… getting all PUMPED to see either Lost Highway or Zero Effect because of my Bill Pullman manic episode (I’ve seen both films – but I need to see them AGAIN) … and going to Blockbuster and finding out that they have NEITHER.
Oh, the soul’s deflation …
Oh, the plummeting abyss …
Oh, the elusive nature of instant gratification …
Oh, how I want it NOW.
WHAT? Blockbuster is supposed to have it all!
that is just not right.
They SUCK!!! I went to my OTHER video store, too – Hollywood Video – and they didn’t have either film either.
grrrrrrr
is this the part where sheila caves in and gets Netflix? [merely a curiosity question; i’ve never used it, so it’s not like i’m trying to urge you into it]
amelie – hahahaha It is truly amazing that I do not have Netflix yet. Everyone I know who has it raves about it!!
Uhm … so maybe I should sign up. You’re right. I can’t stand being a VICTIM of the WHIMS of Blockbuster!!!
:)
Blockbuster’s online program is pretty good too. You get the three movies out at any time plus you get 1 or two rental a week in the store.
Said the man who isn’t plugging them.
hahahahaha
How’s the selection, Cullen?
Just about as good as Netflix. I’ve done the free month trials of both and I was equally pleased with each service’s online ordering, arrival times, etc. Both services allow you browse their rental library without signing up. Search both for movies you might think you’d want. I think Netflix has a better selection of obscure movies.
Having a Blockbuster close by and being able to easily take advantage of the in-store rentals was the clincher for me. We just signed up again for Blockbuster about a week ago.
Put it on your wish list and I’ll buy ’em for ya. (Of course, the payback will be a detailed analysis of the movies)
JFH –
hahaha I actually have already ordered them for myself (couldn’t wait – to quote Meryl Streep in Postcards from the Edge: “Instant gratification takes too long.”) – you’re sweet to offer, though. And you can BET I will do a detailed crazy analysis of these films!!!
Blockbuster has been my official nemesis ever since they sent my name to a collection agency over an unpaid late fee. Seriously. I now have nightmares about applying for my first mortgage, only to be chased out of the bank by the paperboy from Better Off Dead.
I WANT MY TWO DOLLARS!!!
Oh no!!!!!
But yay for Better off dead.
And if you feel like nerding out for a bit, you might want to read this old Wired article on The Long Tail. It puts your experience into a broader context pretty well:
…Unlimited selection is revealing truths about what consumers want and how they want to get it in service after service, from DVDs at Netflix to music videos on Yahoo! Launch to songs in the iTunes Music Store and Rhapsody. People are going deep into the catalog, down the long, long list of available titles, far past what’s available at Blockbuster Video, Tower Records, and Barnes & Noble. And the more they find, the more they like. As they wander further from the beaten path, they discover their taste is not as mainstream as they thought (or as they had been led to believe by marketing, a lack of alternatives, and a hit-driven culture)…
WOW. Now that is a very interesting idea! I can certainly see that that might be the case!!
I had a moment in the Blockbuster looking for a John Wayne film which made me realize how Blockbuster had better get their act together in this new competitive market.
Having worked for a major Blockbuster competitor — read: Movie Gallery — I can attest to the fact that all the other rental giants wait for Blockbuster before deciding on any major changes in rental policy.
BB changed the way they had their movies laid out, MG changed theirs. Hollywood followed suit. Blockbuster began offering the one-price-per-month, unlimited rentals, MG and HV were quick to offer their versions (waiting to see what BB’s response would be).
Now, MG one-upped BB is in their older movies section. They went to strict alphabetical and got rid of sections all together. Great system. No confusion.
On the collection agency note, MG does that also. You’d be surprised at how many notices we had to deal with. However, we, unlike Blockbuster, made daily calls to patrons once their movie was late. If a person had a late movie at our store, they knew about it.
Cullen – Well, they obviously didn’t ask ME what I thought – because I HATE the lack of sections in Blockbuster now – how they have assimilated all the classics into the rest of the collection. – It’s so disorienting. For me anyway. I like to browse in a genre – and I mainly watch classic films. By setting stuff up alphabetically, it becomes impossible to do that. You have to know what you’re looking for already – if it’s set up alphabetically – but if you’re just into browsing, it is completely an unsatisfactory experience and mainly why I stopped frequenting Blockbuster.
Hollywood Video is my other store – and they maintain the genre sections and it’s WAY easier to find stuff.
Agreed on Hollywood. Their genre classes are, for the most part, well set up. The “classics” section of my local store has a very expansive selection. For the most part, it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. Naturally, there are always disappointments, such as a week or so ago when I went in looking for Destination: Tokyo to watch as a follow-up to Operation Petticoat (which is super freakin’ awesome, btw). D:T wasn’t even in their computer. Come on, now.
Getting back to genres in the video store, the reason Blockbuster failed miserably with them is that the classifications were apparently decided upon by crack smokers. How else can one explain the old system which featured the following categories (I’m going from memory here):
-Action
-Super-Action
-Adventure
-War
There were times where I stood in Blockbuster and contemplated suicide, because that was an easier way out than actually finding a copy of a particular movie.
When all else failed, I’d just rent Fletch and declare victory. It was always there in the comedy section, but only because the crackheads never thought to make a “Super Funny” genre.
I actually haven’t seen Destination Tokyo – uhm – is John Garfield in that as well?? Another actor I love!
//I’d just rent Fletch and declare victory//
hahahahahahaha
See, while section renting can be good, I usually go to the store with something in mind, so I prefer the strict alphabetical.
What really makes or breaks a store is customer service. You could have the layout from hell, but if there’s someone there who’s willing to help you find cool stuff and make recommendations, that will put your store over the top.
cullen – good point.
Blockbuster is great (in my opinion) for well organized new releases. And for never being out of stock of said new releases. Very good.
But in terms of the organization of the rest of the store – I am not wacky about it. I am also not a huge fan of the ghettoization of classic films – but it does make it easier to browse through, and find new unheard of titles – stuff I’ve wanted to see and never saw before. That’s how I saw Ball of Fire – a movie I had never even heard of, really. But I was browsing in the classics section in Hollywood Video – came across Ball of Fire – and it’s now one of my favorite movies of all time. I never would have found it if it had been filed with all the other movies!!!
Re: Destination: Tokyo
get this: I mention it here in the comments, and I go home last night to see what TiVO has for me (I always click weeks ahead and schedule crap to record), and lo and behold: D:T is sitting there courtesy of the vitally important Turner Classic Movies.
So, to Blockbuster and Hollywood Video, I say, “F You!” and level The Finger in your direction, for ted Turner has given me what you could not, and for free!
You can make a pretty strong case that Turner Classic Movies, especially when combined with TiVo, almost eliminates the need for Blockbuster and Hollywood Vids completely. TCM has all the old stuff you could possibly want, their website has schedules running weeks in advance, and cable/satellite PPV channels have the new releases anyway.
Plus, the TCM website has the original trailers for most of the old flicks, too. Fun. City.