Morgan Schneider/Collegian
Morgan Schneider/Collegian
Morgan Schneider/Collegian
As the weather cools down, so does my desire to leave my toasty dorm room, and after cycling through my collection of DVDs and my friends’ collections, I start running out of options for movies, which brings me to the world of rentals. Coming from a large metropolitan area where the only rental stores in a 10 mile radius was Blockbuster, I was pleasantly surprised at the variety Hillsdale and Jonesville offer.
With so many choices, though, somebody had to research and weigh the options – the possibilities are vast. Are no late fees but more expensive rentals better than shorter rental periods at cheaper prices? Does friendly staff matter? How far is one willing to drive for a movie? Here’s the lowdown on the big three movie rental stores in the area.
Family Video
Located: 103 E. Carleton Rd., Hillsdale
Type: Movies for rent or purchase
Cost for DVD rental: New releases $2.50 overnight, general $2 overnight to varies
Rental period: Varies
Popular rentals: Anything that’s new
Busiest days: Tuesdays or weekends
Perk: Some movies are entirely free to rent – I’ve never heard of that before.
My rating: Least helpful staff encountered, but a great selection, low prices and its close-to-campus location will give these guys 4.5 stars.
Blockbuster
Located: 781 Olds St., Jonesville (shares the parking lot with Wal-Mart)
Type: Movies for rent or purchase, new or previously viewed.
Cost for DVD rental: $3.49
Rental period: New releases are 2 days, and all others are one week.
Popular rentals:Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Christmas with the Kranks
Busiest days: Tuesdays because that’s the day for new releases.
Perk: “No Late Fees” – you can keep any rental out for up to two weeks without paying additional service fees. However, if you keep it past two weeks, you buy it (until you return it, and then you pay a restocking fee.)
My rating: Blockbuster still is the king of rentals. Their staff is overall friendly and helpful, with a great variety and “Guaranteed-in-stock” movies. Plus, where else can you rent a new movie for two weeks? Five stars.
Video Village
Located: 108 Chicago St., Jonesville
Cost DVD rental: New release $ 2.99 for overnight, general $1.50 a week, or 4 new releases for $10
Rental period: Varies from overnight to a week.
Popular rentals: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Star Wars Episode III : Revenge of the Sith
Busiest days: Varies
Perk: Can hold movies for one day if you call ahead. Family owned, very friendly and helpful staff.
My rating: Cheerful and helpful employees plus a good selection equals four stars. The main downside is the drive all the way into Jonesville.