90’s nostalgia is pretty popular right now – most weekends you can spot toddlers wearing Nirvana shirts and online there is plenty of pining for a time when video rental chains like Blockbuster held all your evening’s entertainment within their walls – a curated but limited selection of movies that forced you to finish what you were watching no matter what the quality of the flick was. In a world of unlimited streaming where you can ostensibly watch anything you want – this old model of movie delivery feels like a throwback that most people want to leave in the past. However, there is an advantage to heading to a physical location for your movie procurement, and if you find yourself endlessly scrolling streaming services just to find something to watch – there is a great and FREE alternative that can add that “browsing blockbuster” feeling to your movie nights.
That’s your local library. I was at the Yucca Valley branch this week and while perusing periodicals I was drawn to the DVD wall that was filled with movies and TV shows. Your library card is for much more than just books, and spending a few minutes browsing the wide selection of movies reminded me what is so great about physical media and finding a flick in a physical location.
First off – steaming is getting more expensive with some services adding commercials even if you pay for the service. Then, there is the selection. The promise of endless movies and TV is only as good as the services that provide the content – with plenty of examples of movies that are inexplicably pulled from apps without any way of accessing them. It feels like I’m served the same ten movies on each streaming service – the algorithm endlessly trying to weasel entertainment it thinks I will like rather than what i’m really looking for.
I left the library with a couple great movies that hadn’t shown up on my radar for years. Most DVDs are free to borrow for 7 days with your San Bernardino Library Card – and DVD players are still plentiful in retail stores and thrift shops. The next time you find yourself endlessly scrolling through the same apps – do a little time traveling and cruise to your closest library for a throwback experience that scores you some free entertainment.
