Trevor

If that happens, I will blame you, seek you out, and cry in front of you until you are extremely uncomfortable.

dino88

I'm already uncomfortable. You win. As for the Criterion Challenge, I think it should be called the "I'm Rich Bitch" Challenge. Cheap asses need not apply.

creekdipper

Thanks for posting. Although I ordered several from B&N (50% - 10% members discount -10% coupon together with Bing cashback made for some excellent deals), this is a good alternative for any left behind or overlooked. Got to check out the entire list on Amazon; for the ones in the first post, I would highly recommend M, Wages of Fear, & Bicycle Thieves. These really are 'essential' films that should be in any movie lover's library, IMHO.

One addendum (correction) to the heated discussion above:

A few people mentioned using "old" memberships from B&N in the ethics debate. Unless they know something I don't, that doesn't apply to B&N. To keep a membership active, one has to pay $25 per year (per account); thus, any current account can't be more than a year old (in terms of payment).

Just to clear up any confusion (or misconception in case someone is thinking of joining BN & then gets a Credit Card surprise each anniversary of their membership. Of course, you do have the option of canceling membership before renewal, but the $25 is non-refundable if you don't cancel before the renewal date.

alfonsosoriano

Not if you have Netflix!

MoviePage

No, no it isn't. One of my all-time favorites.

asianxcore

Thanks OP!

I'm extremely tempted to pick up a couple I missed at the B&N sale. Namely The Third Man (BD) and The Lady Vanishes.

MooMooMooMoo

I missed "Bing Cashback". What's the deal?

ctyankee

If you bought a loss-leader AND also purchased a "few hundred dollars" of non-loss leader merchandise I would totally agree. But that's not the case is it? So why pretend?

But, I'll put my money where my mouth is. Simply post one receipt that showed you went into a B&N store during their recent 50 percent off Criterion sale where you spent a "few hundred dollars" including the purchase of one or more Criterion DVD(s) and I'll not only stand corrected, I'll donate 50 U.S. dollars to Paul Newman's (in honor of his recent passing) Hole in the Wall Gang charity supporting sick children. I'll also provide you the evidence to the contribution.

But wait, let's make it easier, last I checked a "few" is more than two, meaning that you would have had to drop 300+ dollars at one store on one receipt. So, let's be generous, I'll donate the money even if it's only 200 U.S. dollars. After all, it's for sick children, a great cause right? No fine print, no problems, simply post the link for the scanned B&N store (bricks and mortar) receipt showing at least one Criterion purchased included in a total sale of $200+ during the recent 50 percent off sale and you've just done something nice for children in need.

Deal?

Sweet Baby James

^

For some strange reason I get the feeling that you were going to make that donation regardless of this proposed deal(good on you).

jlynn33

Anybody see Kwaidan for sale?

Cheato

I hear you. I didn't plan to discuss it any further, myself.
ctyankeee seems to be taking it to heart, though...
You go, dude!

As for the Criterions available in this Amazon sale, I'm curious about these:

Mona Lisa
Night to Remember, A
Lord of the Flies

The first two are non-anamorphic, which kind of bothers me. Lord of the Flies is even cropped to FS (or maybe, God forbid, P&S?), right?

Anybody have any more information on those, or any fixes that might be coming in the future? I'd like to get them, but I am really holding off on buying anything non-anamorphic (or with other obvious defects), since I am really trying to keep myself from having to double-dip, and my track history has been once I give in and buy the slightly unsatisfactory version, a new-and-improved one comes along shortly thereafter.

I'm already a little bummed that I ordered Kwaidan a few months ago, only to discover that it was the shorter (incomplete) version. I should have done my research beforehand. I stupidly just assumed the Criterion would be the best version.

Also, I hate to admit this around a Criterion-minded crowd, but I don't actually know much about many of these films. I spent a couple hours last night reading reviews of all of them, and these are the ones that sounded most interesting to me (that I don't have and have never seen):

Third Man, The (don't you judge me for not having seen this!)
Testament Of Dr Mabuse
39 Steps
Pandora's Box
Kind Hearts and Coronets
M
Ruling Class
49th Parallel
Overlord

Man, I wish I had a local library that had these that I could borrow and watch before blindly buying them.

I haven't liked the following Criterions:
Vanishing, The (OK, interesting dilemma, particularly near the end, and an interesting movie, I guess, but it didn't stay with me)
Solaris (yes, some great drawn-out hypnotic scenes, but overall, left me unimpressed, sorry)
Onibaba (wow, completely unimpressed on so many levels, and I hated the ending)
a few others I can't remember right now.

