Barnes & Noble Semi-Annual 50% off Criterion Sale (1 Viewer)

[Carlo_M]

Fortunately my local B&N now has the biggest physical media section in the area. An entire room of Blu-ray, 4K, DVD, CD, and Vinyl. It also includes an entire row of Criterion.

It has been years...years...since I was in a B&N. But I wanted to see a B&N exclusive reprint of a book I loved so I drove down to a relatively local B&N. I ended up not picking up the book (cheap binding, thin pages) but I was shocked to find almost the entire back half of the first floor to be A/V physical media. Obviously I wasn't going to buy normal 4K discs from them at their prices, but they had two big floor standing multi-tiered cabinets of Criterion discs. Since the sale was on, I did pick up a couple of movies. I think since other box stores have reduced or eliminated their physical media footprint, B&N has ended up being the one remaining brick and mortar in the area with a decent selection of admitted niche titles (which is what I'm classifying Criterion as).

 

[Wayne_j]

Of course my local Best Buy has no physical media so it evens out some.

 

[David Norman]

It has been years...years...since I was in a B&N. But I wanted to see a B&N exclusive reprint of a book I loved so I drove down to a relatively local B&N. I ended up not picking up the book (cheap binding, thin pages) but I was shocked to find almost the entire back half of the first floor to be A/V physical media. Obviously I wasn't going to buy normal 4K discs from them at their prices, but they had two big floor standing multi-tiered cabinets of Criterion discs. Since the sale was on, I did pick up a couple of movies. I think since other box stores have reduced or eliminated their physical media footprint, B&N has ended up being the one remaining brick and mortar in the area with a decent selection of admitted niche titles (which is what I'm classifying Criterion as).

That sounds more like my 'local' stores -- within 60 minutes I had/have 4 BN Media store and 2 non-media (very few movies even at the peak).
Almost certainly they have the most Home Media Inventory (New 1st Sale items) in one place now. there are a couple Used Disc stores that are larger, but 90% of their stuff is used.

While the number of titles and space is quite a bit less than it was, the Criterion selection is only slightly smaller and the Arrow section has bumped from 10-20 titles to closer to 50-75 in the last year. Even the biggest downsized store still has around a bit less than 50% of the Criterions they had 3-4 years ago. The better stores are closer to 2/3 or 3/4. They are still some Eclipse sets at both the stores I went to last week ( I was at the other 2 stores in July), but while the Criterion DVD selection is certainly quite a bit smaller they had all the 4K and still most of the BD (1 copy of most of the older titles, but still there)

I did notice a prominent number of Doctor Who titles displayed and a separate section for Ghibli and Anime titles which I don't remember from before. There also seemed to be a good number of British TV sets though skewed mostly to DVD like always (Call the Midwife, Poldark, Agatha Christie, etc)
General mass market standard movies were much less than 5years ago and seemed slanted much more to DVD than I remember. Almost no 4K titles I saw outside Criterion and Arrow -- a couple of the NEW RELEASE standup

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Maybe I'll venture out to a B&N store in Manhattan some time for this sale. Haven't done that in maybe ~2 years -- can't quite remember the last time, but pretty sure it was after pandemic reopening -- but seemed like the 2-3 I've checked (in Tribeca, Union Sq and Midtown) maybe 2-3 years ago probably still have fairly close to the same size media sections, including Criterions, but quite possible some of them have cut back some by now...

All the cutbacks in coupon usage and even membership discounts (especially for their Criterion sales) have completely neutered my desire to make the trek (or keep my prior membership)... even though they're all just a moderate subway ride away (and just ~30-45min door-to-door). But maybe I'll finally give them another visit perhaps combined w/ something else I might do in Manhattan -- too bad none of them are a fairly quick/short bus ride or w/in say 45-min walking distance of the AMC IMAX at Lincoln Sq or I probably woulda done that already.

FWIW, there's actually a decent size B&N w/in a very short walk from my place here in Brooklyn, but they've never had much of a media section (in the entire 20 years I've lived here) and actually basically eliminated what little it had some years ago -- now, it has as little as (or maybe even less than) the nearby Rite Aid, LOL. And for whatever reason, it also never participated in the Criterion sales even back when it used to stock a handful selections (mainly of recent releases), but no meaningful loss since it had so very few titles anyway... For such sales, only thing good about their existence is I can return BDs there, if I ever needed to, LOL.

_Man_

 

[Osato]

I only picked up one title for an early Christmas gift. I have discs from the summer sale that I have not watched yet too!

