Much like Starbucks v. Everyone, indie video/DVD rental places have long been waging a war against big guns Blockbuster and Hollywood Video, and now the new threat of direct-to-your-home Netflix. Reel Life South takes a typical indie attitude to the matter: They suck. We're authentic. If you don't like it, f** off; who needs you anyway? This can be good or bad - depending on whether you're with them or against them...
I try to be with them, but of course am inevitably left feeling unaccepted and secretly laughed at. Of course, this is because I am neurotic about acceptance, whereas they adopt the opposite attitude. They are not above carrying mainstream titles - be confident you can find your latest Vin Diesel flick on their shelves. But know you must be confident enough to stare down the two signs with arrows that indicate "real" flims (the foreign/indie/classic-of-film-school-classes scetion) versus the crap films (aka anything mainstream) and face them holding your copy of "Just Married," knowing they are invisibly shaking their heads in disdain.
They have a great selection of foreign films and hard-to-find ones by academically lauded directors (eg - Roman Polanski, but not necessarily Ron Howard). And as said, they've got most of the new major releases. Some of the less-popular films are, however, only available on VHS.
My girlfriend finds them more agreeable - she even jokes with them when we go in, at which I wring my hands and think, "God - they must think we're SO lame!" But I think she's got it right - if you go there enough, and talk with them enough, and manage to convince them you're one of them, everything's hunky-dory. If you're like me, don't worry - they'll respectfully let you walk out with your copy of Notting Hill before scorning your pitiful, mainstream existence.
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