#Video rental store

[usualgangofidiots]

Back cover of MAD #264, July 1986

Artist & Writer: Al Jaffee

[monkeymeghan]

This post reminded me of this awesome TikTok account, but I couldn’t share the video on the reblog.

[dare-g]

Movies 101 - 200 that I've rented from the local video store

[beaujuniperbooks]

The Video Store

Rows of shelves, stacked with cinematic treasures

VHS tapes and DVDs, a rainbow of titles

Nostalgia fills the air, a sense of simpler times

In this haven of movies, each case holds a story

The hum of the VCR, the click of the rewind

The smell of popcorn and the buzz of excitement

Choosing the perfect film for a cozy night in

The video store, a place of endless possibilities

Employee recommendations, handwritten notes

Discovering hidden gems, old classics reborn

The thrill of stumbling upon a long-lost favorite

In this sanctuary of cinema, time stands still

Now the shelves sit empty, the lights dimmed low

Streaming services and online rentals replace

But the memories live on, the magic still lingers

In the heart of every film lover, the video store lives forever

LinkTree

[adamwatchesmovies]

Adam Remembers the Video Store - The Owner

For years, Adam worked weekends at his nearby video rental store. In February 2016, the owner retired and sold the company to some new entrepreneurs. They decided to close up the location he was working at, leaving him with free weekends and a horde of memories. These stories need to be shared in a segment called…

I only worked at the video rental store full-time for the summer between my first and second year of college. From then on, I worked evenings and weekends, usually 2-4 shifts a week. I worked there long enough to know my way around things (even some menus we weren't supposed to know about in the computer system) but wasn't always "in the know". Mostly because I hardly ever interacted with the store's owner, "Steven". I generally avoided him because he was a grump. Whenever we had a conversation, Steven always seemed in a hurry, upset about something, or as if he had much more important things to do than run his business. Whenever Steven and I spoke, it was because there was some kind of emergency (the other two video stores he owned were in rough areas of the city so once in a while there would be robberies or other incidents) or because I’d done something wrong.

One day, I got a call from someone who said they would fix the lights outside the store - almost all of them were completely dead and the ones that weren't burned out barely illuminated the signage. I assumed the issue was important and gave them Steven's number. Big mistake. A few minutes later, the phone rang. It was Steven. Turns out the guy who called wasn't a previously known contact. He was just someone offering to fix the lights. Steven wasn't interested in getting the lights fixed. This meant I had handed out Steven's number when I shouldn't have AND wasted Steven's time. He wasn’t too happy and had no problem telling me why. There are several things I miss about the video store. The owner isn't one of them.

[phipiohsum475]

I watched Netflix's Blockbuster this weekend.

It was so-so. But as someone who worked for a solid 2-3 years in a video rental store (where I met my current spouse), here are my thoughts:

A video rental store in Michigan? This feels like an attack.

There are WAY TOO MANY people working at this video store on a single shift. 

One time, someone managed to capture a bee inside a DVD case and then put it into the return slot. 

“Respectfully-ish”

What would the point of a membership drive even be? Dude, put out a coupon.

He’s entering memberships into a computer with software way too advanced for a video store - there is no way Blockbuster ever updated their software from the late 90s, lol.

LOL, they wouldn’t actually have benefits.

What the hell is that crop top?

Why is the entire staff working every shift? No wonder they are having money issues.

Dude, if you are despondent and desperate for human contact, customer service is not the job to save you from the ledge.

When I was 6 my mother and aunt took me to see Backdraft. I bawled uncontrollably when people died, and they laughed until they cried because I was so distraught. 

These back offices are so huge. 

There is no Grand Rapids High School.

“Weird, it says there are 3 copies” lol

“He was in a show, where he dressed like a lady”

“Take it. No one but you wants Son of the Mask”

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

[carbon-fiber-internal-organs]

[itswhatyougive]

What I don't get about the password-sharing fiasco is....if it was the olden days and you rented a couple DVD/VHS movies, until you brought them back to the shop you could do whatever with them.

You could give them to other people to watch. You could show a movie to a group of ten friends. You had already paid for the tapes, so who was going to care what you did with them in that time?

Similarly, if you have already paid for a Netflix/Max/Dianey+/Paramount+/whatever subscription, you're getting charged monthly for that. The companies have already decided how much it is worth to rent their entire catalogue to you for a month.

So during your "rental period" for these movies and shows, who are they to say what you do with them? If you have someone over for Netflix and chill, they aren't part of your household, so should they not be able to watch a movie you are renting? If you want your friends to see something cool, who cares if they live a town away? That movie is still being paid for, and your "rental" will renew the following month when you pay your bill.

It feels like going to a video store, paying for a bunch of movies, then having to march back to the store with the friend who's going to watch them with you so they can also pay for the movies......while you're still renting them.

[fuzzyghost]

[shesnake]

it must suck to be a vampire in paris imagine being forced to participate in community theatre when all you want is to be a photographer and have gay sex

[morganbritton132]

could we have some more ‘steve on a good day’ or just steve being cute and sweet and making eddie melt? i re read steve singing in the kitchen and would love any more fluff

your series is wonderful i get exited for any updates! :)

Eddie is live streaming in his studio one evening when Steve appears behind him and shoves a hat on his head. Not only did Steve master the second row in crochet, he finally made the hat Eddie requested. It’s not perfect by any means, but it’s finished and Steve is proud of it.

He can’t stop smiling when he does his little jazz hands like, “Ta-dah. It’s a gift.”

Eddie loves it.

 

Eddie posts a Tiktok one time where he’s laughing so hard that the camera is shaking. His movements are clumsy when he moves but you can clearly see that he’s in the middle of working on some kind of craft as he settles in next to Steve, who is sitting cross-legged on the floor but is bend forward so his head is face down into the carpet.

Initially, it looks like Steve’s upset but then you notice that his shoulders are shaking and the choked sound he’s making is laughter. Eddie pulls him up and Steve has to take his glasses off to wipe away tears.

Eddie’s arm is tight around his shoulder even though he’s still laughing when he says, “Stevie. Stevie, tell the people what you forgot.”

“Forgot ‘m dyslexic.”

They’re both cracking up but Eddie eggs him on, “Show ‘em your scarf.”

Steve holds up the half a scarf he’s crocheted. Spelled across the work is the letters ‘E b b i’ for Eddie. Neither manage to say anything else before they’re laughing again, practically falling into themselves before the video ends.

 

Eddie manages to get a few good minutes of Steve sweeping off the deck in the backyard off while using the broom as a microphone. He sings along to a Corroded Coffin song. Though he gets some of the words wrong, it’s probably Eddie’s favorite version of it.

 

Eddie’s in the middle of a live stream when Steve tilts his head in his direction and kisses him. Eddie asks, “What was that for?”

And Steve answers simply, sunny like he always is when he’s happy, “Cause I love you.”

[strawberrybyers]

something i feel to my core that is off-screen canon is that steve and robin share a joint while gossiping in the back alley of the family video store during their breaks

[arconinternet]

Butt It Out (Video, 1984)

Red Letter Media recently finally got around to watching this - the Wheel of the Worst's mysterious Free Rental. You can watch it here.

You can see my post about the excellent uploader here.

[schirs77]

[v-h-s-g-i-r-l]