There is a species among man that has now found itself among the endangered; souls who find themselves with the likes of the Arakan Forest Turtle and the Javan Rhino. Where once they could be found nearly anywhere in captivity they’re reserves are now scattered, their laborious domiciles eyesores verging on dilapidation. This species goes by the description “Video repono pensio alio;” the Video Rental Store Guy.
This species was first discovered in the late 1970’s, when electronics began to arrive in the family home. At the time the species was divided between two groups: the Beta tapes, and the Videocassettes. As the pornographic industry gave Videocassettes their approval, Beta tapes found themselves being phased-out and their “rental assistants” found themselves cohabitating with the VHS to continue their survival. The advent of the Laserdisc showed no change to the cause of the Video Rental Store Guy, nor any significant change to the Video Rental Store Retailer.
The Retailers came, went, changed, and merged; whether it was Roadrunner, West Coast Video, Red Giraffe, Blockbuster, Family Circus, or any number of franchise or local-based stores, the Video Rental Store Guy adapted to the changes and environments. As a nation went forth into the Nineteen-Nineties, the VRSG looked forward to a bright and shining future; he was standing on the peak of Home Video Entertainment.
Little did he know that two things would change the face of home entertainment forever.
In the mid-Nineties the computing world introduced its inter-network, called the World Wide Web, to the culture en masse. While a few made note and slowly it gained acceptance, the VSRG only saw it as computers connecting to other computers; there wasn’t any harm to be seen. People were still renting VCR’s to watch their movies, and on occasion someone WOULD buy a popcorn, soda, and candy combo.
Around the same time came the release of the Digital Versatile Disc (DVD). DVD’s were lighter, cheaper, and held more information than a standard VHS tape. They also came with the functionality of the Laserdisc but again, they were smaller. The changeover from VHS to DVD was slow as human culture was not sure about embracing this new technology. In fact it wasn’t until the motion picture, “The Matrix,” that DVD gained acceptance into home entertainment.
Unbeknownst to the VSRG, DVD and the WWW (or Internet) would soon be married in the form of online renting through several services, the least of which is called Netflix. Netflix operated by offering a catalog of movies difficult to find in some areas and stores, and the ability for the renters to receive rentals through mail. Retailers were quick to counter the movement, offering packages whereby renters could pay a monthly sum to rent movies through the mail and return them to a store, where they would have in-store credit and be able to choose among that retailer’s selection.
The Internet led to more developments: computers having DVD burners and peer-to-peer software that allowed for individuals to copy movies and distribute them to friends. Netflix allowed for “recommendations” based on a person’s movie “queue.” The biggest change was that now the common person didn’t have to drive to a store to get a movie or drop on off, they no longer had to deal with late fees, and they didn’t have to spend the extra money for a combo.
Now the VSRG finds himself having to hock combos just to stay in the business. The people are staying at home; no one needs his suggestions. The Retailers are closing their stores and/or merging them, and the Video Store Rental Guy is doing everything he can to keep his job. As he stands looking across a vast landscape that was once rife with videotapes, he sheds a tear.
Chas Andrews' Movie Blog 