Criterion Richard III Available 3 Weeks Early at B&N

From an email sent an hour ago to B&N newsletter subscribers:

Now is the spring of your contentment, for the new Criterion Collection Blu-ray of Laurence Olivier's celebrated 1955 Shakespeare adaptation ''Richard III'' is available today at Barnes & Noble -- three weeks earlier than anywhere else. Criterion produced this edition using a new high-definition digital master of the Film Foundation's 2012 restoration, and the bonus material includes an interview with Olivier from a 1966 episode of ''Great Acting.''

Also in there is a Fillm Foundation intro from Martin Scorsese.

It's $35.99 on their site, and is readily available in their stores. When it's widely released, the price will probably only be five or six bucks less than that at retailers like Best Buy and Fry's, but Amazon's pre-order is currently at $27.99 if you don't mind waiting.

The Daily Grab (22): The Boer War

"I spoke this afternoon to Conan Doyle, he thinks something ought to be done about it, too."

...

"And who’s Conan Doyle?"

"The author chap sir, writes the Sherlock Holmes stories in The Strand Magazine."

"This Doyle fellow writes the Sherlock Holmes stories?"

"Yes sir, Conan Doyle. You must have seen his name."

"Never heard of him, but I’ve read every Sherlock Holmes story since they started in July ’91."

"Are you reading The Hound of the Baskervilles, sir?"

"Am I not! What’d you think of the end of the last installment?"

From the outstandingly lovely new Region B locked UK Blu-ray, released over there last week. This is one of the Technicolor films that was in greatest need of rescue and restoration. Marvelous work. Review tomorrow.