Nostalgia, appeal still draw people to movie stores
Kimberly Burgess snagged a fresh DVD copy of “Dog Eat Dog,” a crime drama starring Nicholas Cage, on a recent weekday at her local video rental store.
It was one of several newly released titles she hoped to take home to share with her fiance. She didn't arrive in time to rent “American Honey,” a drama about a teen runaway. But that's not a big problem for Burgess, 59, of Greensburg, who usually makes two trips a week to Family Video on South Main Street.
“We watch a lot of new movies,” she said. “I'll take four movies, and if there are more I want, I'll come back.”
Since the demise of Blockbuster and Hollywood Video, Family Video has become the area's sole rental chain with brick-and-mortar locations in Greensburg, Latrobe and Lower Burrell. Burgess and other customers at the Greensburg store find traveling a short distance to rent and return DVD or Blu-ray discs offers an appeal or advantage they can't experience through viewing digital content in the convenience of their homes.
Burgess also subscribes to the Netflix online streaming service, which she uses to catch up on television series and watch age-appropriate fare with her 4-year-old niece. But, when it comes to movies, she can find newly released titles at the store sooner than they'll become available through her internet connection, she said.
At the store, “You know every Tuesday there's going to be new movies,” Burgess said.
Family Video has a selection of children's videos that can be rented for free, including some popular Disney titles. It is a draw for many customers, including John Ruggieri of Greensburg, who will browse the new releases with his wife, Suzanne, while the kids — Emily, 9, and Gabriel, 6 — make their own selections.
A film buff, Ruggieri will research video releases online but said he picks up on some titles he might otherwise have missed by perusing DVD case covers displayed at the store.
“It's a little less convenient to go down to the store, but there's a nostalgia factor, too,” he admitted, pointing out that he and his wife “grew up in the '80s when VHS tapes were brand new.”
Ruggieri, 39, said rental fees at the store compare favorably to the price of $4.99 or more for viewing an on-demand film through the satellite TV service his family uses. Other customers described a similar advantage over fees for ordering movies via cable TV or other on-demand services.
Carrie Norris, 41, of Hempfield said her family of five, by patronizing the store twice a week and investing in a TV antenna for broadcast channels, has enjoyed a steady diet of entertainment for the past three years while avoiding the greater expense of expanded TV service.
“We still pay less than a satellite or cable bill because the kids' movies are free, and we get all the new movies,” she said.
DVDs also can be rented locally through Redbox automated vending kiosks at locations such as grocery stores. But they offer far fewer titles than a store and lack the interaction provided by human staff.
“I like the old-fashioned way. I don't stream. It's more personal to come here once or twice a week,” said regular store customer Joe Topole, 41, of Greensburg.
Greensburg Family Video manager Kelsey Bowers said the inventory in each of the chain's more than 750 stores is tailored to match local demographics and tastes. As a result, she said, “In this location, we get more scary movies than other stores.”
Bowers also recommends movie titles that are likely to please for the regular customers she knows well. “I see a lot of the same people every day, so I know exactly what they like,” she said.
Ruggieri and Norris also like patronizing the Greensburg store as a way of supporting a local business and its employees.
“You see someone in that store, and it makes you feel good that a real person has a job to go to because you're willing to go in there,” Ruggieri said.
Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-6622 or jhimler@tribweb.com.
