It's officially that time of the year again. The weather's getting colder, the days are getting shorter and it's getting tougher to muster the strength to walk to class (or to Smoke's) depending on your proclivities. But we at Street have the cure for the winter doldrums: movie rentals. So bring out your inner bum, pop some corn and make a call to one of these fine (and legal!) establishments:
Video Vault
Lower level, Houston Hall 3417 Spruce St.
215-898-6815
Open seven days a week, 10 a.m. - 1 a.m.
www.pennvideo.com
The optimal choice for Quad and Hill dwellers, Video Vault supplies around 2,400 videos in its small Houston space - not bad for a PSA-owned store. For those who appreciate other pastimes, the store has a selection of video games, and for those who know what they want, Video Vault's Web site allows you to check the movie's availability before you arrive. But don't be deterred if you call Beige Block home: Scoop DeVille offers movie rental delivery with its ice cream on campusfood.com. What could be sweeter?
Rates: $2 a night, $3 for two nights, $1 credit for next day return
Students say: "Honestly, Video Vault is great if you live in the Quad. It's even better if you forget to return the video. Which you will - you live in the Quad. Be prepared to pay two dollars a day, for two months, for Crank." Brooke Boyarsky C'09
Video Library Inc.
4040 Locust St.
215-387-5440
Open Mon-Fri 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Sat-Sun 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
http://www.vlibrary.com/vlibrary
A mainstay for upperclassmen, Video Library has been offering its customers a large variety of movies (21,000 films!) since 1984. From vintage films and documentaries to mainstream hits, Video Library houses almost everything within its Locust Street locale. Best of all, subscribers can join the store's free Netflix-esque service and get four films at a time mailed to your front door. But with $3 to $6 shipping charges added to the $6 per film rental rate, you're better off going to the store yourself.
Rates: $6 per 7 day rental
Students say: "I use Video Library because I like their Web site. It's really easy to get a membership card there and you can request a movie if they don't have it." Alexis Hill, C '08
Van Pelt Library
3420 Walnut St.
215-898-7556
Open Mon-Thurs 8:30 a.m. -midnight; Fri 8:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Sat 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Sun 10 a.m. - midnight
http://www.library.upenn.edu/catalogs/vcat
The Van Pelt Library is a solid choice if you're looking for a good movie without having to pay anything. Users may borrow up to four videos at a time for a period of up to seven days - sweet! The bad news? Films can't be renewed, and certain DVDs on reserve must be viewed on the premises. But if you're looking to pretend that you're studying while watching some high-quality cinema, Van Pelt has plenty of cozy viewing areas, from the cubicles in Rosengarten to the classy private viewing rooms in the fourth floor music and media center.
Rates: Free with PennCard
Students say: "Van Pelt is a great place to go to in order to expand your film horizons. They have the most extensive international selection I know of, with tons of Asian, European, and even Bollywood films. Better yet, you get the videos for a whole week, so you have time to truly appreciate the movie and even watch it again if you wanted." Jeremy Price, C '08
Netflix
www.netflix.com
Blockbuster Online
www.blockbuster.com
Sure, membership might be mandatory and you have to wait for the films to get delivered, but for cinema aficionados, online services are a cheap and easy way to get a film fix. With over 70,000 titles for Netflix, and 65,000 for Blockbuster, the two programs offer about five times as many titles as an average video store. And although it seems like a long wait, Netflix averages just one business day per delivery. Both companies offer free shipping and postage with no late fees... so in the long run, it's a bargain.
Rates: Plans range from $4.99 a month (for two films a month) to $23.99 a month (for unlimited rentals, four at a time)
Students say: "They have every movie imaginable. I have the three-at-a-time [plan]. It's a pretty good deal, especially because you still can get a lot of movies within one month." Evan Koch C '07
iTunes Movie Store
www.itunes.com
For those who like to crowd into a dorm room to watch movies on a computer, iTunes offers films to buy at "near-DVD" quality (640 x 480 pixels) on up to five different devices. Best of all, the movies are available the week they come out on DVD, so viewers can stay current. The downside? iTunes is still a bit green: with just over 200 films in their library, consisting only of Paramount and Disney titles, the program is unlikely to give you what you're looking for - that is, unless you're looking to rent Pixar's latest.
Rates: $9.99 to $14.99 per film
Students say: "iTunes always disappoints me. I'm often searching for a lot of independent films and they don't have them, but I guess that's not surprising." Brittany Siegal W'09
