Bobou2

I haven't been in my local BB in awhile, so when I was browsing the "new" older films and I had to laugh. In front of me was a copy of "The Last Temptation of Christ". I remembered the big stink BB put up by refusing to get copies to rent on VHS. Now in front of me was the CC dvd version. My luck it wasn't in.

Mr. Salty

I assume you're talking about Blockbuster and not Best Buy?

This seems to be a regional thing, or maybe it's left up to store management. I live in a pretty conservative area and both of the Blockbusters here have always had the VHS version of "Last Temptation" to rent. The one closest to me had the Criterion DVD as well.

Mutley Hyde

I got verbally accosted by a major assshole Blockbuster manager years ago while asking for this title. It was a busy Saturday, with lots of customers, so it was pretty embarrasing. He said "Last Temptation? You mean, "Of CHRIST?!?" I'm sorry son (I was over 25, older than this guy it looked like too), but Blockbuster doesn't carry THAT kind of movie!!" He really was loud about it. I looked around, and everybody was staring. I then asked why then they had Henry & June, and Crimes of Passion, and before he could say anything, I just told him that "I guess I just don't rent from stores like THIS!" Sorry, but the guy was an out and out cock. Blockbuster has always had enough going against it, this was the last straw.


It took me at least five years before I ever set foot in another one of these lousy stores, and have only done so sparingly since. I still say screw 'em, and I hope the death of rental pricing and the success of dvd puts these bastards out of business!

--- breathe ---

Okay, rant over. Really, if I've offended anyone, I apologize. Unless of course you're that manager.

Janitor

I doubt you've offended anyone by simply telling your story. I've not been in a BlockBuster for about a year.5 now. I like to hope the same as you. That the studios will be able to drive them out of business by not doing rental pricing on DVDs as they become more and more popular.

It's bad enough having to deal with studio execs & market surveys doing things like deciding to release big movies in non OAR formats. Do we really need to have a rental chain with as much input/control over the market as they seem to? Near as I can tell, they (BB) bring nothing to the table.

The Bus

Let's get our stories straight...

BB refers to Best Buy one of the best (albeit mainstream and sometimes shoddily stocked) retailers for DVDs in the US, combining the good prices of the value stores (Target, Wal-Mart) with the inventory of more upscale/diverse stores (Suncoast Video, Border's), but never quite achieving a good balance between the two.

The other *shudder* store you speak of is one of the world's largest rentail chains, and has for years received flak from every possible angle for every possible thing. This... thing... we should refer to as Lackluster.

Point is, I wanted to read a BB thread, not a Lackluster thread.

CKMorpheus

I don't see why everyone hates blockbuster. The one I go to has very nice people working behind the register. They never give me a hard time about renting and asking for any movies. Sure, they might have some clueless (Referring to widescreen as half-screen) employees, but who cares? We were all clueless about something in one point of our lives. And they have good rental prices, I feel. Expessially when using the 30 Retals, 30 Days, 30 Dollars deal. I might have to go there everyday but I live near-by so

Splatt

Well, except for the $30/30rental, which is fairly recent, many video stores, with the exception of some mom and pop shops, tend to have a case of very bad service. It's hard to find intelligent people who want to work there...

The guy flipping out over last temptation was being rude and stupid; I bet he had no idea what the film was about anyway. The one near me has a couple of nice employees, though I went through the $20/30dvd plan once and haven't been back

John Sy

If Blockbuster went out of business because of DVD, I for one, would not miss them.

Pointyskull

As much as I dislike the "control" that Blockbuster has, along with their inconsistent "policies" with regard to bannining specific content, I must admit that more often than not they have a new title I am looking for. My local mom/pop shops can't afford to allow two night+ DVD rentals, and with the commentaries and documentaries on most new titles, I need more than one night to watch everything on a disc. Plus, the mom/pop shops can't risk too many multiple copies of a given title like Blockbuster seems able to.
Don't get me wrong, I dislike Blockbuster's attempted control of the rental industry as much as the next guy. I have no problem with the staff, because I'm familiar enough with titles to know what I'm looking for. As long as they charge me the right amount, that's all I ask.

adia4625

I go to Hollywood..Bockbuster has a better selection of DVDs to choose from..I just hate them. Netflix has a good selection as well but their system doenst agree with me.

Pointyskull

I did Netflix for about seven months. No complaints. Nice, deep selection. I averaged about 6-7 titles per month.

Wizdar

Put me on that list, too.

