By Robert Scucci | Being published
Confession time: I’m a streaming junkie. My favorite platform is tubis because it reminds me of the good old days when I would go out and be able to rent physical media, find movies that are very incomparable in the process where big blockbusters are sold.
In the late ’00s and early ’00s, my media hires came from supermarkets and pops that sat next to the tanning salon. My dad thought Blockbuster was run by criminals because of the overdue fees that were clearly spelled out in the lease, so we didn’t go there. When I was 18, I finally opened my account, and all bets were off.
Before that, I got blanks. I signed up for a place called Video Haven, even though I was old enough to rent R-rated movies. Fortunately, my older sister’s friend worked there and she allowed me to rent physical media through her account. My parents didn’t care what I watched, but I had to be strategic if I wanted to watch anything above the PG-13 Rating.
Editing aside, I honestly believe that children today will never understand the joy and mild awe that sometimes occurs with physical media.
Good luck drawing, fun hunting
The best part of hiring a media outlet was the grip bag. My friends and I would scroll through the phone forever, scanning first for new releases, then weird stuff that didn’t seem like it should be there.
The Staff Selection section was always a Jackpot. Those were esoteric topics forced on customers by employees who had little to lose from watching Breathing, rush houragain toy Story a thousand times. They were looking for someone else to find the rare treasures they found when they were out during a slow shift. That’s where I discovered independent films and b-movie Ordeties like Kind ofwhich is completely ignored by the majority of people.
There was always a risk involved. My real time money was on the line, and five dollars meant something because you couldn’t just quickly switch to something like we have today. As a result, I have learned to find the entertainment value in everything. This is how I found horror comics to be like Blood Festival 2: All You Can Eatflu dream tests are similar Forbidden Areaand subordinate actions A black dog.
You never know what you get. Once you find your taste, your memory works like an old algorithm. You didn’t Google anything. You just noticed a director’s name or a strange DVD / VHS cover that you might not have seen before and took a chance.
And, if you didn’t go back, you risked getting an angry soicemail. Depending on who was working that night, the tone varied from mildly annoyed to Dowright’s.
Something was really at stake
When my friends and I were looking for flawless movies to add to our lazy weekends, we sometimes rent physical objects on purpose. Someone had heard Pink flames it was an unaffordable Borderline, so we rented it. We focused, we laughed, and we dunked whoever you chose as it was a found game.
There was a plan. Whoever puts up the money makes the final call. Anyone who picks up a lot of clunkers loses the right to lose until they release by finally recommending a hit for consideration.
When we turned 18, we finally crossed the curtain. I’m not saying everyone needs to watch The face of deathbut I can say that it leads to some very good discussions. One time, just for show, we hired Piratesthe most expensive sex film ever made at the time, complete with Terrible Entengiswenis and lines like, “yesterday, I dreamed of my C*** full of Spain!”
I doubt Johnny Depp or Keira Knightley knew it was full, but I’m glad. I quote that line to this day because it comes out of the box.
The mystery of bed bugs
When broadcasting took over, hiring physical media began to disappear quickly. Netflix’s e-mail model was the beginning of the end. And yes, the stimulation salon next to the Video Store in Tompina was indeed a business model.
MOM-and-POP stores often run both. Tanning makes money during the day, and renting makes money at night. They were not shady money-arandering fronts as we thought. They were just getting creative with their membership models to keep the lights on.
You can still rent physical media
You can still rent physical media if you look hard enough. Others include DVDs, VHS tapes, video games, audiobooks, and board games. When I lived in Connecticut, I used to frequent the video and cultural center in Hamden. I rented until I moved in 2017. At that time, this place was huge. Entire aisles were dedicated to specific directors. The staff’s choice is endlessly stretched across the wall. Now, it’s smaller, but still lives on as a video store, cafe, and music venue. There’s no throwaway bed nearby, and you’re still fighting the good fight.
Unlike Blockbuster, which refuses to pivot to broadcast until it is too late, independently the stores operate independently because they agree. Many are run by owners who legitimately care about movies. They will add articles if you request them.
Places like this are rare, but they do exist. Any young movie fan owes it to themselves to hire physical media at least once to experience the magic.
Rushing the clock to avoid late fees. Talking to employees. Wandering the aisles without knowing what to look for. That’s the part I miss the most. Browsing. Commitment. Risk.
Sometimes the hunt was better than the movie itself, and that was all.
