Thursday 27 May 2010

An Ode to the DVD Store

I don't know if you have noticed or not, but DVD Stores are slowly disappearing. Not only the small stores have suffered during the recession, large stores like Blockbuster have been hit too. It wasn't that long ago when I used to forensic the shelves of DVD stores, searching for those cult movies from my childhood. But now, the local DVD store seems to be internet hire sites. Sure, this is convenient, but what about the discovery of something new? Whilst fingering through rows of DVD's in a shop, I would always discover some strange movie that I probably would never have entered into a title search online.

All this hit me when I wanted to re-watch One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a movie bursting with childhood memories for me. And what struck me after a search for local stores was the lack of them- independents and chains. They are a quickly disappearing breed, much like toy shops I have noticed.

During my search I did find a gem, Video City on Notting Hill Gate. If you are looking for a DVD they will have it, or they will track it down for you. It is this immediacy of the DVD store that I miss. Walk in, browse (which is half the fun) and walk out with a movie. Call me old fashioned, but I'm not the biggest fan of online shopping and I hope DVD hiring does not dissolve to this. For now, I will keep hiring my DVD's from a shop, and swapping little film reviews with the owner- something you cannot replicate online.

Written by Lauren Ottaway

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