However, I don't have the same opinion of their prices. I suppose they're OK if you don't like buying online, but it would be hard (for me at least) to find a good price there. And if they have a good price, chances are they don't have the movie.

Plus, I have 3 BBs within 15 minutes, and there has never been a time in recent memory when the checkouts haven't looked like it was Christmas.

As far as Lackluster, I got no need for 'em. I'm one of those collector kinda guys y'all hear tell about.

boc4ever

The reason why I have boycotted Blockbuster is primarily for their pro-censorship attitude. I find it offensive that they wouldn't stock NC-17 movies or uncut versions of films. I haven't been in one so long that this policy may have changed. Nonetheless, I don't appreciate society telling me what is appropriate to watch. I actually saw Last Temptation in the theater, twice! I thought it was a thought provoking film, no matter what your beliefs are. Anyone who wants to rent from Blockbuster, feel free. Anyone who appreciates true art films should go elsewhere. BTW, in Philadelphia, we have a terrific company that caters to the filmophile. It is called TLA Video. You can find them online at http://www.tlavideo.com I don't work for them. I just appreciate a company that stocks all types of movies and caters to the art house film fanatics.

Heat

I don't like Blockbuster because they make you give them a credit card number to get a rental card. Plus they charge something like $3.75 for a DVD rental, plus the DVDs are due back at something like 5pm.

A local grocery chain (Shop & Save) has a decent selection of DVDs for $0.99 each and they are due back by 11pm. I also have a Hollywood Video nearby which is nice because they carry Criterions, but I still don't like them enough to use to rent other DVDs. Also we have a chain called "Family Video" which doesn't do the censorship crap that Blockbuster likes to do. For example, you can rent hard core adult films there (there is a discreet room in the back with those videos), plus Family Video has an evergrowing selection of DVDs though the rental price is $3.00 (they are due back by midnight the following day).

I guess my point is that I hate Blockbuster too, and am lucky enough to have enough competition around that I am not even slightly tempted to rent there. For what it's worth, Springfield, Illinois is a white collar town with 105,000 residents, there are only two Blockbusters (and two others that I can think of have closed down). There are three Hollywood Videos, and ten Family Videos (plus a couple more small stores by independents).

Wizdar

"Family Video" with a porn section -- gotta love it!

audrey

I rarely rent from Blockbuster. While I don't agree with their NC17 policy, it's their busines and they have a right to choose the titles they stock.

What bothers me about Blockbuster, is that some of their R rated titles have been edited for Blockbuster. There is nothing on the box to indicate the title has been edited, yet scenes are missing or altered.

While I can support their ban on NC17 titles, this form of censorship crosses the line.

garmonbozia

TLA is amazing. I've only lived here for a little over 3 years, and discovering TLA was nothing short of a religious experience. Since DVD entered my life though...I haven't rented anything.

Heat

And free rentals on kid's videos. Yep, something for the whole family!

tsohg

I thought it was Ballbuster

btribble

Personally, I like to use c**kbuster... since it rhymes and all. =)

Abob Teff

I worked for this company for awhile (great company from a customer standpoint, great on paper, but serious problems in middle management). Anyway, the joke always was (and we were actually told to say this), "It is 'Family Video' because we have movies for everyone in the family. Even your perverted dirty uncle Henry."

Heat -- you have mail!

tsohg

I like that one better

ModoReese

I worked for a distributor who supplied Blockbuster and I was their rep. It was certainly an interesting experience. Their employees run the range from really nice helpful, yet clueless people, to bitter, bitter managers, to extremely informed videophiles who are powerless to do anything to improve the store. I think the turnover rate is so high, three months makes you an old-timer. Head office dictates so much of what stock they see and what they can and can't sell/rent, that I feel for the people who work there and actually CARE. They know the problems, odds are, they've complained to head office, and some clueless paper pusher in head office sees the store is classified as an "A" or "B", or whatever, and orders based entirely on that. It's pathetic.

The lowest moment for me was when a store managed asked me what the difference between widescreen and letterbox was. And yes, they still regularly return w/s VHS as defective just because it's w/s.



M

happypants

Do you have some examples of movies Blockbuster had edited?

Illinois Enema Bandit

I have 3 Ballbusters & a Hollywood within a 10 minute radius. If I ever want to rent something, I go to the Hollywood - their DVD selection is and has been from day 1 vastly better than any of the BB's near me. Of course, at this point my DVD selection is better than these BBs

I also would be perfectly happy to see this company disappear from the face of the earth