 25 blu rays at 20 or 20 4ks at 25 will give you a $50 gc.

Originally Posted by sherlockjr

Actually, during the last B&N Criterion 50% off sale Amazon did match many of the prices (though not all of them). Amazon's doing that right now with a significant number of titles (but not all) during the current B&N 50% off Kino sale.

If you're a Prime member and use the Amazon Prime credit card you'll also get an additional 5-6% rebate on the sale price plus no shipping charge. But even with that additional discount, I do try to buy at least some disks from B&N because I know Amazon wouldn't be discounting without the B&N sale.

Buying direct from Criterion I can make use of the periodic gift certificates they send to Criterion Channel (charter, I think?) members. So another reason to order during their 50% off sale. I'd order direct from Criterion more often if those sales were longer than 24 hours, or at least more frequent! Rather send the money direct to Criterion than a third party that pockets some of it.

I didn't even know that there were regular 50% off Criterion sales until I found Blu-ray.com (so well into the Blu-ray era), let alone when the 1-day Criterion.com sales were. So having earned $100 in GCs by now is wishful thinking (which I share too, not saying anything against you).

I fairly regularly do buy Criterions from Amazon for about the same or less overall cost than via Criterion.com, even including the $50 GC. But as we're implying here, every purchase not made at Criterion.com, even if it makes sense on its own, pushes that $50 GC further away.

I guess it comes down to whether that extra 9%, the nicer shipping packaging, and maximizing Criterion's profit is worth it vs. waiting months for and then losing sleep or interfering with work or play to hop on that 1-day sale. All I know is I'm never going back to paying $33+ ($60+ in today's dollars) for some VHS-era master like I did with the Seven Samurai DVD back in the day.

I will add one point to this discussion, though: while I do think it likely Criterion makes more profit from sales out of its own site than, say, Amazon or B&N, that's not necessarily the case. Amazon in particular has so much economy of scale that it might actually be cheaper to pay them to do the fulfillment than to do it yourself - witness the thousands of distributors who do just that. There are other reasons than saving on retailing costs that distributors such as Criterion choose to have their own storefront - especially more effective customer loyalty programs.

[Me-Hostage]

How often does Barnes & Noble do their Criterion sales?

[Juan de Internet]

Originally Posted by Me-Hostage

How often does Barnes & Noble do their Criterion sales?

Twice a year: the months of July and November, although the exact dates vary from year to year (just like what days of the week each month starts on do).

This has been kept up-to-date for years:

https://www.reddit.com/r/criterion/c...guide_for_the/

[Scottie]

Bi Gan's latest Resurrection was picked up by Janus.

https://deadline.com/2025/05/resurre...ca-1236411692/

[Querelle]

Originally Posted by Scottie

Bi Gan's latest Resurrection was picked up by Janus.

https://deadline.com/2025/05/resurre...ca-1236411692/

Very cool. Kaili Blues and Long Day's are both so dope, and this one sounds excellent as well

[Techlet]

Originally Posted by Scottie

Bi Gan's latest Resurrection was picked up by Janus.

https://deadline.com/2025/05/resurre...ca-1236411692/

Wish Janus would start doing 4K releases too.

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by Techlet

Wish Janus would start doing 4K releases too.

Maybe Flow will be the start.

Pretty strange, though, as several of them are available on digital in 4K via Janus/Criterion.

[mrjohnnyb]

Has anyone heard anything at all about the film Greed?

I heard years ago that an original film source did not exist. I saw the film back in the 1980's at Jersey City State College (now the New Jersey City University) at a History of Films class that I experienced there. I have always hoped that it would someday make it to blu-ray disc. I know that a DVD exists, but it is in French, which while I studied in high school, challenges me fluently.

Any comments would be appreciated. Thank you!

[BrokenGlass41]

Originally Posted by mrjohnnyb

Has anyone heard anything at all about the film Greed?

I heard years ago that an original film source did not exist. I saw the film back in the 1980's at Jersey City State College (now the New Jersey City University) at a History of Films class that I experienced there. I have always hoped that it would someday make it to blu-ray disc. I know that a DVD exists, but it is in French, which while I studied in high school, challenges me fluently.

Any comments would be appreciated. Thank you!

The full cut doesn't exist anymore, and there are no US DVD copies. There's a LaserDisc, but good luck playing it! You might have better luck looking around on some streaming services.

[poisonmail]

Originally Posted by mrjohnnyb

Has anyone heard anything at all about the film Greed?

I heard years ago that an original film source did not exist. I saw the film back in the 1980's at Jersey City State College (now the New Jersey City University) at a History of Films class that I experienced there.

Almost certainly one of the silents George Feltenstein has touted as coming soon from either Warner Archive or a third party. If you don’t want to wait, it is available to rent online in the “reconstructed” version made in the ‘90s. That would be standard def though since it was finished (and as far as I know, only exists) on video.

[Vinyl]

I saw on the YouTube channel that they are putting out “3 by Kathryn Bigelow” and wondering if there’s a possibility of a physical release of Strange Days finally coming to the US. A bigger announcement would be all of them in a set, but not holding out hope for that.

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by Vinyl

I saw on the YouTube channel that they are putting out “3 by Kathryn Bigelow” and wondering if there’s a possibility of a physical release of Strange Days finally coming to the US. A bigger announcement would be all of them in a set, but not holding out hope for that.

That’s an ad for their streaming channel. I would love them to release Strange Days on home video!