I thought it might be interesting to have an item to discuss video
rental stores so - voila!  What's your favorite in the Ann Arbor area
(and why?)

  I can't say enough good things about the selection at Liberty Street
Video.  It's perhaps the only video store I've ever been in that I feel
I'd have a relatively decent chance of getting a good movie if I walked
in blindfolded and just picked something off the racks.  They don't have
a really huge selection, though they do have a decent number of movies
considering the size of the store, but they certainly know how to pick
them.  They're also the place to go in Ann Arbor if you're looking for
a film that's a little older, a little "artier", or is foreign.  Even if
no other place in town has heard of it, there's a decent chance that
Liberty Street will have it.  Their staff, for the most part, seems to
be made up of people who really like film, are reasonably knowledgeable
about the subject and will honestly tell you what they think of a movie,
rather than minimum-wage droids who can only comment on the latest new
releases.  About the biggest problem with Liberty Street is that it's
downtown and has no parking lot.  You either find a parking spot on one of
the streets nearby or walk a few blocks from a public lot (such as the
one near the library..)
 
  The big local chain seems to be Video Watch, which I don't like very
much.  Though some of their stores have a better selection, the one 
nearest me (on Plymouth Road) seems to be mostly devoted to collecting 
the world's largest collection of bad T&A comedies and car-chase action
films.  Since they've started renting (some) films for two days and two 
days, I've been a little more forgiving, but I'm still never impressed.
The Video Watches on Ann Arbor-Saline Rd. and at Liberty and Stadium are
considerably better, though still not all that great.  Alarming sight
at AA-S Rd. store last week:  wall with 40+ copies of "Home Alone" for
rent.

  Blockbuster seems to be a very successful chain but I've never figured
out why.  Their selection seems to be the best of the big chains (and 
the most comprehensive overall) but their staff seems to not be terribly
helpful and their prices are the highest of any of the stores (even Liberty
St., which charges $3.00 for a rental just like Blockbuster, has two 2 for 1
nights per week..)  My biggest gripe with them, though, is the amount of
hassle they subject you to before you can even rent from them.  Not only
do they demand a credit card, multiple I.D.s, and that you complete a 
reasonably long form before they'll grant you a card, you have to go through
this procedure at every Blockbuster you want to rent movies at.  Liberty
Street lets you rent with nothing more than a driver's license.  Even Video 
Watch and Meijers let you use the same card for different stores (though 
they do have to enter them in their computers the first time you use them..)
Also, petty though it may be, I resent the fact that they promise you "3
evening" rentals and only let you keep the movie for two days.  I also
resent their policy of not stocking films that are sufficiently controversial.
They're well within their rights to make it a company policy to refuse to
stock "The Last Temptation of Christ" or "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and
Her Lover" but I'm equally within my rights to resist renting from them 
because of such policies.

36 responses total.

If we want, "The Cook..." we'll go to V.W. to rent it.  If we want a "how to"
video, or a large children's collection, we'll go to B.B.  The nice thing
about 3 day rentals (3 evening if you return by midnight, B.B. only
s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s the truth), is that our son can watch the same disney
cartoon (Rescuers Down Under was the latest) continuously for the 3 days.
He wants to and he seems to.  He's our biggest consumer of video, and has
the largest collection of anyone in the house.  He also liked, er, Home
Alone.  Sorry.

The Video Watch on Huron Parkway and Washtenaw has a decent selection.

As does the one on Stadium in Ypsi.  VW also has been handing out the 
2 for 1 coupons every time I've rented something - even with a coupon.
I've got about 10 of them and none of them have expiration dates.

So far, we've only rented videos at Meijer's, since we haven't had all that
much time to watch movies, but I have been pleasantly surprised at both their
selection and their prices.  Of course, it's not like going to a *real*
video store, but for fifty cents I'll take it.

The Video Watch on Plymouth isn't the greatest, but it's a damn sight better 
than blockbuster. Blockbuster has a decent selection, unless you want anything
with sex or violence in it. They police the movies they rent, and basically
take inhuman pains not to offend. I agree that the VW on plymouth has more 
than its share of T&A movies, but better too many than none. Even though most
of the stuff I rent I could get at either place, I feel less "benevolently 
censored" at VW. VW also comes through with a lot of obscure stuff, you just
have to hunt for it. 
        I've been to every store in town (not including the Hop-Ins and such)
in search of specific movies I want to rent, and have the best luck at VW
on AA-Saline, occasionally the one on Liberty at Stadium, and at Liberty
St. 
        Liberty St. video is quite nice, though I wouldn't give the employees
the same raves as Mike did. They seem the same as everywhere else, if a
bit less surly. The last time I was there, it was two U-M student females, 
who were genial, but not terribly knowlegeable.
        (spelled that wrong, and they may have been H.S. students)
        Nobody else in town has much in the foreign film section.
        I didn't even know "A Taxing Woman" had a sequel until I saw it one 
(on)
the shelves of Liberty St. Video.
        The prices are two damned high, though. $3/each for one day.
        VW's $3/two days is better.
        Especially when the "smaller ones" give coupons and have deals all the 
time.

