Seriously, what is it about new releases?

[The Burgomaster]

Isn't Blockbuster slowly or quickly dying

It must be slowly dying because I remember rumors that Blockbuster was on its way out of business way back when Wayne Huizenga sold the company.  It just won't die.

[Flick James]

Blockbuster is trying to compete, it's just a classic example of "too little too late." Netflix is now too well established. As this niche market matures, you'll see more companies entering the fray, but, in my opinion, Blockbuster has branded themselves as too behind the times to compete now.

That said, I do miss the days of going to the video store to pick out movies. Boo hoo, just going to have to move on.

[Monster Jungle X-Ray]

Having been the manager of a small Mom and Pop video store for 5 years I saw this 'new is better mentality' happen quite a bit. The majority of the people that came in would go automatically for the new release wall despite it being just that a wall that went around the store, where the catalogue (read 'old') movies were taking up valuable space. People would ask me all the time what was good, and if you recommended an independent or arthouse film they would just look at you with this glazed over expression, and then go ' uh huh, I think I'll go with Snake Eyes.'

I had a customer explain to me once that after working all day long he did not want to have to think or see anything remotely depressing when he got home. All he really wanted was mindless entertainment, something he didn't have to really have to care about. At least he was being honest.

I do not know how things are now with DVD release dates being what they are, but back in the '80s and '90s it was tough for video stores that weren't the megastores when VHS were priced for rental. I can remember as recently as Saving Private Ryan, that each copy was over $100 a piece. That was what video stores paid for the priviledge to be able to rent these things months before they could be purchased at retail for a 1/5 of the price. Usually the independent releases were more expensive than the major studios so you had to pick and choose on films that while it might be awesome you wouldn't make you money back on it within even a year.

[Flick James]

Having been the manager of a small Mom and Pop video store for 5 years I saw this 'new is better mentality' happen quite a bit. The majority of the people that came in would go automatically for the new release wall despite it being just that a wall that went around the store, where the catalogue (read 'old') movies were taking up valuable space. People would ask me all the time what was good, and if you recommended an independent or arthouse film they would just look at you with this glazed over expression, and then go ' uh huh, I think I'll go with Snake Eyes.'

I had a customer explain to me once that after working all day long he did not want to have to think or see anything remotely depressing when he got home. All he really wanted was mindless entertainment, something he didn't have to really have to care about. At least he was being honest.

I do not know how things are now with DVD release dates being what they are, but back in the '80s and '90s it was tough for video stores that weren't the megastores when VHS were priced for rental. I can remember as recently as Saving Private Ryan, that each copy was over $100 a piece. That was what video stores paid for the priviledge to be able to rent these things months before they could be purchased at retail for a 1/5 of the price. Usually the independent releases were more expensive than the major studios so you had to pick and choose on films that while it might be awesome you wouldn't make you money back on it within even a year.

Clearly you worked at a video store. That's exactly how it was with the more obscure films. In the 90's, if you wanted to buy a movie that was not an A-list blockbuster, you had to pay exhorbitant amounts for them, which discouraged me from doing so the few times I asked about special-ordering something unusual like a Jim Jarmusch film. It would be around $80 or more to buy something like that. Crazy. I always wondered what thought process video store owners would go through when picking out those few oddball titles for the purpose of having variety, because, just as you said, they would have to struggle to make their money back on them. I would see more obscure movies like that, but you wonder if the owner actually had seen the film or knew anything about it, or just looked at the cover and description to try and make a guess at what might sell. I once saw a copy of Jan Svankmajer's "Alice" at a mom and pop store in an neighborhood that clearly didn't have a market for that kind of bizarro film (by the way, I love that film), yet there it was. I pictured the owner buying it because the synopsis said it was based on Alice in Wonderland, put it with other childrens movies, which resulted in an irrate parent who rented it, resulting in their 5-year-old having nightmares for a week, then the owner putting it in the foreign section in that dark corner or the store with little lighting.

Those were the days.

[JaseSF]

I have to mention that back in my video renting, the Mom and Pop stores tended to have far more of interest to me that stores like Blockbuster. Far more cheesy B-movies with cool VHS coverbox art, cool pro wrestling videos, and way more true classics were available too, there was way more adult content too if that's your thing (it wasn't really mine). They had new releases too but they didn't push it on you the same way.

[Rev. Powell]

Far more cheesy B-movies with cool VHS coverbox art, cool pro wrestling videos, and way more true classics were available too, there was way more adult content too if that's your thing (it wasn't really mine). They had new releases too but they didn't push it on you the same way.

The XXX releases kept the mom and pops in business, giving them a prodcut the big chains wouldn't touch, and therefore allowed them to offer the alternative viewing choices you mention.  Just another way pornography has enriched our lives!