Local library.
Damn straight.
10 movies per week FOR FREE at the local library- was able to limit my Netflix down to 2 per week.. Both amazing
Heather,
We patronized the local vocal stores until the were put out of business by Blockbuster moving in. Now we use Netflix and the local library, or just buy rather than rent. But I agree it would be nice to still have an independent neighborhood shop.
While I agree with the philosophy about the economical benefits about renting from your local video store, I’ll have to disagree that it would prompt stores to bring in those harder to find titles as you suggest. Blockbuster has had the opportunity to do this for years and years, and never budged. Storefront video stores cannot afford to keep up with the versatility of Netflix for obvious business 101 reasons, that’s why they have diversified in the last 10 years to include video games, video game systems and rentals and other products. Even with all this I can’t see video rental stores surviving much longer, when it’s so much cheaper, and expansive, to do busines online and via mail. I do see more specialized DVD retail stores, like DVDplanet.com
Local library. If I’m hard up for a film fix, and the librarie’s closed I’ll go to a rental store and rent one or two.
The only reason I do netflix is because I’d have to drive 2 hours to the city in order to rent anything I’d like to watch. Of those films that are available in the local small town video rental place, I do get. But that’s rare. For people in large cities, there is not that much of a need for netflix. But for us stuck in small-town america, it’s almost all we got. That’s the only reason I order anything online (mainly cd’s, dvd’s, and books). I’d be willing to pay a little more for it if it were within 20 miles, but 95% of the time it never is. I don’t like the idea of big corporations like netflix or amazon getting all my money, but you do what you gotta do sometimes.
I do a combination of Netflix and the library. Netflix is certainly convenient, but there’s also something appealing about taking a walk to the local library, browsing the selection and picking out a movie on a whim.
I have had the Blockbuster movie pass for close to 5 years now, I changed 3 locations to get access to more and more foreign stuff, but oft recently I have also started netflix’ing for stuff that’s not in BB and that’s been on my “to watch” list for a long time.
Hate to go all capitalist, but Netflix truly is the better product. Brick and mortar stores do not have the shelf space and organization necessary to compete, and Netflix truly has (almost) everything. I believe, if it’s lacking in anything, they should really get around to re-ordering movies that people kept faster, like The American Astronaut.
I know that a lot of people feel connected to Ye Locale Independent Video Rental Store, but I remind you that culture is created, not defined. Those very people that you can meet and discuss movies with there are on this board or similar like them, and I believe you can meet them anyway. The shift created by the Internet is such that a lot of movies that were previously unknown of are now readily available, expanding horizons even beyond the walls of even the most well-stocked store. Ideas and influences can be shared and thus inspire new cultural activities with a little patience and imagination.
I do feel for the independent owners who find themselves closing shop after owning their own personal business for some years. I happen to know one of those owners; a local shop closed down and it was a very sad thing. But she donated most of the stock to the library so that it’d still remain available, and now is working on other community film related things, like small festivals and the burgeoning production community here. And if any of the movies in the festival or produced here are made, think about the national audience it can gain if the DVDs are available to rent on Netflix.
I, myself, work in a video rental store. I’ve worked there so long I am incredibly familiar with its limitations. The fact is, all of the mainstream stores basically subsist on the same product; i.e., you can rent “Quantum of Solace” anywhere today, and everyone has it, and that’s how they make their money. The audience defined by the type of people who only rent movies like Quantum of Solace and Punisher 2 do not support, will not support, and do not care about other types of cinema. Netflix allows theoretical infinite space on this issue—enough copies of Body of Lies for everyone within a couple of months or so, with a vast selection of Kurosawa at the same time. And I notice that most of the movies on my queue don’t exactly have long waits, if you know what I mean—but they exist and are on my queue. Again, complain all you want, but people don’t rent ‘em. YOU don’t rent ‘em, else they’d have longer waits on my queue! Netflix as a digital retail allows those movies to be stored for those who want them without as much need to remove them from shelves when they become inactive. That means they can be saved for those who DO want to watch them, and for those who DO finally get curious and check them out. I fail to see why this is a bad thing.
—PolarisDiB
local library. though they don’t have EVERYTHING
BitTorrent or the local library…
Ivan’s Childhood arrives in my mailbox today. That’s really all that needs to be said. Besides, I’m quite sure that Netlix contributes handsomely to our economy and provides many nice folks with jobs, including our good old USPO, who could use all the help they can get before our stamp prices balloon out of control (which they probably will anyway). However, I do agree with the mom and pop atmoshere, browsing, human interaction etc. part of the equation. But I also miss the blacksmith and the milkman too. So it goes.
I love getting that little red envelope in the mail.
I just want to apologize, I wrote my post this morning soon after I woke up, and it’s an absolute mess of an argument. I still hold to the opinions behind them, but holy hell is that post a mess.
—PolarisDiB
“I know that a lot of people feel connected to Ye Locale Independent Video Rental Store, but I remind you that culture is created, not defined. Those very people that you can meet and discuss movies with there are on this board or similar like them, and I believe you can meet them anyway”
I just found this so funny. You ARE kidding right? If you aren’t kidding, you are born and bred internet. You really need to get out there. There are live people outside your house. Some of them are even worth talking to, if you’d just try.
