DVD’s last stand
HITS OF 2000 Rentertainment stays on as customers stream off
WHO else hid a copy of the movie Tomb Raider behind the weeklies on a Thursday so as not to miss out on Friday night? Maybe you waited at the front desk to score a DVD of Gladiator or Batman the second it was returned.
“I remember how people used to hover around me as I was returning movies to shelves, waiting to grab a new release like Avatar,” said David Hooklyn.
He owns the Gold Coast’s only DVD shop following the closure of Mudgeeraba Video on Monday and Leading Edge Video at Currumbin Waters in February.
That’s Rentertainment (formerly Blockbuster Video) is located in Oxley Drive, Runaway Bay, and has been owned by Mr Hooklyn for nearly 20 years.
“Video cassettes used to cost $120 to buy and once DVDs came in they were $20, this price hasn’t really changed in the past 20 years,” he said.
“Back when I started people used to come in and get a couple of movies for the night, buy snacks and make a movie night of it. Families these days are too busy to do this.”
Mr Hooklyn said DVD rentals had been declining for 10 years, but the past five or six had been the worst, since the advent of streaming. “It’s funny as people come in and say ‘wow I didn’t know there were still DVD stores’ but the thing is they’ve only really started closing down in the past few years,” he said.
“One of my regulars started in the A section and watched every single movie before moving through the alphabet; she’d rent out dozens a week.
“And you know Freddy Got Fingered is also still hugely popular, as is the Titanic, James Bond movies, Gorillas in the Mist and of course Disney movies like Moana, Shrek and the old Lion King.”
On Tuesday all DVDs are a gold coin, including new releases, and on Wednesdays all movies cost just 99 cents. And with more than 20,000 titles to choose from it’s no surprise 600 rentals fly out the door.
Mr Hooklyn said the secret to his success was not just his wide selection of treats such as hot popcorn, 50 cent lolly bags, ice-creams and slushies, it was diversification.
“As well as being able to print out people’s emails, we offer photocopying, a selection of second-hand furniture and just recently I’ve got some indoor plants,” he said.
“But what keeps me afloat is my fridge, washing machine and TV rental business, where people rent them for a certain amount every week
CAST AWAY
– Tom Hanks is a pilot stuck on a deserted island with Wilson; a volleyball – Jamie Bell in story of 11yo miner’s son who traded boxing for ballet.
– Mel Gibson features in this American historical fiction war film.
BILLY ELLIOT THE PATRIOT ALMOST FAMOUS
– A comedy-drama about a Rolling Stone writer in 70s, features Kate Hudson.
LOST IN TRANSLATION
powerful drama starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson.
ERIN BROCKOVICH
based on true story, Julia Robert fights poisoning of city’s water supply.
– Russell Crowe plays Maximus in the Roman Empire in 180AD.
GLADIATOR THE BEACH
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– Leonardo DiCaprio in an adventure drama set on an island in Thailand.
DUDE, WHERE’S MY CAR?
– American stoner comedy film featuring Ashton Kutcher.
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THE PERFECT STORM
– fishers George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg get caught in freak storm. and after a year they make one more payment and own the appliance.
“It saves them making a $2000 outlay at the start,” he said.
“I wish it was a moneymaking business like 20 years ago, but these days it’s a lot of work without much return.”