Mr. Cinema

I've visited 4 of my local stores this week and they are starting to sell through a decent amount of stock. Seems like people are picking the same titles, especially the BDs. Today I grabbed "Ride With the Devil" and "Stagecoach" for $16.50 each.

jiggawhat

Was at the calabasas store last night and found a copy of man who fell to earth but was denied on using three coupons so just bought one.

Was looking for the yojimbo sanjuro set but only found the individual releases.

HistoryProf

That's not what I said at all - and none of those reasons have anything to do with why Blu-Ray exists or why Criterion is producing films on the format. They are producing them to provide customers with the best possible presentation. That doesn't make those other reasons less valid for you, but it has nothing to do with what Criterion is doing or why they are doing it.

And I hardly said my opinion is the only one that matters. But I would argue that you're lack of concern about AV quality is not representative of the average Criterion customer...it's usually quite the opposite. I'm hardly a guy who rails against minor flaws or anything. I'm pretty middle of the road in that department really, and don't have a stellar system by any means. But the upgrade to blu-ray is revelatory nonetheless.


You are being defensive and argumentative and suggesting things I never said. Of course people can enjoy movies on small tvs - but that has zero to do with advances in formats and buying films on blu ray. you would be stupid to buy blu rays if you didn't have the equipment to enjoy them...but I've never suggested you need to have that TO enjoy the films. those are completely separate issues. I was merely responding to your suggestion that blu ray was somehow unnecessary and in cases inferior releases because they didn't have the complete books that came with sDVDs. that's ludicrous.

Joe Sixpack doesn't know the difference between BD and DVD, and they certainly don't shop for Criterion films. JSP wants his screen filled whether it's 4:3 or 1.85:1...and now wants "widescreen" dvds of Miracle on 34th street. In short, he has nothing to do with this discussion, as neither of us certainly have much in common with him when it comes to films.

Again, i never said they weren't in terms of enjoying the films. I questioned your suggestions regarding the formats they came on. You are being very defensive and reading veiled insults into my comments that were not intended. By saying it's "not worth discussing" is acknowledging a difference of opinion that is purely subjective and irreconcilable, not that one or the other is inferior. My only real point is that Criterion's purpose with revisiting previous releases on blu-ray is to upgrade the A/V quality - extras or packaging, etc are all a distant second. The Leopard was chosen because of the stunning use of color and the opportunity to see it in HD, not because they forgot to put some interview on the first release. That some of them are being offered on 2 disc dvds at a lower price with more extras is a great perk...and thus why I think there is little room for complaining. Really, what choices they have made *should* make just about everyone happy - but of course, that's not truly possible


In short, I'm happy you are happy with everything you have, and understand not everyone prioritizes aspects of home video the same...BUT...blu ray was developed because it can re-create the film experience as closely as anything we've ever had. It is irrelevant if that is less important to anyone...it's why it exists. that's all I was trying to say. So don't worry, be happy and I will do the same.

HistoryProf

Jubilee and Border Radio were just the two generally panned releases that popped into my head as examples. I thought Jubilee was pretty interesting myself. Could have said Hopscotch or Solo Con tu pareja too...which tend to be the butt of jokes.

Border Radio, otoh, sucked

HistoryProf

Just to make it clear: i don't obsess over the AV quality, but I do believe that blu ray makes getting caught up in the story easier and can lead to a greater experience because the heightened quality of the visuals and/or audio can be more immersive.

Shitty transfers, however, can take me right out of a film and ruin my enjoyment of it when there are scratches and blurriness and misframing and so on and so forth. so it works both ways.

atreyurock

Thanks.

Johnny Zhivago

Yeah... I picked up Benjamin Button today and it came in a standard Blu-ray double case. No slipcover though.



My one and only purchase this time around... Guess I'll save a little cash for November.

Mr. Cinema

Couple of questions...

I just found out that The Man Who Fell to Earth is OOP. The BD isn't even listed on the BN website. Has anyone seen that in stores? I thought it had went OOP on June 30?

Also, has anyone ever gotten Criterion to send out replacement covers? I had received Che the other day and the first case is damaged on the front and so is the cover. There's a deep cut on the right hand side. Rather than request a brand new set from BN, I'd rather try and get the cover replaced directly by Criterion. Just wondering if anyone has done that and if you've been successful.

