Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011

Giving the gift of flicks

Kent Kimes, Weekly Surge Editor

 

Whenever I’d mention that I picked up a movie at the Blockbuster Video store near my house, I’d get the too-school-for-school “OMG, I can’t believe you still go to the video store” comments.

And each time, I’d explain that Surfside Beach is in a time warp, and every time I’d go in said Blockbuster store in a little strip center that also includes watering hole/music venue Surfside Live, there were plenty of patrons - especially during summer, when I suspect vacationers with DVD players in their beach-front rental homes were driving up the customer count. Sometimes, I’d actually have to wait in line.

I am fully aware that DVDs are following VHS to the Great Physical Media Graveyard in the Sky. But like the guy slung over the shoulder of one of the king’s henchmen in the infamous “Bring Out Your Dead,” scene from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” the DVD is saying, “but I’m not dead.”

And whereas I haven’t succumbed to the online streaming phenomenon of Netflix and other services, I have done the digital cable order-on-demand movie option a few times, and I do like that convenience and the charge is not outrageous.

But the DVD format still works for me for various reasons, including the fact that we’ve got a built-in DVD player in the best TV in the house, a dual-screen DVD player in the SUV to entertain the kiddos, and because the format plays easily on our laptop computers. It also works because, anyone who has kids knows this, the little ones like to watch the same videos over and over. And really, kids don’t care what format it’s in; we still bust out the VHS tapes from time to time because my wife collected a slew of Disney classics, and the VCR still works.

So, I’m not necessarily old school by design, but as a matter of practicality - i.e. use what ya’ got.

With the aforementioned Blockbuster store recently being shuttered (I have it on good authority it was a lease issue and not declining business that forced it to close), renting DVDs is now down to the kiosks such as Red Box that seem to be on every corner. A pretty convenient option, but those machines don’t always have a great selection.

Where am I leading with this?

Only to say that while the DVD format is indeed declining, we’re not writing its post-mortem yet, and this time of year, it is especially relevant as the DVD and its high-def cousin Blu-ray have gotten cheaper, and the at-home video market has been flooded with the year’s best films just in time for your last-minute holiday shopping.

Another check of my At-A-Glance Administrator 2011 calendar tells me that there are, including today, three whole shopping days left until Christmas.

Do not panic.

Instead, check out this week’s cover story, beginning on page 12, where we enlisted intrepid correspondent Derrick Bracey, who helms our weekly at-home/DVD Recliner Reviews, to sift back through all of those reviews from 2011 to compile a handy-dandy guide for those flicks that are worthy for giving as stocking-stuffers - for the nice and naughty - and those clunkers that you should avoid like the plague (unless you want to give something to one of your frenemies).

And if you’re looking to give the gift of music, check out our guide to the season’s best box sets and special edition CDs (yeah, we know, archaic, but try wrapping up a digital file and putting it under the tree) on page 21; and if you’ve got a biker on your gift list, check out Ridin’ with Big E’s column on page 11 for some last-minute ideas with local motorcycle flavor

Personally, 2011 was a year when I missed many of the flicks I’d normally see in theaters, so I’m hoping Santa delivers a little DVD magic in my stocking.

Did you hear that Santa? “Captain America - The First Avenger” sure would make me a happy boy.

Yeah, yeah, yeah