OUT Party on the couch by Stefanie Graves KIT LEFFLER Nostalgia, budget lead some to shun bars in favor of renting movies "HEY YOUUUUU GUYYYYYYYSI" As children of the 80s, we remember the excitement and awe we felt as Sloth, the lovable misfit hero from The Goonies, slid down the sails of an abandoned pirate ship to rescue his friends from the evil Fratell family. And you can probably recite most of the lines too. Nostalgia brings us back to cult movies like The Goonies over and over again. And for many KU students, renting classic movies keeps them indoors and on their couches most Friday and Saturday nights. Casey Green, Lawrence senior, says it's relaxing. His girlfriend has a son, so the couple is more home-oriented, he says — they aren't as interested in going out or partying. Renting videos is an activity Green remembers from his childhood and that he says he wants to pass on to his girlfriend's son. Watching movies was a big part of his childhood, Green says. He would imitate the movies he watched. "Irememberbeing in kindergarten, pretending I was one of the Goonlies and beating up my neighbor's sprinkler system because I thought I was Chunk and was digging for hidden treasure," he says. He and his girlfriend visit their favorite rental store. Hastings, 1900 W. $23^{rd}$ St., at least twice a week. The couple will rent up to eight movies a week, especially on the weekend. While Green watches videos to bond with his girlfriend and her son, other students find that renting videos provides a cost-efficient opportunity to entertain friends. Weekends are the most popular times for college students to rent videos, says Maria Gonzalez, a shift manager at Blockbuster Video, 1516 W.24rd St. Some weekends, the surge of customers nearly empties the shelves, she says. Most college students like the latest releases and comedies. Cult classics also are popular. Seven, Donnie Darko, The Big Lebowski and Snatch are rented most often, Gonzalez says. "Sometimes I don't want to deal with going out and parking and walking and all that," says Kevin Lafferty, Overland Park senior. Lafferty, who subscribes to the online rental service Netflix, receives eight movies per month, on average, through the mail. When he's not watching videos with his brother, Lafferty likes to entertain friends by inviting them to his apartment to watch his latest videos. "It's an experience that costs $3 that you can share with a group," he says. Lafayette likes to invite friends over to watch videos. He thinks that it's easier to have conversations with friends at home and it's more cost-efficient than going to local restaurants or bars. A tight budget is one reason college students rent videos, says Kristen Soper, assistant video manager for Liberty Hall Video and DVD, 646 Massachusetts St. Wanting more interaction than theatres allow is another. "it's something that's more social than going out to a movie theater, where you can't talk and discuss the movie and you can invite a dozen people over and watch," Soper says. "Plus," Lafferty says, "You can drink your own booze." RENTAL SPECIALS Blockbuster Video Location: 4651 W. $ 6^{th}$ St. and 1516 W. $ 23^{rd}$ St. New rentals: $4.07 Non-new rentals: $2.99 Hastings Books Music & Video Location: 1900 W. 23rd St. Rental Cost: $3.49 Special: All rentals $1.99 Liberty Hall Video and DVD Location: 646 Massachusetts St. VHS rentals:$.75 to $1.50 DVD rentals:$1.50 to $2.50 Specials:When you rent a video,you can choose a free movie from the "Category of the Week." On Mondays,customers can rent a DVD at half price if a full-price video is also rented.Wednesday is dealer's choice;if you rent what's playing in the store,you get a video of equal value for half price. Miracle Video Location: 1910 Haskell Ave. New rentals: $3 Non-new rentals: $.99 Movie Gallery Location: 1520 Wakarusa Dr. and 1501 W. 6th St. New rentals: $2.99 Non-new rentals: $1.99 Specials: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, customers can select a free movie out of the Gallery Section. If you buy two movies you get two free. 04.06.2006 JAYPLAY ←09