The Criterion Collection

[theater dreamer]

Hmm, the Chunking Express Criterion is back to to $164.00 on Amazon (at least, the version we bought). The other new is $139.99. I can't tell which is the Digipack, and which is the Scanavo. I would assume we bought the Digi.

I'm hoping this means that they had a very small number available on the way, they sold out, and won't be getting any more in. My order still shows as arriving between the 11th and 13th.

Fingers crossed.

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by Edward J Grug III

Yeah, but A New Hope is good too.

The Force Awakens is a real good sci fi film, but it's not in the same league as Star Wars. The characters don't even come close.

[Edward J Grug III]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

The Force Awakens is a real good sci fi film, but it's not in the same league as Star Wars. The characters don't even come close.

Eh, they are both fine. I prefer the new slate of characters, but neither movie wows me.

[Snicket]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

Hmm, the Chunking Express Criterion is back to to $164.00 on Amazon (at least, the version we bought). The other new is $139.99. I can't tell which is the Digipack, and which is the Scanavo. I would assume we bought the Digi.

I'm hoping this means that they had a very small number available on the way, they sold out, and won't be getting any more in. My order still shows as arriving between the 11th and 13th.

Fingers crossed.

Amazon probs didn't have any in stock. This is a glitch that happens every so often with OOP movies. Your order will just keep getting pushed back further and further. It's happened before and may happen again.

The one person who posted in the deals section that their order shipped was most likely trolling with a bad photoshop.

[pedromvu]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

The Force Awakens is a real good sci fi film, but it's not in the same league as Star Wars. The characters don't even come close.

Funny I have never thought of Star Wars as strictly sci-fi films, being a fan of the sci-fi genre in any form, it has always seemed to me that it is more like fantasy, the plot is always more focused on non technology or science related stuff compared to Star Trek for example (another space opera).

Anyway I watched all three classic movies in their famous despecialized versions before going to see The Force Awakens and I have to say that being a non-fan, the only one that I considered really great and will probably buy if it ever comes standalone and original cut (probably never ) is The Empire Strikes Back

[kylec123]

Originally Posted by Snicket

Amazon probs didn't have any in stock. This is a glitch that happens every so often with OOP movies. Your order will just keep getting pushed back further and further. It's happened before and may happen again.

The one person who posted in the deals section that their order shipped was most likely trolling with a bad photoshop.

This is not good to hear. I ordered it almost a week ago. On the page when I bought it said it would ship in 4-7 days but like said above, it's now out of stock.

[Fabs]

Originally Posted by kylec123

This is not good to hear. I ordered it almost a week ago. On the page when I bought it said it would ship in 4-7 days but like said above, it's now out of stock.

We should all send an angry email.

[Fabs]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

Funny I have never thought of Star Wars as strictly sci-fi films, being a fan of the sci-fi genre in any form, it has always seemed to me that it is more like fantasy, the plot is always more focused on non technology or science related stuff compared to Star Trek for example (another space opera).

Anyway I watched all three classic movies in their famous despecialized versions before going to see The Force Awakens and I have to say that being a non-fan, the only one that I considered really great and will probably buy if it ever comes standalone and original cut (probably never ) is The Empire Strikes Back

The Empire Strikes Back is head and shoulders the best out of all the Star Wars films. In fact, it goes beyond the Star Wars series as being one of the best films produced. All the details of it are on point, from the colors and lighting, the cinematography, the action scenes. There's not a bad bit of dialogue and the scenes all flow into each other perfectly.

[malakaheso]

....

[The Great Owl]

If my copy of Chungking Express doesn't ship, then I wonder if it would be out of line to ask them for a $10 gift certificate. Especially since it's holding up my Blu-ray of The City of the Dead, which I ordered at the same time.

I normally dislike the entitlement mentality inherent in my above comment, but this is Amazon's mistake if there were, indeed, no copies available.

[zakzak]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

Hmm, the Chunking Express Criterion is back to to $164.00 on Amazon (at least, the version we bought). The other new is $139.99. I can't tell which is the Digipack, and which is the Scanavo. I would assume we bought the Digi.

I'm hoping this means that they had a very small number available on the way, they sold out, and won't be getting any more in. My order still shows as arriving between the 11th and 13th.

Fingers crossed.

Is it a glitch?

[Arch Stanton]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

The Force Awakens is a real good sci fi film, but it's not in the same league as Star Wars. The characters don't even come close.

Wouldn't say Star Wars is sci-fi at all.

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by Arch Stanton

Wouldn't say Star Wars is sci-fi at all.