 

[uncledougie]

..,While the number of titles and space is quite a bit less than it was, the Criterion selection is only slightly smaller and the Arrow section has bumped from 10-20 titles to closer to 50-75 in the last year. Even the biggest downsized store still has around a bit less than 50% of the Criterions they had 3-4 years ago. The better stores are closer to 2/3 or 3/4. They are still some Eclipse sets at both the stores I went to last week ( I was at the other 2 stores in July), but while the Criterion DVD selection is certainly quite a bit smaller they had all the 4K and still most of the BD (1 copy of most of the older titles, but still there)

I did notice a prominent number of Doctor Who titles displayed and a separate section for Ghibli and Anime titles which I don't remember from before. There also seemed to be a good number of British TV sets though skewed mostly to DVD like always..,

Here in Dallas the stock of videos vary widely, but most have cut back at least half or more for allotted space. One prominent B&N closed, a two story location eliminated its dedicated section and put discs on regular bookshelves, others still carry mostly Criterion and lately a standing shelf dedicated to Arrow. I prefer to buy from brick and mortar stores to encourage them to stay open, but luckily don’t have to travel but a few miles to get to several B&N locations. They hurt themselves excluding membership discounts for so many categories awhile back (including Criterion), but I understand profit margins are wafer thin and debatable judgment calls get made.
I got Arsenic and Old Lace already and plan on getting WALL-E 4K when released the last week of the sale (presuming they get stock in time). Some stores have a surprisingly large DVD selection as well, but if a film is available in any other format I avoid those (like John Huston’s The Dead, 1987, which I just ordered on DVD, not hopeful for a Blu-ray at this late date, though who knows?).
If anyone wants an example of the difference a Criterion remastering can make, check out Written on the Wind (1956), which looks like a whole different film compared to the old Criterion DVD version. Just beautiful.

 

[Robert Crawford]

It looks like one of my discs is caught up in the USPS system and hasn't moved since November 23rd. How soon should I contact Barnes & Noble about the missing shipment? Does anybody have a good phone number for them?

 

[David Norman]

It looks like one of my discs is caught up in the USPS system and hasn't moved since November 23rd. How soon should I contact Barnes & Noble about the missing shipment? Does anybody have a good phone number for them?

2 weeks seems plenty of time either to contact USPS and see if they can shake something loose or BN and see if they'll replace it. If it's stuck at Awaiting pick-up I'd start with BN, if it's somewhere In Transit or stuck at a distribution point I might try Postal

The only phone I'm aware of is the usual 1-800-843-2665 or you could try to the Chat Feature

 

[Robert Crawford]

2 weeks seems plenty of time either to contact USPS and see if they can shake something loose or BN and see if they'll replace it. If it's stuck at Awaiting pick-up I'd start with BN, if it's somewhere In Transit or stuck at a distribution point I might try Postal

The only phone I'm aware of is the usual 1-800-843-2665 or you could try to the Chat Feature

Too funny, I contacted USPS yesterday about my missing package and suddenly it shows up at my local post office this morning for delivery later on today. That tells me, it's been here all along in some storage bin at my local USPS facility.

 

[David Norman]

B&N 50% Off Criterion Sale starts Friday June 30 and runs through July 28
I'll make a bigger post with the interim releases as soon as I can find a confirmed date.

Confirmed

Criterion Titles Half Off at Barnes & Noble in July - Media Play News

Barnes & Noble’s latest sale offering 50% off Criterion Collection titles will run from June 30 to July 28 in brick-and-mortar stores and online nationwide. The popular bi-annual event allows … Continue reading "Criterion Titles Half Off at Barnes & Noble in July"

www.mediaplaynews.com

 

[bujaki]

No confirmation yet, but makes sense

B&N 50% Off Criterion Sale starts Friday June 30 and runs through July 28
I'll make a bigger post with the interim releases as soon as I can find a confirmed date.

That should bring us up to One False Move.

 

[David Norman]

Items released since the end of last BN sale -- MSRP approx $40 (BD) or $50 (4K) unless otherwise listed.

Michael Haneke: Trilogy (1989-1994)	715515279918	6-Dec-2022	$80
The Velvet Underground (2021)	715515279611	13-Dec-2022
Cooley High (1975)	715515280013	13-Dec-2022
Three Films by Mai Zetterling (1964-1968)	715515279819	13-Dec-2022	$80
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen 4K (1988)	715515280419	3-Jan-2023
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988)	715515280518	3-Jan-2023
Imitation of Life (1934)	715515280617	10-Jan-2023
Lars von Trier's Europe Trilogy (1984-1991)	715515280815	17-Jan-2023	$100
This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection (2019)	715515280914	24-Jan-2023
Bergman Island (2021)	715515281119	31-Jan-2023
Three Colors 4K (Trois couleurs) (1993-1994)	715515281515	7-Feb-23	$125
Romeo and Juliet (1968)	715515281614	14-Feb-2023
Dazed and Confused 4K (1993)	715515281416	21-Feb-2023
Two Films by Marguerite Duras (1975-1977)	715515281713	28-Feb-2023	$60
Hollywood Shuffle (1987)	715515281911	28-Feb-2023
Mildred Pierce 4K (1945)	715515282413	7-Mar-2023
Last Hurrah for Chivalry (豪俠 / Hao xia) (1979)	715515282512	14-Mar-2023
Inland Empire (2006)	715515282611	21-Mar-2023

