So we can't rent movies anymore? How'd that happen?

Cafe Society
1

I remember back in the early 80s, pre-VCR, that if you wanted to watch a specific movie, there was nothing you could do except hope to God it was broadcast, and then make sure you plunked yourself down in front of the TV when it was.

Then in the late 80s and 90s, video rental stores were everywhere. Granted, the selection wasn’t complete, and you might have to drive to a couple of places if you wanted a specific movie, but you could generally find what you were looking for unless it was really obscure, arty, or foreign.

Cut to last week – I decided that I wanted to see Iron Man. I’ve never seen it, and I got it into my head that I wanted to try to see all the pre-Avengers movies before I went to see The Avengers. Sure, it’s 4 years old, but it is neither obscure, nor arty, nor foreign.

I first checked Netflix streaming (I gave up the DVD mailing option when they instituted their new pricing). Not available. Next, I checked the on-demand features of my cable provider (Verizon). They have it available “for purchase” for $9.99, which I believe means it gets added to my library, and I can watch it as many times as I want (or at least as long as I remain a Verizon customer). Nice, but I don’t want to buy it – I just want to rent it. I checked iTunes. Same deal – available for purchase, but not for rental. As far as I know, there are no “video stores” in my town anymore. The local grocery store has Redbox, but the selection is very limited.

So, long story short – if I want to see Iron Man, and I don’t want to purchase it, subscribe to any kind of mailing service, or find a less-than-legal website, am I now SoL? Am I back to checking my local listing and wait until it gets broadcast on TV?

I supppose at least now I can DVR it.

2

Red Box

3

Try your local library. You might get to see it for free.

4

Reading is fundamental.

5

When your Cable “On Demand” provider says a movie is “for purchase” they mean you can watch it as many times as you want…for a short period of two or three days. In other words, it’s a rental.

6

I don’t know about that. My company, Verizon, has two version, one to rent for 2-3 bucks, or ‘buy’ for 10.

As for Iron Man, I would actually check Redbox, they tend to get movies back in that are popular at the moment. I saw that Iron Man was in a couple of them near me. I’m not saying that you haven’t checked them, but you might want to check the website and see if there are any with the movie located near you.

I do agree that it is becoming harder to get movies now a days. I don’t think there are any rental places left near me either and I’m just outside of DC.

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$10 though? For a rental?
I think the dvd can be had at Target for $9.

8

Yeah, when I purchase from Amazon streaming it’s for unlimited views as long as I want.

9

If you hadn’t given up the Netflix mailing option, you’d get it. It has tons of movies available but not all of them are streaming.

10

Many of the offerings from Amazon Instant Video have both a rental price and a purchase price. You can choose whether you want to rent for a limited time or purchase to own. It looks like Iron Man is available for purchase only, but The Incredible Hulk for example has both a purchase price ($9.99) and a 24-hour rental price ($2.99).

11

Are you sure there aren’t any video rental stores in your town? I live in a relatively small place, yet we still have a bunch. They’re not big chains, but they exist. Google around.

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You mentioned the Redbox at your local grocery store. If you go to redbox.com you can check whatever other Redboxes are in a short drive AND-OR you can reserve a copy if it is checked in. (Even though it’s a few years old, I’m guessing Iron Man is one that most Redboxes carry.)

13

I feel kind of lucky that there is still a functioning Blockbuster just down the road from me. I can pretty much get any movie I want at the drop of a hat. I can just walk and be like, “hey, do you guys have Willow?” And they’re like, “yep, here you go.” Willow. Awesome.

14

Not for nothing, but FX seems to show it every other week. Granted, it’s edited for basic cable, and with commercials, but if it’s your only option…

15

Post on Facebook and say, “Hey, does anyone have a DVD of Ironman that I can borrow?”

16

The Redbox app for your phone will let you search for a movie, then show you all the kiosks where it’s located near you and let you reserve the movie before you get there. Iron Man (DVD) is available at six locations within 2 miles from where I am right now.

ETA: But you’re lucky that Iron Man is popular right now. If you wanted Willow you’re out of luck.

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I miss browsing around the video store and loading up on those microwaveable buckets of popcorn. The stores around me kept closing until the nearest is too far to bother.

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It’s actually something different. There are options for rental (watch for a couple of days, $3-$4) and separate options for purchase (watch indefinitely, $10). Iron Man’s option for rental is grayed out, only the purchase option is enabled.

[Quote=Freudian Slit]
If you hadn’t given up the Netflix mailing option, you’d get it. It has tons of movies available but not all of them are streaming.

[/Quote]

Understood. My point is that if I only want to rent one movie – and then maybe not rent anything else for 4-5 months – Netflix mailing isn’t the right option. I mean, technically, I could do it, but I’d be paying for 3-4 months of inactivity. Might as well “buy” it on demand.

[Quote=Time Stranger]
Are you sure there aren’t any video rental stores in your town? I live in a relatively small place, yet we still have a bunch. They’re not big chains, but they exist. Google around.
[/Quote]

Pretty sure. Googling only brings up the two Red Box locations I know about, plus a Blockbuster Express that doesn’t exist and a Hollywood Video that no longer exists.

[Quote=Edward the Head]
I’m not saying that you haven’t checked them, but you might want to check the website and see if there are any with the movie located near you.
[/Quote]

So that actually worked out, thanks. According to the website, there’s one 6 miles away from me, a couple of towns over. Not ideal, but I’ll take it.

[Quote=Skammer]
ETA: But you’re lucky that Iron Man is popular right now. If you wanted Willow you’re out of luck.
[/Quote]

Yeah, that’s kind of my larger point. If I’m not a subscriber to Netflix, and I wanted to watch Willow, and didn’t want to “buy” it, my options are much more limited now then they were 15 years ago. But maybe we’re just going through a transitional phase, and in a couple of years virtually anything will be available from one kind of streaming service or another.

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WAG but there is likely little demand for older films, anyone in the demo to want to see Willow probably also knows how to get it illegally.

Who cares about video rental places when the sum cinematic output of mankind is at your fingertips.

20

Not sure what you mean here. I’m saying that less than the sum cinematic output of mankind is at your fingertips, unless you want to own it or get it illegally, neither of which I’m interested in.