Family Video Trip

It has been a long time since I had been into a video store. When I was a kid it was an event to go to Blockbuster and pick out a movie with my family. Every weekend when there was nothing to do my brothers and I got the opportunity to roam around and look at R rated movies and see what was out there even if we couldn’t watch it. So, when I went into Family Video in Shelby North Carolina it was a bit of a flashback. I can remember a time when my family and I would roam around the store looking at all the different sections of movie genres, arguing about which few to pick out, and my brothers and I begging for a box of candy. Though I might not have always got the movie I wanted, everyone was able to find something they wanted to watch. This more recent experience visiting a video store was a bit different considering it has been at least ten years since my last time in a video store, and Netflix and Amazon type platforms rule the home video world. However, I found that the difference between my trip to the video store and scanning films on Netflix and Amazon is not what one might expect. The initial discovery or interest in movies I would like to watch is easy with an online platform because I can search for it. With a video store like Family Video, I got to relive the now archaic experience of looking at movie covers, roaming sections of genres, and finding movies I might not find online. This is the big difference for me between my trip to Family Video and using an online platform like Netflix. In fact, I preferred the ability to find other movies and roam around the store because it is easier to search for something in my taste rather than scanning the “most popular” section on Netflix. I found movies in the video store that I would never find on Netflix simply because Netflix doesn’t have it, or I have to go down some internet rabbit hole in order to find it.

The online platforms offer loads of movies without a doubt, but only movies that are popular with other people. It makes sense that Netflix, Amazon and other platforms would put those types of films there because they make more money from it and gain more interest. Though, this is the reason I think that video stores like Family Video still survive. Old movies, new off camber movies that I might not find online, and movies you know that you can’t find online are in the Family Video and I find that to be relevant to people today. Movies that come out on Netflix are either from the recent past, or the really big hits from way back, but that’s about it. Family Video offered entire sections of past and recent movies that cover the entire spectrum of possibilities, and I think that people still enjoy that. Not to mention the ability to ask the movie buff at the front what he thinks about it, and get some candy on your way out.

I really enjoyed going to the Family Video store. I found it to be a bit of a reminiscent joy to go through the aisles and pick up movie after movie and most of the time decide what movie I want to watch based on how cool the cover looks or the section I got it from. The movie store offers that kind of personal browsing and experience. It almost made it more enjoyable for me to go out of my way, roam around the store for a while and get some candy before I left just because I got to reap the rewards of my efforts in a sense. I think that there is a place for this old style of film selection and one that I hope doesn’t die, at least not in the near future. Sure, it is hard to beat the convenience of Netflix and Amazon, but just because it’s convenient doesn’t mean it’s better. I like to compare this experience to my Jeep. A silly comparison I know, but my Jeep is loud, awful on gas, and the stick shift is a pain in traffic and super steep hills, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I could easily swap my jeep for some Toyota that is dead silent, parks for me, and does everything but makes me coffee, but I don’t want that. I want to hear the motor rumble, I want to switch the gears around as I please and feel the bumps of the road. Just like I don’t want to have a movie put in my face because it’s the “most popular” and I don’t always want to sit on the couch and press a search button. Sometimes, yes, but most of the time I would rather deal with the “inconvenience” of driving to the store and roaming around until I found a film just as I would rather drive my “inconvenient” Jeep. The easy way doesn’t always mean the best way and after my trip to the Family Video store, I was reminded of that.

What Film Means To Me

My is Luke Gazak, and my choice of films to many might seem predictable. This probably stems from my background of who I watched movies with growing up. Since I can remember, growing up in Holly Springs, North Carolina. My family and I have been crazy about watching movies. It was an occasion for us, my brothers and I jumped at the idea of watching a movie with our parents. I think my parents view films in a similar manor to myself in that they pick films which inspire them or reflect their personality. My dad loves war movies, true stories, and westerns which reflects his leadership style and military family background. My mom on the other hand loves any aquatic themed movie, even if its a bad one, which reflects her free thinking personality and educational background in zoology and science.

Personally, I have always been an outdoor person that loves discovery, adventure, and nature. This would easily explain my childhood obsession with the 1999 Disney movie Tarzan. My brothers and I must of run the VCR ragged with the amount of times we watched that movie and it reflects my wild, adventurous side I think.

This love for nature continued through my life and still has a big influence on my movie choices. However, as time went on and I grew up my dad’s influence on my movie choice began to show a bit more. Clint Eastwood, western movies, war movies, and true stories showed up on the TV a bit more. The first movie I can remember that was a big hit for me was The Outlaw Josey Wales. Clint Eastwood and the character that he played in that movie were the epitome of a cool hero type and had a modern John Wayne perception to me.

In regards to true story films and an overall inspiration to me. One series of films comes to the front of my mind, Band of Brothers. This HBO TV series has always been a favorite of mine as well as my family. Being steeped in world war two history and belonging to a family with military background it is inspirational in its projections of a brotherhood of men that include great leaders, motivators, and outstanding. Additionally, the way that this series was shot does an impeccable job of giving background to each character, explaining their importance and roll in the company, and also showing a raw and realistic depiction of the terrors of war.

My favorite movies and films all have some sort of relevance to each other, and relate to me. Movies to me have always been influential in that they often have aspects that I admire, strive for personally, or are existing parts of my personality. Movies, especially the good ones, have always been a way for me to look forward and strive for the things I believe in or want to become and connect with my family in a different way. Movies are a reflection of my personality and interests and are a creative and fun way to connect with people, especially family.