Biggest rental regret from back in the day?

[trevanian]

There was a store in Palo Alto called Videoscope that had a really good selection in the 80s, plus a section in back. My then-girlfriend wanted to see a porn movie (she hadn't ever seen one), so we rented something called THE *****INATOR Well, she made it about 5min in before yelling 'enough already.' (she was a real hound about good production values, and even though I warned her that would be a non-starter with adult entertainment, she still wanted to try.) As I recall, the porn titles were a lot more expensive than the rest, so it was probably a five or six buck rental, and this was probably 33 years ago.

The other funny thing about that particular store was that at one point they had A MAN IN LOVE in the new release section. This same girlfriend was almost a dead ringer for Greta Scacchi, and every time Abby passed by it, she would turn the box around to hide the cover because it looked so much like her (I think it was Greta and Peter Coyote together in profile.)

I think Videoscope was one of the first places I found that rented laserdiscs, too, which was awesome. I remember renting the Criterions fpr BLADE RUNNER and 2001 and watching them slackjawed with disbelief that you could get such high image quality AND in widescreen to boot. (I think we actually rented the laserdisc player from there too, before shelling out for a Sony something something 500, which let you do freeze frames on CLV as well as CAV disks. Great machine, but very prone to malfunction.)

EDIT ADDON: didn't realize the site's censor would blot out the porn title. Suffice it say, it rhymes with the word Terminator but is a synonym for ejaculate (though now come to think of it, if it censors the word ***** in *****inator it will probably censor ejaculate as well. Let's just say that the blocked out word is a synonym for something that sounds like the last word in ALL THAT JAZZ.)

[SIWilson]

I haven't rented a film since the heyday of VHS rentals, but if I had to mention one disappointment on a blind film rental - it would be "Slipstream". I remember the video store tv screen previews that ran constantly in the store really touting this film to the Star Wars crowd because it featured Mark Hamill in a very small role. But with the late Bill Paxton as its lead, this film was an utter bore. As a sci-fi futuristic story, there was nothing there to live up to its misleading advertising. I don't think I even finished the film, and I've never seen it since, I think it faded off into the deep recesses of the film archives. I don't remember the exact year, but want to say that was mid to late 80s.

[principehomura]

It's not that I regret it, because I was young and into this kind of movies, but I picked the movie also for the friends, and everyone hated it, and of course game me some "hard time" in the following days =D
I was 18 yo, last year of high school.
A friend had the house available during summer, and since I was the only one with the car that evening, I was charged to go to the blockbuster in the near town to pick a movie.


I picked Dungeons & Dragons.

[Winslow Leach]

In the 90s, I rented THE DOOM GENERATION, because I was a fan of Rose McGowan. The dude from THAT THING YOU DO! was also in it. Probably the most disgusting, vile and ugly film I've ever seen, and I don't get offended easily. Terrible film.

[slimdude]

Originally Posted by traths

I miss those days.

Me too.

[filmbuffTX]

Originally Posted by KINGDANGER

The Frighteners.

I had rented the VHS from Blockbuster and thoroughly enjoyed it. Upon returning it, the guy working the counter was emptying the return box and told me to just put it on the counter that was right by the exit door. I hesitated but complied. The following week, while trying to rent some new selections the manager confronted me and said my account was locked due to non-return of the Frighteners. I insisted that I had and relayed the story yet the manager was extremely rude and accused me of theft. I asked her to go back and check the cameras but she refused. She was literally yelling at me in front of all the customers. Back then initial VHS prices were over $100 until home release date, this way rental companies could profit for several months. I had to pay about $120 in non-return fees to settle my account and I never rented a single movie again. This is the event that started me purchasing and collecting movies and what ultimately brought me here today...

"Hello, my name is KINGDANGER, and I am addicted to collecting movies"

You should have stood your ground and definitely not have paid that fee. Especially since you had no plans to rent from them again. I would have confronted the employee who told me to "just put it on the counter" and contacted the corporate office.

[nashcameronn]

[JayTL]

Not returning a Vaulted DVD copy of Beauty and the Beast.

Cost me like $60 lol

[TheSpruceMoose]

Nothing of major regret that I can remember except for perhaps not returning Banjo Kazooie on time and my parent having to navigate around the atrocious late fee that piled up but that was less about the quality of the game and more on our ill timed behavior in getting it back.

