criterionforum.org

SncDthMnky wrote:It's interesting that there is a promotion code box in the checkout. It might only be used to redeem the 50$ coupons for spending 500, but they may give us further discounts through newsletters and competitions and such.

I noticed that. I like what it says when you click on "what's this" -

We use promotion codes for a number of different kinds of discounts.

You guys might want to know that the staff of Criterion will not be lovingly hand-packing your DVDs and shipping them to you sealed with a kiss. Criterion are using Resoultion, Inc., a fulfillment service used by many small-label and educational media firms and, uh, Oprah. Just google the mailing address "P.O BOX 2284, South Burlington, VT 05407" or the fax number "1-802-864-9846".

Sorry. I know, it's like I just told you there's no Santa Claus.

I wonder if the recent Supreme Court decision on price setting has anything to do with Criterion opening up their own store? I'm sure it can't hurt...

Matt wrote:You guys might want to know that the staff of Criterion will not be lovingly hand-packing your DVDs...

It actually is a little disappointing (thought not remotely surprising) to know that they will not be coming directly from East 52nd. When original version of the store first opened, Criterion was packing and shipping all the merch themselves. Customer service was as great as you'd expect from such a small company. Obviously an inventory of 400+ dvd titles is a little tougher to manage than a few t-shirts and caps. Hopefully, this fulfillment house will do them proud.

I understand that Tamara's desk has been moved to the shipping department.

Maybe I should delete this post...

lol

Jeff wrote:As Matt pointed out, the fact that they are offering any discount off the MSRP at all is a big deal. Most manufacturers who sell their products directly to consumers charge the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price since, you know, they are the manufacturer who suggested that retail price in the first place. As long as they are competitive, I would much rather give my cash directly to Criterion. They might as well set up an automatic withdrawal from my checking account at this point anyway.

I'd love to give my business to Criterion directly, too (I'm one of those who buys every title). But looking at the store prices, it's just not even close to stop shopping at DVD Planet, for me anyway. Robinson Crusoe, Threepenny Opera and Martha Graham are each going for $31.96 at the Criterion Store, while they are each $25.97 at DVD Planet. That's a difference of almost $18.00.

It's not Criterion's fault...and they still get my business, only indirectly.

Tribe

I'm with Tribe. DVD Planet can't be beat. No tax, no shipping (with orders over $25, which is effectively every order), plus you get $40 with every $1000 you spend (which, believe me, happens fast). Add to that the monthly coupons and you're spending almost as low as $20 per upper-tier Criterion. Add to that the 20%-off sales and it's like Criterions were the price of regular 'ol DVDs.

I'd also love to support CC directly, but my pocketbook won't allow it.

NB: I don't work for DVD Planet, nor do I own stock, or have family connections, or whatever. I just think they've got the best deal on CCs (for those in the States, at least).

They were the best deal until they formed that unholy alliance with PadYellEnvelCo

True, but they seem to have taken notice and are evaluating the situation. Perhaps they'll switch to boxes if sales suddenly drop.

Matt wrote:You guys might want to know that the staff of Criterion will not be lovingly hand-packing your DVDs and shipping them to you sealed with a kiss. Criterion are using Resoultion, Inc., a fulfillment service used by many small-label and educational media firms and, uh, Oprah. Just google the mailing address "P.O BOX 2284, South Burlington, VT 05407" or the fax number "1-802-864-9846".

Sorry. I know, it's like I just told you there's no Santa Claus.

I'm saddened that people could be saddened by this.

I'm saddened too, but I'm not sure by what part yet-- I'll let you know tho

I'm saddened by the fact that they will only ship to the US or Canada. Because, of course, nobody else in the world would be interested in Criterion dvds...

jt wrote:I'm saddened by the fact that they will only ship to the US or Canada. Because, of course, nobody else in the world would be interested in Criterion dvds...

I can field this one: Because Criterion have licensed these films solely for American release, they can't ship directly to other countries without violating these agreements. Third party sellers are, of course, exempt from this policy, which is why you can still buy them from Amazon etc.

I figured. Shame they couldn't find a way around it though, ship the films from the Caymans or something.

I was going to order the rest of this month's titles but this fact really put me off:

Ships on 09/18/2007

I wonder if they'd break street date.

