free movies!

This afternoon, on my way out of Kroger, I noticed there was an automatic rental machine between the two exit doors, with coupons in a cubby on the front. The coupons were good for one night's free rental on one in-stock movie. I had never used one of these machines before, but they seem rather convenient and affordable. There is a straightforward fee of $1.00 per night, per movie. The movie we rented tonight will be free as long as I can return it by midnight tomorrow night.

I also like the cases they distribute the movies in, as they are felt-lined & seem less harsh on the DVDs. (If we pay for one more DVD rental that skips throughout the movie, I might swear off rentals forever.)

The selection wasn't nearly as extensive as the Blockbuster a few doors down, since they only carried new releases. But, I see it as a great option to those times when the movie you want to see already has 126 people on the waiting list at the library. Or when you want to watch a movie on a Saturday night, but the library is already closed.

By the way, the movie we chose for tonight was "Polar Express." I'd have to say, I really enjoyed it -- mostly because it was obvious that the animators who made the movie were thoroughly enjoying themselves. And I think each of them had the chance to throw in some of their personal style. It was a mish-mash of animation styles, but congruent nonetheless. I would highly recommend it.