Scott over at “He Shot Cyrus” posted a probing question in one of his many comments yesterday (follow his lead, other readers):
How do you get your movies now? Hollywood or Blockbuster?
Netflix just takes a little planning ahead and while the physical rental stores are still good for quick picks, I save so much money on late fees. Also, their selection is untouchable.
I’ll break it down for you all in order of frequency.
- Houston Public Library. Seriously. They have pretty much any movie I could want from the past decade, and it just takes a little planning (like Scott said). Another big plus is that I can have up to 15 movies out at a time. And did I mention it’s free?
- iTunes. It’s where I go to get my quick fixes for movie cravings (and for some things that the library might not have). I have an Apple TV, so I can watch iTunes rentals on practically any electronic device I own (because I have an iPhone, albeit a cracked one).
- Blockbuster. Ever since they did their bizarre rental schism, I’ve been reluctant to go there. But when I need a movie that hasn’t been released electronically, this is where I go.
- On Demand. AT&T has some nifty on-demand movies on U-Verse, but I usually choose iTunes just because of the more diverse viewing options it offers.
- Redbox. I chronicled my first visit to Redbox back in December, and since then I have only gone back once (I got “Moon,” for those who are particularly curious). I have a couple of coupons for free rentals, so I can imagine using them whenever summer rolls around.
Hope this proves enlightening for those of you thinking, “Gosh, how does that Marshall watch his movies.” Rest easy tonight, you formerly weary souls.
Marshall and the Movies 
Blockbuster needs your support! They will probably go under within 2 or 3 years and then the brick and stone video renting model will be a thing of the past. Sad…
There are no more video renting stores in my area, they have all closed and the nearest one is 25 minuets away. I tried to support but after my family was introduced to pay-per-view in 2003 my video store visits became very few and far between. However, when I was looking for “The Pianist” for my film class last fall, I had to visit my local Blockbuster, the DVD was not immediately available in my library system and this was before I broke down to the Netflix monthly fee. After I rented “The Pianist” and returned it, my local Blockbuster closed down less than a month later.
It’s so funny that I wrote about this now. Today, in my history textbook, I learned about the rise (and fall) of the drive-in theater. Now, I wonder if my children and grandchildren will be reading about the phenomenon that is the movie rental store.
I’m not ready to think of my DVDs as antiques or collectors items (heck, I haven’t even embraced my large collection of VHS tapes antiques yet). I’m not ready for the communal experience of going to the movie store and picking out a stack of movies to die. I’m not ready to replace the video store with the remote. It’s just another way that our society’s insatiable desire to speed up the simple joys in life is slowly isolating all of us.
On a different note, “The Pianist” is an excellent choice. It’s available on iTunes, I know. But that doesn’t help you back then…
Yes, “The Pianist” was fantastic and sparked a mild obsession with Adrian Brody. I watched “The Darjeeling Limited” after reading about it on your FILM of the week a while ago (loved it), and I have “The Brothers Bloom” checked out and will watch it after my crazy finals week. “The Brothers Bloom,” also stars Mark Ruffolo which is another actor I can’t seem to watch enough of currently.
I also agree that there was something special about going to a movie store and picking out a movie. When the Blockbuster near my friend closed I was really sad because I have so many fond memories of us going to Blockbuster together and deciding what our movie for the night would be.
I love this post. 15 free movies at a time! That’s what I’m talking about.
I have ten movies from the library right now.
Castor, let them crumble. Then the mom-and-pop rental stores can have their revival!
Gringo
He Shot Cyrus
Technically, I’m only supposed to be able to rent five. But I found a loophole in the system (“Punch-Drunk Love” style, which you seemed to love).
And also…
@ Jennifer- Thanks for taking my recommendation! Glad you liked “Darjeelng” … I haven’t seen “Brothers Bloom” yet, but I’m hoping to catch it soon.
Speaking of, has anyone else heard about this? Blockbuster might be around a little longer than we thought.
http://www.theledger.com/article/20100420/NEWS/4205038/-1/VIDEO?Title=Netflix-Agrees-to-28-Day-Delay-for-New-Releases
Yes, I’ve noticed Blockbuster advertising all over Rotten Tomatoes that it’s the only place you can get “The Blind Side” and “Sherlock Holmes.” I’m going to be forced to use Blockbuster some this summer to find some of these Academy Award-nominated performances that aren’t on TV or iTunes (“Shadow of the Vampire?” “Before Night Falls?”).