Against my better judgment, I gave Bucky's Super Video, 1601 E. Oklahoma Ave., one last chance tonight. As much as I strive to give my business to the little guys and not the Blockbusters of the world, I've rented no fewer than five scratched or otherwise defective DVDs from this local video store in the last few years.
Tonight it was "Ocean's 12," and 20 minutes into the movie, the DVD began skipping, stalling and freezing up. If it wasn't almost 11 p.m., I'd take it back and ask for another copy. But it's a little late, literally and figuratively speaking.
Pretty much every other DVD we rent from Bucky's is defective these days. The last time, my wife returned the movie and complained to the manager. She asked him if they check their products. He said there's no way they could do that. She asked if they guarantee their products or if she could have a refund, and he said no.
For a while, we gave up on Bucky's and instead used Blockbuster for our rentals. Then tonight, we gave it one more try. And tomorrow we'll officially cancel our membership to a manager we anticipate will be indifferent.
We really do want to keep the indie video stores in business, but when their products doesn't measure up, time after time, what are we supposed to do? Tonight was supposed to be movie night. Instead, it was another exercise in DVD frustration.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