The convenience store on Dexter just west of Maple has an impressive
collection of Chinese-language videos.  Liberty St. Video is the
only place I've been able to find those two cult classics "Shack Out
on 101" and "Carnival of Souls".  Video Watch on Liberty near
Stadium has a good Henry Jaglom collection, including the hard-to-find
"Sitting Ducks" and "New Year's Day".  Why just the other day I rented
Kurasawa's 1949 crime drama "Stray Dog" there.  And the Blockbuster
near Briarwood has a nice collection of 1940s movie serials, including
"Zombies of the Stratosphere" in which Leonard Nimoy had a modest part,
and a small but tasteful silent collection including Victor Seastrom's
"The Wind" and King Vidor's "The Crowd".  But I'd like to put in a
special good word for a video store on Packard whose name I can't
remember near the Big Ten Party Store; it's the only place where
I've been able to find "Plan Nine from Outer Space".

Video Master. That was my store for years, until I moved.
They have a very good selection, especially for a non-chain store. 
They also have - ta da! - Dollar days! Monday through wednesday, if you're
a member, all movies just a dollar. And all but the "new release" ones are
for two nights, due by opening (10am) of the second day after you rent them.
Membership is only $10/year, if I recall.

 re #4:  I actually like renting movies at Meijer.  If I don't know what I
want to watch I'll often go there and get a couple of movies in the hopes
that one of them will turn out to be good.  The price still clocks in at
less than most places charge for one.  They have another advantage, too, as
far as I'm concerned.  Most of the video departments in Meijers are open until
2:00 AM, making them the place to go for late night rentals.  Plus, if you 
rent after midnight, you essentially get the movie for another day.  

This response has been erased.

  I believe that's the "Video Master" store they're talking about above..

Mike, how do you get to Meijer with no car and no bike? :)

btw, if you ever go into Video Master, ask them if they know who I am.

  I've got a car now, Brian.  Besides, there's always the patented
McNally Ride Leech technique.  Astonishingly effective, though not
terribly convenient.  You'd be better off asking me what good it 
does to rent videos when neither I nor my roommate have a VCR.

I figured you just held them up to the light and looked at them frame-by-
frame with a mag-no-scope.

Over the years, our video rental business has moved, successively, from 
Liberty, to the Liberty St. Video Watch, to the Main/A2-Saline Blockbuster.
Liberty, I'm afraid, we gave up on  as soon as there was an alternative 
which had decent parking.  Sometimes I feel guilty about not going back.
Blockbuster seems to be deep enough in foreign films and classics to keep
me going.  Sometimes it seems that the foreign film sections oflockbuster
and Video Watch complement each other well.
 
Blockbuster's biggest advantage for us is that it's in the same shopping 
center with Busch's, which in itself is a frequent destination.  (Meijer's
should theoretically have the same advantage, but I've never been impressed
by Meijer's selections of foreign films or operas.)
(line noise city, apologies for mangled text)

It's got the "non-offensive" foreign films, yes.

  Brian's just upset because the only "Swedish" films they have are by
Bergman..  ]-)

Ha, ha.
"Oh, no, can't have those Bergman films! Some child might see them and 
think too much about death! How about 'the Red Balloon'?"

I was in the Liberty Video Watch store yesterday and noticed
that they have the first 7 episodes of Twin Peaks available for rent.

Do any of these places rent xxx tapes?

Yeah, in the back room... through the beads.
 
The most annoying thing about BB is the "Hi, how ya doing?!" that they
sing to you upon entrance... I mean, c'mon... if I wanted to talk to
someone, why would I be renting a video to watch at home?  Heheh..
 
Same thing at Meijers....  who needs a hostess (security) greeting you
at 3 AM when you forgot that special something and you look like hell?
 
Same thing at McDonalds...  I want a Coke... I want it now, I dont
wanna get outta my car, I dont wanna discuss things, and I dont wanna be
asked if I want more or something new or whatever!!
 
The main problem is that they dont REALLY CARE!  Does the hostess, the
greeters, the nutritionist care about your well being?  NO!  They wanna
sell to you!
 
It's like people who say "How ya doin" instead of "Hello" or "Howdy"...
they dont care how you're doing... go aheadf and answer them and see
what they do.

offer you fries?

You don't REALLY care if I'm hungry!

but then again, i don't care one way or the other if you want to watch
porn videos. i'm really very neutral about all of this.

Man, somebody got up on the bitter side of the bed for this item.

This response has been erased.

Hey! That's pretty cynical, isn't it?  Personally, I believe that
they choose the Meijer greeters on the basis that they love everyone.

The Meijer greeters are officially in the security department.

That doesn't mean that they don't love the customers.

Money can't buy you love.

that's alright, i'm sure they're not giving much of that to their greeters
anyway.

XXX VIDEOS AT:
Video Watch
Video Hut - Hewitt in Ypsi.
Video Outlet - Carpenter/Ellsworth, and Maple Rd.
Michigan Rent-to-own - Michigan Ave. Ypsi.
Video ??? - Michigan Ave across from Kroger - Ypsi.

What about them?

Re #21-Craig do you come orgiginally from New York.  You sound like so many
friends and loved ones I left behind when I moved out here.
Applause Video, a real small mom and pop store hidden away in the Plymouth
Mall shopping center has a nice, but limited collection of foreign films,
will reserve for you and call you up ewhen a film comes in, has XXX films
(not that I ever use them of course) -they're listed in a loose leaf binder
and you have to know the password (not that I ever watch them) but I hear
they're interesting.

Applause Video is also currently having a Going OUt of Business sale.

just checking ^_^
>

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