Criterion Guide - Barnes & Noble 50% Off Twice Year Sale

[CRTGAMER]

Last day of the sale is Monday, December 1st 2014.
A bump heads up, the sale is on again! 50% off Criterion and Arthouse titles, I'm going nuts again. So many great films; Ooooh, my wife is going to kill me!

9 $14.99 $7.49
A Tim Burton animated film, another adventure in a dark mysterious world nice animation!



The Beatles Hard Days Night $19.99 $9.49
Movie showing the early days of the Beatles. Put together with Music Videos decades before MTV debuted.



Charlie Chaplin City Lights $39.99 $19.49
A duel DVD and BluRay two disc package. The nice thing about Criterion that I wish all studios would do is that ALL extra footage is on both disc formats. Charles Chaplin is famous for the comedy, there are also great moments when you will cry while smiling. The ending in this movie very powerful.



Charlie Chaplin Modern Times $29.99 $14.49
I had not watched this movie before, having focused on The Kid, Gold Rush, City Lights and many of the Mutual Shorts. A nice price to see a "new" classic movie!



Les Misérables $14.99 $4.99
I was planning to buy the BluRay and DVD combo pack, but only five bucks for the DVD! Hugh Jackman has been interviewed in the past on how he sang all his own parts. Personally, I think Russell Crowe is the one that shines, wow the baritone voice. Very well done musical with suburb effects that has been stated to set a new standard for musicals. This really wants me to experience the other editions.

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/60040/les-misrables/

Les Misérables is a great movie musical. I don't think it encapsulates everything I cherish about Victor Hugo's novel (which remains my favorite novel), but it does manage to excel as an interesting adaptation with its own unique merits. The performances and singing blend together perfectly. The fact that the film was made with live signing is incredible. The casting was strong. This may not be a definitive version of Les Misérables when comparing it to Hugo's novel, but it's certainly something that can qualify as a definitive spectacle as Les Misérables: The Musical. This is ambitious film making and one of the finest efforts of 2012.

The Killing $29.99 $14.49
Ah, an older Stanley Kubrick flick this is as Film Noir as you can get. There are actually two movies on the discs. Includes Killer Kiss, another Kubrick movie that I never heard of. I have the MGM version of The Killing which has its own exclusive four page insert, a great story with fast pacing told Dragnet style. Speaking of Dragnet, still waiting for the Jack Webb movie The D.I. to be pressed by Criterion.



My Darling Clementine $29.99 $14.49
My favorite Western film of the era would be Winchester 73 with James Stewart. This John Ford film also well done and is heralded as one of his best. A different take on the OK Corral shootout which includes Henry Fonda and Walter Brennan.

Color photo from the black and white film



The Men Who Built America $19.99 $9.49
I love history and the History Channel when they are not doing reality shows. This documentary is a great presentation on the early industrial age of America, a fascinating period. Many perceive Microsoft as ruthless in dominating the PC market; take a look at Rockefeller, Westinghouse, Vanderbilt, Carnegie and J.P. Morgan hostile takeovers. Henry Ford was amazing in his day, the Model T as fragile as it looked had to handle dirt trails before roads were built.



Its a Mad Mad Mad World $49.99 $24.49
Already own the Laser Disc and MGM DVD releases, this is my 3rd purchase of this movie. Well worth it for the story and the huge cast of famous comedians from the 60s, even the 3 Stooges and Buster Keaton have cameo roles. Criterion offers two versions of the movie in BOTH the BlueRay and DVD discs. There is a huge amount of extras as well as exclusive extended footage of the movie with a total runtime of 3 hours 22 minutes.



Look for the inspired remake Rat Race which is also quite funny.

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film3/blu-ray_ ... lu-ray.htm

EXTRAS:

• Something a Little Less Serious: A Tribute to It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1:01:21 4:3 in 480i)
• Extended Scenes (59:16 in 480i)
• Trailer (3:27 in 1080P)
• Reissue Trailer (3:21 in 1080P)
• New audio commentary featuring It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World aficionados Mark Evanier, Michael Schlesinger, and Paul Scrabo
• New documentary on the film’s visual and sound effects, featuring interviews with visual-effects specialist Craig Barron and sound designer Ben Burtt (36:28)
• Excerpt from a 1974 talk show hosted by director Stanley Kramer and featuring Mad World actors Sid Caesar, Buddy Hackett, and Jonathan Winters (36:46)
• Press interview from 1963 featuring Kramer and cast members (35:08)
• Excerpts about the influence of the film from the 2000 AFI program 100 Years . . . 100 Laughs (11:10)
• Two-part 1963 episode of the TV program Telescope that follows the film’s press junket and premiere ('A Winters Tale' 24:56 + Part 2 - 'A Junket Into Madness' - 25:22)
• The Last 70mm Film Festival, a 2012 program featuring Mad World cast and crew, hosted by actor Billy Crystal (37:38)
• Selection of humorist and voice-over artist Stan Freberg’s original TV and radio ads for the film, with a new introduction by Freberg
• Restoration Demonstration (5:20)
• Trailers and radio spots from both 1963 and 1970 re-release
• Two Blu-rays and three DVDs, with all content available in both formats
• PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film critic Lou Lumenick and new illustrations by legendary cartoonist Jack Davis, along with a map of the shooting locations by artist Dave Woodman

Right Click for a larger view

Criterion Nov 2014.jpg (224.7 KiB) Viewed 4584 times

Avoid BluRay for 4:3 movies to prevent a 1:1 squeeze; see the OP.

