(DEAD) 50% of Criterion @ Barnes & Noble - 7/14

[BuckNaked2k]

:jawdrop:

+1 :up:

[GenPion]

Slightly off topic, but every now and then someone mentions the idea of having a Criterion Challenge. I'm not committing to volunteer to start one, but August and September are months without DVDTalk Challenges (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/dvd-talk/557368-official-dvdtalk-challenges-compendium.html), and I'm wondering how much interest there is out here.

I know I should start a separate thread, but just testing the waters quickly before I start to think about it too seriously.

YES. YES. YES. YES! YES! YESSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!

I would love to participate in that kind of challenge.

[kenbenobi]

I finally got in on this action today. They let me use the $5 coupon, so I got Bad Timing for $8.50. I'll probably try getting some more, but I'm not a Criterion collector like many of you, so I'm not really looking for specific titles...

[hindolio]

Excuse my ignorance... what is MMM?

mmm = michaels movie mayhem

listed here:
http://dvdlist.kazart.com/DVDList2.php

i believe he is the guy that posts the list of oop dvds on this forum. ignorance pardoned and begone! :D

[asianxcore]

Went in for even more purchases before my shift at work today.

Picked up:

The Wages Of Fear (Blu-Ray)
Made In U.S.A
Man Bites Dog

I've been in a couple times to my local B&N since the sale started and it was nice to see they got a lot of restock since the last time I dropped by.

I really want to go in tomorrow and pick up The Third Man, 400 Blows and The Last Emperor in Blu-Ray, but honestly I really hate the packaging :(

[mikelowry]

Made an 11th hour purchase and definitely the last for this sale: Chungking Express, Insomnia & Nights of Cabiria ( on a 1-2 wks shipping delay). Damn this sale sure drained my pocket!

[Superdaddy]

I've been in a couple times to my local B&N since the sale started and it was nice to see they got a lot of restock since the last time I dropped by.


Yes, it's been great that they've been keeping up with the restocking. The demand must be through the roof compared to before the sale started, and they're probably anticipating another last-minute surge now that the sale is in its final days.

Not being a B&N member, I've been using the online deals myself. Things have been coming back into stock there as well. Of course, one can debate how good this really is, since it ends up motivating me to drop more cash!

[biglou114]

Although I love Criterions to death, I had to go easy because of Beatles Day in a month (Rock Band and Remasters release, it's #1 priority for the year). So I just picked up a select few:

Summertime
The 39 Steps
The Seventh Seal (Blu)
The Third Man (Blu)
Repulsion (Blu)

I have to resist the urge to buy anything else, but it's too damn hard

[Gobear]

Is tomorrow the last full day of the sale, or is Monday?

[Trevor]

Is tomorrow the last full day of the sale, or is Monday?

Monday, August 3rd.

[Sessa17]

Think I made my final round of purchases today, stopping buy one last time in hopes of getting Repulsion Blu-Ray for $13.90 which I finally did. I tried like 5 different times to find this in-store so I can use that $5 off coupon & finally find one. I don't know how I'm going to buy criterions again after this sale.
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff18/glenjs/DSC00664.jpg?t=1249147713

[BuckNaked2k]

I don't know how I'm going to buy Criterions again after this sale.You said a mouthful there. With Kagemusha coming out on BD on the 18th, there's no way I can justify a purchase in excess of $20.

[Trevor]

I don't know how I'm going to buy criterions again after this sale.
You said a mouthful there. With Kagemusha coming out on BD on the 18th, there's no way I can justify a purchase in excess of $20.
That's one of the reasons I bought so many now. I'll have a new ~$9 Criterion to open every week for two years!

[Gobear]

Monday, August 3rd.

Thanks Trevor. I'm in Vermont right now for a wedding, but I'll be able to have a final look-see at the NoVa B&N stores when I get back to work. I might blindbuy Repulsion.

[jiggawhat]

Think I made my final round of purchases today, stopping buy one last time in hopes of getting Repulsion Blu-Ray for $13.90 which I finally did. I tried like 5 different times to find this in-store so I can use that $5 off coupon & finally find one. I don't know how I'm going to buy criterions again after this sale.
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff18/glenjs/DSC00664.jpg?t=1249147713

That rack, is that the one you bought from deep discount cuz I have the same one as many of the dvdtalkers here.

Oh and we should get more pics of people and their haul.

Trevor, looks like you've bought the most so far.

[Trevor]

Trevor, looks like you've bought the most so far.
I don't think so, could have sworn I saw at least two posts of people that spent a lot more, maybe in the other B&N thread. But then again, I'm too scared to do a final tally.

[Chad]

I really want to go in tomorrow and pick up The Third Man, 400 Blows and The Last Emperor in Blu-Ray, but honestly I really hate the packaging :(

Definitely a contender for Worst. Packaging. Ever.

I usually forget to place my hand beneath the case when taking one off the shelf so the digipak escapes the slipcover and onto the floor it goes. Then again, it wasn't quite enough to prevent me from purchasing 5 of them during this sale. :D

[gglass4269]

Picked up Armacord and The Tin Drum today! Thanks alot Barnes and Noble for reinvigorating my dvd buying obsession.

Ditto to those saying that after this sale, Criterions will be very hard to pick up for anything more then $20. I have a good feeling though, that in a couple months, alot of titles will be hitting the secondary market. One can only hope!

[Trevor]

This sale, and my over zealous fury with it, has me once again thinking that maybe, just maybe, I can afford to own every Criterion. I hate this sale for that.

[BigSue]

Due to this thread, I went out and bought my first Criterion today. :) It was The Ice Storm. Yay, me!

[mikelowry]

After this sale maybe we could do a roundup of our Criterion purchases.

