It’s not every morning that I crawl out of bed, log into my laptop and promptly spend a couple hundred dollars. This has been one such rare morning. And I blame Amazon.com and Criterion for my empty wallet. The online retailer has discounted a crapload of Criterion Blu-ray titles this morning with no clue offered as to how long the sale will last. If you’re a fanatical Collection collector, as I am, you’ll want to head over there as soon as possible to take advantage of the low prices. And when I say low, I mean, the lowest these bad boys have ever been available on Amazon, through Barnes & Noble or directly through Criterion.com, even with discount coupon codes.
Take note of the massive 58% discount on the BBS boxed set and the 59% discount on the Yojimbo/Sanjuro set. This is the cheapest these have ever been and I doubt if they’ll ever be priced any lower. In addition, Brian De Palma‘s Blow Out, which only hits shops today, is slashed to $18.99, a record low for such a high profile, brand new Criterion release. I’ve also just noticed that the MSRP for the upcoming Makioka Sisters Blu-ray is lower than usual, bringing the regular 30% discount Amazon price to only $19.99 – Not a part of the big sale but an awesome deal nonetheless.
(And yeah, that’s comedian Bill Hader shopping Criterion like a madman in the video above, as I was a short time ago, and as you might be shortly…)
UPDATE – MAY 10, 2011: Well, after a long run of almost a couple of weeks, the sale has come to an end. I’m not going to go through and update the prices on the images below but you can still click through and check out the going rate on Amazon. Ten of the discs are actually still selling for more than 50% off as I write this (Kes, Le Cercle Rouge, Broadcast News, The Red Shoes and more!)
Click on the disc covers to purchase on Amazon.com:
![America Lost and Found: The BBS Story (Head / Easy Rider / Five Easy Pieces / Drive, He Said / The Last Picture Show / The King of Marvin Gardens / A Safe Place) (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1972)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/61lSl6VsnbL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "America Lost and Found: The BBS Story (Head / Easy Rider / Five Easy Pieces / Drive, He Said / The Last Picture Show / The King of Marvin Gardens / A Safe Place) (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1972)")
SALE ENDED - $89.89
![Yojimbo & Sanjuro (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1962)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/51yDhAe_SnL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "Yojimbo & Sanjuro (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1962)")
$28.99 (59% off)
![Blow Out (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1981)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/61uKuQYdx3L._SL500_AA300_1_150x150.jpg "Blow Out (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1981)")
$18.99 (52% off)
![Sweet Smell of Success (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1957)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/513MpJqGQFL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "Sweet Smell of Success (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1957)")
$18.49 (54% off)
![Le Cercle Rouge (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1970)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/51Ivz0O8KHL._SL500_AA300_2_150x150.jpg "Le Cercle Rouge (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1970)")
$18.99 (52% off)
![The Double Life of Veronique (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1991)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/51yPa3VouXL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "The Double Life of Veronique (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1991)")
$18.99 (52% off)
![Yi Yi (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (2000)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/41Ye5LuoHYL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "Yi Yi (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (2000)")
$19.99 (50% off)
![The Red Shoes (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1948)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/41l5GUXqukL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "The Red Shoes (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1948)")
$18.49 (54% off)
![Fish Tank (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (2009)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/4167u68T8nL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "Fish Tank (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (2009)")
$18.49 (54% off)
![Topsy-Turvy (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1999)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/61hQ1VKBTAL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "Topsy-Turvy (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1999)")
$18.99 (52% off)
![The Mikado (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1939)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/61214_XyiL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "The Mikado (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1939)")
$18.99 (52% off)
![Still Walking (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (2008)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/51JzJn5M2L._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "Still Walking (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (2008)")
$17.99 (55% off)
![Shock Corridor (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1963)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/51QrnhrGaUL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "Shock Corridor (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1963)")
$17.99 (55% off)
![The Naked Kiss (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1964)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/51AaaP2tBvL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "The Naked Kiss (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1964)")
$17.99 (55% off)
![Modern Times (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1905)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/41E7sf28t3L._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "Modern Times (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1905)")
$18.49 (54% off)
![Amarcord (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1973)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/51uoo9BCI4L._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "Amarcord (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1973)")
$17.99 (55% off)
![Kes (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1969)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/51qYvdnIONL._SL500_AA300_2_150x150.jpg "Kes (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1969)")
$18.99 (52% off)
![White Material (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (2009)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/51lCZBQ92L._SL500_AA300_2_150x150.jpg "White Material (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (2009)")
$18.99 (52% off)
![8 1/2 (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1963)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/51CWz5hm4SL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "8 1/2 (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1963)")
$17.49 (56% off)
![The Seventh Seal (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1957)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/41ROxJjlL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "The Seventh Seal (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1957)")
$17.99 (55% off)
![Army of Shadows (Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1969)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/41wkQTh1mbL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "Army of Shadows (Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1969)")
$17.99 (55% off)
![Broadcast News (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1987)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/51KEA17cq5L._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "Broadcast News (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1987)")
$18.49 (54% off)
![Senso: The Criterion Collection [Blu-ray] (1954)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/51bVBVSl1oL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "Senso: The Criterion Collection [Blu-ray] (1954)")
$17.99 (55% off)
![Paths of Glory (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/51iUAaenbiL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "Paths of Glory (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]")
$17.99 (55% off)
![The Leopard (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1963)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/514Ytoo0bWL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "The Leopard (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1963)")
$21.49 (57% off)
![Au revoir les enfants (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1987)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/51PAgh_sQ_L._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "Au revoir les enfants (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1987)")
$19.99 (50% off)
![Breathless (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1960)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/516yzywc3fL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "Breathless (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1960)")
$17.49 (56% off)
![M (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1931)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/41669DS7uoL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "M (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1931)")
$17.99 (55% off)
![Wings of Desire (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1987)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/41hitvPnNL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "Wings of Desire (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] (1987)")
$17.49 (56% off)
![The Makioka Sisters: The Criterion Collection [Blu-ray] (1983)](/wp_content/uploads/2011/04/517Ze46avNL._SL500_AA300__150x150.jpg "The Makioka Sisters: The Criterion Collection [Blu-ray] (1983)")
$19.99 (33% off)
[...] Criterion goddamn Amazon sale eating up my goddamn savings and sucking up all my available goddamn blog time!! I woke up [...]