Barnes & Noble Semi-Annual 50% off Criterion Sale (4 Viewers)

[David Norman]

On Friday, the Aug/Sept releases weren't 50% off in the computer, but it wouldn't shock me if July 1 and then Aug 1 some/many/all of those do become eligible.

I have 1 Eclipse (the new Bergman set) in addition to a dozen of more BD are on my current shopping list though I think I'm going to let the sale play out and hope for a Member Appreciation weekend to help. If the advance orders work on STH than the list grows significantly.

 

[David Weicker]

Picked up in store
The Awful Truth
King Of Jazz

Did a Ship To Home (thanks David) for
A Matter Of Life And Death

Tried to do a Ship To Home for
Heaven Can Wait (but no 50% so didn’t purchase)

 

[Mike Frezon]

I hit my local B&N tonight...for the sole purpose of picking up the Dietrich/von Sternberg set.

After both the sale discount and my member discount, the set rang up for $56.24.

Suh-weet!

I was worried at first, as I checked the Criterion section and couldn't find any. Then I checked the small bin of Criterions placed at the entry of the media section and couldn't find any. Then I checked the new release end cap and couldn't find any. Then I checked the Criterion box set area and couldn't find any.

The sign was back up which said anyone who wanted customer assistance should go to the main checkout registers. But then my eye spotted a few of them on the counter behind the media section registers. So I just went back there and helped myself.

The clerk tried to tack on his own discount (that he said "you didn't know about") but it wouldn't work. I said, no worries and that I actually had some 20% member discount coupons with me and he insisted on trying to scan those, too. But he then realized the set was ringing up at 50% off already.

A real example of "guy shopping." In and out of the store with the desired item in just a few minutes.

 

[Mike Frezon]

Here's the sign posted in the media section of my local B&N. This is my second consecutive visit that there's been no staff in the media section.

 

[David Norman]

The few times I go on the first couple days of the new releases and if it's not on the new release board or Criterion EndCaps the first place I look now is for unpacked boxes behind the counter. That's esp true if the online inventory says the store is supposed to have stock.

It's sad to see the dept empty and DIY so much of the time now. I've run into some real film fans there who actual know classics and actually buy Criterions. My favorite was a young college student who really loved his Japanese films, anything Samurai, and Anime -- he about freaked out when I bought the Zatoichi box. He was such a big help to me over the years esp working with coupons to make sure any legit coupons would go through. I almost gave it to him too-- probably would have done it if they had 2 sets and I knew he was graduating/moving away soon afterwards.

The good news at least if it's still in the box, it's not likely to have any spider wraps on them, Occasionally I've had to ask the Clerks and as often as not it's either just been sold or already being held for a customer that called or 'pre-ordered a pickup, Only one of my stores appears to have an actual 'backroom' to store merchandise so pretty much what they get is somewhere in plain site though Criterions can get scattered to about 6-8 spots now and occasionally it;s somewhere on the main floor rather than the Media Department.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Here's the sign posted in the media section of my local B&N. This is my second consecutive visit that there's been no staff in the media section.

I was able to check out at the media section, but only because another customer had flagged down someone restocking the shelves, and I got in line before before he could sign out of register.

 

[Jason_V]

Literally went in for Breakfast Club...and there wasn't around. Almost pulled the trigger on Valley of the Dolls/Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, but I decided not to. Blind buys typically don't work for me.

So I'll keep checking and head to one other store to see what they have...

 

[TravisR]

Literally went in for Breakfast Club...and there wasn't around. Almost pulled the trigger on Valley of the Dolls/Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, but I decided not to. Blind buys typically don't work for me.

So I'll keep checking and head to one other store to see what they have...

It's definitely not for everyone but I unironically enjoy Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls because it's a great 70's grindhouse movie. The trailer might even be crazier than the movie:


Valley Of The Dolls is just campy and doesn't have all the crap (girl rock groups, nudity, killing) that makes Beyond so cool.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

^ Also notable for being Roger Ebert's only credited screenplay, though he contributed to Up! and Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens under pseudonyms. He recorded the audio commentary in 2003, shortly before the ill-fated surgery that robbed him of his ability to speak.

