who else fucking hates this place?
and why the fuck won't they hire me just because i'm not 17?! those pricks...
and why the fuck is their foreign film section so limited? i hear you guys talking about all these awesome movies, and i can't see any of them.
up here in canada, the candian films are in the foreign section
When Blockbuster's all ya got, you've gotta go there, but... they also support a number of political causes I'm opposed to, if what I now about them still holds true. Plus, they won't carry anything unrated or NC-17.
I can't believe they won't make an exception for you, Pookie! You should request an application and write a letter explaining why they should. You are without question more mature and capable than any of the twentysomething slacker-dudes they always have working at video stores!
They wouldn't hire me either, but I sort of fucked up the interview. I don't really hate them though
thanks, godardian. that's an excellent idea. i'm gonna do that today. :)
i've talked to them about applying, and they've always been like "we don't hire 15 year olds" but...maybe an eloquent letter would do the trick. maybe...hopefully...possibly?
I have nothing good to say about blockbuster....
I had an account, with a $10 fee...I moved, and didn't get the late fee card in the mail for about 3 mo. next thing you know, I got reported to a credit agency....shit, I just figured I would pay it the next time I went in...
then while in my short stit in AZ, I got another account with them, as that was my only option and right across the street. I actually applied for a job there, they offered me an assistant manager position for $7.50/hr...so I laughed and told them to go fuck themselves...anyways, I rented 2001 from them one day...I returned it on time, and in doing so, I always check to make sure that the correct DVD is in the case before I slid it into their death trap of a "quick drop". A week later I get a call saying they recieved the case, but no actual disc, and I would have to pay then $90 if I don't come up with it....
"Put your Manager on the phone lady!!!!", I was shouting. "She not in today, but call tomorrow."
I ended up speaking with the very same chick that interviewed me, and it just so happen, as soon as I called and got her on the phone...they somehow just managed to find the missin' 2001 DVD, go figure. That was my last blockbuster experience.
I will never go back there, nor have anything to do with any film being rented there. I am so set on this fact, though, I am sure it won't happen, but if I were to make a film, it would have to be a pre-req that it is never allowed on Blockbuster's shelves.
fuck them.
clockworkjj- your story presents the disturbing extremes of blockbuster's shittiness.
here's some fuel to the fire- an improvised list i made up of the worst things about blockbuster
-the unknowledgable surly staff
-the lack of unrated, nc-17 movies
-the lack of foreign films
-the fucking ridiculous prices
-the fucking ridiculous late fees
-they fact that candy, video games, and magazines get as much space as movies.
-the fact that the clerks are always on your ass for some crappy "new deal" "rent (insert sucky movie) and you'll get half off the purchase of (insert another sucky movie) or something to that effect.
-the fact that the clerks announce the movies you rent.
Yo don't be hatin' on candy, whussup now
Don't. Work. There.
I'm telling you.
why.
Quote from: pookiethecat
-the unknowledgable surly staff
-the lack of unrated, nc-17 movies
-the lack of foreign films
-the fucking ridiculous prices
-the fucking ridiculous late fees
-they fact that candy, video games, and magazines get as much space as movies.
-the fact that the clerks are always on your ass for some crappy "new deal" "rent (insert sucky movie) and you'll get half off the purchase of (insert another sucky movie) or something to that effect.
-the fact that the clerks announce the movies you rent.
Conditions vary from store to store. One Blockbuster near me has some Criterion titles and a foreign section bigger than some locations.
"Lack of unrated, NC-17 movies" is an understatement. It is a policy of Blockbuster specifically to not stock them, with a few exceptions like American Pie 2 and Y Tu Mama Tambien. I've seen a few unrated softcore porn videos as well.
Late fees aren't a problem for me since I return videos on time. I haven't paid for a movie rental in months, since I rent a lot of DVDs from the library and try to catch movies at the dollar theater since it is cheaper than renting a DVD. If I do rent a movie, I usually go to an independent store with a better selection. I rent at Blockbuster mostly if I have a "rent one get one free" coupon, but they seem to have stopped sending them to me.
They often stock only the fullscreen version of a DVD if there are dual WS/FS releases.
I despise that whole "due back at noon" scam they have going now, especially because those dumbshits never check the stuff back in before noon, resulting in late fees. One time, I rented a playstation 2 game and got up at 9AM to return the game before the deadline. Of course, next time I go in, I have a 7.50 late fee. They said I turned it in at 6PM. I detonated (true story: I called the manager a 'fucking cocksucker' when he said he wouldn't take off the late fee and said I was 'mistaken and confused'-- the customer is never right here) and obviously haven't been back since.
two words - hollywood video.
I worked at Blockbuster for more than a year. There are at least two other threads about this. Just know one thing: they are more evil than you think.
Quote from: Weak2ndActI despise that whole "due back at noon" scam they have going now, especially because those dumbshits never check the stuff back in before noon, resulting in late fees
Just so you know... They tell you it's noon, but it's actually 2pm. If your movie is due Thursday at noon, bring it in Thursday at 1:30 and have someone check it in. Literally go up to an employee and ask them to check in the movie. Watch them do it. It works.
At about 12:15, the employee checking in movies will take everything out of the drop box (which can be a lot) and make sure it all gets checked in by 2:00.
Putting your movie in the drop box is always risky, especially on a Sunday or Monday morning (when new releases from Friday and Saturday are due). Of course it shouldn't be, but it is. It's usually so overflowing on those days that there's probably going to be a movie misplaced or pushed to the side. It will eventually be found, but it could be hours (or days) later, when it's overdue.
Always contest late fees if you're sure they're not right. Be polite about it and you can probably have your justice. The best way to contest a late fee is to ask the manager or assistant manager to look up who checked in the movie (this is very easy to do). Next to the record of a movie being checked in is an employee number. The person who checked in your movie 5 hours late could very well be an unreliable employee.
Be nice to Blockbuster employees, though. They're truly oppressed people. It's completely the top level management that makes Blockbuster so corrupt.
Quote from: Jeremy BlackmanBe nice to Blockbuster employees, though. They're truly oppressed people. It's completely the top level management that makes Blockbuster so corrupt.
