Renting Movies Then And Now

 Back when I was a kid, when I wasn't seeing a movie like "Star Wars Episode III : Revenge Of The Sith" or the "Pirates Of The Caribbean" films in theaters among plenty of other films both animated and live action, I loved going to the rental store. I loved getting a game and a couple movies, spending weekends all year round trying a game I did not have the funds to purchase or watching a movie that had long finished its run on the silver screen that I did not own or never got a theatrical run or even and I am a dating myself by saying this... a VHS tape. The rental store was a super cool place to go and find something new, or something I loved and borrow it for a little while, whether it was a weekend, a long weekend, school break, or just because, it was always the good time to go and rent games and movies. I did a whole podcast episode on game rental memories so I wanted to talk about my nostalgia for business that allowed you to rent things, and the current state of renting things now.

The rental store was always a special place, whether it was Blockbuster, Family Video, another chain or even a mom and pop rental store. I only rented one or two films through Redbox but I do not have a lot of nostolgia for them and they were just everywhere. The places I have nostolgia for are actual buildings purely dedicated to renting movies and games, while also having cool, overpriced candy at the front of the store. 

It was always a treat to go out and rent a movie and a game. The atmosphere of a movie playing and seeing movie posters and finding something to take for a couple days. Whether was a movie I never saw, never got a theatherical release, or one of my personal faveorites a collection of T.V episodes. Not being able to pull a cartoon up on streaming back then, I either had to wait for it to come on T.V and be there when it aired, or watch a DVD. Renting a DVD meant I had at least a couple of episodes I could watch and enjoy. 

Same went for movies, if I did not own the movie or game it was great to expirence them, try them and see if wanted to own them someday. In the case of games, I rented some multiple times because I loved them so much like "SpongeBob SquarePants Battle For Bikinni Bottom" and "The Simpsons Hit And Run", two games I have tons of nostolgia for. I loved going and trying to find something to play and watch, finding movies I could watch with my family. I rented tons of movies to watch with friends and family as well as for myself. Renting whole seasons of shows and watching them, seeing shows that were before my time or I wasn't there to catch live like "Rocky And Bullwinkle" or even "The Simpsons". Watching episodes of shows I loved that I hadn't seen yet and funding new faveorites.

Renting movies during the Era of DVDs really hitting a fever pitch was just a part of the norm, a norm I loved whether it was over a school break or just a fun weekend at home. Each movie store bringing a great atmosphere, not going over the top but having a movie playing and some displays to add an element of fun to the mix. I loved it. 

Fast forward to today where even Redbox is gone and movies can still be rented on Amazon, YouTube and some other services, though it is not quite the same. Renting is now all digital and depending on what is being rented dictates the price, from a small 4 dollars for an older feature to 10 or even 25 based on how recent the release and popularity. Renting now means having an internet service and a device to run the film, also lasting only 48 hours once the film begins running. 

Instead of taking something you can tangibly hold and use for a few days, you can stream it for two. And that is another new factor, streaming services are a collection of films and shows both commercial and made for the service that are available as long as you are paying for the service. It is more similar to  cable as you have unlimited access as long as you paying but reminds me of rentals in terms of principle, since the products are not owned. 

Digital rentals are interesting as they are convenient yet their time limit is much more strict and can be more expensive then those of the past. The turnaround of a movie to digital platforms after its theatrical run is much faster now then it was back then with physical media still taking months after the film has had its time on the big screen. 

What I miss truly is the physical place where movies could be rented. I have rented digital movies and even paid premium prices for more recent releases. The convince is very nice and being able to see a new movie from home, and even see a film before it lands on one of the many streaming services. There are pros and cons to each. Having to go out twice to rent movies and games and then to return them, forgetting to return them and incurring late fees, or wasting money and a trip on a rental you did not enjoy are all noticeable flaws of the old model. With digital rentals there are no trips or late fees, but not as much time. 

It's fun to look back, but look at now, see things we enjoy and things we miss. Some things we would like back and some things that are okay staying gone. Nostalgia is a fun emotion, looking back and knowing that the good memories can always stay with us, and those never have a late fee.