[Michi]

Gah! Why did you tell me that! Now I'm going to be tempted to buy stuff!

So many nice movies, so little money



I'll probably end up with two or three anyway. My wallet will just have to weep this week.

Ah! The B&N Criterion(/Art-house) sale! It comes but once a year

Seems I was wrong and it comes twice a year. Yay?

[CRTGAMER]

Picked up some movies, posted at the top of this page. Surprised I did not buy any Kurosawa movies this go around. I really wanted to buy Ikiru, but it come in a thick black keep case, twice the thickness of a standard DVD case. I'll wait for the newer thinner case, hopefully it will come out next spring?

[Nemoide]

FYI you can use the coupon code BFriday14 to save 30% on top of the sale for the rest of today! PRETTY AWESOME. (but it's only off of one item!)

CRTGAMER: what makes you think a new slimmer case is on the way? AFAIK no Blu-Ray/remastered re-release has been announced and I think of Criterion releases as pretty unchanging unless they're doing a new master on the discs.

[CRTGAMER]

I updated the post at the top of this page with more movies reviewed.

FYI you can use the coupon code BFriday14 to save 30% on top of the sale for the rest of today! PRETTY AWESOME. (but it's only off of one item!)

CRTGAMER: what makes you think a new slimmer case is on the way? AFAIK no Blu-Ray/remastered re-release has been announced and I think of Criterion releases as pretty unchanging unless they're doing a new master on the discs.

That coupon is tempting to battle the crowds, but too late to drive back out.

Criterion has done new Masters on quite a few titles. Instead of the older logo of "THE CRITERION COLLECTION" with underline bar, all newer pressings now carry the large C logo.



I suspect even if a remaster is not done on some of the Criterion movies, the case will be changed. Either a cardboard lined Digi Pak or the standard sized Criterion opaque clear case will take precedance as the titles get packaged from the publishing house. Compared to the older thick black "VHS Tape" cases, this saves on storage space for not only for the consumer, but also a cost saving for the delivery to the stores.

[CRTGAMER]

Costco Now Has Criterion BluRay $19.99
Discovered that Costco now carries select titles of Criterion BluRay for under twenty bucks! I prefer DVD but gladly buy BluRay when a DVD is included. Mentioned before, Criterion places ALL extra footage on both DVD and BluRay so the combined package at $19.99 a very sweet deal!

Locally I have only seen trays mixed in the the regular movies, some stores have received an entire shipper display.



Barnes Noble 40% Off Sale
Barnes and Noble 50% Off on Criterion is coming up in about a month away. Right now there is a 40% off sale on ALL DVDs and BluRays in stock! I did not see any Criterion movies I am interested in, but did find a gem of a great 80s horror flick.

The Hunger
No, not the Hunger Games and not the silly TV series; but an outstanding film featuring Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie and Susan Sarandon. Not you average Vampire film, beautiful artistic cinematography. A mind blower how one can never die even when age catches up in the end with your body withering away. Owned the Laser Disc for years, a pleasant surprise to find the Anamorphic Wide Screen DVD at Barnes Noble and at a sweet discount!

The opening shots in The Hunger has a killer punk new wave song "Bela Lugosi's Dead", I miss the 80s! A beautiful rendition of Schubert's Trio In E Flat made specific for the movie played at key memory scenes. Certainly unusual to have both music genres mixed in the movie, really a one of a kind film that has to be both seen and heard. May have to get the other matched DVD pressing of the movie Cat People with Nastassja Kinski which I also own on Laser disc.

http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/thehunger.php

The Hunger has been on my wish list of "movies that need DVD treatment" for years, and finally Warner Brothers has released it. The film is important for several reasons: it's the debut effort of director Tony Scott (Top Gun, Man on Fire, and brother to Ridley); The Hunger was never suited for pan-and-scan presentation and has had poor quality releases on VHS and Laserdisc; and its love scene between Catherine Deneuve (Dancer in the Dark, countless French films) and Susan Sarandon (Thelma and Louise, Dead Man Walking) remains infamously scandalous and beautifully haunting. The entire film is gorgeously shot, and it's primed for the digital age. A previous Laserdisc edition existed, and I feared they would port that transfer on to a digital disc. Thankfully that is not the case. The Hunger is a contemporary cult classic and deserves respect. Though it was never a critical or box office success, it continues to influence films with its art school self-conscious approach and noir sense of style. It heralded a new direction for vampire stories, and showcased a new aesthetic to film that both Scott brothers were instrumental in forming.