I left out the part of the story explaining why I blew up. This sort of late-fee mix-up has happened before, but what made me go nuts was that before getting rung up, I had to hear the ten minute sales pitch about why I should buy the Games pass or whatever it is, and how there's no late fees, blah blah. I politely declined several times, but the guy wouldn't let up. Then when I get the late fee, he turns to me all smug and says "looks like you should have listened to me." And this douche was the manager.
Quote from: Weak2ndActQuote from: Jeremy BlackmanBe nice to Blockbuster employees, though. They're truly oppressed people. It's completely the top level management that makes Blockbuster so corrupt.
I left out the part of the story explaining why I blew up. This sort of late-fee mix-up has happened before, but what made me go nuts was that before getting rung up, I had to hear the ten minute sales pitch about why I should buy the Games pass or whatever it is, and how there's no late fees, blah blah. I politely declined several times, but the guy wouldn't let up. Then when I get the late fee, he turns to me all smug and says "looks like you should have listened to me." And this douche was the manager.
I know the feeling. That's part of why I never want to go back, ever. I hate being a salesman. And they made me be a salesman. My manager (though she was nice) made me sell DirecTV, because no one else would do it, and she was getting a lot of pressure from the district manager. And every month they pile on more crap for the employees to sell. Instead of motivating with incentives or commission, they really put pressure on you if you don't sell enough. I felt like a corporate pawn, and I absolutely hated that feeling. The only way to get through it is to place yourself in an alternate reality and pretend that the people you're harassing aren't getting pissed off and annoyed. Which is probably what your manager friend was doing every day of his life.
Know exactly what you're talking about. I have a friend who works there now and is so miserable. It's all he complains about.
Side note: After all these years, I'm still astonished how many people still bring up the right boxes for what they want to check out. Every trip I made there, I spent 75% of my time having to stand in line hearing the employees explain that you have to bring up the blockbuster case behind the box. Or how you have to bring up a dvd case to get a dvd, not vhs. *sigh* Long live NetFlix.
Yes, we can all agree on this one. I hate this fucking place. We don't have a foreign section at our blockbusters. They mix in their 3 foreign movies with the rest of the stuff. Of course, this is not to mention their cocksuckingly stupid adherence to pan-and-scan dvds.
Luckily we have two amazing alt video stores in town. I do mean amazing. I was putting on a little Italian week for me and my roomates, and the next time I went to rent from this one place, the counter chick (my age) looks at me, looks at my rent history, and says "gotta big neorealist fan here, huh?". I thought that was so fucking great. Usually video store employees squint at me and say "I haven't heard of that one". Between these two, and my public library (35+ Criterion dvds so far), I'll never have to set foot in a Blockbuster again.
Quote from: SoNowThenLuckily we have two amazing alt video stores in town. I do mean amazing. I was putting on a little Italian week for me and my roomates, and the next time I went to rent from this one place, the counter chick (my age) looks at me, looks at my rent history, and says "gotta big neorealist fan here, huh?". I thought that was so fucking great. Usually video store employees squint at me and say "I haven't heard of that one". Between these two, and my public library (35+ Criterion dvds so far), I'll never have to set foot in a Blockbuster again.
i'm so fucking jealous it's sick.
Where do you live that there's nothing better than Fuckbuster?
Have you checked out the phone book good and thorough?
And the library and university library as well?
i'm gonna hafta do somethin. ya'll are inspiring the hell outta me.
Blockbuster Faces Changing Media Market
DALLAS - Not long ago, movie and music lovers crowded the aisles of video rental shops like Blockbuster and CD stores like Tower Records.
Now, however, you won't find the likes of Martin Sherman in stores like Blockbuster.
A computer instructor in Las Vegas, Sherman switched to an online DVD service, Netflix, two months ago. His days of combing the shelves for a copy of a hot movie, or queuing up for a cashier, are over.
"I didn't like the hassle of going to the store and waiting in a long line," Sherman said. "A lot of time, they were out of stock."
Blockbuster's fortunes have been spiraling for some time, and it took its latest hit Tuesday when Viacom Inc., the media conglomerate that owns MTV and CBS, announced Tuesday it is getting rid of its controlling stake in Blockbuster because of declining business. It even decided to take a $1.3 billion write-off.
For its part Tower Records, long in trouble, tumbled into Chapter 11 on Monday.
Both businesses, and others like them, are struggling from much the same squeeze. New technology is making movies and music instantly available over the Internet or through cable services. At the same time, big discount outlets like Wal-Mart have begun selling cheap CDs and DVDs to people who can shop at the same time for hardware, clothing or the jumbo box of laundry detergent.
Blockbuster's same-store rentals fell 6 percent in late 2003 from a year before, and its stock hasn't moved much from the $15 level at which it was first floated by Viacom in 1999.
No one is saying the industry is dead, but the days of a real social scene in the stores may be numbered.
"Video stores are still going to be around for at least 10 years, but how well they do depends on Internet subscription services and video-on-demand from the cable companies," said Matthew D. Coppola, an analyst with Atlantis Research Service.
Some of those competing services are doing well: Netflix has signed up 1.5 million subscribers who order DVDs online and receive them in the mail. One of the company's main selling points is the lack of late fees - customers return the DVDs when they want other ones.
Another popular consumer option is video-on-demand services offered by cable companies. Ordering a movie can be as easy as a remote control click or a phone call.
Music buyers are finding better prices at big discount retailers and more titles available on the Internet, sometimes for free. According to some estimates, 20 percent of Americans now download music from the Internet - sometimes legally, often not.
As a result, CD sales have declined for four straight years. The recording industry hopes to reverse the slide by getting fans to pay for digital versions of songs - at prices starting under $1 per song - and by suing hundreds of people who download copyrighted music for free.
Encouraging the legal downloading of songs and movies could help music labels and Hollywood studios adapt to changes in consumer behavior, but it could put even more competitive pressure on Blockbuster and Tower.
At a Blockbuster on a busy stretch of Preston Road in Dallas, employees outnumbered customers during most of the lunch hour Tuesday. A few people stopped long enough to hop out of their cars, shove a DVD or two through the return slot and drive off.
