The Criterion Collection

[jw007]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

Does Amazon ever have $20 Criterions? Do they have free international shipping?

I've purchased a few for $19.99 but its only usually around the holidays when the big B&N holiday sales happen...for those that want to wait until then, you can still score $20 Criterions on Amazon. As for free international shipping, I got that confused with B&N, so nevermind that.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by jw007

I've purchased a few for $19.99 but its only usually around the holidays when the big B&N holiday sales happen...for those that want to wait until then, you can still score $20 Criterions on Amazon. As for free international shipping, I got that confused with B&N, so nevermind that.

I think the majority of my Amazon Criterion purchases have been pricing errors/random super cheap preorders. Probably had been 2 years since I bought a Criterion at Amazon, until the Lone Wolf and Cub pre-order!

[Member-222782]

Originally Posted by jw007

I've purchased a few for $19.99 but its only usually around the holidays when the big B&N holiday sales happen...for those that want to wait until then, you can still score $20 Criterions on Amazon. As for free international shipping, I got that confused with B&N, so nevermind that.

MacBeth got down to $14.99 at one point on Amazon. Otherwise, the lowest price has been $22.99

[Fabs]

Originally Posted by shadedpain4

Does Amazon ever have $20 Criterions? Do they have free international shipping?

Very rarely, and then most of the time it is through third party sellers. The lowest I almost always see Criterions go on Amazon is $27.99. And now, their domestic shipping is always $4.98. And now they tax everything too.

The worst part about it is the shipping, because even at $4.98 it takes a week or more to get here, when I sell things and pay $2.60 for First Class Shipping and it gets there in about 4 days.

[78deluxe]

Originally Posted by blurayisnice

Question; why is the BN sale so important/hyped?

I purchased a few things during the last sale (on bn.com, I don't live in the US), and I expected lower prices.

Everything was $20 each, and a lot of titles (popular ones) weren't even available.

The blu-ray Criterion prices are standard between $24 and $30 on Amazon, and you get faster shipping and much better customer service, plus there are WAY more titles and there is a lot more competition (which means you usually get to buy new CC titles for less via martket place sellers).

So why all the excitement? Overhyped sale, it's just a few $ off compared to other sites.

It is because those of us in the US (and willing to work the coupon system) basically never pay much more than $17 after taxes or so for the releases.

When you end up owning 100 releases, those extra buck add up.

So 24-17 = $7 savings per title. Across 100 Titles that is $700 in savings above what you can normally get from Amazon.

The best deal I ever got on Amazon was $16 for Godzilla. I've gotten many titles at $14.84 from BN during the Black Friday weekend. Also, BN stores are able to carry every single title you want if you just take the time to talk to the people that work there. I realize this is not the same for you out of country - on-line only system. But this is why you see the hype. No where other than used can you get these kinds of deals across the entire collection.

Those days might be numbered though. Glad I stocked up in previous years. Now I'm basically just looking at future releases for the most part.

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by jayembee

I never had taken them for granted. I know I can get a Criterion title for 50% off plus an extra 10% because of the membership. Everything else is gravy, and not accounted for when I drop into the local store to buy.

The key issue. It amazes me how many will baulk at paying $20 for a Criterion title, but readily cough up $15/$16/$17 if given a coupon.

There are legitimate criticisms of B&N, but bashing over perceived coupon "injustices" isn't one of them.

[MeMynonsense]

Not like they didn’t already have my money, but the duration of the Blood Simple extras is drool-inducing to be sure

According to the Beaver review:

• New conversation between Sonnenfeld and the Coens about the film’s look, featuring Telestrator video illustrations (1:10:29)
• New conversation between author Dave Eggers and the Coens about the film’s production, from inception to release (35:00)
• New interviews with composer Carter Burwell (23:45), sound mixer Skip Lievsay, and actors Frances McDormand (25:05) and M. Emmet Walsh (16:33)
• Trailers (FUND RAISING - 2:08, Original - 1:34, Re-Release - 1:50)
• PLUS: An essay by novelist and critic Nathaniel

Not to mention the new 4K resto. This is pretty sweet when you consider that the MGM only rocked a commentary and the Coens' general reticent disposition.
If Inside Llewyn Davis & Blood Simple are any indication, Barton Fink will be well worth the wait.

Between this and the stunning Woman in the Dunes, I'll have a torrid time waiting till Nov.

[Sifox211]

Originally Posted by cine74

MacBeth got down to $14.99 at one point on Amazon. Otherwise, the lowest price has been $22.99

There have been a few instances in the past when they went under $20... In fact, my best deal was scoring Army of Shadows and Le Cercle Rouge for $18.99 each, just before they went OOP (something I was unaware of at the time... it was pure luck)

Nowadays the only time I buy from Amazon US is when I am going to the States and can get free shipping (two or more titles) but as they just closed our US office that'll not happen again

[theater dreamer]

