okay, folks, i cannot stress this enough: LIBRARIES!!!
first of all, library movies rarely cost more than $1.00 to rent, and are often FREE. secondly, public libraries are not consumer-driven, and are thus more likely to have the more obscure, independent (i.e. queer) videos that video stores deem a poor business risk. if your local library doesn’t have much in the way of videos, try searching the other libraries in your area using the online card catalog. (if your library system doesn’t have a computer catalog, then, um….move somewhere else! proximity to a well-equipped and well-connected library is vital!)

if the library is a dead end, large video chains such as blockbuster or hollywood video are often your best bet for the more obscure queer films, simply because bigger stores have a bigger selection. however, if you see something you’re interested in, i recommend renting it immediately, since large stores are more likely to get rid of smaller films to make room for new releases and DVDs.

this is where smaller, locally owned video rental places have the edge. i’ve noticed that small video stores have a tendency to keep movies on shelf longer, so if you see it in april and come back in july, chances are it will still be there. also, supporting local businesses encourages healthy competition in the world of free enterprise, and will make you feel morally superior ;-)

finally, if you have a specific movie you’re looking for, CALL FIRST to find out if the video store or library in question has it on shelf. this will save you from “video store amnesia”—that out-of-body state where you wander around the video store looking for something, only you don’t know where to find it, and the loud music or television have caused you to forget what it was you were looking for in the first place. (video store amnesia is often followed by video store denial, when you discover that they don’t have what you wanted anyway and you just wasted thirty minutes of your life.)