[kenbenobi]

Due to this thread, I went out and bought my first Criterion today. :) It was The Ice Storm. Yay, me!
I almost bought that today, but I bought Short Cuts instead. I was in a cheap mood, so wanted to get one for 8.50. I haven't been daring to ask to do 2 transactions with 2 coupons...

[Trevor]

Didn't leave the house today, but still bought 4 more.

I've now used each of the available online coupons. None of them worked more than once each for me.

Those of you creating 2nd accounts to use the coupons again, you can't link your B&N membersip to both accounts can you? If not, I don't see the point of a second account unless you have no physical stores nearby. Am I missing something?

[Superdaddy]

After this sale maybe we could do a roundup of our Criterion purchases.

I was actually thinking of something along those lines...more specifically, starting a thread devoted to all the July bargains, where each member could post all their hauls from this sale, DD, Big Lots, and anywhere else they might have picked stuff up from.

I know that it has been a long time since I have bought as many DVDs in one month as I did in July (and my total was relatively modest, 20-odd titles). I will say, however, that in terms of what I got for dollar spent, this is probably the single best month I have had in ten years of collecting and watching DVDs. I will bet that there are others who feel similarly.

[BuckNaked2k]

I was actually thinking of something along those lines...more specifically, starting a thread devoted to all the July bargains, where each member could post all their hauls from this sale, DD, Big Lots, and anywhere else they might have picked stuff up from.

I know that it has been a long time since I have bought as many DVDs in one month as I did in July (and my total was relatively modest, 20-odd titles). I will say, however, that in terms of what I got for dollar spent, this is probably the single best month I have had in ten years of collecting and watching DVDs. I will bet that there are others who feel similarly.July started on a pretty down note for me, as I just wasn't as impressed with the sale at DD as I have been in previous years.....only wound up with one title. Then, a chance discovery of a great price on a CD boxset of all things, prompted me to renew my long-expired B&N membership. From there, it was a short trip to this thread where I have been going hog-wild ever since.

[LASERMOVIES]

Didn't leave the house today, but still bought 4 more.

I've now used each of the available online coupons. None of them worked more than once each for me.

Those of you creating 2nd accounts to use the coupons again, you can't link your B&N membersip to both accounts can you? If not, I don't see the point of a second account unless you have no physical stores nearby. Am I missing something?

Normally you can't link a membership to two accounts but I was able to do it last week during the height of the coupon glitch. However I can longer link the accounts and believe the glitch with the online coupons has been fixed since no one has said they are able to use them more than once lately.

[kenbenobi]

Normally you can't link a membership to two accounts but I was able to do it last week during the height of the coupon glitch. However I can longer link the accounts and believe the glitch with the online coupons has been fixed since no one has said they are able to use them more than once lately.
Figures the glitch happened while I was on vacation. I wasn't able to take advantage... I find it strange there is a 1 week gap without a 15% coupon. I'm hoping a price doesn't change before that new coupon becomes active...

[BuckNaked2k]

....I find it strange there is a 1 week gap without a 15% coupon. I'm hoping a price doesn't change before that new coupon becomes active...If you are talking a price change on Criterions, yes, they all revert to full price tomorrow, August 3rd.

[LASERMOVIES]

Figures the glitch happened while I was on vacation. I wasn't able to take advantage... I find it strange there is a 1 week gap without a 15% coupon. I'm hoping a price doesn't change before that new coupon becomes active...

B&N has cut back on issuing 15% member coupons in recent months. I could always count on finding at least 2 new ones every week, but now am lucky to find one every few weeks. The latest 15% online code says it is valid starting August 6. However I expect it to become active on the 5th.

[Sessa17]

Ok, ignore my last post. This time, I really, truly, 100%, for sure have made my last trip & purchase. I can't help it, I go to Whole Foods every Sunday morning, & pass a B & N on the way, so it's like, how could I possibly not stop in for one more go of $5 coupons. Luckily I got my girl that's nice to me working the counter today, so she lets me ring up 3 separate sales each using a $5 off coupon. So my final round of purchases, finally closing out this fantastic sale was . . . http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff18/glenjs/DSC00666.jpg?t=1249231224

[jjcool]

Made a second trip to barnes and noble. Picked up:
Kagemusha
The Hit
Dodes'ka-Den
Stray Dog

Still no copies of For All Mankind unfortunately.

[alfonsosoriano]

Man I wish I could have scored some of the member deals you guys did, looks like lots of fun. I got in on a few with the 20% off + 6% off military link online, which was solid enough for me, but no way was I buying in volume like you fellas.

[atreyurock]

My last pickup will be today, hopefully I can hold back a bit.

[BigSue]

Made a second trip to barnes and noble. Picked up:
Kagemusha
The Hit
Dodes'ka-Den
Stray Dog

Still no copies of For All Mankind unfortunately.

I don't know how close you are to Canton, CT, but I saw For All Mankind there yesterday when I dropped by to pick up The Ice Storm.

[BuckNaked2k]

I don't know how close you are to Canton, CT, but I saw For All Mankind there yesterday when I dropped by to pick up The Ice Storm.Ditto for the Farmington store as of Friday afternoon.

Edit: It was the Blu-ray version.

[creekdipper]

Ok, ignore my last post. This time, I really, truly, 100%, for sure have made my last trip & purchase. I can't help it, I go to Whole Foods every Sunday morning, & pass a B & N on the way, so it's like, how could I possibly not stop in for one more go of $5 coupons. Luckily I got my girl that's nice to me working the counter today, so she lets me ring up 3 separate sales each using a $5 off coupon. So my final round of purchases, finally closing out this fantastic sale was . . . http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff18/glenjs/DSC00666.jpg?t=1249231224

Sessa, I was going to compliment you on your extraordinary good taste with your Criterion selections.

