Massive nostalgia, going to Video Ezy with my Dad on a friday after school. Picking 7 or so movies and a game or two to watch and play over the weekend. I miss these days.
Watching this reminds me of around six or eight years ago, when my family would often go and rent DVD's or video games. I remember I would always get a SpongeBob game for the PS2 (that's definitely going back several years). In fact, the store seen at 9:16 is the very same Video Ezy that we used to go to. It's one of the New Zealand stores, located in the city of Tauranga. I can't remember exactly when it closed, but it has since been converted into a Salvation Army op-shop.
My childhood dream was to reach the height of the bench I used to borrow dvds from, it was a weekend joy until it got too expensive. My favorite dvd store is now a liquor shop, used to love it
I was a Civic Video boy but Video Ezy will always remain etched in my memory as they were the Major Sponsor of the successful Canberra Raiders between 1990-92 & their name is heat pressed all over Canberra Raiders Retro jerseys sold today.
Fun fact, my house keys have an old Video Ezy membership card on them. I don't know why, there hasn't been a Video Ezy store nearby for years. But you bet I flex that bad boy to my friends.
In early 1983 I up and decided to go video. Went Beta instead of VHS. Anyway, there was a local video outlet called Video Brokers run by two brothers, the elder being short stuff and the younger brother being a big unit. I took out a one year rental deal for $ 250.00 whereby it was open slather on any Beta video in the store, although one at a time. I didn't forget to use it, taking out hundreds of videos over that year [ I had all sorts of spare time ], but I did not renew the deal for the next year. Video Brokers became Video Ezy two to three years on, relocated, and was still going into the early new millenium, run by the older brother. The younger brother always hankered to get into home decor. That Video Ezy is long gone now, but the older brother still recognised me over 20 years on from 1983, like, ' hi ', in passing. i saw an ad for him in the local paper doing financial management, with a recognizable sketch of him. I would not rent or even buy videos or DVDs nowadays, since my movie tastes are now way too discerning and even the ones I know to be go-to-s I am since over them from having thoroughly viewed them.
This makes me sad, not to mention it was a huge part of my childhood but whenever I go on a holiday with my family (to this day) we will rent movies from a local movie store to watch because we usually don't have wifi. I wonder what we will do when all the video stores are closed and we are on a holiday
Streaming is convenient don't get me wrong but you don't have that buzz you had picking a few movies Friday night or Saturday night and laying back enjoying your night.
We had a Blockbuster in Summer Hill live fairly long past its due date. I never rented from there, but one time I was very grateful that they revived a badly scratched DVD of mine in their machine. Brought it back to flawless life.
Great stuff. I did a mini road trip to the last block buster in Victoria about 2 years ago. I was disappointed that they didn't have any membership cards anymore as souvenirs
too many options these days, I seldom watch a movie more than once these days as I did when I was a kid, even free streaming services like youtube have killed movie rental stores
There’s also an old Video EZY location on Whitehorse Road in Doncaster in Melbourne which was open until 2016-2017 when it closed and became a Chinese pharmacy for a short period before then becoming a Chinese supermarket which is what it currently is! Also most Blockbuster locations in that area were sold to Chemist Warehouse so the Box Hill and Doncaster Chemist Warehouse locations in Melbourne are actually former Blockbuster locations! :)
I have fond memories of having family members rent on my behalf (I was a kid back then) at Blockbuster and Video Ezy stores. I remember I had a Samsung portable DVD player that I would bring over from Singapore (territory 3) and unlock just so I could watch my Australian video rentals (territory 4) in my bedroom (sometimes connected to the TV there) on it instead of hogging up the living room TV.
I was a member of several video ezy stores throughout the 80s 90s and into the 2000s it is part of my existence and identity as a human. It sucks that these things closed. Video streaming services and the 21st century suck completely. I want to live in the past because everything is rubbish now.
The last video store that went out was about 2 years ago that was originally video ezy from network video that was owned by the same ppl gone now in Adelaide. I am not sure that there is any movie rental stores left in Adelaide now
There was a distinct social aspect to going to a video store, I miss that as I used to go to the video store almost everyone friday or saturday night if I did not have other plans it was what I always defaulted to :(
As said earlier, Netflix originally operated as a DVD mailing business. The monthly subscription then allowed you to rent as many DVD's as you wanted and they would be mailed to you, and you had to mail it back.
Wow I guess even back then they were thinking ahead. Videoezy probably wouldn’t have moved to streaming if they bought them though and another company would have done it. Probably even the creators of Netflix under a different name.
Netflix as we know only come to Australia in 2014 I’m pretty sure but most video stores were already gone, I think it was more to do with cheap DVD sales. Back in its heyday most house holds only owned around 20 videos by the lates 00s most people owned about 400 dvds
I used to go to the video ezy when we couldn’t afford movies and games at stores and I remember the one I used to go close down, it was very sad. Also been to blockbuster Adelaide a few times........this was uploaded on my birthday
VIDEO EZY In my area closed down mid 2018 and it was really depressing I loved the store and now it’s gone (I want to start my own store but I’m not old enough) 😢😢😢😭😭😭
with any luck netflix will die and media based stores will make a come back, however streaming has killed my desire to bother to sit down and watch anything I've already seen, unless its a movie i loved growing up or something of that nature, I don't even go to the cinema anymore.
5:01 that was the video ezy i use to go to when i lived in Beaconsfield prior to 2014 they where across the parking lot in a much bigger building where the bws is now it closed in 2017 by memory i loved going there
I reckon video rental stores declined well before Netflix emerged. Video rental stores declined already in the mid noughties with the rise in internet video piracy. As you’ve said they are a thing of the past now. With more and more internet streaming services available why would someone pay $2 to hire a movie for a week when they can pay slightly more and watch the movie as much as they like?
I still rent DVDs from my local library now & again because I have 3 streaming options... unfortunately Wifi costs are rising 😔 so physical media may become my main option
2014 was the last time I hired a DVD at video easy Marrickville, and the movie was Dispicable me 2, good times... update: they just removed the kiosk video esy vending machine from my local shopping square.
Video Ezy could of survived,if it became a market leader,and changed with the times. They should of gone into majority of selling DVD's and Blu-Ray's. At reasonable prices.Making the renting a minority of their business. Now JB Hi-Fi dominates the selling of DVD's & Blu-Ray's,in physical stores.With just about zero competition.
Anyone still in the business of physical media needs to quickly start planning for the future as streaming and digital downloading is going to replace it all very quickly.
I still remember the sweet smell of video ezy walking past them VHS sections ooo you know the night was gonna be a banger. Stopping in colew buying up all the candys chocolates popcorns and stopping by domino's 😊😊😊😊😊 long live the 90s