Items released since end of last Criterion.com Flash Sale

Chilly Scenes of Winter (1979)	715515282710	28-Mar-2023
The Fisher King 4K (1991)	715515280310	11-Apr-2023
The Seventh Seal 4K (Det sjunde inseglet) (1957)	715515282819	18-Apr-2023
Triangle of Sadness (2022)	715515283311	25-Apr-2023
Triangle of Sadness 4K (2022)	715515283113	25-Apr-2023
Small Axe (2020)	715515283014	25-Apr-2023	$100
Wings of Desire 4K (Der Himmel über Berlin) (1987)	715515282918	2-May-2023
Branded to Kill 4K (殺しの烙印 / Koroshi no rakuin) (1967)	715515283410	9-May-2023
Targets (1968)	715515283519	16-May-2023
Petite Maman (includes My Life as a Zucchini) (2021)	715515283915	23-May-2023
Thelma & Louise (1991)	715515283816	30-May-2023
Thelma & Louise 4K (1991)	715515283717	30-May-2023
The Rules of the Game 4K (La règle du jeu) (1939)	715515284516	6-Jun-2023
Time Bandits 4K (1981)	715515284615	13-Jun-2023	$50
Medicine for Melancholy (2008)	715515284813	20-Jun-2023
The Servant (1963)	715515284714	20-Jun-2023
Red River (1948)	715515285117	20-Jun-2023
Pasolini 101 (1961-1969)	715515284417	27-Jun-2023	$250

Items releasing during the Sale -- should be 50% off MSRP at the start of the sale

After Hours (1985)	715515285513	11-Jul-2023
After Hours 4K (1985)	715515285414	11-Jul-2023
The Watermelon Woman (1996)	715515285315	11-Jul-2023
Breathless 4K (À bout de souffle) (1960)	715515285216
The Ranown Westerns: Five Films Directed by Budd Boetticher 4K (1957-1960)	715515285612	18-Jul-2023	$150
One False Move (1992)	715515285810	25-Jul-2023
One False Move 4K (1992)	715515285711	25-Jul-2023

Items releasing after the end of the Sale. Normally will not be 50% off BUT every once in a while BN will surprise

Dreams 4K (夢 / Yume / Akira Kurosawa's Dreams) (1990)	715515285919	8-Aug-2023
Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart (1985)	715515286015	15-Aug-2023
Bo Widerberg's New Swedish Cinema (1963-1969)	715515286213	22-Aug-2023	$100
Drylongso (1998)	715515286312	29-Aug-2023
The Princess Bride 4K (1987)	715515284318	5-Sep-2023
Walkabout 4K (1971)	715515286817	12-Sep-2023
The Trial (1962)	715515287012	19-Sep-2023
The Trial 4K (1962)	715515286916	19-Sep-2023
Moonage Daydream (2022)	715515287210	26-Sep-2023
La Bamba (1987)	715515287319	26-Sep-2023
Moonage Daydream 4K (2022)	715515287111	26-Sep-2023

 

[Robert Crawford]

Criterion Titles Half Off at Barnes & Noble in July - Media Play News

Barnes & Noble’s latest sale offering 50% off Criterion Collection titles will run from June 30 to July 28 in brick-and-mortar stores and online nationwide. The popular bi-annual event allows … Continue reading "Criterion Titles Half Off at Barnes & Noble in July"

www.mediaplaynews.com

 

[Robert Crawford]

I just completed my shopping list and there are ten releases I'm looking to purchase and every single one of them is 4K/UHD. Therefore, I might have to make some difficult choices and defer some purchases to a future sale. The four in bold are definite purchases. I need to choose another 2-3 from the rest of them.

Breathless
After Hours
Ranown Westerns
One False Move
The Fisher King
The Rules of the Game
Thelma & Louise
Branded to Kill
Wings of Desire
The Seventh Seal

 

[Robert Crawford]

Sale is live as I placed two orders.

Breathless
After Hours
Ranown Westerns
One False Move
Thelma & Louise
Branded to Kill
Wings of Desire
The Seventh Seal

 

[titch]

Will have to wait for Amazon to match.

 

[Dave Lawrence]

Placed my first order:

The Cameraman
Citizen Kane
Deep Cover
Double Indemnity
High Sierra
Hollywood Shuffle
Kiss Me Deadly
Red River
Stagecoach
Targets

Left a few more in my wish list. I expect to place another smaller order in a couple of weeks.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Amazon is starting to price match.

 

[TravisR]

I picked up Targets and Thelma And Louise and I pre-ordered After Hours and One False Move.

 

[Scott Merryfield]

I ordered Lost Highway via an Amazon price match. Used rewards points, so no out of pocket cost.