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/12789/hunger-the/

Although The Hunger wasn't particularly well-received critically when it was originally released in 1983, it's certainly attracted a sizeable cult audience in the years since, and I feel it's aged well. This is not a film teeming with visceral thrills, pulse-pounding suspense, or whatever other similarly trite soundbites I could rattle off, and viewers should go in expecting a more deliberately paced movie than they may be accustomed to seeing.

The Hunger's 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen presentation is stunning. The image is immaculately detailed, and every pore, blemish, and bead of sweat appears clear and distinct. The palette is predominately cold and blue, in keeping with the dark, detached quality of the movie. The reds of the stage blood and the inhuman hue of Catherine Deneuve's lipstick are vibrantly saturated. The source material is remarkably clean, with not a single speck or nick spotted throughout its entire 96 minute runtime, and no authoring concerns attracted my attention either. There is some measure of film grain present, which is not and should not be considered any sort of flaw, but home theater enthusiasts who frown upon any level of grain may want to take this into consideration before making a purchase. Though very likely a factor of the way The Hunger was photographed, black levels seemed a notch or two too bright; dark, but still not quite black. Regardless, The Hunger is a film whose success lies heavily in its visuals, and the gorgeous presentation of the movie on DVD greatly complements that.

[Michi]

Just a heads up for those interested, but the Criterion 50% off sale is back on at Barnes & Noble. Get them while they're cheap(er.)

[CRTGAMER]

CRTGAMER: what makes you think a new slimmer case is on the way? AFAIK no Blu-Ray/remastered re-release has been announced and I think of Criterion releases as pretty unchanging unless they're doing a new master on the discs.

I can finally answer this question, took almost a year compared to the earlier post and picture above! Well exactly a year by a few days according to the release date! Hopefully the Ikiru remaster release (11-24-2015) will be in time to appear at Barnes & Noble catalog for their 50% Off Winter Criterion Sale! Definitely one to add of the Kurosawa movies.

As mentioned earlier, look for the large C, an indication of a remaster repress with even cleaner footage and the newer slimmer (standard size) case versus the older fat cases.



Even if the newer Ikiru release does not coincide with the book store sale, you can still get the 50% off if it is in the catalog. I did this during the July Sale to purchase Breaker Morant at half price, which will ship directly to my home once released on 09-22-2015. One of the very few times I will "preorder" purchase anything! This is one of the better Court Room Drama movies, up there with 12 Angry Men and the Russian version 12.

[CRTGAMER]

Ikiru $29.99 $14.99
The Barnes Noble November 50% Off Criterion Sale is less then a week left! I had reserved the Ikiru remaster a few weeks ago in case I could not get back to the store during the Thanksgiving holidays. Got a call on Tuesday afternoon the day of the release with reassurance I could pick it up later.



I went ahead and bought the DVD today to avoid the black Friday rush and to make sure my reserved copy would not accidentally get sold. Turns out the Bluray edition was put on hold, I wanted the DVD version. Fortunately there were 3 additional DVDs on the shelf. A shame Ikiru did not get a dual format release as Hidden Fortress. Very nice to get the remaster with cleaner footage in a standard sized DVD case instead of the older thick case pictured in my earlier post.

I really wanted to buy Ikiru, but it comes in a thick black keep case, twice the thickness of a standard DVD case. I'll wait for the newer thinner case, hopefully it will come out next spring?

The movie is deep compared to Kuroswa's Yojimbo and Sanjuro; a bit difficult to digest. However, the story is very well done, this has been rated as the director's best movie. Toshiro Mifune is not the usual lead actor, the role is covered superbly by another "Kurosawa regular", Takashi Shimura. This is a very powerful story of how you leave behind your mark when you die.

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-ikiru-1952

I saw "Ikiru" first in 1960 or 1961. I went to the movie because it was playing in a campus film series and only cost a quarter. I sat enveloped in the story of Watanabe for 2 1/2 hours, and wrote about it in a class where the essay topic was Socrates' statement, "the unexamined life is not worth living."' Over the years I have seen "Ikiru" every five years or so, and each time it has moved me, and made me think. And the older I get, the less Watanabe seems like a pathetic old man, and the more he seems like every one of us.

http://thefifiorganization.net/janus/ikiru/

Occasionally, I think of my death… There is, I feel, so much more for me to do. Then I become thoughtful, not sad.”

Down By The Law - 2002 DVD vs 2012 Bluray release



I almost bought Jim Jarmusch's Down By The Law, but was disappointed the repress is only on BluRay which is ten years newer then the DVD release. This will have to wait with the same patience as the Ikiru rerelease. I am doubtful it will get a repress anytime soon since only the BluRay came out in 2012. Roberto Benigni is truly Italy's treasure, a great actor who has humor and drama in many of the character's he portrays.

Might also pick up Mystery Train which I already own on Laser Disc, the director has made some great Indy Films before the format became mainstream. This DVD has the big Criterion "C" indicating a newer pressing.

[Michi]

One of Amazon's deals this week is up to 50% or more off some of Criterion's samurai focused films. There are only 8 choices, but they're all good films and also some pretty solid deals as far as Criterion films go.

Have a looksie