 

[Matt Hough]

As campy and over-the-top as Valley of the Dolls is, I still find it utterly preferable for entertainment (for one thing, it's got a very tuneful song score and a handful of entertaining actors) than Beyond the Valley of the Dolls . I find the latter practically unwatchable. Over the years, I've found that everyone's mileage varies with these two.

 

[Vic Pardo]

An excerpt from my notes on VALLEY OF THE DOLLS written immediately after I re-watched it earlier this year for the first time in decades:

Utter trash but absolutely compelling. Why was this such a big hit in 1967? Probably because of the book. It’s a snapshot of the last vestiges of a decaying and putrefying studio system. Why is this so bad when PEYTON PLACE by the same director was so good? It’s so completely tone-deaf to the counterculture, yet maybe that’s why it was a hit, in the way “Hollywood Palace” was a hit at the time.

And a timely tidbit from IMDB's Trivia section for the film:

Original screenwriter Harlan Ellison had his name removed from the credits because he vehemently disagreed with the tacked-on "happy" ending that the studio insisted upon inserting.

This is the first of composer John Williams' 50 Oscar nominations (as of 2017). Williams is currently the most Oscar-nominated living person.

An article on VALLEY OF THE DOLLS from the Criterion website:

https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/4240-valley-of-the-dolls-this-merry-go-round

 

[Nelson Au]

I had the day off and went to my local B&N. It was interesting as there was one guy up in the media section who happen to be going over stock and restocking the bins, some Criterion’s too. He was nice enough to help me find the Dietrich set. But when I went back to pay, he said they don’t do that anymore there, I had to go down to the registers downstairs. The 50% off and membership 10% off was a really nice deal.

After the last sale, I went over my collection and I realized I bought an additional copy of two titles I already had! I’m keeping a list of my titles I own in my iPhone now for handy reference. Now I have to figure out what I’m going to do with the extra titles.

 

[Mike2001]

I completed my purchases of older discs and have preordered the rest of the July releases I am interested in. Please keep us posted on whether they give the discounts for the future preorders. Otherwise I won’t need to go back to the store.

 

[24fpsNinja]

I had the day off and went to my local B&N. It was interesting as there was one guy up in the media section who happen to be going over stock and restocking the bins, some Criterion’s too. He was nice enough to help me find the Dietrich set. But when I went back to pay, he said they don’t do that anymore there, I had to go down to the registers downstairs. The 50% off and membership 10% off was a really nice deal.

After the last sale, I went over my collection and I realized I bought an additional copy of two titles I already had! I’m keeping a list of my titles I own in my iPhone now for handy reference. Now I have to figure out what I’m going to do with the extra titles.

I had to do the same thing as it’s hard to remember all the purchases. Saved in notes. Has come in handy more than a few times.

 

[B-ROLL]

I had to do the same thing as it’s hard to remember all the purchases. Saved in notes. Has come in handy more than a few times.

Criterion ha(s)d a MyCriterion section where you could put your purchases (I put the individual disks in sets in as individual to avoid re-purchasing them but they've been "under construction" for, what seems like, over a month now

 

[Nelson Au]

I’ve been using the reminders list. But the Notes app makes sense too.

 

[Jason_V]

It's definitely not for everyone but I unironically enjoy Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls because it's a great 70's grindhouse movie. The trailer might even be crazier than the movie:


Valley Of The Dolls is just campy and doesn't have all the crap (girl rock groups, nudity, killing) that makes Beyond so cool.

I'm not high on camp and even less so on grindhouse. You are really making me happy I skipped these two and put some money toward Twilight Time titles last week.

 

[bujaki]

I use my DVD Profiler app on my phone when I go shopping online or retail.

 

[TravisR]

I'm not high on camp and even less so on grindhouse. You are really making me happy I skipped these two and put some money toward Twilight Time titles last week.

Yeah, it sounds like you made the right choice.

 

[Jason_V]

Yeah, it sounds like you made the right choice.

I did grab Breakfast Club, Election and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World last night. Only one blind buy in the bunch, but I'm pretty sure I'll like it (Election).