I would. And so do a lot of other people. AFI has Star Wars listed as the #2 American science fiction film of all-time behind only 2001: A Space Odyssey.

If you want to it's not only a science fiction film, then I'd absolutely agree with you, given what I know about George Lucas. Mythology and world religion played heavily in his formation of the original script, but so did science fiction serials including Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers. He took cues from several different directors, including Lang, Einstein and especially Kurosawa. It would be an oversimplification to call it only sci fi, when there is clearly so much more going on. But not science fiction? Not a chance.

Oh, and by the way, our own website, here, classifies Star Wars, in order, as action, adventure, science fiction, fantasy and epic.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by Snicket

Amazon probs didn't have any in stock. This is a glitch that happens every so often with OOP movies. Your order will just keep getting pushed back further and further. It's happened before and may happen again.

The one person who posted in the deals section that their order shipped was most likely trolling with a bad photoshop.

I don't usually post random stuff from random people on Twitter but I found this through a search:

https://twitter.com/Aaron_Hammond88/...07640827973634


I'm still skeptical. Most anyone has probably encountered a clueless customer service rep. I have a feeling this one would've told the guy The Third Man was in-stock if he asked, just to close a ticket.

Edit: Chungking Express is officially "out of stock" on Amazon.

[theater dreamer]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

I don't usually post random stuff from random people on Twitter but I found this through a search:

https://twitter.com/Aaron_Hammond88/...07640827973634


I'm still skeptical. Most anyone has probably encountered a clueless customer service rep. I have a feeling this one would've told the guy The Third Man was in-stock if he asked, just to close a ticket.

'Curiouser and curiouser!' cried Alice.

I'm hoping for a miracle. If it doesn't happen, I'll just buy Out of the Past and Key Largo. Either way, I win.

But I'd much prefer not having to spend $200 on a film I want. The Criterion has vastly superior PQ to the British import, if you accept the rating as accurate.

[theater dreamer]

I posted the night before last that it was out of stock, so it's been at least 24 hours since that price dropped.

[bwdowiak]

A couple days ago, someone on eBay sold around 35 copies of Chungking Express for around $35 each. I didn't buy one from him/her, nor did I buy from Amazon.

The eBay seller had ship dates like 2 1/2 weeks out, so I don't know what they were up to. If he knew something we all don't, like it coming back in print, we'd all be buying it for $20 or less in July. ...and Amazon, to me, has gone from the best place to be stuff to the worst. $49 or more for free shipping? ..and tax now, too? A copy of the movie would have cost me nearly $50.

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

A couple days ago, someone on eBay sold around 35 copies of Chungking Express for around $35 each. I didn't buy one from him/her, nor did I buy from Amazon.

The eBay seller had ship dates like 2 1/2 weeks out, so I don't know what they were up to. If he knew something we all don't, like it coming back in print, we'd all be buying it for $20 or less in July. ...and Amazon, to me, has gone from the best place to be stuff to the worst. $49 or more for free shipping? ..and tax now, too? A copy of the movie would have cost me nearly $50.

Amazon is at the point where not being a Prime member is not an option (or at least not a good one) if you buy from them regularly.

[joie]

Originally Posted by theater dreamer

'Curiouser and curiouser!' cried Alice.

I'm hoping for a miracle. If it doesn't happen, I'll just buy Out of the Past and Key Largo. Either way, I win.

But I'd much prefer not having to spend $200 on a film I want. The Criterion has vastly superior PQ to the British import, if you accept the rating as accurate.

The site's review mentions three differences: contrast, color and aspect ratio. Both have an incorrect aspect ratio, if the database entries are correct (original 1.85:1 -- criterion 1.67:1 -- artificial eye 1.78:1). I didn't have a problem with the import disc's color and contrast. The criterion disc is said to be supervised by the director, but we've seen revisionism and outright errors in some of those supervised discs.

But it doesn't matter anymore: the AE disc is out of print, too.

edit: I have the AE disc and have owned the Criterion disc. I believe it's a matter of opinion which is better.

[Snicket]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

A couple days ago, someone on eBay sold around 35 copies of Chungking Express for around $35 each. I didn't buy one from him/her, nor did I buy from Amazon.

The eBay seller had ship dates like 2 1/2 weeks out, so I don't know what they were up to. If he knew something we all don't, like it coming back in print, we'd all be buying it for $20 or less in July. ...and Amazon, to me, has gone from the best place to be stuff to the worst. $49 or more for free shipping? ..and tax now, too? A copy of the movie would have cost me nearly $50.

That seller also had a boat load of negative reviews.