criterionforum.org

Ishmael wrote:So unless you're going to check every Criterion title on a regular basis in order to keep your list up to date, you're not going to come up with anything definitive.

yes-- unfortunately this is becoming more and more clear to me. at the very least, hopefully this thread can be a place where the netflix subscribers among us can share experiences and clear up netflix's ambiguities on a case-by-case basis.

Well, I can say this: whatever happens, don't bother e-mailing Netflix's customer service department with a problem. First, they respond with a form letter that doesn't apply to your problem. Then, if you persist, you'll get a nasty reply detailing exactly why nothing is ever their fault. I wished I'd saved some of those e-mails; for awhile I amused myself by acting aggravated with them, just to see what they'd say. Their customer service department is truly the least professional outfit I've ever encountered, which is saying something.

Thankfully, I haven't had too many problems with Netflix, other than the usual problems that might occur from shipping dvds in paper sleeves through the mail. I remember taking one dvd out of the sleeve, and as I walked the three feet from my couch to the dvd player, the dvd simply fell apart into two pieces!

I use Netflix because they're not the Evil Empire of Blockbuster (although Netflix would become Blockbuster if they could...). The ideal solution would be Rutgers' library actually having all the dvds I want to watch, but until that happens, netflix it is.

they carry one of the two Cinema Europe discs

Ishmael wrote:Well, I can say this: whatever happens, don't bother e-mailing Netflix's customer service department with a problem. First, they respond with a form letter that doesn't apply to your problem. Then, if you persist, you'll get a nasty reply detailing exactly why nothing is ever their fault. I wished I'd saved some of those e-mails; for awhile I amused myself by acting aggravated with them, just to see what they'd say. Their customer service department is truly the least professional outfit I've ever encountered, which is saying something.

Pretty much my experience as well. Even offering friendly corrective information to mistakes/misinformation gets a snarky response once you get past the auto-replies. Still, I love them as long as I don't have to actually converse with them.

starmanof51 wrote:Still, I love them as long as I don't have to actually converse with them.

Oh, yeah, it's a great and indispensable service, which works well most of the time. It's just fun to complain about them. Does everybody know about the throttling thing? If you return movies too quickly, they begin to hold them before sending you your next film. They also make sure that renters with less usage get new or Long Wait movies before renters who rent a lot. They call this "throttling," and it's a nasty ploy to make sure your "unlimited" rentals cannot possibly exceed more than 12 a month (on their 3-at-a-time plan). I suspected this for years and was delighted to have my paranoia finally confirmed by one of their head dudes in an AOL article some time back.

I'm on 3 at a time, and average around 20 discs a month when I turn them over on the next day or day after that. I HAVE gone through throttling-like periods, but not lately.

Regarding comminicating with them, they DO have a toll-free no. ?888-net-flix....I think.

I also love that, as a Chicago resident, it's not uncommon for me to receive discs from Georgia, California, Connecticut...but only when I'm returning things really, really quickly.

since Netflix's aberrations are recalcitrant to categorization, perhaps we can re-title this thread Netflix - no-shows, toss-ups and other vagaries. (this may just involve having a greater number of more specific lists in the lead post.)

it would be nice for this thread to be a clearing house for the netflix members among us to inventory and make sense of Netflix's occasional head-scratchers. suggestions are welcome.

as for throttling, i've received well over 12 discs in my first month back with service. for now i will bask.

for starters, I rented "Kind Hearts and Coronets" and definetly did NOT get the Criterion version.

Secondly, they don't appear to carry Hong Sang-soo's newly released Turning Gate.

Does anyone have the email address to send them title suggestions? I reskimmed through the thread and it didn't pop out at me, and I spent more than a few minutes browsing the website and I can't find it anymore. I don't know if my brain isn't functioning properly this morning or if they removed it. Thanks.

apparently they don't carry the so-called bonus disc of Facets' 4-disc Luc Moullet Collection. frustrating and bizarre.

I don't think any of the Three War Films are available, or at least they weren't back in the days before I broke down and just bought the box.

domino harvey wrote:I don't think any of the Three War Films are available, or at least they weren't back in the days before I broke down and just bought the box.

They do carry Kanal, but it isn't the Criterion.

justeleblanc wrote:They offer both versions of Yi Yi.

Hmmm... As far as I can tell they have the criterion cover for Yi Yi up but, I think like starmanof51 says, they just send the Fox Lorber disc. One of the reviews on the site even says this, and I've searched around to see if they list the other version but they don't. Did you mean they offer both versions as in they have both versions but it's a gamble in regards to which one they send you?

Does anybody know the status of Criterion's Rohmer box on Netflix? They have Criterion covers up for each DVD in the set, but I know they had the Fox Lorber covers up previously. I'm guessing they're offering both and it's a toss-up, but can anybody confirm that they've received the Criterion versions so that we know whether it's at least worth a try?

Mizoguchi's Taira Clan Saga not available, but then again Amazon is the only place online that has it.

Kirkinson wrote:Does anybody know the status of Criterion's Rohmer box on Netflix?

I got the Criterion My Night at Maud's from them, but it's the only one I've tried.

I've gotten all of the Rohmer Criterions through netflix when they first released, so I can confirm they have those.

Great news, thanks!

I just had a good laugh... on my Netflix page I got this:

Because you enjoyed: The Bicycle Thief

We think you'll enjoy: Cosmos: The Complete Collection

I wonder how much the guy got paid for developing the software that
makes such amazing connections between related titles such as these!

I suppose a case could be made that Carl Sagan was a neo-Realist.

Netflix is showing the Criterion cover art for Shoot the Piano Player... here I go...

Has anyone received the old crummy version since the CC was released?

duane hall wrote:Netflix is showing the Criterion cover art for Shoot the Piano Player... here I go...

Has anyone received the old crummy version since the CC was released?

I got the CC version.

Responding to other posts, I wonder how many folks don't live near their Netflix shipping center. I live just outside of New Brunswick, NJ, which is where my discs go, and so when I put a disc in the mail, they get it the following day and ship the next one. For example, if I get a movie out with Monday's mail, I'll receive the next movie on Wed. Does everybody live pretty close to a shipping center, or do some live far enough away that it takes two or more days for them to receive a disc?

jbeall wrote:Responding to other posts, I wonder how many folks don't live near their Netflix shipping center. I live just outside of New Brunswick, NJ, which is where my discs go, and so when I put a disc in the mail, they get it the following day and ship the next one. For example, if I get a movie out with Monday's mail, I'll receive the next movie on Wed. Does everybody live pretty close to a shipping center, or do some live far enough away that it takes two or more days for them to receive a disc?

I'm in the same situation. I live just a couple small towns away from the nearest warehouse, so my turnaround time is pretty quick, except for the odd occasion that a disc will be sent from some place else.

On an unrelated note, I'm also just a 10-minute drive from the DeepDiscount/DVDPlanet warehouse and HQ.

the Honeymoon Killers is now unavailable on Netflix