I love these:

epics:
King of Kings, The
Spartacus

Shakespeare:
Hamlet
Henry V
Richard III

great novels with great adaptations:
Great Expectations
Oliver Twist

Kurosawa (historical dramas):
Seven Samurai
Throne of Blood
Hidden Fortress, The
Yojimbo
Sanjuro
Ran

other Japanese:
Kill!
Samurai I - Musashi Miyamoto
Samurai II - Duel at Ichijoji Temple
Samurai III - Duel at Ganryu Island
Sword of Doom, The

other:
Blob, The
Chasing Amy
Do the Right Thing
Man Who Fell to Earth, The
Videodrome

the Don't Judge Me! titles:
Armageddon (I said, don't you judge me!)
Rock, The (don't make me say it again)

recently purchased, and not watched, but I am confident I will love them:
Brazil
Last Emperor, The (I know, it's cropped, but at least it was done with approval)

dino88

It would be just as easy for you to look as it would for anyone else. But the answer is no, at least not 60% off.

Sondheim

While this is true of the first release, the one currently on sale is the re-release, which contains those few seconds that were missing from their original release - it is pictureboxed, however.

And since the newest version is from late 2007 I wouldn't expect any upgrades any time in the near future except for a possible Blu-ray.

Cheato

^ Hey, cool, thanks for the info! Didn't know there was a fixed one. I don't mind the pictureboxing. For me, it's negligible, at least compared to letterboxed non-anamorphic releases.

dougb222

Cheato, if you liked the Shakespeare and Dickens, you can't go wrong with Kind Hearts and Coronets, chiefly because Alec Guinness Can Do No Wrong (I think this is as close to a tagline as I'll ever have).

The only title I bought from B&N that's on sale at Amazon is The Third Man (sold my original copy a while back and never bought the 2-disc). All the rest (Danton, Wise Blood, Wages of Fear, Brazil, Red Balloon/White Mane, Last Holiday) were better from B&N.

Now I can pick up the ones I left behind, all on sale (mainly the Hitchcocks, 49th Parallel, Henry V, etc.). Just wish I had my usual stockpile of Amazon gift credits. . . .

jiggyblau

Damn it. I just broke down and ordered Third Man BD ($15.99) and 400 Blows BD ($18.99 in gold box). I've been intrigued by these two titles, both blind buys. I resisted at BN, but for some reason, with Prime everything seems okay. I have also ordered the Dirty Harry BD set, Taken BD, Baraka BD, and a ton of stuff from DD recently. What a rough month or so it's been.

MoviePage

Both are great choices and very much worth it.

beebs

Who needs Netflix, I can easily check out scores of Criterions from my library today... shame they cut me off at 24 titles out at a time (try 24 out with Netflix). Last I checked, my county library system has over 300 Criterion movies, including some of the new Blu-rays. The popular ones usually have a long queue, but I'd say that 75% or more are available without a wait.

sleepyhead55

I can only comment on the Mona Lisa one, but that film is rather gray and muted. I'm pretty sure I noticed a "defect" in the first twenty minutes of the film. The DVD was pretty bare boned too as there was the original trailer and there might have been an alternate commentary track(I don't remember). I think the CC version was released in 2001 or 2002.


To be honest, I've never seen this on a DVD. Most of my viewings have been via TCM or an old VHS. The film itself is great and the last time I saw it (2 yrs ago) I found myself engrossed in the story. I think it has almost something for everyone: social commentary, mystery, and a love story to boot. I picked up the BR version a few weeks ago.

Ok, I'm going under the assumption that you've seen some Hitchcock films before, so I'll just make a comparison. 39 Steps is closer to Strangers on a Train/North by Northwest vein with the theme of "wronged man" on the run. The Lady Vanishes compares more favorably to Psycho or Vertigo.
I'm not sure whether or not I'll be bashed for this but youtube is also an alternative. I found M and The Third Man (in its entirety) on a channel recently. I also watched Band of Outsiders there before buying it at bn. It also stopped me from making blind buys on several dvds.

illennium

Everyone who wants to see Criterion-style movies before buying them should check out:

The Auteurs

You're welcome.

Sessa17

This is beyond absurd, you guys have your panties in a bunch over some $5 off coupons, of which an entire thread of people did the same thing I did. Get off the holier than though attitude as if you have lead a morally perfect life. If you two don't want to use coupons that others do, fine, but there is no reason to call others "sleazy" for doing so & then rant & rant about it.

Why do you need the excuse of a challenge to donate to charity. Just do so, in fact, why are you spending money on DVDs at all, when it can go to charity, given your high morals, how do you sleep at night wasting all that money on yourself. You can PM me & everyone that used these coupons if you guys want to lecture more, enough of derailing this thread.

alfonsosoriano

Lucky you, my local libraries have a small selection of Criterions. I think the larger ones like in Hartford, Conn. might have a few more though.

Sweet Baby James

Do a search at www.biblio.org to see which libraries in CT have which Criterions.

Gamelore

Respectfully disagree. As these acclaimed classics go, I'd say it is underrated.

Since Brief Encounter is my favorite movie, I could not recommend it more, but not as a blind buy. As you see, it's not for everyone.

TheDuke

Meh, none of these interest me except for maybe The Lady Vanishes.