have any of you blockbuster haters tried blockbuster online? i hate the brick and mortar stores, but i like the online service far better than netflix. they don't seem to slow down my shipping, and i usually watch all 3 movies in 1 or 2 days (i've been on it about a year now, same pattern throughout), plus you get 2 free coupons a month for the brick and mortar store(if you feel like making the trip) so it almost pays for itself. i do have a warehouse right by me tho, so not everyone's expereince may be as positive...

BlockBuster online has worked pretty good for us, of course up here where overnight takes 3 days I wouldn't notice a slow down anyway.

We have gotten to see a lot of movies that the local video place would have never had.
I might have to go check out Netflix selection though....I am starting to like foreign or non mainstream movies.

I don't like Blockbuster. Their decisions about what to rent and what not to rent has effectively prevented some movies from coming out on DVD, or forced them to be edited, or made them not come out at all.

They are one of the main reasons that there are effectively no more NC17 films. The rating was intended to allow for "adults only" without actually being pornographic. It was intended so that artistic films could have content that'd otherwise get them self-rated "X" or unrated and still be able to show in "decent theaters."

Blockbuster not carrying NC17 has effectively destroyed the rating. Filmmakers avoid it like the plague. They cut the films to get them to R, then they release both an R version and an unrated version. Oddly enough, Blockbuster carries unrated films. Usually, they are the types of films you'd think they'd want to avoid renting. Proto-smut. But just so long as they keep me safe from GOOD films with racy content...

When I rent at all, I go to Hollywood Video. The one in my area is a bit too far away, so I tend to watch things on HBO/Cinemax(ick!)/Starz on Demand. Oddly enough, Starz tends to have better films than HBO and Cinemax combined.

Good rant.

*puts Blockbuster on black list*

I thought the theater owners destroyed NC-17 when they refused to carry them.

There's still plenty of reasons to hate Blockbuster, but let's blame the proper parties. 'Cuz let's face it, there's still plenty of blame to go 'round.

those bastards!

I was going to cancel this week anyway... but now that is going to be why I cancel... jerks!

hahaha, the tone of indignance in some of these posts has been cracking me up. i can't believe how offended people seem by this.

i love Netflix, and they've always done right by me - but I am not often waiting by the mailbox with bated breath, either. sometimes i don't watch the movies i have for days, weeks even. a day later on the delivery side isn't going to get me up in arms. funny stuff.

I tried Blockbuster online for about a month but I didn't cancel my NetFlix account, thank goodness. About 1/3 of the movies in my queue on NetFlix weren't available from Blockbuster. Blockbuster also took about 5-7 days to ship and the in-store free rental coupons always ended up with me paying late fee's.
I'll admit that NetFlix has gotten a bit slower, like 5 days shipping instead of 3, but it's still better than Blockbuster.

Yeah, I really like Hollywood's MVP program. However, I've seen most things at the store that are worth watching and I recently moved, so I changed stores. At this store, the movies are always so mixed up and out of order and a lot of the DVDs are too messed up. I'm really thinking about going with Netflix.

I can't stand Blockbuster. I've hated them for a very long time, mainly because of late fees. I would get charged a lot per day. At Hollywood, they would just re-rent them out to me for five more days and they have a bigger selection.

Um, you do realize that Barb Wire was put on DVD don't you?

Edit: oh BTW, I heard the Blockbuster donates money to Anti-Abortion groups many years ago. So, fuck them.


[Edited on Feb 13, 2006 by Vadennoi]

Ok, clarification: access to almost everything ever committed to DVD > 1000 channels of crap. Obviously there's plenty of crap in the DVD world too...but it's your call what you wind up watching, with DVDs. You don't get to decide what gets put on those 1000 satellite channels. That and just about everything worth watching on TV (with the exception of the Daily Show) comes to DVD sooner or later.

[Edited on Feb 13, 2006 by malkav11]

Well that sucks to hear about Netflix.I was about to subcribe because I flat refuse to give fuckin' Blockbuster any more of my money.I was going to a store called Hollywood Video until I found out that Blockbuster fuckin bought them too!!! ASSBAGS!!!!!

Theyve been fucking me the same way. Im getting ready to cancel the service because it has become so slow. some times up to a week for my next rental. Plus Ive eben getting broken DVDs more offten now then good ones.

I wouldn't have wrote it if I thought it wasn't true. I don't remember it all that well because this was in the 90s, but I seem to recall hearing it on a news show that was doing a piece on what charities and organizations companies donate money too. I believe it is true. I stopped renting at Blockbuster because of it, and never forgot. I still won't step foot in the place.

I can't find any evidence of this on the web though.