Diane Parsonage of Dallas said she had broken away from Blockbuster for a long time and was still open to other methods of getting her movies.
"I used to do pay-per-view because it was so convenient, and if you have a dish you can tape it," Parsonage said, "but I don't have that service anymore."
One of the drawbacks, customers say, to renting movies is paying a late charge. Blockbuster charges a fee equal to renting the movie again, even when customers barely miss the deadline - sometimes as short as a day for new releases. Parsonage said she had just paid a late fee after missing the noon deadline by 45 minutes.
But David Hall, 24, said he preferred renting over buying movies.
"I know it's probably stupid to rent two DVDs for the same price you could buy one, but I don't want to buy a movie I've never seen - I might hate it," he said.
Hall said he only buys a movie every couple months. When he does, however, "I buy them at Best Buy or Wal-Mart or Target."
Death to Blockbuster! Death to Disney!
Everything is falling into place... summon the four horsemen...
Netflix competing with blockbuster? What a strange turn of events. Love live Netflix! Long live Madstone Theaters!
No. 1 Blockbuster Bids for No. 2 Hollywood Video
In an apparent effort to beef up in the face of competition from Wal-Mart and other mass merchants and from growing online competitors like Netflix, Blockbuster has offered to buy its largest competitor, Hollywood Video, for $700 million, the Wall Street Journal reported today (Thursday). The offer represents a 17-percent premium over Hollywood's current stock price. In addition, Blockbuster has agreed to assume $350 million of Hollywood debt. If the deal receives regulatory approval -- a big "if," according to analysts -- Blockbuster would add 1,900 Hollywood stores to its own 5,000. In reporting the deal, the WSJ commented that it reflects "a new aggressive stance taken by the video giant just a few weeks after it was split off from its former corporate parent, entertainment company Viacom Inc."
I asked for a copy of the record of movies rented under my phone number at my local Family Video. It was pretty funny, since my brother and I both used the same account (though he moved out last year).
We'd usually rent things around the same time...if one of us would go, we'd give money to the other and tell them what to rent.
It was funny so see a list that looked like
2Fast2Furious
Fisher King
Scary Movie
Do The Right Thing
The list was several years old, too. It was really cool to see my progression of taste, and it also took me back remembering renting the movie and watching it and what effect it had on me.
If you ever rent anything from anywhere, I recommend getting a print out of your record.
Quote from: Walrus XIf you ever rent anything from anywhere, I recommend getting a print out of your record.
I had something like that from my library. Over two years time. Started out with stuff like Shakespeare in Love, Se7en, Magnolia (okay that one doesn't count), Snatch. Gosford Park (maybe this doesn't count too much either). And near the end of the list I was watching Limbo, La Dolce Vita, Lantana, Sunset Boulevard, L' Avventura, and Aguirre, Wrath of God all on one weekend.
Blockbuster drops late fees
No. 1 video rental chain to give 1-week grace period; says increased business will offset lost fees.
December 14, 2004: 9:23 AM EST
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Blockbuster Inc. announced Tuesday it is abolishing late fees on all its video tapes, DVDs and video games as of Jan. 1.
The world's largest video rental company will still have due dates for their rental products -- one week for games and two days or one week for movies, depending on whether it's a new release.
But customers will be given a one-week grace period after that to return the product. After that grace period ends, the chain will automatically sell them the product, less the rental fee. If the customers don't want to purchase the movie or game, they can return the product within 30 days for a credit, less a restocking fee.
Blockbuster (Research) has been competing with the growth of by-mail rental services such as Netflix (Research), which allow customers to keep movies as long as they want in return for a monthly fee. In August, Blockbuster started offering that kind of monthly rental service itself. It said Tuesday that service will continue in addition to this new individual rental policy.
"For the past year, the company has been testing a variety of rental options in markets across the U.S.," it said in its statement. "In no-late-fees test markets, the increased rental transactions and retail sales offset the lower level of revenues resulting from eliminating late fees."
It estimated that late fees would have contributed about $250 million to $300 million to revenue next year.
The company said it also plans to lower its ongoing marketing, operating and promotional costs after implementing the change.
The company said as a result of the move it expects operating income in 2005 to be flat compared with 2004 results after an estimated $50 million it will spend to market and implement the change to a no late fee system.
Analysts surveyed by earnings tracker First Call had forecast that the company would earn 73 cents a share in 2004 and 67 cents a share in 2005. That works out to about a $6.5 million drop in forecasted earnings between the two years.
Blockbuster, which was spun off earlier this year by media conglomerate Viacom (Research), is in the process of bidding for competitior Hollywood Entertainment (Research), the No. 2 video rental chain. Hollywood Entertainment has entered into a merger agreement with buyout firm Leonard Green & Partners as well as Hollywood's top management to take the company private.
Blockbuster is offering $11.50 a share for Hollywood, or about $700 million, and it has said it would be willing to raise its bid subject to a review of company financial information.
Leonard Green and Partners is offering $10.25 a share for the company. Movie Gallery (Research), the No. 3 video rental chain, is also involved in the bidding.
This is going to hit Blockbuster where it hurts. What a stupid move.
They'll probably have to stock up gluttonously on popular new releases, which will be a waste of money and a waste of space, which means far fewer "unpopular" movies and shelves overflowing with $15 used copies of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
The time and confusion spent explaining late fees to customers is going to be replaced by explaining that movies are due, but they're really not.
And don't forget that late fees, while they produce disgruntled customers and slow down the line, are one of Blockbuster's main sources of revenue.
You just signed your death warrant, Blockbuster! Ha HA!
Quote from: Jeremy BlackmanThey'll probably have to stock up gluttonously on popular new releases, which will be a waste of money and a waste of space, which means far fewer "unpopular" movies and shelves overflowing with $15 used copies of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Which also means that they may charge less for those used copies of Harry Potter.
Although... their policy used to be to start selling the rental copies once you've made money on them. That could delay the sales even longer and force even lower prices. They'll start selling copies at a loss just to get some shelf space back.
This also means that heavy return days will be far less predictable (it used to be Sundays and Mondays, which are the most convenient days of the week for that), so the employees will be scrambling and mass confusion will ensue.
