The Criterion Collection

[Olmo]

No reviews or packaging shots from A Story From Chikamatsu with less than a week to release date?

[caiman]

Out of curiosity, how many of you are B&N members? Does it end up paying for itself?

[Gacivory]

Originally Posted by caiman

Out of curiosity, how many of you are B&N members? Does it end up paying for itself?

For me it does, but I also buy books and mine still has a relatively good Video section so I get other non Criterion Plus from it. It really depends on how much you shop at Barnes and Noble during and after the sale.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by caiman

Out of curiosity, how many of you are B&N members? Does it end up paying for itself?

I breezed through the store and saved enough just today to pay for the membership, and then some. I only go to this store a couple of times a year, but I do manage to splurge enough to justify it.

[bsend]

Originally Posted by caiman

Out of curiosity, how many of you are B&N members? Does it end up paying for itself?

I do it if I am going to make a decent sized purchase. A bigger boxset and some single moves can almost add up to enough savings on one sale. Then you can just have straight savings on the next sale.

I only buy Criterion movies from B&N so it's a volume game for me. If they have a decent arrow release/coupon deal I might do that as well.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by caiman

Out of curiosity, how many of you are B&N members? Does it end up paying for itself?

I've been a member for years and though I rarely purchase stuff anymore at B&N, other family members of mine (especially my mom) take advantage of my membership and use my phone # to get the 10% off member discount. I'm considering not renewing my membership however, since the days of my Criterion splurging are probably over now (some of it is due to the fact that coupons no longer work with Criterions - and that was the whole thrill in the first place of hunting the best deals with different stores/CSRs, some of it is due to the fact that I ran out of shelf space here, and some of it is due to the fact that I've lost some interest in buying blu-rays in general ever since I got hooked to Netflix and my brother's AppleTV account with over 1,200 movies he has...lol). Oh, and some of it is due to the fact that I don't have much $ to buy blu-rays anymore, unless there is that one that stands out every now and then (so during this 50% off sale I'll prob. buy 2 or 3 titles that I'd been eyeing).

[Al_The_Strange]

I didn't think there was anything I really wanted from Criterion anymore. Didn't think I'd have the time or motivation to visit B&N. Turns out I was wrong. Just as I thought I got out, B&N pulls me back in...





All of these films caught my eye before, so I figure I might as well grab them as I see 'em. All blind-buys, because I'm crazy that way.

Shoah with its gigantic slipbox was on my mind. The subject matter alone compels me, even of the length of this thing is daunting. Seems like a must-see all the same.

Took an interest in the Monterey Pop collection after viewing Woodstock on Blu-Ray earlier in the year (and it was genuinely great). If figure if this is more of the same, I'll be happy. Can't pass up Hendrix and the Who.

Blow-Up, wanted to see because it seems to be imitated often. Manila in the Claws of Light caught my attention with its premise, and I'm interested to see how it compares to other movies with similar plots (I keep thinking about Hardcore--that film haunts me and I'm hoping for more of the same). Down By Law, because Jim Jarmusch--I'm learning to like the guy more and more. The synopsis of Kameradschaft sounded like something that would be right up my alley (although it sounds similar to Ace in the Hole in a way--interested to see how those compare). And Day of the Jackal is one I think I've seen before and wanted to revisit/reevaluate. Seems like it'd be a good complement to movies like The Spy Who Came In From the Cold.

Plenty of others caught my attention too, but had to put them down and show some kind of constraint. Baal I picked up because of its reputation. Then I put it down because of its reputation The Dietrich and von Sternberg set sure is classy, but having only seen one film (The Scarlet Empress--pretty good stuff), I couldn't convince myself to take the dive this time. Some Shakespeare stuff--Richard III, Othello--I'm on the fence about.

And I still expect the Princess Bride to arrive any day now, and the Bergman set is on order.

Man, this sale...

[MifuneFan]

Watching House of Games (1987) right now via Amazon, oof...

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by mediocre

That's essentially what my local store looked like a few weeks ago. Thankfully they had the decency to have it cleaned up and reset before the sale. Pretty idiotic timing on your store's part. If your B&N is anything like mine, the Criterion area is barely ever shopped through unless it's July or November.

No indication that this is a temporary thing. And if the state of the rest of the media department is anything to go by (half-empty racks, piles of books on the now-defunct counter, and other clutter), the end is nigh.

Originally Posted by repulsed

Where is that store? Looks quite a bit like one I go to. Not much to go off in the picture but looks like the layout.

Hingham, MA.

I don't mind naming and shaming. I mentioned that it looked like a junk shop to one employee, who just shrugged.

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

I didn't think there was anything I really wanted from Criterion anymore. Didn't think I'd have the time or motivation to visit B&N. Turns out I was wrong. Just as I thought I got out, B&N pulls me back in...

[Show spoiler]



All of these films caught my eye before, so I figure I might as well grab them as I see 'em. All blind-buys, because I'm crazy that way.