Then I took a closer peek at your shelf in the background & spied ROLE MODELS (UNRATED). -wink-

Congrats to all who got to use the $5 off coupons. I didn't see those in time to print them out even though I went by a couple of B&N stores over the last 2 weeks at least 5 times on my Big Lots hunts. One store is around 30 miles away & the other was 100 miles away. I meant to go Friday to the closer one, but even then I figured I might run into an uncooperative clerk who would only let me use one coupon. Since I had stocked up on Criterions during last year's B1G1 sales, didn't really need that much anyway. Between the 20% coupons, $5 off codes, etc., I was able to get most of the newer releases on my want list. Not worth through the hassle of trying to convince a clerk to let me use multiple $5 coupons (or multiple uses of one) just to save $10-$15, especially since I would spend at least $5 in gas to get to the store.

Still was a nice sale. Hope B&N repeats it (and does the $5 coupons...I'll use them next time).

[Sessa17]

Sessa, I was going to compliment you on your extraordinary good taste with your Criterion selections.

Then I took a closer peek at your shelf in the background & spied ROLE MODELS (UNRATED). -wink-

I only have that b/c my girl is in love with Paul Rudd & I think I traded for it with someone here. You can search it up in the HD forum when the Blu-Ray came out. I trashed the movie. I'm not really even into comedies. If you look through my collection, I really don't have that many.

[Trevor]

Ran a few errands today and made the mistake of searching for B&N locations on my iPhone. Saw that there were a few more than I knew about, and fudged my route to be a circuitous tour of nine different stores. Averaged 2-3 Criterions at each. I am so glad this sale is almost over.

[Brent L]

I went to one more B&N today, this time in Ashville, NC, to see if I could get in on this deal. I flat out asked if I could use multiple coupons and have them ring them up one at a time so I could get the $5 off on each Criterion, and they said fine. I spent a lot of time picking out three of them, took them to the register, but then they flat out refused to scan the coupon and DVD before the membership, and as a result the total was always below $20 by the time they would scan the coupon that it made the entire thing pointless as they wouldn't take the $5 off at all. They said it was corporate policy to always scan in the membership information before any coupons and that sort of thing, and if anyone else was doing it they were breaking major rules.

:rolleyes:

Oh well, at least I got three last week. I must say, the complete inconsistency of the B&N policies have frustrated me a great deal during this.

[Trevor]

I went to one more B&N today, this time in Ashville, NC, to see if I could get in on this deal. I flat out asked if I could use multiple coupons and have them ring them up one at a time so I could get the $5 off on each Criterion, and they said fine. I spent a lot of time picking out three of them, took them to the register, but then they flat out refused to scan the coupon and DVD before the membership, and as a result the total was always below $20 by the time they would scan the coupon that it made the entire thing pointless as they wouldn't take the $5 off at all. They said it was corporate policy to always scan in the membership information before any coupons and that sort of thing, and if anyone else was doing it they were breaking major rules.

:rolleyes:

Oh well, at least I got three last week. I must say, the complete inconsistency of the B&N policies have frustrated me a great deal during this.

For all of my purchases, they have always scanned the DVD/BD and the membership card first, before any coupons.

The $5 coupon will still work when it is the last thing scanned, even on a $24 list Criterion. The cashier has to follow the instructions printed on the coupon and type stuff in before scanning it. Sounds like your store was just scanning it. It doesn't work if just scanned, even on a $100 set.

[Brent L]

Yeah, something wasn't right. I was very, very tempted to press the issue but I really didn't have it in me today. I've only been to one B&N that was decent about accepting any sort of coupon, and it's almost always the same guy that is willing to do his job correctly. To those of you in upstate SC, especially in Greenville and even more specifically the B&N on Woodruff, have any of you had problems there also? The girl working at that store, this uppity blonde, she was a...well, I can't say it here, but she wasn't willing to accept the coupon no matter what, even though it is 100% legit.

[BuckNaked2k]

The coupon should still work even after they scan your membership. The catch is, it's $5 off any item at $20 or more. In store, the $39.99 Criterions ring up at $20.00 after the 50% off is deducted, allowing you to use the $5 coupon.

IF you are trying this with a $29.99 Criterion, it will not work, as the total after the 50% comes out to be $15.00, and the purchase does not qualify for the $5 coupon.

I've had no problem using the $5 coupons on $39.99 titles. Where the inconsistency comes in, is in allowing multiple coupons per trip. Some will allow 1 per transaction, others will not.

[kenbenobi]

IF you are trying this with a $29.99 Criterion, it will not work, as the total after the 50% comes out to be $15.00, and the purchase does not qualify for the $5 coupon.

The system allows it. I've done it twice without issue. The cashier might not accept it, but the system definitely accepts the coupon...

[kenbenobi]

For all of my purchases, they have always scanned the DVD/BD and the membership card first, before any coupons.

The $5 coupon will still work when it is the last thing scanned, even on a $24 list Criterion. The cashier has to follow the instructions printed on the coupon and type stuff in before scanning it.
Yeah, that's how my store was doing it as well...

[GenPion]

The madness doesn't end... yet. I ordered A Woman is A Woman Criterion along with Flight of the Concords Season 2 and Amores Perros.

And today at Hastings, where they have a B1 G1 for $1 on all used DVD's I got By Brakhage: an anthology and Ernest Hemingway's The Killers (2 Films), both by Crtierion, for $21 total. They were both in like new condition.

[Trevor]

IF you are trying this with a $29.99 Criterion, it will not work, as the total after the 50% comes out to be $15.00, and the purchase does not qualify for the $5 coupon.
The system allows it. I've done it twice without issue. The cashier might not accept it, but the system definitely accepts the coupon...
System allows it. I've used it on 30 or so $24.99-29.99 Criterions, getting them for $6.25 or $8.50 after coupon. Once or twice a cashier hesitated, but after we read the fine print they were fine with it.