Quote from: Jeremy BlackmanThis is going to hit Blockbuster where it hurts. What a stupid move.
I can't figure it out either.
In a marketing sense, it's the best way to fight someone like Netflix. Still, Netflix has minimal overhead and better market flexibility.
In a business sense, it's insane. Can you imagine going in front of the Board and saying they are cutting 250-300 million out of revenue for next year? Do they really think they can make this up in gross sales from new customers? Did they forget about the inevetible merger? Did they forget about their recent stock devalutation?
Their only chance is aquiring Hollywood Video. Movie Gallery will quickly be squeezed out, eventhough they're ranked #3 (...and a distant #3). So, Blockbuster will be king of the brick and mortars with crippling overhead. While Netflix will bottom-feed and make healthy profits for time to come.
Blockbuster rewinds DVD-by-mail fee
In another high-profile move to advance its position across all fronts in the home video rental arena, Blockbuster Inc. said Wednesday that it will again reduce monthly online subscription fee from $17.99 to $14.99. But what does this mean to Hollywood's major studios? According to several studio chiefs, not much. Rather, it's Blockbuster's recent elimination of late fees that has some studio bosses steaming. The percentage of net revenue to Hollywood's major studios from online rental is almost insignificant when viewing the larger picture, which shows overall rental revenue for this year down anywhere from 1%-15%, as was most recently reported by industry analyst Tom Adams. Besides falling rental revenue, Blockbuster now allows its customers an additional week to return videos without being dinged with a late fee.
I only know a little bit about economics, so I can't comment on ALL of the ramifications of this, but it's gotta beg the question, like Pwaybloe said, how does Blockbuster expect to make ANY money with all these cuts? I don't understand it. They need to find better ways of competing than just slashing prices. Better selection, and an unflinching eye towards so-called "family values" that would prevent them from stocking NC-17 titles (and foreign films).
Quote from: wantautopia?that would prevent them from stocking NC-17 titles (and foreign films).
But then they wouldn't be Blockbuster anymore.. :yabbse-lipsrsealed:
Quote from: wantautopia?I only know a little bit about economics, so I can't comment on ALL of the ramifications of this, but it's gotta beg the question, like Pwaybloe said, how does Blockbuster expect to make ANY money with all these cuts? I don't understand it. They need to find better ways of competing than just slashing prices. Better selection, and an unflinching eye towards so-called "family values" that would prevent them from stocking NC-17 titles (and foreign films).
Prior to a month ago I was a drone that worked at Blockbuster. I quit for several reasons, including major apathy towards their employees. However, Blockbuster believes if they keep their labor costs extrememly low, meaning have one person run a shift, raise the level of money spent on extraneous items, that they will make money. However, I think they fail to realize, that the people that rent from their stores, are 1) stupid, 2) cheap. I wanted to hang myself nearly every shift hearing from all the dolts that came up and rented.
Granted, Blockbuster is a business. They aren't going to cater to the so-called intellectual film crowd. While my store carried some interesting foreign titles and indie titles, they primarily focused on New Release. Their target customer is someone who just wants to be entertained. Of course, I had a few customers who I could talk to about good films. Far and few between however.
Edit: A tip for anyone who has a late fee. If you haven't thought of it already: If you have a late fee, you can pay for it at any corporate owned store. Therefore, if you go into another store across town and say "hey I have a late fee at so and so location, that store has to call the said store up and get the late fee. You see, you can just call from any old phone and say "Hey this is ______ from the ________ Blockbuster, Can I get a customer check?. They will say name or numbers, you give the name and they will say, so and so has a late fee. Now, you just say, okay they will pay it here. And wahlah, it's gone.
Why anyone would rent from Blockbuster is a mystery to me. We all hate them for many reasons, SO DON"T RENT THERE. why anyone would rent from any place other than Netflix is absolutely beyond me. the only time I go into a video rental store is to buy Hollywood Video's 3 for $25 used dvds of movies that came out a couplke months earlier. I won't pay $20 for 'Cigarettes and Coffee' but $8, sure.
Quote from: analogzombieWhy anyone would rent from Blockbuster is a mystery to me. We all hate them for many reasons, SO DON"T RENT THERE. why anyone would rent from any place other than Netflix is absolutely beyond me. the only time I go into a video rental store is to buy Hollywood Video's 3 for $25 used dvds of movies that came out a couplke months earlier. I won't pay $20 for 'Cigarettes and Coffee' but $8, sure.
Netflix unnerves me. Renting a video is almost as religious as going to the movie theatres. There is a thrill of just deciding last second to go out and rent a movie you want to watch right then. People I know on Netflix talk about policies they signed up saying they can have so many movies a month for such and such price. I just can't do that. Sometimes I go months without renting movies. I also can't wait 2 to 3 days for a movie that is only a rental. Unless the movie is on order for me to own, I won't have anything to do with it. There just seems to be unwritten rules for these things. That is why ever since Blockbuster left town I've been really slacking in watching all the movies. I have no place that carries everything. So for small town folk, Blockbuster was a haven and still is.
GT, can you just not go against the grain for once?
Quote from: themodernage02GT, can you just not go against the grain for once?
I never thought I was with this one.
GT: the new joke killer.
Quote from: The Gold TrumpetNetflix unnerves me. Renting a video is almost as religious as going to the movie theatres. There is a thrill of just deciding last second to go out and rent a movie you want to watch right then.
yeah, me too, but i signed up b/c of the selection. they have a whole bunch of old movies i want to see but blockbuster doesn't carry. it bugs me though, because they send me things i'm not in the mood for and i end up holding onto them for a month.
Quote from: cinephileGT: the new joke killer.
modernage never kids when it comes to disagreeing with me.
Blockbuster pressuring Hollywood Entertainment
NEW YORK -- The battle for video rental company Hollywood Entertainment Corp. heated up Tuesday as Blockbuster Inc. threatened to make a hostile $1 billion bid to buy its smaller rival by the middle of next month if Hollywood does not honor Blockbuster's request to disclose certain financial information.
Blockbuster said it will launch its $11.50 per-share cash bid for Hollywood if, in fact, Hollywood accepts a lower bid from its own chairman and CEO Mark Wattles along with investment firm Leonard Green & Partners.
