The Criterion Collection

[IronWaffle]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Most of those are from seller Warehouse deals fulfilled through Amazon.

I gave it a shot and ordered 12 Angry Men from them. The order was pretty prompt. Interestingly, the disc had the Criterion sticker, but the shrink wrap was not factory and there was no strip on the the top of the package. The disc and booklet look fine.

[Hunk Golden]

Originally Posted by DetroitSquirreL

when they hit the $20 USD and lower I jump at them. Thats my 'rule of thumb'

Probably a good one to follow! There are a few I want more than others (which aren't on sale right now). For those I may go a bit higher. I'd prefer the $20 or less price point though. It'd be nice to live near a B&N retail location so that I could hit it often during the July/November sales.

[DetroitSquirreL]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

Most of those are from seller Warehouse deals fulfilled through Amazon.

Not always the case. I got a couple of my Criterions from Amazon direct (used Prime) and they were around $20 USD. Heck, I bought 'Monsoon Wedding' for $8.80 USD , unopened, and they shipped it for free via my Prime

[Hunk Golden]

Originally Posted by IronWaffle

I gave it a shot and ordered 12 Angry Men from them. The order was pretty prompt. Interestingly, the disc had the Criterion sticker, but the shrink wrap was not factory and there was no strip on the the top of the package. The disc and booklet look fine.

How could you tell that it wasn't factory shrink wrap? Sometimes when I order through 3rd party sellers the shrink wrap looks weird. I bought the "Star Wars" set at Target last week...same thing. There's a seam up the middle of the back of the disk (looks "off").

[DetroitSquirreL]

Originally Posted by Hunk Golden

Probably a good one to follow! There are a few I want more than others (which aren't on sale right now). For those I may go a bit higher. I'd prefer the $20 or less price point though. It'd be nice to live near a B&N retail location so that I could hit it often during the July/November sales.

JUST got an email from B&N for a 20% coupon off ANYTHING in the store or online, plus my 10% member discount. Its 30% but I don't have to wait till the sale. Ill see what I want....

[DetroitSquirreL]

Originally Posted by Hunk Golden

How could you tell that it wasn't factory shrink wrap? Sometimes when I order through 3rd party sellers the shrink wrap looks weird. I bought the "Star Wars" set at Target last week...same thing. There's a seam up the middle of the back of the disk (looks "off").

FYI, ALL retailers have shrink wrap machines in the back. I know this for a fact. When something is returned open but had only the wrapping off or something minor they will shrink wrap it and resell it as new.

[IronWaffle]

Originally Posted by BohemianGraham

Are you talking about Uncle Floyd? Davy was on for a few episodes too.

[Show spoiler]If you are, then yes, Peter was most likely drunk, although Peter did have a bit of a warbbly voice on certain songs anyways. Peter's been very open about his drug and alcohol addictions of the 1970s and into the 1980s. There's also the fact that he lost almost everything he had by giving money to friends and such to help them out, without them returning the favour. He spent 3 months in prison for hash possession in the early 1970s afterall, as well. He's been clean and sober since the early 1980s, around the time the anniversary tours were beginning to kick off.

Micky Dolenz ended up with a lot of "mental" issues as well, and

they did have a pretty shitty contract, as we all heard on the Criterion commentary for Head, they were just "kids" afterall. The Monkees may bring a lot of joy to people, but you have to admit, that behind the scenes, things were really freaking depressing.

The music industry in particular has always been pretty crappy to artists. If you want depressing, read how blues musicians were really taken advantage of. Probably my favorite, Mississippi John Hurt recorded some very successful sides in his twenties, got paid a bit then disappeared. It wasn't until he was in his sixties that he was rediscovered by some Greenwich Village'y college folk fans sought him out. He hadn't played in decades. That got him back on a circuit, performing and actually earning money from his art. And he's one of the success stories What probably hurt the Monkees' members most is that they didn't own publishing rights to their biggest songs (mostly because they didn't write them, but I'm sure the contracts were written such that even that probably wouldn't have mattered). That, poor business management and type-casting were financially and emotionally devastating. I doubt they even got any residuals from the show during its '80s revitalization.