[creekdipper]

I only have that b/c my girl is in love with Paul Rudd & I think I traded for it with someone here. You can search it up in the HD forum when the Blu-Ray came out. I trashed the movie. I'm not really even into comedies. If you look through my collection, I really don't have that many.

Aw, I was just yankin' your chain a little. We actually picked up a copy of ROLE MODELS ourselves as part of an eBay lot & I plan to watch it before trading/selling it. We watched Paul Blart the other night & sort-of enjoyed it. Same with House Bunny. Every once in a while, a mindless comedy is just what the weary body needs. Of course, there is a limit.

Meanwhile, back to the Criterions before the sale ends at 2:59. Still have a couple of expiring coupons to use. I've just about got my list ready to pull the trigger & then off to bed.

[atreyurock]

Last two:

Chungking Express Blu-ray $13.00

Rashmon $14.40

I'm a little happy it's over.

[Mosskeeto]

I'm a little happy it's over.

Well I hate to tell you that it's still showing up at BN about 1 hr. after it was scheduled to end.

[cornbughead]

The Criterion deals are still out there. I just picked up The Testament Of Dr. Mabuse $15.99 and The Third Man [Blu-ray] $15.99 from Amazon. :D

[Superdaddy]

5:49 A.M. eastern time, and they haven't killed it yet.

Oh well, time to get ready for work anyway.

EDIT: Just occurred to me that they're probably letting it go until 2:59 A.M. Pacific time.

[MooMooMooMoo]

I went for a last minute buy on Seventh Seal 2 disc. Unfortunately i'm in a sales tax state.........

[Superdaddy]

Hmmmmmm...prices still showing up discounted on the site.

[punit]

The Criterion deals are still out there. I just picked up The Testament Of Dr. Mabuse $15.99 and The Third Man [Blu-ray] $15.99 from Amazon. :D

Thx mate. Some of the Criterion titles with MRP of $40 are now listed at $15.99 at Amazon. Here is a complete list of them:

La Strada
Mona Lisa
Amarcord
The Man Who Fell to Earth
The Testament Of Dr. Mabuse
Hands Over the City
The Red Shoes
Kind Hearts and Coronets
49th Parallel
Divorce Italian Style
This Sporting Life
Peeping Tom
8 1/2
Naked
Oliver Twist (1948)
The 39 Steps
Ali - Fear Eats the Soul
L'Avventura
The Tin Drum
Salvatore Giuliano
L'Eclisse
Black Narcissus
A Night to Remember
The Lady Vanishes
Green for Danger
Henry V
Overlord
The Threepenny Opera
Mamma Roma
Great Expectations
Billy Liar
Jubilee
A Canterbury Tale
Brief Encounter
The Tales of Hoffmann
The Testament Of Dr. Mabuse
M
The Small Back Room
Pandora's Box
If...
The Third Man
The Third Man (Blu-ray)
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
I Know Where I'm Going!
Bicycle Thieves

[Jaymole]

I don't know why people here think the sales ends on August 2nd...there is still one more day for the sale.

[grivet]

I don't know why people here think the sales ends on August 2nd...there is still one more day for the sale.
From the sale details page:

"This offer ends 8/2, 2009 at 2:59 am while supplies last."

[BuckNaked2k]

Yes, the sales ends August 3rd. They would not have advertised that date if they ended it at 2:59 AM Pacific, even though (technically), that is 8/3.

....still time for one more!

[Jaymole]

From the sale details page:

"This offer ends 8/2, 2009 at 2:59 am while supplies last."

Very weird, the B&N site says it ends Monday and they are still on sale.

[BuckNaked2k]

That is odd. I believe that 2:59 AM corresponds to 11:59 PM in Hawaii, which is the previous day at the last store open in the chain. I just assumed "ends Monday" means at COB on Monday.......

[Kory]

Yeah, I just placed four more orders within the last hour here.

Fanny & Alexander (5-Disc)
The Hit
Repulsion
The Furies

Each using the military link for free shipping and a small discount, plus a 10% discount coupon. I'm a non-member, but if this sale ever happens again, I'll definitely try out becoming one.

[Trevor]

Darn Amazon! What's another $100 or so.....

[Jfunk1]

For those of you living in California who are wondering how the Amazon deal compares to BN in-store savings on the above selected titles, here's something to consider:

Purchasing any $39.99 Criterion (blu or dvd) in store with the 50% Criterion discount, BN Membership 10% discount, and CA sales tax (9.75%) will run you exactly $14.27.

Amazon is charging $15.99 without CA tax, and free shipping on order of $25 or more. So, you have to ask yourself, is the $1.72 in savings between driving to a BN and ordering through Amazon worth it in gas, printer ink (for the multiple coupons), and time? Not to mention the hassle of haggling with sales reps to re-use $5 coupons on multiple discs on the same in-store visit? You be the judge.

[BuckNaked2k]

.....and CA sales tax (9.75%)......

:eek:

[Gobear]

All told, between Big Lots, Amazon, Deep Discount, and Barnes & Noble, I've spent about $350 on DVDs in the past month, which apparently is chump change with this crowd.

So far:

B&N
The Hit
Eclipse Box: Carlos Saura Flamenco Trilogy
Eclipse Box: Postwar Kurosawa
Fiend Without a Face
The Curse of Frankenstein/ Taste the Blood of Dracula Double Feature
Army of Shadows
High and Low
Floating Weeds
Danton
La Strada
Salo
Last Year At Marienbad
The Seventh Seal
Vampyr
My Dinner With Andre
The Battle of Algiers
Dodes' Ka-Den
The Last Emperor
Short Cuts
The Friends of Eddie Coyle
Jigoku

[JckRbbitSlim]

Yikes. That Cullyfawnya sales tax is really awful.

