Borrowed Time: The Life and Death of the Video Store

Once an important access point for films and social space for cinephiles, DVD rental stores are rapidly approaching extinction, with their numbers dwindling every year as algorithm-driven streaming services overrun the cultural space they once held. Far from just representing technological evolution or a shift in business models, however, the loss of these establishments represents a significant blow for film culture – and the survival of the few independent stores that remain is vital, Gabrielle O'Brien contends.

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