Can't Stop the Awesome

Blockbuster's new slogan this summer to get people to rent is "You Can't Stop the Awesome." They're right but not about their stock. You really can't stop The Awesome, you can only see it delayed.

"The Awesome" I'm referring to would be Netflix. How exactly I made it so many moons without this service I'll never know but I'm a fan for life. To put it in context, go to Blockbusters or Movie Trading Company and rent a season of 24. The price tag is roughly $20 for the box. Now I pay roughly $15 or so a month for two discs at a time and can burn through the entire season in a week and a half and still crank through several more films from my queue.

The caveat is how the tend to shift frequent renters to the back of their line if you turn-and-burn films overnight. Netflix can't make all its money back like that so they can throttle your account back a ways. I know they get my films back first thing in the morning the day after I mail them. I have the receipt confirmations. But I've figured out that by simply delaying my return of two films by as much as three to four days means I can literally turn-and-burn with impunity for the next month. So by throttling myself (insert pun here) I get more bang for my buck than I ever could at Blockbusters.

Which I haven't actively gone to since I was in high school and flirting with a cute redhead who worked at the one near my house. I'll still hit them every now and then if I absolutely can't wait for the Netflix mail call, but otherwise I have no reason to go there.

Ever.

Can't stop "The Awesome?" You're right on that, Blockbuster. Too bad for you The Awesome comes to my house in the form of Netflix and my lazy behind never has to walk into your stores to find tons of copies of the latest Will Ferrell movie but anything from 10 years ago is relegated to the bargain bin or worse - unavailable except by special request. Thanks guys, but I can request plenty from Netflix. Once My Fair Lady is working again I fully plan to expand our plan from two discs at a time to three. Staggering that out should be no problem whatsoever, and will definitely let me burn through future volumes of the Jack Bauer Power Hour with fury.