How/where do you rent movies?

I'm curious just how many people use (and like) online rental services, and how many people say fuck Blockbuster.

I have been on the Netflix 3 DVDs at-a-time deal for maybe 4 or 5 months now, and I like it far more than going to Blockbuster to rent movies.

What about the new "no late fees" thing at BB? People liking that?

I used to be an assistant manager at a BB, so I'm enjoying watching the signs of a slow demise in the face of Netflix et al.

Thoughts?

There are some people who like the subscription fee service, but I personally don't have a regular movie watching habit, so once in a blue moon I'll rent VHS from either my local comic shop for Anime, the public library for overnight $1 rentals, and only once have I rented videos from the local video rental store.

We're sorta banned from Blockbuster, and there's a Hollywood Video only two blocks or so away, so we use Hollywood.

bokmeow said:

There are some people who like the subscription fee service, but I personally don't have a regular movie watching habit, so once in a blue moon I'll rent VHS from either my local comic shop for Anime, the public library for overnight $1 rentals, and only once have I rented videos from the local video rental store.

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Should have added "Library" as a choice, my bad! Anyone wants to vote that I'd call it the last option.

DanAdamKOF said:

We're sorta banned from Blockbuster, and there's a Hollywood Video only two blocks or so away, so we use Hollywood.

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Lol awesome. I've got snipers looking out for my appearance at all BlockBuster Video stores in the tri-county area. JOIN THE PROUD!

I don't use NetFlix mainly because I rarely rent any movies. I either buy them, or download them. I did use GameFly for a while, which is the NetFlix of the videogame world, and I was totally happy with it.

I'm sure I'd like NetFlix.

It rent from Hollywood, Blockbuster and Movie Gallery. But I mainly just download what I want to see.

Smaller video store (i.e. local place)

I don't really rent much these days, but when I do I support the few scattered here & there Mom & Pop owned video stores, because "Fuck Blockbuster" or any other (not much compeition there) corporate/franchise centres. I mostly buy my movies from obscure mail order clubs (for obscure, rare, cult, underground & independent stuff) or from smaller sole propietorship online stores specializing in anything and everything the bigger guns get (yes including GDVD product "boots") because fuck the system. Greedy ass sons' of bitches. BUT, when I do rent my money goes to the mom & pop stores who still try to hang on to a smidgen of the pie, and are willing to carry old shit and even porn. You don't see that kind of spirit anymore and that's where my heart is. With the hold outs of the world.

...though on occassion if I'm just dog tired I will walk into a Blockbuster, but it's rare when I do.

MERCENARY X99

a local joint called vulcan video. best selection, $2.50 per movie, and 5 days for everything. plus since i know most of the people who work at the one near me i don't pay for anything.

Kim _Kaphwan said:

a local joint called vulcan video. best selection, $2.50 per movie, and 5 days for everything. plus since i know most of the people who work at the one near me i don't pay for anything.

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Beat me to it man. I was reading Merc's post, and I thought "oh yeah! I always go to Vulcan!"

So I guess I retract my statement. I usually rent movies from Vulcan Video, the same one where KKW gets his movies.


Kim, have you ever rented Captain America and/or the Fantastic Four movie from the early 90s? They are freaking awesome man. Vulcan has all the good stuff.

I go to BB rarely to rent games. But, I hardly ever rent.

I rarely rent movies. I don't rent enough to use Netflix either. I rarely buy movies unless they're anime or something I really dig. It's usually at the grocery store for $2.50. Fuck the chains. They charge up the ass - like $4 a movie. You rent like 4-5 on netflix and it pays off I guess.

You forgot that kiosk at McDonalds that rents for $1 a night. They're a good way to go if you rent newer mainstream movies. The only downside to it is that it only has movies that are 2 months or newer, and it doesn't get the independent films. Good deal otherwise.

PUNJABEE said:

Beat me to it man. I was reading Merc's post, and I thought "oh yeah! I always go to Vulcan!"

So I guess I retract my statement. I usually rent movies from Vulcan Video, the same one where KKW gets his movies.


Kim, have you ever rented Captain America and/or the Fantastic Four movie from the early 90s? They are freaking awesome man. Vulcan has all the good stuff.

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no but i rented the worst movie i've ever seen from vulcan. branded to kill. a stupid japanese noir film from the 60's that just plain sucks ass. do you go to the vulcan they have over next to international residence? or to some other vulcan somewhere in town?

I don't rent.

