$1 Movies: Loving the Redbox
Posted on March 24th, 2008 – 11:44 AMBy Kara McGuire
It started with a Saturday night trip to the grocery store. Yes, I know you all envy my social life.
It was 9:20pm and I knew that when I arrived home with bags of food there would be a bottle of wine to open and kids in bed. But I also knew there was nothing on the TiVo and though I’ve been thoroughly enjoying the DVDs of Arrested Development, I was in the mood for something different.
Behold, the Redbox. Initially I thought renting movies from a kiosk at McDonalds or a grocery story like Cub Foods was odd. Then I rented the Bee Movie and best picture, best director-winning No Country for Old Men for $1 each plus tax. Two new movies in my hands for cheap with only the punch of a few buttons? This is a fabulous invention.
Sure, the selection isn’t massive, but that means no aimless wandering through rows of DVDs or scrolling through pages on Netflix.
One drawback is being charged on a daily basis. I think many consumers have gotten used to ordering a pile of DVDs and hanging onto them for a longer time period without extra charge. But even if it does take you a couple of days to watch the movies, it’s only $1 for each extra day. And you can return them at any Redbox location.
My favorite place to rent non-new releases or movies for kids is the library. And if you have a free moment, many libraries allow you to request a spot on the waiting list for movies that are still in theaters.
But for those of you who are wedded to watching new releases, but not enough of them to justify a Netflix or Blockbuster membership, there’s Redbox. Its web site allows you to reserve movies for pick-up. Or be spontaneous and grab a flick after you finish your fries. You can even try it for free. Sign up online.
8 Responses to "$1 Movies: Loving the Redbox"
Love the redbox. Their rent online, and pick up at a kiosk will ensure you don’t have to drive to 5 different redboxes either, if you’re just looking to go out and get a new release.
I follow their press releases on their website, they’ll soon be in Walgreens and Wal-Mart (on top of Festival Foods and Cub Foods, McDonalds)
Give them your e-mail (or cell phone) when you sign up on their website and every monday they’ll e-mail or txt you a free rental.
Google “free redbox codes” and you’ll get a few free rentals.
I just received two free rentals today– one via email and one via my cell.
Thanks for the tip on the free rentals. We use Red Box quite a bit. We became addicted when we lived in a small rural town big enough for a McDonalds but not a Hollywood Video.
Long live the art of going to the video store on a Friday or Saturday night and long live a night out at the theater.
It’s way cheaper than Blockbuster or other rental stores that seem to charge $4+ for a movie. I find it very convenient.
I usually agree, but I don’t do McDonalds or Walmart (ever) and being that I’m a Rainbow and co-op shopper, this would just be another stop in an already crazy day — at which point I’d fall sleep during the movie, keep it an extra day, and incur extra charges.
Netflix (and the library) works a whole lot better for me. Different strokes for different folks.
They have Redbox at Lunds.
My problem with redbox is the domain name. Every single time I type it in there’s a split second thought of “oh god am I about to end up on a porn site?” 
