The death of the video store

So Hollywood Video is closing. They aren't the first video store to go out of business, and my guess is they won't be the last. Of course it's not just locally that video stores are feeling the pinch. The Blockbuster chain has been on the verge of bankruptcy for some time. You see, consumer tastes have changed.

At first I couldn't believe it when I heard Hollywood Video was closing. Then I started to try and remember the last time I went to the video store to rent something...I think it was in February, or was that January? And the time before that — Fourth of July weekend maybe. Therein lies the problem.

When I was growing up, the video store was a staple. It was that way in college too. I went a couple times a week, pulled out stacks of movies, and watched them in my down time. Mostly VHS, then some DVD. But you see, as we've moved into the digital age, the whole process of how we see movies has changed.

It used to be a film would come out in a theater, then six to 12 months later it came out on home video. The only place to see it was on pay-per-view or by renting it from the local video store. Then, about six months after that, it was released for purchase. But things started to change as technology moved from VHS to DVD. Soon, it became common to be able to pick up a film on DVD the day it was released, as more and more people bypassed the video store.

Video stores also became less of a valuable resource, ditching classic films in favor of retaining more modern stock. Heading to the video store to find a classic film for a research report, to pull a clip, or just to add to your cinematic education became a toss up.

Then came additional market competitors — iTunes and Net Flicks. You can now easily rent or purchase films over the Internet, or for a small monthly fee get films sent to your home. All of which further eroded the convenience of the neighborhood video store. In five years, the idea of a corner video store might be a foreign concept or a relic of the past.

As we've entered this period of technological revolution, communication has never been faster, easier, or less personal. If we didn't have to leave the house to buy groceries or go to work, I think some people's contact with the outside world might be limited to their Internet connection.

One of my favorite things to do after a long week in college was to stroll through the aisles at the local video store. I'd see classic films that I remembered I liked, ones I remembered I hated, and new treasures to try out. It was a release, an escape. It wasn't convenient or practical, but it worked.

I guess now I'll have to settle for surfing on iTunes or going through the listings on Amazon.com.

RIP home video store......