Usually catch a flick that a friend has rented, buy it if i really want to see it/liked it in the theater, or catch it on cable.

No renting for me either, if I do want to see something I usually just buy it.

I havent rented a movie in about 8-9 years.

Kim _Kaphwan said:

no but i rented the worst movie i've ever seen from vulcan. branded to kill. a stupid japanese noir film from the 60's that just plain sucks ass. do you go to the vulcan they have over next to international residence? or to some other vulcan somewhere in town?

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Dude are you serious?

That's one of the greatest surrealistic gangster "mind fuck" films of all time, somehow managing to be even more disturbed than the un-related French flick Alphaville. I can see where one might think it sucks if you're looking for established conventions within a film, because the whole point of the movie is actually living inside the detritus of the #2 Killer of the Underworld who's been fingered for death by his own ppl. He's deathly afraid of the phantom #1 Killer, but in reality Goro already is the #1 killer he just doesn't realize it.

It's one of those films that demands more than one viewing. I remember the first time I saw that flick back in '95 ordered through Video Search of Miami before Criterion got hold of it and released it on Laser Disc, and I was like WTF is this shit! *I was expecting something a bit more easy to watch like the "in color" musical gangster film Tokyo Drifter also by Sejun Suzuki, but got what you evidentally hated about it.

... in order to show the man slipping into detritus the director uses no "establishing shots" and only but maybe twice uses match cuts from one scene to another. Thus the scene where one minute he's killing someone and the next he's in Suba gear diving into the ocean is one of, Suzuki didn't care to show him rent the gear and drive to the ocean, he just gets right to it. However, if you're watching closely he's doing a recon for part of the mission he's hired to do. And as he drives off a car follows him. Who's in that car? Watch it a few more times and it'll click. Because of this the film is indeed a bit of a head scratch. ---Also after seeing it for the 34th time in 2000 I realized his encounter with the fucked up chick Misato isn't by chance. It was all planned, the organization actually wanted the #1 killer taken out but didn't know how to go about it... thus they knew Goro had the potential to become the #1 killer, but knew it take some prodding. They didn't think he'd fall in love with Misato and by becoming ultra paranoid he's able to realize that the #1 killer's specialty is simply one of "Psych Ops" and beats him at his own game to no avail because his victory is worthless. Of course after making this film Nikkatsu Studios fired the director as his films were already FUBAR to begin with, but it had more to do with his own personal war against the draconian management of the film studios of the time in Japan. Strangely enough, the 70's brought about the Roman Porno (Romantic Porn) scene and at that time he could've done what he wanted... but it was too late.

Go back and check it out again man. It's really not that bad, and it's fun to put that movie on when others are on drugs around you but you're the only one not high.

MERCENARY X99

no see i agree with you that the movie had a good story and a good setup and i see what you're saying about it but it is also proof that shitty editing can make or break a film. and i'm sorry but scenes where like 40 frames of film are skipped and characters just appear in places prove to me that this thing was slapped together and slopped onto the market. i can see the depth in the main character, i can see what you're saying, and i understand all the points you made. about how he's really the number 1 killer, and how he's the best of the best just haunted by something and someone that isn't all there and yet is there. it's just the editing ruined it for me. if the editing were better i'd probably like it more. but until then it sits at the bottom of my list.

and the thing is if the director just wanted to cut straight to shit without explaining it there's a reason he was fired right after making the film. if a film has no explanation for scenes, and no build up why would you want to watch it? you wouldn't, there'd be no point cause things would just pop from scene to scene without you knowing what the hell is going on. and that's how i was when i watched that film. i sat there going "what the hell?!" the whole time and by the time it was over i was just baffled and wanted to never see it again. i understand the characterization, and hell i'll even admit some parts are cool (where he hides under the car to protect himself from the bullets) but for the most part it's a badly edited pile of crap to me.

Kim _Kaphwan said:

no see i agree with you that the movie had a good story and a good setup and i see what you're saying about it but it is also proof that shitty editing can make or break a film. and i'm sorry but scenes where like 40 frames of film are skipped and characters just appear in places prove to me that this thing was slapped together and slopped onto the market. i can see the depth in the main character, i can see what you're saying, and i understand all the points you made. about how he's really the number 1 killer, and how he's the best of the best just haunted by something and someone that isn't all there and yet is there. it's just the editing ruined it for me. if the editing were better i'd probably like it more. but until then it sits at the bottom of my list.

