# I can watch any movie I want for free. Now what? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 14, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-watch-any-movie-i-want-for-free-now-what/207293 "2003-10-14T01:20:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Catalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@Catalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catalyst)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-watch-any-movie-i-want-for-free-now-what/207293/1 "2003-10-14T01:20:05Z")
Last week I started work for a video and game rental store. One of the perks is that I can get nearly any movie or video game for free (up to three per night, excluding movies released within the past 21 days, but including movies that aren’t available for public rental yet like _The Matrix Reloaded_, which comes out tomorrow). Only problem is, I have no idea what to watch. So, since money isn’t an issue, any recommendations? ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-watch-any-movie-i-want-for-free-now-what/207293/2 "2003-10-14T01:27:00Z")
Anything by the Coen Brothers. Fargo, The Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Thou, Raising Arizona, Barton Fink, Miller’s Crossing, Blood Simple, The Hudsucker Proxy, The Man Who Wasn’t There… I’ll stop listing. They’re all great. Look them up on IMDB. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-watch-any-movie-i-want-for-free-now-what/207293/3 "2003-10-14T01:34:53Z")
Do you work for a crap chain like Blockbuster or Hollywood Video? If you work for an independent, then you may have a strong Foreign and Classics selection. I know that’s where I’d pillage first. Old movies, in particular, are great because they tend to have shorter running times so you can fit more in a night (not to mention that the movies themselves are usually better than most product in the “New Releases” section). ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-watch-any-movie-i-want-for-free-now-what/207293/4 "2003-10-14T01:36:45Z")
Um, what kind of movies do you like? ---
**Author:** ![Catalyst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@Catalyst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catalyst)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-watch-any-movie-i-want-for-free-now-what/207293/5 "2003-10-14T02:10:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ArchiveGuy \* > \*\*Do you work for a crap chain like Blockbuster or Hollywood Video? If you work for an independent, then you may have a strong Foreign and Classics selection. I know that’s where I’d pillage first. Old movies, in particular, are great because they tend to have shorter running times so you can fit more in a night (not to mention that the movies themselves are usually better than most product in the “New Releases” section). \*\* Yeah, I do work for a crap chain. But hey, a job’s a job. That does mean that I don’t have much access to foreign films, though. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wumpus \* > **Um, what kind of movies do you like?** Good question. I’m sure real film buffs (no pun intended) will retch, but some favorites that come to mind are _Snatch_,\* Fight Club\*, _Requiem for a Dream_, and _The Boondock Saints_. I love _The Lord of the Rings_ in any medium and I’m a fan of sci-fi and fantasy in general, though the movies I’ve listed don’t really seem to support that. In any case, I figure that there’s no reason _not_ to heed any of these suggestions since I can simply turn off the movie without having wasted any cash. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-watch-any-movie-i-want-for-free-now-what/207293/6 "2003-10-14T02:31:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gadfly \* > Fargo, The Big Lebowski, O Brother Where Art Thou, Raising Arizona, Barton Fink, Miller’s Crossing, Blood Simple, The Hudsucker Proxy, The Man Who Wasn’t There… > > I’ll stop listing. They’re all great. …except for _Barton Fink_. 😉 There are few things in life more painful than watching John Goodman sweat in a wifebeater for three hours. ---
**Author:** ![Nanook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nanook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanook)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-watch-any-movie-i-want-for-free-now-what/207293/7 "2003-10-14T03:34:36Z")
EYE OF GOD with Martha Plimpton, Kevin Anderson, Nick Stahl and Hal Holbrook. Brilliantly structured script by Tim Blake Nelson and solid acting make this little-known powerful drama a must-see. ---
**Author:** ![CyberPundit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@CyberPundit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CyberPundit)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-watch-any-movie-i-want-for-free-now-what/207293/8 "2003-10-14T04:33:46Z")
Have you tried anime? For fantasy try Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away two great films by Hayao Miyazaki (the most famous anime director). For science fiction try Ghost in the Shell and Metropolis. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-watch-any-movie-i-want-for-free-now-what/207293/9 "2003-10-14T04:54:09Z")
Well, are you looking for entertainment or are you looking for more “film as art”? I like the Sam Raimi/Bruce Campbell flicks, but that’s me. ---