Blockbuster said its proposal represents a "substantial premium" over the $10.25 per share offered by Wattles and Leonard Green & Partners.
Last month, Blockbuster offered about $700 million to buy Hollywood. The company said its latest bid tallies up to about $1 billion, including Hollywood's debt.
"We believe that the proposal Blockbuster is prepared to make is clearly in the best interests of Hollywood and Blockbuster shareholders as well as consumers," Blockbuster chairman and CEO John Antioco said.
"Additionally, as we have said before, we believe the proposed transaction will better position Blockbuster to compete in the rapidly changing home entertainment marketplace," he said, alluding to newer business models that are challenging bricks-and-mortar rental stores, like video-on-demand and by-mail DVD services.
Calling it a "threatening" tactic employed by Blockbuster, media analyst Dennis McAlpine of McAlpine Associates said "Hollywood has stonewalled them" in opening up its books so that Blockbuster may gauge whether it might further increase its bid for the company.
While Hollywood awaits outside direction from its board of directors, McAlpine said that any decision could still take time. Hollywood, he said, already was supposed to have decided a few weeks ago on which, if any, bid it would accept.
But Hollywood might have to move quickly, according to Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter. "Blockbuster's actions today will prompt shareholders to place pressure on Hollywood's board over the next several days," he said in a report. "We also believe that Blockbuster will ultimately prevail in its attempt to acquire all the outstanding stock of Hollywood."
Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Credit Suisse First Boston and J.P. Morgan are advising Blockbuster on its proposal and have said they have committed financing to complete the tender offer.
Blockbuster shares closed down fractionally Tuesday at $9.33, while shares of Hollywood were fractionally higher at $13.16, suggesting that Wall Street sees the firm eventually selling for more than Blockbuster's current offer.
Well, I know Mark Wattles of Hollywood Video.
Their corporate office is here in Oregon and I worked there for a good 10 months or so. He's a really kick ass guy and super smart. From what I understand (speaking to friends who still work there), Mark wants to buy out Hollywood Video and take it private again. Who knows though, for a billion dollars maybe he might consider it. One thing is clear.
Blockbuster sucks ass and they know with Hollywood around gobbling up more and more market share, they just can't compete. Not gunna happen.
okay, new question. why, if blockbuster has always ONLY allowed movies R rated or lower into their stores, which has affected movies having to get an R to get financed so they can be carried there, or a seperate cut being made just for them, do they now have GIANT posters in their window advertising the ANCHORMAN: UNRATED UNCUT & UNCALLED FOR edition?!?!?! those fucking pricks
Quote from: themodernage02okay, new question. why, if blockbuster has always ONLY allowed movies R rated or lower into their stores, which has affected movies having to get an R to get financed so they can be carried there, or a seperate cut being made just for them, do they now have GIANT posters in their window advertising the ANCHORMAN: UNRATED UNCUT & UNCALLED FOR edition?!?!?! those fucking pricks
Because Blockbuster has allowed unrated version of films for who knows how long. I worked there starting in march 03 and they had them, so it has been quite sometime. I dont' work there anymore, but I still am quite certain they carry unrated films. I don't know where this myth started.
It used to be the opposite, Blockbuster would never carry anything racy, unrated, nc-17, etc., whereas Hollywood had no problem doing so. Then one day they decided to flip their stances, who knows why. Hollywood has at least gotten their act together as of late, the stores are now offering both versions of rated/unrated flicks (which has now become officially the most annoying trend ever, but that's a rant for another day).
Quote from: themodernage02okay, new question. why, if blockbuster has always ONLY allowed movies R rated or lower into their stores, which has affected movies having to get an R to get financed so they can be carried there, or a seperate cut being made just for them, do they now have GIANT posters in their window advertising the ANCHORMAN: UNRATED UNCUT & UNCALLED FOR edition?!?!?! those fucking pricks
understandable, but when I did have Blockbuster long long ago, they had the unrated edition of Sex and Lucia and I bought my unrated edition of Y Tu Mama Tambien there as well. But, of course its hypritical and dumb.
Hollywood Entertainment OKs $850M Buyout
Video rental giant Hollywood Entertainment Corp. has agreed to a buyout offer of nearly $850 million from smaller rival Movie Gallery Inc. in a deal that would create a stronger challenger to the industry leader, Blockbuster Inc.
But in a sign that Wall Street is betting the fight for Hollywood Entertainment may not be over, investors pushed its shares well above the offered price.
The planned combination announced Monday of the No. 2 and No. 3 video rental chains would create a company with annual revenue of approximately $2.5 billion and approximately 4,500 stores.
That would still be a distant second to No. 1 Blockbuster which has 9,000 outlets worldwide.
The agreement comes as traditional video rental companies are locked in a price war with online pioneer Netflix Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. for rentals ordered on the Internet and delivered through the mail.
Hollywood Entertainment, based in Wilsonville, Ore., near Portland, has been looking for a buyer for several months and had attracted bids from both Movie Gallery and Blockbuster as well as from a management group.
Late last month, Blockbuster said it would launch a hostile bid for Hollywood Entertainment in January if the rival's directors failed to negotiate a deal. Blockbuster had offered $11.50 a share for Hollywood.
On Monday, Blockbuster spokesman Randy Hargrove declined to comment on the announced deal.
Under the deal announced Monday, Movie Gallery would offer $13.25 a share, or about $850 million, in cash for Hollywood Entertainment's shares. It would also assume about $350 million in Hollywood's debt in the deal.
Joe Malugen, Movie Gallery's chairman, president and CEO, said in a statement the deal would create a stronger competitor with "a broader geographic presence and greatly improved distribution capabilities and scale."
The offer represents a slim 1.5 percent premium over Hollywood Entertainment's closing price of $13.05 on Friday on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
In a sign that some investors expect a higher bid, Hollywood Entertainment shares climbed 69 cents, or 5.3 percent, to $13.74 in afternoon trading on the Nasdaq market while Movie Gallery shares were up $1.23, or 6.5 percent, at $20.30. Blockbuster shares were down 21 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $9.08 on the New York Stock Exchange.