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It's cool. I was just wondering what you were basing it on. Sejun Suzuki was eccentric to begin with (hell he still is) believe it or not his 2003 quasi remake of that film with a female protagnoist entitled PISTOL OPERA makes Branded To Kill look like an Oscar Winning performance. Other than the chick being a hottie, that film is absolutely nuts and was his first film since the mid 80's. He basically just like subverting all the conventions of film and making these odd pieces of abstract art that just happens to have "entertaining" elements in them. One movie he did that played it straight is Kanto Wanderer that is more of a classical take on the "Bakuto/Gambler" type of Yakuza, but instead of being set in the pre WW2 era like it should have been, he decided to put it in the 1960's instead and it's too talky. Overall Branded To Kill is just one of those films you either love or hate. I can see your point. He was the Takashi Miike of his day is all, and of course Quentin Tarantino loves this guy.


EDIT
*On the note of his lack of "Continuity Shots". In all honesty it's actual one of the most linear movies ever made. (with the exceptions of the odd flashbacks of Misato in the rain mixed with the showering of his wife and killing her). The thing is lets say I started a film where the first shot is of me smoking a cigarette. I walk off from a wall I'm standing in and behind me you clearly can read that I'm at the Airport. Now instead of showing me flag down a taxi cab, I flick my cigarette (some obnoxious music blares) SMASH CUT TO: my mirrored shades with the reflection of a night club, then jump cut to me walking into the said night club where I talk to a contact about who I'm supposed to kill. After some conversation, I agree to the job then on the way out of the club meet a man who used to be a killer and wants my help to get back into the syndicate. I simply nod my head... and instead of showing myself getting back into a cab... i instead do a WIPE and now I'm at a peer looking through binoculars @ the place my target is supposed to be at on the day of "The Kill" that if you were listening (or in this case reading subtitles) to the dialogue, you know I'm supposed to be at this pier. After doing a recon, I get in a car and drive off. The next shot is of me walking into a park to pick up a gun that was stated to be left in a certain spot, as in the dialogue.

Basically that film is told in this fashion. Everything is actual being told in a linear fashion, but without continuity shots and almost no "EST Shots" in jar the viewer into paying close attention to what's being said. Thus I'd say that film is more linear than most films Hollywood produces now, but without paying attention to every detail you'll feel lost... which is how the character feels.

MERCENARY X99

For me it's BB rarely though some times i just, wait for the moive to pop on cable

and see that's the thing. i didn't understand what the hell was happening in the film until halfway through it when i was finally like "OHHHH! so he finished his job of protecting the guy and is now being given other missions" cause they never really show the state between that they just show him without the guy and being given new missions by that chick. i don't know man. i just wish the film had more progression, i wish it showed what happened from part to part and not just cut to this part or the next. it looks sloppy to me, sloppy and pretentious.

I use Zip.ca which is canada's version of netflix and I really like it. the shipping is very fast and for $25 a month I get to watch like 5-6 movies a week.

Blockbuster out of laziness. They've eaten up all the local competition, and whlie I know netflix and other services are a better deal, I don't watch movies enough to bother and I hate using snailmail.

I don't rent. My mate does me any film I need for £2 so I never bother

Kim _Kaphwan said:

no but i rented the worst movie i've ever seen from vulcan. branded to kill. a stupid japanese noir film from the 60's that just plain sucks ass. do you go to the vulcan they have over next to international residence? or to some other vulcan somewhere in town?

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Yeah, I go to that one by IR and the Drafthouse. I live in Cedar Park now (I used to live in International Res) so it's more of a drive, but it's worth it.


And, by the way.. the worst movie ever is actually Versus. You know that Japanese horror/sci-fi/sword/comedy/bad acting/poor camera work/crapass story movie with the stupid zombies?

Yeah. Worse than Manos if you ask me.

I rent at HollyWood Video as well as a small store. Hollywood has nice selection of movies (crap game selection ) but the people who work there are dicks. The small store dosnt have a better selection of movies but the people there are nice. Plus they have a huge wall of anime dvds and its 2 bucks to rent them On Wednesday 2 for 1. Plus on some anime they give you the whole set for the 2 bucks. Like if they bought the magic knight rayearth season 1 set you get all 6 dvds

Rogers Video... Rogers is a canadian media "empire". :P They have a Cell phone service, a large Cable service, magazines, video retail chains, etc.

Anyway, the only reason I rent from there is I get a free rental every month. So far, I've never paid for a rental. :P