The public library, torrenting, and Blockbuster.
I actually don’t rent that much, it’s usually the movie theatre for me and frequenting used movie stores in Toronto and the used section at Blockbuster or Rogers Video (for those of you who are Canadian like me) and then there is for Torrenting those movies I just don’t want to pay for.
ok, somebody explain torrenting please . . .
“I just found this so funny. You ARE kidding right? If you aren’t kidding, you are born and bred internet. You really need to get out there. There are live people outside your house. Some of them are even worth talking to, if you’d just try.”
Looks around
Yup…
Pokes self
Got a life.
Satisfied sigh
Wait ‘til I tell my friends about the sass I received on Teh Intarwebs. Oh wait, they don’t care. We’ll probably just enjoy our life instead.
No but really, cheers to that. My point still stands. I didn’t create my short films in vacuums with no friends and no people I knew. I talked to people and got them interested in helping me. I created my own film culture, and one that’s been fun and exciting to subsist in; and I get a lot of joy from watching it grow. And mine isn’t the only group of filmmakers/watchers/buffs/whores around here—I keep meeting people all the time.
And some of them have even created networking sites. Fancy that.
The Internet is a tool. I like to use it.
—PolarisDiB
i used to work in a video store with a great selection…before that, i rent them at the national library and at my university (5 free films a week). i used to rent to my local independent video store for couple of years but my personal economy suffered a bit…now i just download from torrent sites…you can find almost whatever you want and in some case, it’s the only way to be able to see the movie without order it online in PAL version because it didn’t get a proper north american dvd release. especially for the french films.
i still buy a lot tough…
Library, NetFlix, hard to find stuff/fansubs/oop/etc = Torrents and I’ve been buying favorites on Blu-ray when they’re out.
Library, hands down. Scratched discs get annoying though.
I prefer TLA Video, everyone living in or near Philadelphia should go to TLA. They have almost all the Criterion movies along with huge selections of foreign and gay and lesbian movies… for only $4 per movie! Or, if you rent often enough, you can get a subscription plan to have out any 3 movies at a time. I LOVE my TLA, I drive 20 minutes there and 20 minutes back.
Library, basically I hit each one till I’ve seen all the films I’m interested in seeing that they have then move on to the next one, I have about five or six in my area, Once I’ve seen all of them from all those I’m going to get Netflix.
im a lazy bum so i haven’t rented in years from library or rental. never had a netflix account either.
in all honesty, i almost always just download films I want to see through less then legal means. I dont think its too morally low though since if I end up liking the film, I almost always end up purchasing it down the line.
As with Heather at the top of this posting, I am Canadian. I also own a video store in Barrie, Ontario. Our store has been in the same location for 23 years and we have seen MANY video stores come and go. About 10 years ago Blockbuster moved in one block away and opened 4 more locations throughout the city. Even with Blockbuster, zip.ca ( which is like netflix ), the local library and all the other competition we remain strong. We are the largest supporter to the Barrie film festival, we support more than 20 local sports associations, clubs and teams, we are greatly involved in food drives, supporting local shelters ( free movies ) and the list goes on. You will not get this from your local library, zip.ca ( aka netflix ) or even Blockbuster.
Over the 23 years we have reinvested many times expanding our store to 10,000 square feet, we carry 38,000 different titles and almost 100,000 volumes. We do special video orders and pride ourselves at finding those hard to get titles. We want the first movie Tom Hanks ever made? We have it. You want the movie that created Buffy the Vampire Slayer? We have it. Our video rentals range from $1.99 to the maximum of $3.98 (inc. Bluray) and we offer many deals like rent 7 weekly DVD rentals for $14.00 taxes included.
The knowledge of are staff is unmatched. If you’re looking for a movie and cannot remember a title or star, just ask. It’s an experience coming into the store. ( free popcorn on fri, sat & sun ). Give people a reason for coming to your store and they will remain loyal customers. If you’re only in it for the money and profit, you’ll go out of business.
Brian, it sounds like you now how to run a business and I applaud you for that. Unfortunately, I’ve never seen a video store like the one you just described. I think I would enjoy it.
Heather
what are your renting habits?
netflix is completely foreign to me, i’m canadian, and the closest thing we have here is zip.ca which hasn’t come close to the same success or popularity. i also recently became a major shareholder in the independent video store I’ve spent the last 6 years working in; obsessed with. obviously the success of downloading and mail order rentals bothers me, but on a personal level as much as a professional one. we’re now living in a time of convenience over culture. everything can be delivered to our door and our hard drive so we don’t even need to leave our houses anymore. but i actually LOVE to leave my house, and see other people. i typically rate a neighbourhood by it’s bookstores, movie theatres, and walkability, all of which are seem to be in serious decline. i recognize that a lot of people live in places where obscure films are just unavailable and in that case i think netflix is essential. but the tragedy is that there are people waiting weeks for films to come in the mail when they could just go across town and get it now, and maybe make a connection with the person they’re renting it from.
i guess i just wish that people ask themselves this question when their adding a title to their queue: “can i get this in town?” because the more you spend in your local video store, the more likely it is that they’ll bring in those harder to find titles. and when you rent locally, you’re putting money back into your own community, rather than into the hands of invisible corporate giants…