Only other close example was I rented Training Day once because I wanted to see it unedited much to the rejection of my sis who made a good point, "didn't you already see this on TV?" She was right, and I didn't get much out of it. Money would've been better spent on candy frankly.

[JayTL]

When I worked at Blockbuster, people were PISSED I recommended Pan's Labyrinth (to the point we couldn't recommend anymore)...and too many people were mad I wouldn't let them switch out The Happening because they didn't like it

[Guy87]

[atomik kinder]

Future-kill, it had a cool H R Giger cover. it took forever before it was in for me to rent. The store only had one copy and it was constantly checked out. Finally rented it and it was so bad. Also Breeders from 1986.

Funny also, when I first rented Peter Jackson's Dead Alive, I thought it was horrible. I didn't get why so many people loved it. Unfortunately, Blockbuster only had the edited version, so I missed out on a lot gross humor. Now, I really like it after seeing the "unrated" version.

[CrossRhodes94]

I miss Blockbuster and Hollywood Video

[Jay H.]

Originally Posted by atomik kinder

Funny also, when I first rented Peter Jackson's Dead Alive, I thought it was horrible. I didn't get why so many people loved it. Unfortunately, Blockbuster only had the edited version, so I missed out on a lot gross humor. Now, I really like it after seeing the "unrated" version.

I never saw the Blockbuster cut, but I remember reading in FANGORIA that Peter Jackson and some of his friends rented it (he wasn't involved in the edit). He said the lawnmower massacre was completely removed, so we see Lionel say "Party's over!" and immediately follow it with the aftermath. Jackson and his friends were very amused by this.

Blockbuster supposedly would not carry unrated movies, but I rented the unrated Scarecrows from there. Honestly, I was glad that chain went away.

[msb1428]

Originally Posted by Josep5349

And if you actually wanted to purchase the VHS rather rent it the prices were completely ridiculous. In the early days anyway.

This is why I can't understand most people *****ing about a $22.99 price point for a blu ray day one release of a new title ...its head scratching

[Jay H.]

Originally Posted by msb1428

This is why I can't understand most people *****ing about a $22.99 price point for a blu ray day one release of a new title ...its head scratching

I think it's because the price to buy a movie on Blu-ray has increased (damn that inflation), whereas the cost of a VHS movie went down. The last few years of their existence, just about any movie could be bought on VHS for $14.99 MSRP. I stopped dubbing VHS rentals and just started buying them since the cost was low, and I was younger and had very little in the way of monthly bills.

$22.99 is a good price. What I hate is when the boutique labels charge an exorbitant amount because it's "limited" or it comes in some special packaging I don't care about. Just give me the disc, in a regular case, and don't make me take out a loan to get it. And please...let's stop with the whole "limited" nonsense.

[JDub1]

I still rent blu ray movies and I'm damn proud of it. I feel no shame when I walk into my video rental store.

[Flash3000]

As a Michael Myers lover I nearly wet my pants when I saw the VHS release of Halloween 4 on the shelf of my local video store. I had no idea it had even be made. I was absolutely crushed when I watched it and saw the mask in the movie was not the same as the one on the cover. I hated that mask.

[trevanian]

Originally Posted by Jay H.

I never saw the Blockbuster cut, but I remember reading in FANGORIA that Peter Jackson and some of his friends rented it (he wasn't involved in the edit). He said the lawnmower massacre was completely removed, so we see Lionel say "Party's over!" and immediately follow it with the aftermath. Jackson and his friends were very amused by this.

Blockbuster supposedly would not carry unrated movies, but I rented the unrated Scarecrows from there. Honestly, I was glad that chain went away.

I stopped renting from Blockbuster in the late 80s, over the fact they'd carry subhuman trash like FACES OF DEATH but not stock THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST. In fact, I made a big damn deal of it, using a pocketknife on the laminated rental card, being nice and loud, which is out of character for me, but geez, it really pissed me off. I don't think I ever went back into a blockbuster for the rest of the century, though did go back and pick up some ultracheap dvds when they started going out of business up here.

[SpazeBlue]

Originally Posted by trevanian

In fact, I made a big damn deal of it, using a pocketknife on the laminated rental card, being nice and loud, which is out of character for me, but geez, it really pissed me off.