[Superdaddy]

Darn Amazon! What's another $100 or so.....

Yes, this is torture. As a non-B&N member, the amazon prices work out about the same for me as B&N with non-member coupons/discounts, plus I have Prime shipping.

As fate would have it, I didn't buy a single title on the amazon list from B&N (although I do own some of them already). Just as the B&N sale is ending, amazon tries to suck me back in for more!

I'm a bit confused by the ending date for this sale also. B&N's site does say 2:59 on 8/2. No matter how you construe that, it is now the third so the sale should be over. Oh well...not anything to worry about. Let the spending continue!!

[LASERMOVIES]

Yikes. That Cullyfawnya sales tax is really awful.

Depending where you live the sales tax varies form 8.25% to 10.25%.

[LASERMOVIES]

Yes, this is torture. As a non-B&N member, the amazon prices work out about the same for me as B&N with non-member coupons/discounts, plus I have Prime shipping.

As fate would have it, I didn't buy a single title on the amazon list from B&N (although I do own some of them already). Just as the B&N sale is ending, amazon tries to suck me back in for more!

I'm a bit confused by the ending date for this sale also. B&N's site does say 2:59 on 8/2. No matter how you construe that, it is now the third so the sale should be over. Oh well...not anything to worry about. Let the spending continue!!

I think they got the end date listed wrong. It should be tonight at 2:59 AM to match up with the end date for the sale at the stores, which ends today at close time. A lot of their sales end Mondays and start Tuesdays. Usually online I noticed they unofficially start the new sales Monday afternoon.

[dogmatica]

I went to Barnes & Noble today, August 3, and the clerks all said today was the last full day of the sale. I picked up:

18.00 The Last Temptation of Christ
18.00 Grand Illusion
18.00 Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas
27.00 The Last Emperor 4-disc
06.75 The Red Balloon
13.50 The Last Emperor single-disc for mom
18.00 The Ice Storm for my wife
119.25 + tax = 127.93

I was bummed that I forgot how the membership discount works. The titles are 50% off the MSRP and then 10% off that new price and not the first MSRP price. Basically, don't think of 50% off + 10% off as 60% but 10% off of 50% off.

[asianxcore]

I went to Barnes & Noble today, August 3, and the clerks all said today was the last full day of the sale.


DOH! Should have went earlier before work.

Oh well, maybe I'll stop by on my lunch tonight.

[kenbenobi]

I went to Barnes & Noble today, August 3, and the clerks all said today was the last full day of the sale. I picked up:

18.00 The Last Temptation of Christ
18.00 Grand Illusion
18.00 Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas
27.00 The Last Emperor 4-disc
06.75 The Red Balloon
13.50 The Last Emperor single-disc for mom
18.00 The Ice Storm for my wife
119.25 + tax = 127.93

I was bummed that I forgot how the membership discount works. The titles are 50% off the MSRP and then 10% off that new price and not the first MSRP price. Basically, don't think of 50% off + 10% off as 60% but 10% off of 50% off.
You're gonna kick yourself, but you're a member yet didn't use the $5 member coupon? Now I realize they might not have let you use the coupon on all of those, unless you kept going to a different cashier, but you could have at least used it on a few...

[BuckNaked2k]

Added one more: Metropolitan for $13.

BigSue - you snagged the last Ice Storm from Canton! :gah:

[Gobear]

Got in one last purchase, Short Cuts for $8.93 (Member discount + 5.00 off)

[dogmatica]

You're gonna kick yourself, but you're a member yet didn't use the $5 member coupon? Now I realize they might not have let you use the coupon on all of those, unless you kept going to a different cashier, but you could have at least used it on a few...

I didn't know about any current member $5 coupons so I guess I'll have to be okay with it. I get so much junk email from BN I wouldn't be surprised if I missed it, though.

[Superdaddy]

Semi off-topic, but I just snagged one more Criterion, for nada out of pocket, from a (seemingly) unlikely source.

The unlikely source...Blockbuster. Having spent all the cash and gift cards I got for Father's Day on DVDs (was planning on buying some CDs too--thanks B&N for diverting all my money away), I had left two Blockbuster gift cards that I have been unable to spend at my local store.

Let me say I no longer have interest in renting DVDs; if there's a movie I am interested in seeing (but not enough to purchase), I will simply borrow it from the local library system rather than spend money on a rental. So I've been to Blockbuster several times since Father's Day, hoping to find something of interest to buy in their new or previously viewed sections, but they are a wasteland. Every time I went in, there were no new movies for sale; the only movies I saw that I had interest in were ones I owned already. Criterions? My Blockbuster hardly even rents them, much less has them for sale.

Then an inspiration hit me; try Blockbuster online. Typed in a few Criterion titles and was surprised to see they had many for sale on the site--at ridiculously high prices of course, but I wanted to dump these gift cards before Blockbuster goes belly up or something.

So I snagged The Naked Prey, brand new, with priority shipping, and bye-bye gift cards.

With the remaining title of my DD order arriving today, this leaves four more packages for my mail carrier and UPS man to bring me this week: this one and three more from the B&N sale.

And now amazon's $15.99 Criterions are staring me in the face, just when I thought I was free of B&N mania. Sigh.

[BigSue]

Added one more: Metropolitan for $13.

BigSue - you snagged the last Ice Storm from Canton! :gah:

Oh sure, blame me...oh wait, I did buy it. :dance:

Did you check West Hartford, Farmington, and Manchester?