SncDthMnky wrote:It's interesting that there is a promotion code box in the checkout. It might only be used to redeem the 50$ coupons for spending 500, but they may give us further discounts through newsletters and competitions and such.

Oh, like that extra 10% they just handed us? Unfortunately, I'll have to refrain from using the store for DVD shopping because of the extra NY sales tax for myself (it's the little things that count), but 30% off for everyone else is not a bad deal at all. I will still order posters through them, I think that was a great idea, and wouldn't be surprised if the concept is expanded to other cinephile-related products. Hell, they could basically just become an e-tailer, selling their own DVDs with accompanying books, shirts and posters.

Oh, like that extra 10% they just handed us? Unfortunately, I'll have to refrain from using the store for DVD shopping because of the extra NY sales tax for myself (it's the little things that count), but 30% off for everyone else is not a bad deal at all.

20% off + 10% off = 28% off. Only when they offer a TAKE20 coupon they are going to beat DVDPlanet's 35%.

jt wrote:I figured. Shame they couldn't find a way around it though, ship the films from the Caymans or something.

Doesn't matter. If let's say in the UK territory someone buys their VENGEANCE IS MINE or ONIBABA directly from something that could be corporately construed as their own retailing operation, Nick could sick a fuckin lawyer on them faster than you could sneeze the word TORT thru your teeth. For stealing their business and bleeding the MoC investment. Companies pay lots of money to acquire that pesky thing called distribution rights.. and even though the violations go both ways thru third party retailers (kind of like the way the US & USSR fought each other by proxy by third party war retailers of north & south Vietnam or Korea... the reason places like DVD Planet get such low pricing wholesale.. it's CC's back door into europe/world), if the companies sold directly to outside markets... well then it'd mean that distribution rights were ethereal and canceled, and the folks who'd get really pissed would be the original copyright holders... because they could no longer sell those rights over and over again in a zillion different territories. For the time being I think regions are a semi-good thing. It'd be one thing if every disc was from CC or MoC, and they could sklap their products on shelves across the globe; but it's really terrible as in the case of Riefenstahl in R1... her OLYMPIA and BLUE LIGHT are locked into a distribution deal in awful editions and you can at least get slightly better editions elsewhere. Imagine if they could acquire the global rights and there was no alternative edition? It'd be awful. Imagine there waqs no alternative to all those vomitous Facets??

Der Müde Tod wrote:20% off + 10% off = 28% off. Only when they offer a TAKE20 coupon they are going to beat DVDPlanet's 35%.

Yeah, I know. I just ordered five upcoming titles to take advantage of the extra ten percent off, just to be supportive. But I would have saved an additional $20 had I ordered the same titles from DVD Planet. I knew I was over paying, so it's cool with me. But I won't be doing this every month, even assuming they have a perpetual extra 10% off for us...

EDIT: I re-did my math...actually, the difference between what I would have saved had I ordered from DVD Planet was just a little over $11.

the Criterion Collection Store (as far as DVDs are concerned) is for the same person who buys a coffee table book in a museum gift shoppe. They know perfectly well that they're overpaying, it's a status thing. Crit Rep

Taking a page from the DVDPlanet playbook, Criterion's fulfillment center shipped me my poster in a tube comprised of two smaller tubes taped together, meaning that I was delivered a poster nearly bent in half during shipping. #-o

Gigi M. wrote:I was going to order the rest of this month's titles but this fact really put me off:

Ships on 09/18/2007

I wonder if they'd break street date.

I decided to test out ordering from the store and picked up Robinson Crusoe. I received notice yesterday that it shipped, so I'm hoping it'll arrive on the 18th.

I also live in NYC and not only have to pay tax through the store, but could probably walk to a store that does break the street date and get it now.

I'm justifying everything by telling myself that Criterion is getting a bigger chunk of my money, so they can produce even better discs. And I think the $50 for $500 discount may come in handy at some point in the future.

Or I'm just crazy.

You're crazy. I can't imagine even spending $50 there much less $500

I wish they wouldn't have slapped "50 years of Janus" over the top of that beautiful Seventh Seal poster. I hope many more of the posters come though. I'd die for a Marriage of Maria Braun poster that looks like the cover of the DVD.