Blockbuster's "Movie Pass" Goes National

PatrickMD · 05-27-2004, 10:01 AM

Blockbuster has recently expanded it's Netflix-like service "Movie Pass" to all of its stores. For $24.99 a month you can keep 2 movies for as long as you like. They certainly won't have the selection of Netflix, but with the greater convienence (of not having to wait for movies in the mail or deal with lost discs) and the fact that Netflix just raised prices, do you think this will affect your Netflix subscriptions or even your DVD buying?

Jeff Whitford · 05-27-2004, 10:07 AM

You would have to rent an awful lot of movies to make that a good deal.

George See · 05-27-2004, 10:13 AM

I apparantly was in one of the test areas for the pass as i've been using it for little more then a year now.

I did indeed quit netflex the instant gratification of just going to the store and grabbing some movies to watch is better then mail order...i do miss the netflix selection though.

It hasn't affected my dvd buying habits at all.

It has affected my watching habbits though, in general I watch a lot more movies then i used to...and since i'm not paying for each indvidual rental I rent a lot of stuff that i've never heard of just because it looks interesting.

Interesting that the national program gives you 2 rentals...i get 3 rentals at a time with my pass. The store is so close to my house that it wouldn't really matter to me either way but I guess 3 wasn't working out for blockbuster.

Quote:

You would have to rent an awful lot of movies to make that a good deal.

Not really you'd have to rent 6 a month to break even. That's not too much. And no late fees ever.

streeter · 05-27-2004, 10:23 AM

I haven't seen this at the stores in my area yet.

PerryD · 05-27-2004, 10:47 AM

I've done this 3 separate months, and after taking a few months off, just started again for the fourth time. This time, I'm doing the 3 out program for $29.99, the extra movie has made the process much easier, minimizes trips and allow me to rent a kids title without denting into what I want to watch. I've watched at least 50 movies in a month during the program (my best Netflix month was 14 movies I think), and am on pace for around 60 movies this month.

My Blockbuster used to have a terrible selection of DVDs, but now has nearly everything I want to see, including a large selection of independent and foreign films. Movies I've rented recently include "L' Auberge Espagnole", "American Splendor", "Spellbound", "Girl with a Pearl Earring", "Swimming Pool (Unrated)", "Elephant", "Storytelling (Unrated)", "Thirteen", "Lost In Translation", "21 Grams", "In America", "Buffalo Soldiers", "In the House of Sand and Fog", "Pieces of April", "Secondhand Lions", "Murderous Maids", Owning Mahoney", "Shape of Things", "Love Liza", "Suicide Club", "Ichi the Killer", "Talk to Her", "Raising Victor Vargas", "Crime of Padre Amaro", "Pumpkin", and "Movern Callar". And I haven't even included the more mainstream movies and kids movies I've rented during the same time period.

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Jon Martin · 05-27-2004, 11:33 AM

I've been a member of Netflix for a few years and even though I have a Blockbuster on my way home from work, I don't think I'll be switching.

First, it is more than Netflix (shouldn't it be less? They don't have postage costs) and they do have a pretty lousy selection. I think I even have a bigger selection than my local BB.

If it were half of what Netflix is, it might be worth trying. But at this price, it isn't.

Jon Martin · 05-27-2004, 11:36 AM

Quote:

My Blockbuster used to have a terrible selection of DVDs, but now has nearly everything I want to see, including a large selection of independent and foreign films. Movies I've rented recently include "L' Auberge Espagnole", "American Splendor", "Spellbound", "Girl with a Pearl Earring", "Swimming Pool (Unrated)", "Elephant", "Storytelling (Unrated)", "Thirteen", "Lost In Translation", "21 Grams", "In America", "Buffalo Soldiers", "In the House of Sand and Fog", "Pieces of April", "Secondhand Lions", "Murderous Maids", Owning Mahoney", "Shape of Things", "Love Liza", "Suicide Club", "Ichi the Killer", "Talk to Her", "Raising Victor Vargas", "Crime of Padre Amaro", "Pumpkin", and "Movern Callar". And I haven't even included the more mainstream movies and kids movies I've rented during the same time period.

Actually, those are all very mainstream releases by major studios. You should see if your BB carries the new Bresson's or some of the Criterion titles, not to mention documentaries.

richardWI · 05-27-2004, 11:38 AM

yeah it takes way too many rentals a month for this to pay off and be worth my while.

George See · 05-27-2004, 02:39 PM

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Actually, those are all very mainstream releases by major studios. You should see if your BB carries the new Bresson's or some of the Criterion titles, not to mention documentaries.

My blockbuster usually gets the Criterion titles not 100% more like 85%. But selection is definitly the biggest downer, however most of the really off the wall stuff that I could rent with netflix but not with blockbuster I usually buy anyway, even when I did have netflix.

Kevin_Wadsworth · 05-27-2004, 02:57 PM

I have a Discover credit card, and one of the things you can use your Cashback Bonus for is to get a Blockbuster movie card. It costs $20 to get a card good for 10 rentals. So for me, I would have to watch 14 movies a month to make the Movie Pass option worthwhile.

While I've thought of joining Netflix for the selection and convenience, there's no way I'll go with this plan.