**Author:** ![BioHazard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3bc359/32.png) [@BioHazard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BioHazard)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-watch-any-movie-i-want-for-free-now-what/207293/10 "2003-10-14T06:11:45Z")
In my Top 10 favorite movies (excluding ones you’ve already mentioned) in no particular order: Breakfest At Tiffany’s The Breakfest Club The Graduate Brazil American History X The Beach The Man With No Name Trilogy (Fistfull of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good The Bad and The Ugly) High Plains Drifter Princess Monoke Dune (the original movie version by the DeLaurentis folks) I would also want to get: Tron Black Hole Flash Gorden (DeLaurentis again) The Virgin Suicides Godfather Trilogy The Conan Trilogy Krull Death Race 2000 Gremlins 2001 & 2010 I would also want to get the movies those crappy chains don’t have: Evil Dead 1&2 CrossWorlds Kurt Vonnegut’s: Alec Bergeron The Germinal The City of the Lost Children Mad Max Trilogy Pink Floyd: Live in Pompei Thats all I can think of for now. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-watch-any-movie-i-want-for-free-now-what/207293/11 "2003-10-14T07:56:37Z")
Uh, they never made Conan 3. Arnie’s about the right age now to play Conan the King, once he’s done slogging through the mess in Sacramento. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-watch-any-movie-i-want-for-free-now-what/207293/12 "2003-10-14T09:26:10Z")
There’s this little known film called “Greenfingers” (about British prisoners who get into gardening) that is really charming. Funny and charming. Also, “Brassed Off.” Love that film. And science fiction–hmm…well there are all the standards (Star Wars, Star Trek, etc.) but I lalso ove a rather schlocky Kurt Russell film called “Soldier.” It just did it for me. I’ve also been renting a lot of movies from [Netfilx.com](http://Netfilx.com) (great deal!) and have been slowly going through the films of Clint Eastwood. He’s done some fun films. I like the old 70s and 80s ones too (“Bronco Billy” is very funny). Oh, a special vote for the Barbara Hershey/Tom Berenger film “Last of the Dogmen.” Kind of sweet and corny (a cross between “Lost Horizon” and “Dances with Wolves”–I read that somewhere) but I _love_ that film. Oh, and another Tom Berenger great: “At Play in the Fields of the Lord.” Wonderful film. Very intense. I’ve seen it at Blockbuster so there’s a good shot you can find it. I don’t know how much that helps, but I gave it a shot! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-watch-any-movie-i-want-for-free-now-what/207293/13 "2003-10-14T09:27:53Z")
Ack: “I lalso ove”? What the hell is that? It’s this damned keyboard. It keeps skipping keys and weirding out on me. I’m sharing it between a Mac and a PC (KVM switch) and it’s just not working out. Each computer needs their own keyboard, obviously. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-watch-any-movie-i-want-for-free-now-what/207293/14 "2003-10-14T12:50:46Z")
**Harvey**. Without exception the best Jimmy Stewart movie. I have lent this film to many different people with tastes that span the gamut, and they all love it. **To Kill A Mockingbird**. OK, I’m in love with this movie again because I just read the book, and it is the most accurately adapted book-to-movie ever made. If you like **Requiem** , you’ll probably like **A Clockwork Orange**. It’s a violent look at society, but it makes a powerful statement. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecccb3/32.png) [@Evil\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Death)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-watch-any-movie-i-want-for-free-now-what/207293/15 "2003-10-14T12:58:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BioHazard \* > \*\*Kurt Vonnegut’s: Alec Bergeron \*\* _Alec_ Bergeron? Do you by any chance mean _Harrison_ Bergeron? ---
**Author:** ![Ender\_Will](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Ender\_Will](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ender_Will)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-watch-any-movie-i-want-for-free-now-what/207293/16 "2003-10-14T17:04:06Z")
I’d say, rather than looking for specific films, go for films that have a common actor/director/writer running through them. As in…I liked _Fargo_, so I’ll get _The Big Lebowski_ (Coen’s directed both). I liked the Dude, so I’ll check out _The Fisher King_. Hey, Robin Williams is in that, how about I get _Flubber_. _Flubber_ sucked, I shouldn’t listen to **Ender\_Will** ’s theory… ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2003, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-can-watch-any-movie-i-want-for-free-now-what/207293/17 "2003-10-14T17:51:10Z")
My sister worked for a video store in high school (a small chain, now defunct–at least, that particular store is gone now) and she rented just about every kind of movie. Take this opportunity to expand your horizons. If, while cleaning the shelves, you see something that tickles your fancy, go ahead and pick that up for the night. She told me that the rationale for letting the employees rent for free was so that they would be familiar with the movies so that they could recommend movies to their customers. Of course, her boss wanted them to rent the new releases so that they could push them, but my sister, in good conscience, could not recommend most of the new Hollywood dreck. She raided the foreign and classics sections, small and crappy as they were (if small stores are known for better foriegn and classics sections now, it’s because the ones that didn’t have them didn’t survive. When I discovered anime in the early 90’s, I told her to tell her boss that he should get some anime titles. Nothin’ doin’. Well, look how big anime has become!) If anything, after you’ve worked there a while, you should rent _Clerks_. You’ll laugh your ass off. Actually, in my area, the only small video stores that are left are just fronts for porn rental. A few crappy “regular” videos in the front, while the “little back room” has taken over almost the entire store! You have to go to Blockbuster to get a “normal” movie.