Shoah with its gigantic slipbox was on my mind. The subject matter alone compels me, even of the length of this thing is daunting. Seems like a must-see all the same.

Took an interest in the Monterey Pop collection after viewing Woodstock on Blu-Ray earlier in the year (and it was genuinely great). If figure if this is more of the same, I'll be happy. Can't pass up Hendrix and the Who.

Blow-Up, wanted to see because it seems to be imitated often. Manila in the Claws of Light caught my attention with its premise, and I'm interested to see how it compares to other movies with similar plots (I keep thinking about Hardcore--that film haunts me and I'm hoping for more of the same). Down By Law, because Jim Jarmusch--I'm learning to like the guy more and more. The synopsis of Kameradschaft sounded like something that would be right up my alley (although it sounds similar to Ace in the Hole in a way--interested to see how those compare). And Day of the Jackal is one I think I've seen before and wanted to revisit/reevaluate. Seems like it'd be a good complement to movies like The Spy Who Came In From the Cold.

Plenty of others caught my attention too, but had to put them down and show some kind of constraint. Baal I picked up because of its reputation. Then I put it down because of its reputation The Dietrich and von Sternberg set sure is classy, but having only seen one film (The Scarlet Empress--pretty good stuff), I couldn't convince myself to take the dive this time. Some Shakespeare stuff--Richard III, Othello--I'm on the fence about.

And I still expect the Princess Bride to arrive any day now, and the Bergman set is on order.

Man, this sale...

Nice haul.

Never seen an Arrow title in any of the three B&N stores near me. Let alone one of my favourite films of all time.

[ArnoldLayne56]

Originally Posted by Reddington

No indication that this is a temporary thing. And if the state of the rest of the media department is anything to go by (half-empty racks, piles of books on the now-defunct counter, and other clutter), the end is nigh.




Hingham, MA.

I don't mind naming and shaming. I mentioned that it looked like a junk shop to one employee, who just shrugged.

The B&N in Gilroy, CA was the same a few days ago- in fact the only BD on display were the Criterions. The movie section is definitely undergoing some major remodeling/ reshuffling or outright decimation.

[demonknight]

Originally Posted by Reddington

Hingham, MA.

I don't mind naming and shaming. I mentioned that it looked like a junk shop to one employee, who just shrugged.

Ugh. That's why I go to the one at Prudential Center.

[Reddington]

Originally Posted by demonknight

Ugh. That's why I go to the one at Prudential Center.

Went there all the time when I lived in the city.

[English Patient]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Shoah with its gigantic slipbox was on my mind. The subject matter alone compels me, even of the length of this thing is daunting. Seems like a must-see all the same.

I picked up Shoah a couple years ago and I don't regret it. It's truly a powerful, devastating experience. It's not necessarily a film that people "like," but it's definitely a film that can mature a person, put his/her own life in perspective.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by English Patient

I picked up Shoah a couple years ago and I don't regret it. It's truly a powerful, devastating experience. It's not necessarily a film that people "like," but it's definitely a film that can mature a person, put his/her own life in perspective.

I figured it would be something like that.

When I was in grade school, we had living holocaust survivors visit and tell their stories. It was a somber session, but I'm not so sure I was mature enough to really appreciate it. I did know of the holocaust and understood it, but I regret not paying closer attention to the actual details.

I figure the film will be like that all over again, but maybe this time I'll be ready.

[thatguamguy]

Originally Posted by caiman

Out of curiosity, how many of you are B&N members? Does it end up paying for itself?

I did it once and it worked out well because I had NYC B&Ns, which were still well-stocked. I didn't renew last year, and over the course of the year, it seems like most stores have heavily reduced their movie sections in store, which I think would make it harder to justify the membership moving forward.

[English Patient]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

I figured it would be something like that.

When I was in grade school, we had living holocaust survivors visit and tell their stories. It was a somber session, but I'm not so sure I was mature enough to really appreciate it. I did know of the holocaust and understood it, but I regret not paying closer attention to the actual details.

I figure the film will be like that all over again, but maybe this time I'll be ready.

I had the same experience - we had holocaust survivors come into our high school, but that was just a bad age for that kind of thing. The kids barely paid any attention. I feel horrible about that in retrospect. The stories that were told in Shoah are so beyond sad and moving that they'll stay with you forever.

[HallowedSZ]

So my local B&N got destroyed by a tornado over the summer. They opened a temporary "pop up" store while the real one is rebuilt but this one doesn't have a media section. I have to have them order the titles i want. Totally not as fun as browsing the section.

[caiman]

Originally Posted by thatguamguy

I did it once and it worked out well because I had NYC B&Ns, which were still well-stocked. I didn't renew last year, and over the course of the year, it seems like most stores have heavily reduced their movie sections in store, which I think would make it harder to justify the membership moving forward.

But doesn't it work online too?

[thatguamguy]

Last time I checked, the 10% off was in-store only, the membership just gets you free shipping on-line.