Extinct: The Local Independent Video Rental Store. (Bloomingdale, Worth: sale, rentals)

[Jesse69]

Netflix is just killing the Video Rental business for independents. The only thing independent rental shops offered that was different than Netflix was porn. But now there a great websites for internet porn so who rents dvd porn nowadays?

Local Video Shops in Wicker Park all died except for Blockbuster. The last one closed up two weeks ago. I even stopped going to local video rental stores because of my Netflix.

So how about your neighborhood - is the local video shop dead?

[surlycue]

Originally Posted by Jesse69

Netflix is just killing the Video Rental business for independents. The only thing independent rental shops offered that was different than Netflix was porn. But now there a great websites for internet porn so who rents dvd porn nowadays?

Local Video Shops in Wicker Park all died except for Blockbuster. The last one closed up two weeks ago. I even stopped going to local video rental stores because of my Netflix.

So how about your neighborhood - is the local video shop dead?

The independent and foreign video store on Milwaukee just north of Bloomingdale is still open. They have great stuff in there. Facets on Fullerton also has a bitchin' video selection.

There's a video place in my hood on Armitage and Kedzie too, but I have never been in there. If anything, Netflix has killed Blockbuster.

[SmartGXL]

Yes I have seen many of these close as well. There is still one on Broadway, north of Broadway, accross from the gym.

[SmartGXL]

Originally Posted by surlycue

The independent and foreign video store on Milwaukee just north of Bloomingdale is still open. They have great stuff in there. Facets on Fullerton also has a bitchin' video selection.

There's a video place in my hood on Armitage and Kedzie too, but I have never been in there. If anything, Netflix has killed Blockbuster.

Blockbuster sucked because they would not carry good, hard to find movies, and they also would not carry ****. That right there is a deal breaker for me.

[via chicago]

Theres still local video stores near me (I still have an account at one I've been going to for over 20 years), but I can understand why Netflix is killing them...because their selection sucks. I have no nostalgia for most of these places. The only good thing about my local store is they still have their VHS collection, which includes a lot of stuff that was never put out on DVD. But otherwise, its all blockbuster popcorn flicks. Once I have some cash again Im going back to Netflicks. Simply cant be beat if youre into anything even remotely outside the mainstream (arthouse, foriegn, indies, etc). Excellent customer service as well.

Worth noting that Facets has a Netflix model delivery model now too. I tried them for a couple months, but found their service to be a bit slower than Netflix which matters when you're on an unlimited plan trying to get your moneys worth. They do however have some films Netflix dosent (especially rare VHS's, of which there may only be a couple copies in existence. You take a big risk by renting those, though; if your VCR happens to eat it, you're automatically on the hook for $250. which in the scheme of things is probably fair)

I will say theres nothing that makes me happier than seeing Blockbuster go down in flames to the Redboxes/Netflicks of the world. Of course eventually they will all be replaced by instant streaming.

[Drover]

I don't like to see "the little guy" get put out of business by big conglomerates (not that I necessarily have anything specifically against big conglomerates either), but you just can't argue with Netflix's convenience and especially its selection. Even specialty stores that carry hard-to-find stuff like indie flicks and foreign films are at least matched if not bested by Netflix's selection of these films. Sorry independent video store owner, there just isn't much reason for me to darken your door any more. About the only independent video shops that still seem to be thriving are those that cater to a specific ethnic immigrant group and carry videos from their home countries that are too obscure or esoteric even for foreign film buffs.

[PokerPlayer1]

20th century Buggy Whip Makers.

Their entire operating model got trumped by technology.

[IRV007]

Just my opinion but that whole technology of rental videos is going the way of the casset tape player. Went by another Hollywood Video going out of buisness sale just today.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by IRV007

Just my opinion but that whole technology of rental videos is going the way of the casset tape player. Went by another Hollywood Video going out of buisness sale just today.

We are not using Netflix for rentals but RedBox which is very simple to rent at a very low price, $1 per film per day.

[Lookout Kid]

Walking through the blue and yellow fluorescent lit Blockbuster was one of my least favorite activities on earth. Good riddance, Blockbuster!

I notice that a lot of the indie video stores near my home are still in business (Boystown still has a number of them), and I'm guessing that gay porn has something to do with that.