[BuckNaked2k]

Oh sure, blame me...oh wait, I did buy it. :dance:

Did you check West Hartford, Farmington, and Manchester?Manchester - Too far;
Farmington - OOS;
Blue Back Square - A real douche bag works there who said he would "remember me, and deny any further coupons..." as it was one per member. :sarcasm:

[Sweet Baby James]

^

Just stay out of Milford!-wink-

[Kory]

So what are the chances someone would let me use their membership for one final online purchase? PM me.

[Doc Moonlight]

I purchased VAMPYR at a store today for $13 and placed a final online order for TUNES OF GLORY using the Visa link and a 10% off coupon (I had used all the others).

[Trevor]

Went thru my purchases today and found four that I already owned (curse Cnet for shutting down DVDspot!), and one that I decided I didn't want to own, an Essential Art House set (decided to just eventually buy the "full" Criterion releases on those.

Luckily, the five I returned were all on different coupons, and they easily let me swap them for equally priced titles.

[dogmatica]

I didn't know about any current member $5 coupons so I guess I'll have to be okay with it. I get so much junk email from BN I wouldn't be surprised if I missed it, though.

But tonight I AM kicking myself over the $30 in BN gift cards I have at home and forgot about! :grumble:

[Trevor]

But tonight I AM kicking myself over the $30 in BN gift cards I have at home and forgot about! :grumble:

You can still order Criterions online, and use the gift cards.

Also, B&N actually has the best price on various titles quite often, when you combine their sales with their coupons.

[Nidreu]

picked up a few more in store:

El Norte
Repulsion
Salo


and Pigs Pimps and Prostitutes online


I'm done. I wish this sale hit when I had more money, but I'm still grateful, I've never seen criterions this cheap.

[Trevor]

Hope you all don't mind this "advertisement", but I'm considering running a DVDTalk Criterion challenge for September. Thread is here (http://forum.dvdtalk.com/dvd-talk/559273-anyone-up-1st-annual-dvdtalk-criterion-challenge.html) if you're interested in providing input.

[JoeySeven]

Last and final order from Barnes & Noble.

Sword of the Beast(Finally)Now I will have all 4 of the Sixties Swordplay Classics.
Repulsion(blu-ray)
Nights of Cabiria

Thanks for the great sale.

[Herzog4Life]

FINAL FINAL HAUL:
400 Blows blu
For All Mankind blu
In the Realm of the Senses blu
Last Emperor blu
Last Year at Marienbad blu
El Norte blu
Wages of Fear blu
Seventh Seal blu
Repulsion blu
A Woman is a Woman
Brand Upon the Brain
Smiles of a Summer Night
The Friends of Eddie Coyle
The Fallen Idol
The Phantom of Liberty
The Hit
Masculin Feminin
Grey Gardens/Beales of Grey Gardens
BRD Trilogy
Essential Art House Volume 1
F For Fake
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
The Last Metro blu
In the Mood for Love
The Exterminating Angel
Stranger than Paradise
Secret Honor
The Tin Drum

daddy rikey that fri ri

[Trevor]

Realized that I didn't use the three 10% online codes, so went ahead and made three last orders of two $13.49 titles each. Went thru Discover for the hopefully extra 15%.

[hindolio]

Depending where you live the sales tax varies form 8.25% to 10.25%.

there are a couple cities (municipalities) in ca where the sales tax is 10.75% too.

[asianxcore]

Used my lunch tonight at work to pick up more Criterions :)

Picked Up:

The 400 Blows (Blu-Ray)
The Battle Of Algiers
Diabolique

I was happy (as I mentioned before) B&N continued to get new Criterions throughout the entire sale. Diabolique was not at my local store at all during the entire sale until today. Also I am pretty ecstatic to finally own Battle Of Algiers. I watched the film in one of my classes and have been wanting to own it since.

[MooMooMooMoo]

FINAL FINAL HAUL:
400 Blows blu
For All Mankind blu
In the Realm of the Senses blu
Last Emperor blu
Last Year at Marienbad blu
El Norte blu
Wages of Fear blu
Seventh Seal blu
Repulsion blu
A Woman is a Woman
Brand Upon the Brain
Smiles of a Summer Night
The Friends of Eddie Coyle
The Fallen Idol
The Phantom of Liberty
The Hit
Masculin Feminin
Grey Gardens/Beales of Grey Gardens
BRD Trilogy
Essential Art House Volume 1
F For Fake
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
The Last Metro blu
In the Mood for Love
The Exterminating Angel
Stranger than Paradise
Secret Honor
The Tin Drum

daddy rikey that fri ri

You must have one awesome job or source of income!

[MooMooMooMoo]

For those of you living in California who are wondering how the Amazon deal compares to BN in-store savings on the above selected titles, here's something to consider:

Purchasing any $39.99 Criterion (blu or dvd) in store with the 50% Criterion discount, BN Membership 10% discount, and CA sales tax (9.75%) will run you exactly $14.27.

Amazon is charging $15.99 without CA tax, and free shipping on order of $25 or more. So, you have to ask yourself, is the $1.72 in savings between driving to a BN and ordering through Amazon worth it in gas, printer ink (for the multiple coupons), and time? Not to mention the hassle of haggling with sales reps to re-use $5 coupons on multiple discs on the same in-store visit? You be the judge.

For us in Wa state, we get hit aprox 9.3% sales tax from Amazon, Best Buy, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Target, Fye, Big Lots & a few others I'm forgetting. DD, DVD Planet, & buy.com are some of the very few big retailers that don't do tax in Wa (so far).

Technically, Wa residents can even get audited by the state to see if we've voluntarily paid sales tax on out of state purchases. They mostly use that on businesses, but the law is on the books........

[Trevor]

You must have one awesome job or source of income!
My list is about 7 times longer. I must be Bill Gates!

Edit to add: The sale is officially over! Finally!