Johnny Zhivago

Spotted it here today... I knew it was OOP but didn't care much for it when I watched it (granted, that was forever ago so maybe it would work better for me now). Regardless, I passed.

BuckNaked2k

Of the 5 B&N stores I visited since Tuesday, one store had one copy, in digipack, of course.

Spiral Staircase

Try this link and use the "Find In-Store" option. It could still be available in your area.

Undeadcow

I watched Kurosawa's The Bad Sleep Well today and really enjoyed it; I know I'm preaching to the choir but I recommend it (especially if it can be had for $9.25). The Hamlet references were more subtle than I expected; in a good way.

Sessa17

I got replacement covers from them a while ago for Chungking Express & Bottle Rockets, came fast & didn't have any problem.

Mr. Cinema

Was that to replace the digipacks, or did you have damaged artwork?

Sessa17

To replace the digi-packs, sorry I just noticed that you meant for damaged covers.

goosh

Thanks for the recommendation. I found one that's supposedly in-stock in my area. Hope it works.

goosh

Went to two more stores, found five more purchases: Yojimbo & Sanjuro, M, Walkabout, Elevator to the Gallows, and Unfaithfully Yours.
Neither cashier would stack all the coupons for one reason or another. Oh well, I'm extremely satisfied with the prices.

stiroe

Bought online again using AAA discount:

Tunes of Glory
Honeymoon Killers

I called then yesterday about Small Back Room and they said only select Criterions on sale this contradicting the email from Criterion.com that says ALL Criterions on sale through B&N, they also replied to my email (4 days after I sent it) with a form response stating the same. Then I noticed this morning all of a sudden SBR was no longer available on their site..... so either someone bought it at $35 or they didn't really have any in stock or something weird. Oh well I will look else where.

BTW I understand getting OOP movies but The Man Who Fell to Earth CC isn't that great. I bought it on DVD when it first came out and wasn't that enthralled by it.

Sweet Baby James

You can request them to hold it for you online. They will e-mail you within 45 minutes to let you know if the store has it in stock and they will hold it for you for 3 days.

HistoryProf

just out of curiosity, went to two stores and tried w/ 2 $5 coupons....first one I got Days of Heaven (blu) and Ace in the Hole for $28 - he took them off in one transaction manually.

2nd one I took two $29.99 titles to see what she'd do, never blinked, and rang up Fists in Pocket and Pickup on South Street for $8.50 each. 3 dvds and a blu ray for $44 total

interestingly enough, someone had just been in and bought the big 50 film box for $425. They were talking about it as I browsed and one of the clerks said something like "this sale is crazy! 50% off plus member discounts AND coupons that work?!?! Great deals!" So the employees were all well aware of things and were happy to spread the joy.


One tip I think works to your advantage, at least for another week: I take in one each of the $5 off coupons that expires on 7/25 and the September one. Then just say "I have this older one that isn't expired, and they just sent me this new one too" and have yet to get turned down. They can't say "once only" since they are two separate coupons. worth a shot if you are getting sticklers for the rules.

HistoryProf

reserve it on-line - it cues a clerk in store to pull it off the shelf, and when/if they find it you get an email saying it's waiting for you. if it's not actually there they'll notify the system and you'll get an email saying it's not....saves a trip if they don't really have it.

HistoryProf

It probably didn't go on sale because they were out of them altogether to begin with and the site hadn't updated yet.

Good choice on Tunes of Glory btw: it's among my favorite films of all time...Alec Guinness is amazing in it. (even more so than usual!)...it's a steal at these prices (it's a lower tier title).

stiroe

Alec Guinness is quite amazing and I'm looking forward to watching it, not sure why I passed it up when it came out I just bought around it.

Good thought on the title probably not in their stock, I didn't think of it that way always assume these sites have their stock well in check.

clckworang

To each his own, I would say. I didn't think it was the greatest movie that I had ever seen, but I thought it was an interesting film and one that was made more interesting by some of the extras on the disc.

It's not the type of film that everyone is going to like, which you can also say for many Criterion titles.

RequiemX

It's not my favorite, but it does have David Bowie and a good bit of surreal Lynchesque stuff going on. Be prepared to see his junk.