Most Popular DVD Rentals
There was a time when your DVD rental selection was limited to what the video store had in stock. Today DVD rental choices are nearly limitless thanks to websites like Netflix and several Redbox locations.
The most popular DVD rentals fall into two basic categories of movies you saw in the theater and want to see again and movies you skipped because they weren't worth the ten bucks.
The Curiosity Factor
What was the big deal over The Blind Side or Precious? The Hurt Locker won a Best Picture Oscar, so it must be good, right? You've seen the trailer hundreds of times and watched the Oprah interview touting it as the must-see movie of the year. Critics adore it.
Movies you think about long enough to look them up online generally fit into this category. This includes movies that generate year-end Oscar buzz such as No Country for Old Men and Gran Torino or movies sparking interest in a certain star because of some scandal (explaining spikes in Sandra Bullock rentals) or because they passed away.
Airplane ranked in the top ten on one list of the most popular DVD rentals following the death of Leslie Nielsen with fans wanting to hear the famous "Don't call me Shirley" line.
The Star Factor
Sometimes a movie catches your attention because a star you like is in. Yet, there is still some hesitation about a trip to your local theater. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Knight and Day and Eat, Pray, Love have all done been popular DVD rentals thanks to Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts fans.
The Theme Factor
DVD rental choices tend to follow trends, but can also be completely random. Some DVD rentals are popular when grouped in with a certain theme. Here's a few examples.
- Action movie night. When deciding on a night of movie action it's a given that Russell Crowe, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Arnold Schwarzenegger will be on the list.
- Romance/chick flick night. Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts, Renee Zellweger and Anne Hathaway often have films making this list.
- Seasonal picks. Movies like The Dark Knight, Iron Man and Tropic Thunder tend to be more popular DVD rentals in the summer when action and big budget films are more in demand. Disney's A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey and most Stephen King or Tim Burton movies tend to be popular Christmas and Halloween rental choices.
- Sci/fi night. Aside from the obvious picks of any of the Star Wars or Star Trek movies, this also includes buzz-worthy movies such as District 9, Watchmen, Crank: High Voltage and Knowing.
- Comedy night. This tends to include funny movies that received good word of mouth such as The Hangover and The Other Guys.
The Try It Before You Buy It Factor
The most popular DVD rentals tend to be blockbuster hits. This usually applies to the one person out of ten who hasn't seen Avatar, Alice in Wonderland or Iron Man yet since fans will buy the movie as soon as it becomes available.
The latest Disney or Disney/Pixar movies also tend to fit this category. You rent The Frog Princess, Up, Toy Story 3, Wall-E and Ratatouille to keep the kids happy for the weekend, even though you will be buying them for Christmas.
The Follow the Crowd Factor
Lists are popular for a reason. Netflix and Redbox both rank the most popular DVD rentals so everybody can see what everybody else is watching. Still looking for ideas? IMDB has a list of 250 popular titles sure to provide some inspiration.
If you want to buy new movies online, be sure to check Amazon. They seem to have the best prices.