"This is not the last we'll be hearing from Blockbuster," said Arvind Bhatia, an analyst with Southwest Securities in Dallas.
Hollywood officials said the merger with Movie Gallery offered shareholders a better deal not only because of the higher price per share, but also because the union of the two smaller companies would face less of a challenge from regulators.
In 1999, a plan to rename Hollywood Video stores under the Blockbuster banner was stopped by the Federal Trade Commission.
"The Movie Gallery offer is a very attractive offer because it has significantly less regulatory risk than a deal with Blockbuster," said Daniel Burch, a Hollywood spokesman. A deal with Blockbuster, he said, would likely be stopped.
But analysts said that in a Republican administration, even a merger with the nation's top video rental chain would likely sail through.
"AT&T and Cingular just merged and the combined entity has over 25 percent of the wireless market," said Michael Pachter, research analyst with Los Angeles-based Wedbush Morgan Securities. "A combined Blockbuster and Hollywood would be under 20 percent of the home entertainment market," he said.
Marla Backer, an analyst with New York-based Research Associates-Soleil, agrees. "I think there is regulatory risk, but I don't think it's insurmountable," she said, adding: "It could get done, but clearly not as easily as a merger with Movie Gallery."
Backer said Blockbuster will now have to significantly improve its latest $11.50 per share offer in order to remain competitive.
"You have to think that Blockbuster will have to really be sweeter to compensate the shareholders for the increased regulatory risk they would assume," she said.
In August, Hollywood Entertainment had agreed to let its chairman and chief executive and Los Angeles buyout firm Leonard Green & Partners to take the company private for $10.25 a share. The deal, however, allowed Hollywood to solicit other bids, and the CEO said he welcomed Blockbuster's offer.
In November, Dallas-based Blockbuster offered $11.50 a share for Hollywood and said early in December that it may sweeten its offer for its rival.
On Nov. 19, Movie Gallery of Dothan, Ala., said it had offered an undisclosed amount for Hollywood.
Blockbuster already has 9,000 outlets worldwide. Hollywood Video has 2,000 Hollywood Video superstore stores and more than 700 Game Crazy specialty departments. Movie Gallery has more than 2,475 outlets.
Analysts said that another advantage to the Movie Gallery merger is that fewer stores would be closed than if Hollywood was to combined with Blockbuster. Movie Gallery maintains stores predominantly in rural areas, while Hollywood's market, like Blockbuster's, is largely in urban centers.
"Hollywood and Movie Gallery have only 10 percent overlap," said Pachter.
Hollywood spokesman Larry Dennedy said that the merger would not lead to closures. Also, under the agreement with Movie Gallery, the company will remain headquartered in Oregon.
Blockbuster Still Eyeing Hollywood
Blockbuster Inc., the nation's largest movie-rental chain, said Tuesday it is still interested in buying Hollywood Entertainment Corp., despite its smaller rival's agreement last week to be purchased by another competitor, Movie Gallery Inc., for about $850 million.
John Antioco, Blockbuster chairman and chief executive, said his Dallas-based company was evaluating making a new offer, a signal the bidding could still go higher.
Blockbuster also said that antitrust regulators had asked for more information about its offer to buy Hollywood Entertainment, which the company expected to provide by the first week of February.
Antioco said he was disappointed that a special committee of Hollywood Entertainment's board accepted an offer from Movie Gallery "without giving Blockbuster a fair opportunity to participate in the auction process."
Hollywood Entertainment has refused to open its books to Blockbuster unless it agreed not to launch a hostile takeover for three years. Blockbuster, which said it needed to see the information to determine a fair price for its smaller rival, rejected the condition.
Movie Gallery, based in Dothan, Ala., the nation's third-largest movie-rental chain, agreed last week to pay $13.25 per share in cash for No. 2 Hollywood Entertainment and assume about $350 million in debt. That trumped Blockbuster's previous bid of $11.50 per share.
Antioco said it no longer made sense for Blockbuster to begin a previously threatened hostile takeover of Hollywood Entertainment at the $11.50 per share price, but he said Blockbuster was considering the price it would be willing to offer taking other factors into account, including a termination fee to Movie Gallery that is included in the deal with Hollywood Entertainment.
Shares of Hollywood Entertainment, based in the Portland, Ore., suburb of Wilsonville, have moved above Movie Gallery's offered price, indicating investors expect a bidding war.
Hollywood shares rose 7 cents to $14.29 in morning trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market. Blockbuster's shares were up 1 cent at $9.49 on the New York Stock Exchange, and Movie Gallery shares fell 20 cents to $20.45 on Nasdaq.
A combination of Hollywood Entertainment and Movie Gallery would create a chain with about 4,500 stores and annual revenue of about $2.5 billion, still far behind Blockbuster, which has about 9,000 stores worldwide.
Blockbuster Makes Hostile Hollywood Bid
Blockbuster Inc. has raised its bid for rival movie-rental chain Hollywood Entertainment Corp., launching a hostile cash and stock offer valued at $1.3 billion that it hopes will derail Hollywood's pending sale to Movie Gallery Inc.
Blockbuster, the nation's largest movie-rental chain, said Wednesday it would offer $14.50 per share for No. 2 Hollywood beginning Friday more than the $13.25 per share that Movie Gallery offered.
In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Dallas-based Blockbuster offered to pay $11.50 in cash and $3 in its own stock for each Hollywood share adding the stock component to the $11.50 per share offer it made last month.
Blockbuster said buying Hollywood would immediately improve its earnings per share and cash flow.
Wilsonville, Ore.-based Hollywood announced last month that it had agreed to be bought by Movie Gallery, the nation's No. 3 rental firm, based in Dothan, Ala.
A combination of Hollywood Entertainment and Movie Gallery would create a chain with about 4,500 stores and annual revenue of about $2.5 billion, still far behind Blockbuster, which has about 9,000 stores worldwide.
All three chains face growing competition from online movie-order services, including Netflix Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Blockbuster Late-Fee Policy Raises Questions
Blockbuster's new "no late fees" policy is billed as a way to satisfy those customers who rent movies or games but forget to return them on time.
But the policy's fine print is raising some potential customer-relations questions, industry executives say.