As I said before, I myself am deeply jealous. Even without the bonus feature of a castmember, and the unpredictability of the print quality, you still get to see Rashomon on the big screen. My friend could have met Peter Bogdnaovich in Toronto the other day at the screening they were doing of The Last Picture Show, but he said he couldn't guarantee meeting Bogdanovich, and went to a wine and cheese party instead. He also hadn't watched the film yet, despite owning it on BD, courtesy of the BBS set, for the past year. Silly fool.

You need better friends! I admit to being a silly fool myself for having owned Last Picture Show for a year and not having watched it (that's another story), but if Bogdanovich were attending a screening I'd damn well sure do my homework and go. I probably wouldn't want to meet the blowhard up close, though I imagine he'd be annoying enough that I'd smile and, while admiring his ascot, ask where Mrs. Howell is

[Sinthetic]

I'd be seriously pissed if I spent £25 on a Criterion and it came potentially used. Never had it happen to me before though.

[IronWaffle]

Originally Posted by Hunk Golden

How could you tell that it wasn't factory shrink wrap? Sometimes when I order through 3rd party sellers the shrink wrap looks weird. I bought the "Star Wars" set at Target last week...same thing. There's a seam up the middle of the back of the disk (looks "off").

Factory wrap is looser, shinier, and smoother. it also doesn't stick to the item it's wrapping or your fingers. Re-wrap is more like saran wrap, I suppose. Once you see and handle them side by side it's easy to tell.

Originally Posted by DetroitSquirreL

FYI, ALL retailers have shrink wrap machines in the back. I know this for a fact. When something is returned open but had only the wrapping off or something minor they will shrink wrap it and resell it as new.

Not ALL do. I ran a new/used CD shop and we expressly avoided them. In our case it was primarily because it would cause doubt in customers whether we were buying used and then selling as new.

Originally Posted by joie

I've ordered from Criterion, directly, and none of the discs have had "factory wrap" and a strip on the top of the package. They have all looked like B&N packaging (amateur shrinkwrap). It's possible they were returned under the 30-day guarantee, then re-wrapped and re-sold.

I wouldn't be surprised either way. Since it was listed as "New," though, I was confident that if it came used but not in excellent shape that Amazon would have my back, as opposed to...

Retail venting: Recently I went to FYI since it was across from a theater where I was seeing a movie and I spotted two used Blu-rays worth purchasing with their "buy one, get another 1/2 off" deal. Both were re-shrink wrapped with "100% guarantee" stickers. I went to the register to buy them and asked if I could check the discs before making the purchase. Clerk said no, I'd need to buy them first. I asked what happens if I buy a damaged disc. He said I could return it for 75%. Even if I opened it at the counter in front of him before he even bagged them. Helluva guarantee.

[jcs913]

Originally Posted by Brad1107

Yes this might be the first month in a while where we've been given no indication of what's going to be announced, so close to announcement day. With the exception of the Jarmusch title which wasn't teased by Criterion itself.
It's both frustrating and nice at the same time.

So far, I am very happy about this potential change. It's great that the titles are not being leaked. That used to be half the fun, especially before this Facebook garbage started. Frankly, My interest in this thread has waned significantly because of it. I don't even like visiting this site anymore, because I know almost all the releases before they even announce them....
Maybe that is why Joe vanished also...

[BohemianGraham]

Originally Posted by IronWaffle

The music industry in particular has always been pretty crappy to artists. If you want depressing, read how blues musicians were really taken advantage of. Probably my favorite, Mississippi John Hurt recorded some very successful sides in his twenties, got paid a bit then disappeared. It wasn't until he was in his sixties that he was rediscovered by some Greenwich Village'y college folk fans sought him out. He hadn't played in decades. That got him back on a circuit, performing and actually earning money from his art. And he's one of the success stories What probably hurt the Monkees' members most is that they didn't own publishing rights to their biggest songs (mostly because they didn't write them, but I'm sure the contracts were written such that even that probably wouldn't have mattered). That, poor business management and type-casting were financially and emotionally devastating. I doubt they even got any residuals from the show during its '80s revitalization.