I think that as time goes by, while I'll still buy a good deal of blu-rays (especially Criterions) from their four sales (2 x Criterion 50% off, 2 x 40% off blu-ray sales), I'm going to be buying more directly from Criterion's site when they do their flash sales. Those $50 credits can add up pretty fast. Plus, if there is anything that arrives in less than satisfactory condition, I know that Criterion will make it right. They have, in my experience, some of the best customer service I've ever encountered with an online merchant. A few times, I've contacted them when a digipak has had the outer slip dinged up, and they've sent out replacements no questions asked (I always provide a picture with my initial correspondence). When their last flash sale hit, and their site crashed, I shot off an e-mail to their ordering department that I had a fairly large order, and that I was worried I wouldn't get the movies I wanted. As busy as they were, literally within five minutes of having that sent out, they responded. They stated that they would honor the pricing if I wasn't able to get my order through. When I've had questions about upcoming releases, etc, they've always responded by the next day, at the latest. And the films I buy are always expertly packed. These things might seem trivial to some, but that's how a company builds brand loyalty with me. How they treat their customers, and their product, says a lot about the company's value system.

[theater dreamer]

Occasionally, Amazon will have some good deals for Criterions. In January, they had a sale on the samurai-based films. I got Throne of Blood and Harakri for $16.99 each. With free Prime shipping, that was a pretty good deal.

[mja345]

I wonder if Criterion would have any interest in releasing the Charles Bronson films "Rider on the Rain", directed by Rene Clement, and "Farewell, Friend" with Alain Delon. I watched both recently and thought they were outstanding. I think they'd fit nicely into Criterion's catalog. Both are brilliant films.

[pro-bassoonist]

THE THIN RED LINE. 4K REMASTER now back in French cinemas.

Official trailer.

The Thin Red Line - 4K DCP restoration - French Trailer (2K) - YouTube

[antennahead]

Originally Posted by mja345

I wonder if Criterion would have any interest in releasing the Charles Bronson films "Rider on the Rain", directed by Rene Clement, and "Farewell, Friend" with Alain Delon. I watched both recently and thought they were outstanding. I think they'd fit nicely into Criterion's catalog. Both are brilliant films.

I love "Rider on the Rain", and would upgrade my DVD with a Blu day one

[Reddington]

On the subject of B&N discounts, I went to two stores last night thinking I would pick up Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words as new releases are customarily offered at 30% off. With my member 10%, that makes for a good deal. However, neither store had any of the new releases discounted. A knock-on effect of the recent coupon saga, perhaps?

[blurayisnice]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

a few things to consider...

there are probably "WAY more titles" because at $24 to $30, that isn't a sale, nor is it much of a good price, so people aren't buying as much.

market place sellers on Amazon will cost you $4 USD shipping for each title even if you buy a dozen from one seller.

most people who participate in the B&N sales bring home titles from anywhere between $14 and $18 after coupons.

The market place sellers are usually fulfilled by Amazon, so usually you don't pay the $4 shipping per item.

I don't have any coupons from B&N, the one I did have, was only valid on 1 item.

[blurayisnice]

Ok, so I wasn't aware of the coupons thing. I don't live in the US, but in Europe, so I don't have the advantage of a physical B&N store. Membership doesn't really pay off either, so I I/we don't get those savings either. I have seen coupons, dozens of them, but not a single one was valid for an entire order, just for a single item, and never higher than 20% (you probably got lucky with the 30% off coupon).

Shipping prices between Amazon and BN are the same for us (or Amazon slightly lower), and Amazon has a lot more choice/stock (maybe its because the prices are a few bucks higher, but that is, for internaitonal shoppers, a non-issue).

Furthermore, I use a service that gives me up to 38% off any Amazon purchase (from socks to high-end TVs), but it's not available for other sites.

So 38% off anything without restrictions anytime of the year with a much larger stock, is, at least for me, much more attractive then waiting a year for BN's sale to get the same thing for roughly the same price (or, in my case, even slightly higher).

The ''up to 38% off anything on Amazon'' is globally available by the way, but not sure whether it's allowed to talk about that service here (it is legit though).

:P

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by blurayisnice

The market place sellers are usually fulfilled by Amazon, so usually you don't pay the $4 shipping per item.

I don't have any coupons from B&N, the one I did have, was only valid on 1 item.

I don't know which listings you have seen or are looking at, but I'd say that from what I've seen, only about 10% are "fulfilled by Amazon."

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

I don't know which listings you have seen or are looking at, but I'd say that from what I've seen, only about 10% are "fulfilled by Amazon."

Yeah, "usually fulfilled by Amazon" sounds like a different Amazon than the one I use.

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by Reddington

On the subject of B&N discounts, I went to two stores last night thinking I would pick up Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words as new releases are customarily offered at 30% off. With my member 10%, that makes for a good deal. However, neither store had any of the new releases discounted. A knock-on effect of the recent coupon saga, perhaps?

My local stores used to do releases of $39.99 and higher always at 10% off, but that was it, and it's been a few years since they did it.

[jw007]

Hey, I'm sure someone has posted this link already but I just noticed that Mulholland Dr. was voted #1 film of the 21st century!

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/201...greatest-films

In the top 10 we also have Criterion releases In the Mood for Love (#2), Boyhood (#5) and Yi Yi (#8)! Also, interestingly enough, Inside Llewyn Davis is voted at #11.