Can We Bring Back Video Rental Stores?
I miss going to the video rental store on a Friday night. When I was growing up in upstate NY, we’d head to Plaza Pizza, put in an order for a pie or two, and then hit up the video store to browse what seemed like endless aisles of VHS tapes. Sometimes we would run into friends. Often, we would end up watching 10 minutes or more of whatever random movie they were playing on the TVs mounted to the ceiling. After picking what we each wanted for the weekend, we’d check out, paying the late fees we may have owed, but never the rewind fees. We were always kind enough to rewind.
Now, we sit on the couch, arguing over what app to use. Will it be a Disney+ night? Netflix? Amazon? Hulu? Some random new app I can’t remember the name of at the moment? My 8-year-old daughter wants to watch anything that could have what she calls a jumpscare. She’s dying to watch some of the horror classics, but my wife and I aren’t ready quite yet to expose her to them. We rarely find something everyone wants to watch. One or two of the family members will most times retreat to a separate screen in silent protest of the chosen family movie. Was it easier in the 80s when I was a kid? We certainly had fewer options and only one TV with a VHS player. So I was forced to take turns on what we watched. My parents waiting till I went to sleep before they popped in an R-rated title.
It may just be that like any memory, which often has a golden tint in our minds, that it wasn’t always such a great trip to the video store. But I can’t be the only one who misses going to the video rental stores? I don’t have time or money to do this right now, so I will offer this into the universe in the hopes that someone else will make my dream come true, but can we bring them back? Obviously, no successful business model revolving around paying rent for a storefront to rent videos remains. Redbox has figured out a better way to offer a physical disc for rental. But maybe there is an aspect that could still work?
What if we had a hybrid of a movie/game rental shop and a small theatre? A place where you could pick out a digital rental and have the option of either being sent to your screen of choice OR renting a small theatre out for your family or group of friends. Complete with fresh popcorn and ridiculously comfortable recliners. Those that want to be anti-social but miss browsing for movies in person can have their video delivered home. Maybe you combine this all with a restaurant/bar? So then there is a good takeout option as well. Instead of a huge theatre, it’s meant more for small events and social gatherings. Where you don’t need to worry about sharing the indoor space with a science-denier during an ongoing pandemic. I’m guessing this would work best if propped up by Amazon, Netflix, or Disney, but I wish it could be independent. Blockbuster ruined the video store rental experience for me as I got older. I want to think something not ruined by the monotony of a major corporate brand would be more enjoyable. Although, I’m willing to make sacrifices as long as I get to rent out a small theatre with my family and argue over what to play next.
