February92008
Without so much as a “Bye Seth” or a “Where the hell is the three dollars you owe us?”, my beloved independent video store has closed. The next nearest video store is hardly near and not at all independent (it’s a Blockbuster with a shit selection). Of course, “Don’t you netflix?” is what you’re now asking. No, I don’t. Though their model is now dominating the market, I’ve never understood how people can stand to know the next hundred or so movies they’re getting. For me, the magic of this video store was that after a shitty day, or when it was freezing out, or if other plans had fallen through, I could go and search for ‘just the right movie’ for the day’s mood. Netflix, with it’s queue and mailing system, completely destroys the magic I’ve associated with video stores since I was a nerdy friendless child.