You need better friends! I admit to being a silly fool myself for having owned Last Picture Show for a year and not having watched it (that's another story), but if Bogdanovich were attending a screening I'd damn well sure do my homework and go. I probably wouldn't want to meet the blowhard up close, though I imagine he'd be annoying enough that I'd smile and, while admiring his ascot, ask where Mrs. Howell is

I could never be a musician, it seems like such a sou;-sucking job.

Actually, from what I've heard in various interviews with the Monkees, it wasn't until the 1980s that they actually began to make money off themselves, and are more than comfortable financially these days. But you're 100% correct, bad business deals, (Peter and Mike allegedly had to pay something like 150,000 dollars for x number of years to get out of their contracts, Peter being the uber helpful hippie gave his money away to help others who never returned the favour, youthful reckless spending (they were in the early to mid 20s, most of us would have done the same), and the really shitty contract from the beginning (450 bucks an episode)) Plus, as stated, Mike got a hefty chunk of change from his Mom when she died, as she invented Liquid Paper, so once the boys were older and wiser, they began to make money.

Also, you're right about the whole type-casting and stigma associated with the Monkees. The fact that you still have people who believe they're only "a manufactured image, with no philosophies," never played their own instruments, and only know of the twee pop songs they sang but never wrote, that tends to make people bitter. Mike Nesmith is probably the most bitter about the whole Monkees thing, although he has mellowed in the past few years.

Regarding Bogdanovich, yes, the man's an ass, but still, I can't understand why the hell he wouldn't go. Of course, my friend has yet to watch any of the Criterions he's bought on BD, and he has about 15, counting the BBS boxset. He's apparently tried watching Head 5 times already, but something always manages to come up, i.e., other friends call him, or he has to do the laundry. He's also a big procrastinator, as it took him two years of myself and another friend hounding him before he fixed his internet.

[Abdrewes]

Who here recommends Wong Kar-Wai's Ashes of Time Redux? I loved Chunking Express and Happy Together and I'm a sucker for Wuxia films.
It's listed for $10 plus shipping on Amazon.

Also curious about The Big-Hearted Will Win the Bride.

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Who here recommends Wong Kar-Wai's Ashes of Time Redux? I loved Chunking Express and Happy Together and I'm a sucker for Wuxia films.
It's listed for $10 plus shipping on Amazon.

Also curious about The Big-Hearted Will Win the Bride.

I would I really enjoy Kar Wai's movies

[Brad1963]

Originally Posted by blkhrt

Well, it looks like we can pencil in at least one upgrade for July:

http://blog.criterioncast.com/post/2...sch-on-blu-ray

I'm definitely excited about this one.

Great news! I almost bought the DVD during the last Criterion 50% off sale.

[drbikeshorts]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

Who here recommends Wong Kar-Wai's Ashes of Time Redux? I loved Chunking Express and Happy Together and I'm a sucker for Wuxia films.
It's listed for $10 plus shipping on Amazon.

Also curious about The Big-Hearted Will Win the Bride.

I'm a big fan of Ashes of Time and recommend it to any fans of Wong Kar-Wai.
I have the UK Artificial Eye disc and I'm very happy with it

[Abdrewes]

I ended up ordering Ashes of Time, can't wait to get it.

[Sinthetic]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I ended up ordering Ashes of Time, can't wait to get it.

Fallen Angels would be my first choice out of the ones that are currently available.

[Brad1963]

Originally Posted by Abdrewes

I'm hoping for another box set, love them. L'Avventura would be great, I swear, Antonioni films my subconscious.

I agree; The DVD for La Notte (from Fox Lorber) is out of print. Hopefully Criterion will get the rights and do a box set. That would be the best way to release the films on Blu ray.

[*DrStrangelove*]

What's with all the Monkees talk? The Milli Vanilli of the 60s...let's talk about a band that mattered, like The Beatles or something

[P@t_Mtl]

Originally Posted by *DrStrangelove*

What's with all the Monkees talk? The Milli Vanilli of the 60s...let's talk about a band that mattered, like The Beatles or something

To be fair The Monkees actually could and did sing the songs as the other two could do nothing but just look pretty on stage