Though consumers now have an extended grace period to return films and games without extra fees at Blockbuster stores, they ultimately are charged the full retail price of the title (minus the initial rental fee) if they keep it for more than a month. The program, which launched Jan. 1, is now in effect at Blockbuster's more than 4,500 stores in the United States.
According to the Los Angeles Times, several state attorneys general are investigating the company's ad campaign.
Blockbuster corporate spokesman Randy Hargrove says the Dallas-based chain has "received inquiries" but would not disclose from whom. "Once we explain the policy, they seem to understand the details," he says.
Tom Kelley, spokesman for Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, says that no consumers have made any complaints to Abbott's office, but that "other attorneys general may be looking at this. I did see some e-mails from the national attorney general in Washington."
Calls to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer were not returned by press time.
The video rental and retail trade group Video Software Dealers Assn. believes the policy is beingunfairly targeted.
'NO FREE LUNCH'
"I don't think that any reasonable customer thinks that there ought to be a system whereby they walk into a video store, rent a new release for two days, walk off into the wild blue yonder, never return it, keep it in their library and never have to reimburse a video store for its intrinsic value," VSDA president Bo Andersen says. "Reasonable consumers know that there is no free lunch."
Blockbuster head of U.S. store operations Nick Shepherd says the policy was implemented because the No. 1 dissatisfaction for most renters is late fees.
The chain actually wants customers to return discs as early as possible, he says.
"I need them to bring it back so I can rent it to other people," he notes. "We still have due dates. One of the things we learned is that if you try to explain (the whole program) to the customer at the point of sale ... they aren't interested."
New releases can be rented for two days, catalog titles for seven. Games can be rented for seven days. If a customer keeps a title seven days beyond those deadlines, Shepherd says, they get reminder calls from the store. A card is then sent in the mail notifying them that the title is due back and that the customer will be charged the full price if they do not return it within 30 days.
For instance, if a customer checked out a seven-day rental Feb. 1 and kept it past the Feb. 8 due date, the store would call, then send a card saying that the customer has until Feb. 15 to return the movie or be charged for it. The customer then has another 30 days to return it and get most of their money back.
JUST A LITTLE MORE TIME
Shepherd says the store will charge "the lowest retail price when you rented it and refund the rental fee ... Because there are still some people who don't want to own it, you get 30 days to bring it back and we will charge a $1.25 restocking fee (above the rental fee). We don't want people to keep it if they don't want to. We just want to give them the convenience and flexibility of a bit more time."
Shepherd says that the chain has advertised the details of the policy extensively and that Blockbuster's "heaviest" training program was implemented to fill in store staff. Stores also have brochures for customers explaining the policy.
Understandably, rival rental operations are poking at Blockbuster's campaign. Online rental company Netflix, which pioneered a no-late fees policy, says that Blockbuster is reacting to consumers' high interest in alternative rental options without extra fees.
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings calls Blockbuster's policy "a sign that we are really setting the agenda in the video rental business and they are reacting. It's not really 'no late fees.' It's the 'Blockbuster automatic purchase program."'
Independent brick-and-mortar stores are worried that their businesses could be affected.
"I'm not happy about it at all," says Patty Polinger, owner of Santa Monica, Calif., rental store Vidiots. "It's not good for the whole industry. I don't think customers will be happy when they find out the details about how it works. It could create bad will."
Quoteyou get 30 days to bring it back and we will charge a $1.25 restocking fee
I knew there would be something like that.
Quote from: MacGuffinNetflix CEO Reed Hastings calls Blockbuster's policy "a sign that we are really setting the agenda in the video rental business and they are reacting. It's not really 'no late fees.' It's the 'Blockbuster automatic purchase program."
way to call it like it is netflix guy. :yabbse-thumbup:
haha, i worked at blockbuster for seven months. trust me, you don't want to work there. it seems perfect, it seems like a lot of things, but my friends: I have been to the dark side and am forever living my life in fear, because I escaped.
where do i start? not only does this place rip off customers, frequently without warrant, they also don't give a shit, they are horrible employers. I worked there seven months, became as a full time manager, and I was only making $6.50 an hour. Not to mention I worked as a manager for them for 3 months before they gave me the raise they promised me.
They have a horribly faulty and ridiculous membership system, along with a billion other things I can't get into because I am still scared.
Blockbuster Accused of Violating N.J. Law
The state of New Jersey claims Blockbuster Inc., the nation's largest movie-rental chain, has violated the state's consumer protection laws with its new policy on late fees.
In a lawsuit filed Friday, the state charged that Blockbuster failed to disclose key terms in the policy, including that overdue rentals are automatically converted to a sale on the eighth day after the due date.
The state is seeking restitution for customers whose overdue rentals were converted to a sale. It also wants compensation for people who were charged late fees by stores that were not participating in the new policy, but that failed to make that obvious.
State Attorney General Peter C. Harvey on Friday called the company's advertising and marketing "deceptive." He said state investigators began visiting dozens of the 170 Blockbuster stores in New Jersey even before receiving a complaint, and found that employees gave misleading or erroneous information on the policy.
To date, one aggrieved consumer has contacted the state, Harvey said, adding, "We will be flooded with complaints from people who will tell us this is their experience, too."
The lawsuit was filed in state Superior Court in Trenton.
In a statement, the Dallas-based chain said it has "taken a number of very thorough steps to let customers know how our new program works. Blockbuster has trained store employees on how to effectively communicate the program to customers, both on the sales floor and at checkout."
The stores also have free brochures explaining the program, the company said.
Blockbuster eliminated late fees on games and movies starting Jan. 1, although customers who miss a one-week grace period will be billed for buying the item or charged a $1.25 restocking fee. The company said due dates at its 4,600 U.S. stores would remain one week for games and two days or one week for movies.
Additionally, about half of 1,100 Blockbuster stores that are operated by franchisees are participating in the program, company spokesman Randy Hargrove said.
Harvey, however, said some stores displayed signs touting "The end of late fees" but were not participating.
Hargrove said that only franchise stores have the option not to participate. "I'd love to be able to know which stores he was talking about to see if he was accurate," he said.