[BuckNaked2k]

Edit to add: The sale is officially over! Finally!The sale is over, indeed....and thankfully! My final haul:

Last Year at Mareinbad
Repulsion
Seventh Seal
Third Man, The
Wages of Fear

2 or 3 Things I Know About Her
Amarcord
Contempt
Double Life of Veronique
Down by Law
Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
The Hit
Jules et Jim
Kicking and Screaming
Kwaidan
La Haine
La Strada
Made In U.S.A.
Metropolitan
Nights of Cabiria
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Ran
Sword of Doom
Under the Volcano
Vampyr
The Vanishing

[bobbyk1133]

My list is about 7 times longer. I must be Bill Gates!

Edit to add: The sale is officially over! Finally!

Whoever this guy is....he couldn't be more nauseating. Probably the only negative aspect of this sale. :lol:

[WEEDEDOUT]

now just waiting for my packages and trying to manipulate time so i can actually watch all this stuff.

[Trevor]

Whoever this guy is....he couldn't be more nauseating. Probably the only negative aspect of this sale. :lol:
Sorry to disturb you. I'll buy you some Tums.

[illennium]

Whoever this guy is....he couldn't be more nauseating. Probably the only negative aspect of this sale. :lol:

He's a nice, helpful guy who admits he has a buying-things problem. :)

If you want nauseating, go read some YouTube user comments.

[Superdaddy]

now just waiting for my packages and trying to manipulate time so i can actually watch all this stuff.

Tell me about it. Too bad this sale couldn't have come earlier in my wife's pregnancy. We're about to have our second kid, which will probably cut my already minimal viewing time to zero.

(No, this does not mean any of you can have the B&N packages that UPS just left, with Six Moral Tales and Kagemusha inside. Nor the other two Criterions I still have coming soon. I am, indeed, addicted).

[dino88]

I received Videodrome today. Unfortunately, the snaps that hold the booklet were both broken off inside the case. Waiting for one more, Seventh Seal, that shipped out today.

[BuckNaked2k]

I received Videodrome today. Unfortunately, the snaps that hold the booklet were both broken off inside the case. Waiting for one more, Seventh Seal, that shipped out today.That is a common problem with Criterion's wide cases. It's happened to me on several, with the just the top clip breaking off. I think it's on account of the inserts being so thick.

[Superdaddy]

That is a common problem with Criterion's wide cases. It's happened to me on several, with the just the top clip breaking off. I think it's on account of the inserts being so thick.

Interesting...it hasn't happened (yet) to any of mine.

But then again, I in my very anal fashion take the inserts out and store them separately from the DVDs. (I do this for all of my discs, not just the Criterions). Some day I'll probably pull out some discs I've haven't watched in ages and discover inserts I forgot were there, because I never took them out and filed them away.

[BlueMan1]

Ended Up Getting:

Armarcord (Re-Release)
Rififi
The Virgin Spring
Elevator To The Gallows
Green For Danger
Army Of Shadows
Les Enffantes Teribles
Mishima: A Life IN Four Chapters
Le Doulos
Le Deuxieme Souffle
An Empire Of Passion
The Hit
The Monsters And Madmen Box Set
John Cassavetes: Five Films
Carlos Saura's Flamenco Trilogy
The Third Man (Blu-Ray)
Chungking Express (Blu-Ray)
For All Mankind (Blu-Ray)
The Red Balloon

[Kory]

Really bummed that I couldn't pick up John Cassavetes: Five Films. By the time I had the cash to buy it, it was unavailable. If anybody picked it up cheap and would like to get rid of it, let me know.

[SethDLH]

I'm kind of regretting not picking up at least a couple titles... the DD sale just drained me.

[Gobear]

Really bummed that I couldn't pick up John Cassavetes: Five Films. By the time I had the cash to buy it, it was unavailable. If anybody picked it up cheap and would like to get rid of it, let me know.

Same thing thing for me with Salesman, one of my favorite Maysles brothers documentaries. No bricks&mortar B&N store in the DC area had it; BN.com listed it as backordered, then removed it from their site entirely until the sale ended. Now it's back on the site, but it irks me that B&N removed Criterions that were OOS from their site while the sale was live. DD at least lets you order OOS items and then charges you the sale price when they ship, even after the sale has ended--my copy of Duckman Seasons 3&4 just shipped today, and I ordered that the first day of the sale.

OTOH, apart from that one disc, I completely wiped out my Criterion wish list. which I'm going to repopulate for the next Criterion sale. starting with Homicide.

[jjcool]

My list is about 7 times longer. I must be Bill Gates!

Edit to add: The sale is officially over! Finally!

Did you post a final list that I missed?
I am really curious to see what you got.
I ended up spending about $175, but I only got about 10 titles.

[Trevor]

Did you post a final list that I missed?
I am really curious to see what you got.
I ended up spending about $175, but I only got about 10 titles.
You mean it wouldn't nauseate you? :)

I'm pretty busy working a few days overtime to pay for everything, but I'll try to get a list together in the next couple days.

[jjcool]

You mean it wouldn't nauseate you? :)

I'm pretty busy working a few days overtime to pay for everything, but I'll try to get a list together in the next couple days.

Not at all.
Look forward to seeing the list. Or can I just go to the Criterion website and see your list there? :P

[BuckNaked2k]

You mean it wouldn't nauseate you? :)

I'm pretty busy working a few days overtime to pay for everything, but I'll try to get a list together in the next couple days.Trevor - I'd love to see your final tally! :bow:

[Trevor]

Or can I just go to the Criterion website and see your list there? :P
rotfl

I have a "rule" where I rarely pay more than $4-5 for a film. With Criterions, I fudge the rule and pick them up whenever I see them for $10 or less. Had maybe 100 before this sale. The allure of the big sale, and the collector in me, had me break this rule and go as high as $16 each. Looking back, I should have stuck to my "rule" of $10, as I still would have been able to add 50 or so great films. But now that I bought so many more, and probably own more than half of the Criterion Collection suddenly, I'm worried that I'll become obsessed with completing it, and be willing to pay even more to get to the "end".

