Why I love NetFlix (the video store killer) – Monthly Musings

I’ve noticed that every month (or almost every month), I post a musing on television-related popular culture from “Do we over-identify with TV actors?” to “Why I write for CliqueClack” to “Do I really need three DVD players?” So, I’ve decided to make it official and turn it into a monthly column, “Monthly Musings.” If I do more than that, great! If I do less, well … it’s a monthly column so you know I’m hella lazy.

Anyhoo, this month I want to trumpet the greatness of NetFlix. I know I’m a little late to the DVD-mail revolution; however, thanks to Hollywood Video going out of business, that left my area without a DVD store. Back in the 1990s, most areas featured a Hollywood, a BlockBuster and a local video store. In today’s e-times, they don’t exist as much.

I resisted the NetFlix transition because traversing the video store is a part of the DVD rental tradition. Without perusing the desiccated racks of dusty videos, I would never have re-found films from the 1970s such as Blackula or the original Stepford Wives. The DVD store helped my selection process. I could only make a decision when tangibly viewing the movies simultaneously and holding the DVD case in hand. I loved the spontaneity of the video store. Randomly calling friends together and then spending half an hour agreeing on a film turned into its own social event. If I went alone, my inner egotist enjoyed the employees’ approval of my choices and striking up random conversations with knowledgeable folk. Where else can you have a satisfying five-minute conversation about This Film Is Not Yet Rated?

Even though AOL’s DailyFinance’s interviews implied people’s usage of NetFlix phased out the Hollywood video store (kind of like video killed the radio star), I found myself turning to it. Surprisingly, I love NetFlix. My biggest fear surrounded not finding the videos I enjoyed, receiving suggestions for the latest crap blockbusters or only encountering proposals for Disney pre-teen films (if I happened to place Cheetah Girls in my queue). Luckily, NetFlix’s rating system appears eerily accurate and already identified my preferences as: independent comedies featuring a strong female lead, critically-acclaimed quirky sci-fi & fantasy, visually-striking dark action & adventure and, occasionally, socially conscious documentaries. So, my cue is already lined with anti-Walmart films and witty foreign comedies. I won’t lie. I enjoy the two to three day timeliness and the financial flexibility. I put the DVD in my queue and it arrives two to three days later. And, the minute I return it, another arrives in its place. Because I’m cheap I opted for the five dollar slot which gets me two DVDs and two hours of streaming video. Basically, I get three videos a month. I know I sound like an ad for NetFlix. If we never received sponsorship from them in the past, we should totally receive it now based on my article alone.

However, I must admit I’m a little worried. While the internet has improved the speed of things, do you feel the NetFlix revolution effaces human contact? I slightly referenced this when discussing if we over-identify with TV actors, but I wonder. Did NetFlix kill the video store? What happens to the knowledgeable video store clerks?

So, what do you think? Are you a NetFlix convert or a hardcore video store user? Share your stories below!

Up next month: The How I Met Your Mother’s comic book connection —

Clacked by An Nicholson
on Jan 31, 2011 @ 14:30 EST5EDT