Renters who keep the movies or games beyond the grace period will be charged for purchasing the DVD or tape at Blockbuster's full retail price, minus the rental fee, the company said. If they return the movie or game in the next 30 days, they will get a refund for the purchase but will be charged a restocking fee of $1.25, the company said.
Blockbuster shares rose 5 cents to $9.13 in midday trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Its shares are up from a 52-week low of $6.50 last fall.
Consumers are absolute morons.
Blockbuster never said they were getting rid of due dates, they were getting rid of late fees.
Please don't tell me that this is news to the rest of you.
Yeah, no more late fees, still due dates
but you have to admit it is at least a little deceiving.
I quit just as they started to promote No More Late Fees, and not just a few, but every customer came in and asked me about the policy. When I told them there were still late fees, just not as much etc. they were confused/pissed. Every one of them. People are idiots, but even my good customers were pretty annoyed.
Blockbuster Admits Some Stores Have Ended No-Late-Fee Policy
On the heels of reports that attorneys general in Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee are looking to allegations that some Blockbuster franchise stores have begun charging late fees again without notifying customers, Blockbuster issued a statement on Thursday acknowledging that about 160 of its 515 franchisees have dropped the "no late fees" policy. The company said that the independent stores had done so because they could not afford to buy the inventory needed to allow customers to keep the rented movies for lengthy periods of time.
Ha anyone heard of Blockbuster editing the movies they carry? A friend of mine rented The Royal Tennenbaums and told me they cut out some parts with nudity, and when Royal gets stabed by Pagoda.
Blockbuster to accept online DVD returns at stores
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Blockbuster Inc. said on Wednesday it was changing its online movie rental policy to let customers exchange DVDs through the mail or at its stores.
The program, which allows subscribers to double their monthly rentals, comes as Blockbuster strives to meet its online subscriber goals and shore up store-based rentals in an industry that has suffered through a year-long contraction.
Under the new Total Access plan, which begins on Wednesday, customers can receive free in-store movie rentals if they return to stores those DVDs that are rented online.
Rival online DVD rental company Netflix Inc. operates only through the mail.
Analysts saw the program as possibly helping Blockbuster to get to its year-end subscriber goal of 2 million.
Blockbuster said it added about 150,000 net subscribers to its online program during the third quarter. At the end of September, it had about 1.5 million online subscribers.
Even so, Jeffries & Co analyst Youssef Squali said that "the competitive landscape continues to favor Netflix."
"While positive, (Blockbuster's) launch of Total Access is not likely to change the dynamics of the marketplace for Netflix, in our view," Squali wrote in a note on Wednesday.
But Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter said the program addresses one of the main reasons subscribers leave Netflix -- because they have to wait for movies.
"Blockbuster gives you immediate gratification," Pachter said. "I think a substantial number are likely to consider switching to Blockbuster."
For each online rental exchanged at Blockbuster stores, customers can get a free in-store movie rental plus a free in-store rental coupon each month.
Movies exchanged or obtained with coupons in stores do not count against the total number of DVDs that online customers are allowed by their subscription plan, but those rentals are subject to in-store due dates, Blockbuster said.
Blockbuster said that by returning movies to a store, online renters will speed up delivery of their next movie.
Blockbuster Chief Executive John Antioco told Reuters that the program would result in "a moderate increase" in costs, but was expected to boost in-store traffic and associated revenue.
He expected subscriber acquisition costs and churn, or subscriber cancellations, to drop as a result of Total Access.
"Consumers are telling us that this will make a difference in their in-store and on-line choices and makes a difference to consumers who are doing pay-per-view and pay television," Antioco said on Wednesday. "We are the only ones that can give them store and online movies in the home video window."
Shares of Blockbuster were up 8 cents, or 2 percent, at $4 in afternoon New York Stock Exchange trading.
The Weinstein Company and Blockbuster have announced that all future theatrical and made-for-DVD movies (within the United States) will be made available for rental - exclusively - through Blockbuster's internet and store based outlets. This means that those who normally rent titles produced by The Weinstein Company will have to become a member of Blockbuster to continue doing this - Blockbuster has obtained a three year exclusivity period for each new title.
Exclusive titles will include: Bobby - starring Anthony Hopkins, Demi Moore, Sharon Store, Elijah Wood and Lindsay Lohan; School for Scoundrels - starring Billy Bob Thornton; The Protector - a martial arts film starring Tony Jaa; Shut Up & Sing - a documentary following the Dixie Chicks recording their first album after the Iraq War; Miss Potter - the Beatrix Potter biopic starring Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor; Grindhouse - the double feature from Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez; The Nanny Diaries - starring Scarlett Johansson, Laura Linney and Paul Giamatti; and Arthur and The Invisibles - the CGI animated family adventure.
This deal will not affect existing titles such as Lucky # Slevin - which has maintained a high position in the rental charts for recent months. Retail sales of all Weinstein titles will also remain unaffected and will continue to be distributed by Genius Products.
The agreement begins on January and is secured for the next four years. Blockbuster additionally plans to present a select range of The Weinstein Company movies through special displays in-store, and will arrange an agreement whereby if a particular title in the selection is out-of-stock then a free rental voucher will be provided to the customer.
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wow, if this is for real, what a terrible idea! are they seriously not going to rent their titles anywhere outside of blockbuster? its a good thing outside of Grind House (which i will buy) they havent made a single film worth seeing!
More reason to hate the Weinsteins and Blockbuster... this is retarded.
EDIT: Does this mean that independant rental companies can't rent it out either? Fuck them! Fuck them in thier ridiculously greedy asses... this calls for a boycott.
Quote from: modage on November 15, 2006, 07:06:39 PM
its a good thing outside of Grind House (which i will buy) they havent made a single film worth seeing!
True, though I don't like the deal because of the precedent it might set. Will other companies follow suit with similar deals with Blockbuster or other rental outlets?
Quote from: RegularKarate on November 16, 2006, 04:12:24 PM
Does this mean that independant rental companies can't rent it out either? Fuck them! Fuck them in thier ridiculously greedy asses... this calls for a boycott.
Ironic that indie posterboys Kevin Smith and Quentin Tarantino will have some of their movies (if they keep making them with Weinstein) as Blockbuster exclusives for three years.