[BuckNaked2k]

rotfl

.....But now that I bought so many more, and probably own more than half of the Criterion Collection suddenly, I'm worried that I'll become obsessed with completing it, and be willing to pay even more to get to the "end".There is no "end"....they just keep adding more titles!

[Superdaddy]

Got my last B&N shipment on Thursday, containing That Obscure Object of Desire. Received The Naked Prey on Wednesday (which I ordered from Blockbuster Online with those gift cards that are completely useless at my local store).

I am going to miss seeing B&N boxes on my front porch several times a week...sniff...

[illennium]

But now that I bought so many more, and probably own more than half of the Criterion Collection suddenly, I'm worried that I'll become obsessed with completing it, and be willing to pay even more to get to the "end".

Allow me to try to discourage you from doing that. :)

I own a bit more than half of the Criterion Collection as well. Personally, I believe there are only 10-20 others worth owning. The collection includes many excellent and important films, but it also contains quite a few mediocre titles and a few downright awful ones. In addition, there are some films that are good that have better versions elsewhere. For example, I chose the R2 versions of Mona Lisa and Onibaba over the Criterions.

I think owning about half of the collection lets you pass as someone with discriminating taste... owning all of it makes you a collector, and at that point the things being collected may as well be Pokemon cards. But hey, I'm biased. :)

[Trevor]

Allow me to try to discourage you from doing that. :)

I own a bit more than half of the Criterion Collection as well. Personally, I believe there are only 10-20 others worth owning. The collection includes many excellent and important films, but it also contains quite a few mediocre titles and a few downright awful ones. In addition, there are some films that are good that have better versions elsewhere. For example, I chose the R2 versions of Mona Lisa and Onibaba over the Criterions.

I think owning about half of the collection lets you pass as someone with discriminating taste... owning all of it makes you a collector, and at that point the things being collected may as well be Pokemon cards. But hey, I'm biased. :)
Thanks, I agree with you. No one person will, or should, honestly enjoy every film in the Criterion Collection.

But, alas, I am a collector, big time. Been collecting things all my life, and own piles and boxes of things that most others would see little or no value in. I don't think I'll ever be able to change, or that I even want to actually. So I try to shift my collecting addiction to things that have some value. With DVDs, even if I end up not enjoying the film enough to re-watch it; my family, friends, and future heirs have a great library.

And honestly, so far, my growing love and appreciation of film and it's history have enabled me to truly enjoy each Criterion DVD that I've watched. I imagine that can not continue forever. I think that anyone should be able to justify watching or renting every Criterion. Even if its a genre you don't normally enjoy, the films are interesting from a film history perspective, and the supplements and essays seem to always be well done and worthwhile.

But economically, I doubt I'll ever get much higher of a percentage of them than now. I probably make less money than most of you, but just went a little crazy last month. I had a cruise that we canceled, so I had an "extra grand" to play with.

[BuckNaked2k]

.....In addition, there are some films that are good that have better versions elsewhere.This is true. Some of the earlier spine numbers were released non-anamorphic, and are available in better, more easily available versions. These include Silence of the Lambs, Hard Boiled, Spinal Tap, and Long Good Friday, just off the top of my head.

[illennium]

But, alas, I am a collector, big time. Been collecting things all my life, and own piles and boxes of things that most others would see little or no value in. I don't think I'll ever be able to change, or that I even want to actually.

As long as it doesn't prevent you from having meaningful relationships (family, friends, etc.), a job/career, and other worthwhile experiences -- and it doesn't sound like it does -- then it's legitimately a hobby and not really a problem. A lot of people here are collectors to varying degrees and it's just a question of not letting it affect the more important things in life. I'm a big-time collector too (5000+ CDs, lots of DVDs, tons of books), and occasionally I do get consumed by all that stuff. When that happens I just check myself and go outside or make a reservation to take my girlfriend out to dinner. As long as one's priorities are straight I really don't see any amount of collecting rising to the level of a problem.

[Trevor]

As long as it doesn't prevent you from having meaningful relationships (family, friends, etc.), a job/career, and other worthwhile experiences -- and it doesn't sound like it does -- then it's legitimately a hobby and not really a problem. A lot of people here are collectors to varying degrees and it's just a question of not letting it affect the more important things in life. I'm a big-time collector too (5000+ CDs, lots of DVDs, tons of books), and occasionally I do get consumed by all that stuff. When that happens I just check myself and go outside or make a reservation to take my girlfriend out to dinner. As long as one's priorities are straight I really don't see any amount of collecting rising to the level of a problem.
Good points. Yeah, I'm fairly normal otherwise. Good relationships, job, travel, God should be first, sports, etc etc

But collecting is an addiction of sorts. I often joke with people that it's either DVDs or crack.

[passing barf bag to bobby]

[Gobear]

God knows what anyone would make of my collection--it's a blend of arthouse, film noir, musicals, and horror/ science fiction. I own about 20% of the Criterion catalogue, but I don't buy Criterions for the spine numbers or the thrill of collecting a set of objects, but because Criterion has the movies I want to own. If I want to own a film by Ozu or Mizoguchi, it's either get the Criterion or look for an even more expensive R2 disc.

I don't see why anyone has to make excuses for collecting or enjoying films. You get one go-round in life, and you should engage in activities that give you pleasure. If collecting plastic disks gives you joy, then do it just as hard as you can and make no apologies to anyone.