Let’s make films real again.

I was eight when Blockbuster was at its peak in 2004. I remember the smell of popcorn (not quite the kind you’d get at the cinema, but a cheap and cheerful bagged alternative) just as vividly as the blue and yellow logo plastered up and down the isles of our local store. Me and my dad would nip in on the odd Friday for a few films, usually an action for him, a rom-com for my mum and for me something weird and probably inappropriate for my age. Then despite spending the weekend watching and complaining about each other's choices, it was a special time in recent history before streaming dominated the home movie experience. Today, along with over 800 other sites, that store has long since closed its doors, but the dream of the home cinema experience is still being kept alive through one of the last surviving rental stores in the UK, Merseyside’s own: Snips Movies. 

Located on an unassuming mini high street in Bebington, Snips makes full use of its snug space with floor to ceiling shelving that houses over 22,000 titles. The joy of slow, head-tilted browsing, plucking out films that pique your curiosity and studying the cover and synopsis feels purposeful and if you’re a Zillenial (a term I found searching “1996 what generation am I” distantly nostalgic for the pocket of childhood that existed before screens and social media. Compare that experience to streaming platforms, endless sitting and staring at a screen in what feels like algorithm purgatory, flooded with content that eventually feels hollow so we give in and put on a show we’ve seen ten times, no doubt checking our phones throughout the whole thing. There’s an important difference between the ‘time-consuming’ (when did that become a bad thing?) selection of what to watch from physical media and the illusion of abundance and decision fatigue of sites programmed to keep you watching. When you’ve finished a DVD, you have finished the DVD. No Autoplay. No binge-watching content that a machine “thinks” you’ll enjoy. You actually have breathing room to decide how the film made you feel, if it makes you think. Then there’re the wonders of deleted scenes, bloopers and audio commentaries. 

Community dies when everything is at our fingertips. With every shiny new subscription plan, a creeping isolation. Having a physical copy of a film you’ve enjoyed, lending it to a friend and them giving it back has so much potential for socialising, for connecting. It’s not news that such basic interactions have been in steady decline since everything became so accessible. I’ve had more meaningful conversations with strangers about films in Snips than with life-long friends over text in recent memory. New streaming sites appear out of the abyss, each promising access to all of your favourites, soon enough giving you the slip with “this title is no longer available” or require you to upgrade to premium plus, extra, ultimate, whatever new tier they conjure up. It’s like a really annoying and costly game of pass the parcel. You think you’ve got everything, only to find another pay wall and the music starts again. Don’t even get me started on ads. Nothing spoils the atmosphere of watching The Silence of the Lambs like a screaming advert for Just Eat. It’s not called “Over The Top Media Service” for nothing, after all. 

For £2.50 (less than the price of a coffee nowadays) you can rent probably any film you’ve ever heard of - or one you haven’t from Snips. The expertly curated genre sections have anything from Westerns to World Cinema, Directors to a designated Horror room which 8 year old me would have loved, and even a recommended by you (not a robot) section. You could also rent the film on YouTube, which if you factor in potential transportation to get may just work out cheaper, but what’s the real cost of not having to move from your couch to watch a film, not having physical shelves to browse and no interaction with another human being?

The resurgence of physical media, especially amongst Gen Z, is a trending topic depending on your corner of social media, which might seem ironic at best and performative at worst, but surely has to have a net positive outcome. Anything encouraging us all to use our senses and our brains to make informed choices about how we want to experience the world around us must be making us smarter and maybe even more interesting? How do we as infinitely unique human beings develop our own tastes if we only expose ourselves to an online feed of content churned out by the attention economy, especially as it becomes more saturated with AI slop.

Engaging with tangible forms of media, be that films, vinyl, photography, or even journalling all act as proof that we are here. There is hope in holding on to the things that bring us together and closer to a future of substance (no, not The Substance) although I would recommend picking that up on your next visit to Snips. 

I asked Dave, the proprietor of Snips Movies, a few questions about his shop and his own thoughts on the world of streaming vs physical media:

Interview:

1. Being one of the two last remaining movie rental shops in the UK, what do you think is the most important aspect of your role?

For me it has several different dimensions. Firstly, it’s the role of an archivist and preservationist, who can ensure that even the most niche films remain available for people to access. Secondly, given that access, it’s ensuring that accessibility remains open to all ages and all incomes. Film is teetering on the brink of becoming an elitist pastime given the rising cost of cinema tickets and subscription services. By keeping my prices the same for 30+ years, it means that there are no cost barriers for people on low incomes who want – and deserve - access to great works of art.

2. Have you noticed an increase in younger customers since the start of the year after the growing physical media trends amongst Gen - Z?

 Gen Z is my fastest growing demographic in terms of my customer base. Why? Well, I tend to think that they’re pissed off at their parents for being sellouts. People of my generation were the first to fall under the magic spell of Netflix with the delusion of an infinite well of films. Fast forward twenty years and the reality is vastly different, yet we have a vast number of young cinephiles whose tastes and ambitions aren’t recognized through streaming.

3. How do you feel about streaming services in general and do you think attitudes towards them are changing?

I’m sensing a lot more people becoming acutely aware of their limitations. For the under-thirties that’s a given, but it’s also people in their forties now who are growing increasingly disillusioned with the lack of choice but a rising bill. I think they have a place; MUBI and BFI Player seem well-curated. But in an age where you can stream virtually any song you want on Spotify, the fractured nature of streaming films is becoming increasingly off-putting for the consumer.

4. I was sad to read your dad, Peter, who was of course the previous owner and founder of Snips had passed away a few years ago. What influence did he have on your taste in films or perhaps attitudes to the business as a whole? 

My Dad had no interest in films. He relied on recommending the one film he saw on TV in 1984 to customers for close to thirty years! (FWIW – In the Heat of the Night!). However, he was a good businessman, and it’s thanks to his dogged hard work and determination that Snips can survive in 2026 with a fraction of the stress that other small businesses have. I worked alongside him every day for nearly twenty years,and although I consider myself more progressive, I’ve no doubt that his pragmatism has been ingrained in my psyche.

5. What is a movie you would recommend to someone who wants to fall back in love with cinema?

I don’t know really. If you want to fall back in love with cinema, then perhaps something moving and inspirational? John Carney’s Once (2006) for example, or Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise (1995), or Peter Weir’s Dead Poets Society (1989).

6. Do you have a personal dvd collection or physical media presence at home?

I do not! Every film, CD, LP, and book that I own are here at Snips. But that’s probably because I spend more time here than I do at home!

7. What is one thing you would want for the future of Snips?

Consistency. That’s one thing streaming platforms can’t achieve. Prices go up, and ‘content’ disappears. At Snips though, by having that unwavering consistency where everything stays the same price, and a film you spotted four years ago is still on the same shelf (albeit upgraded to Blu or 4K) – it’s impossible to beat.