jljy 1*+yiT- Movies for rent V| . , , c in video boom ByJOHNBATEMAN Staff Reporter You don't have to wait for your favorite movie to be shown on TV, you can rent it. Movies such as Treasure Island, filmed in 1934 starring Jackie Cooper, right up to modern favorites like Star Trek, The Motion Picture, are available for rent at Circle TV and Audio in the Quinte Mall. "We've had movies for rent since Christmas," said Mike Hood, sales representative. "But until now they were only available to people who bought video machines from us." At first there were just a few movies to demonstrate how the video machines worked, but the demand for them was so great that more were ordered. Approximately 300 video cassettes are now in stock. Science fiction and comedy are the most popular subjects and some of the more highly-rated movies are Nine to Five, Airplane, 10 and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. "Weekends are the most popular time for renting the movies. People will come in and rent three or four cassettes, Hood said. Other people come in every day to rent them, he added. "Irs cheaper than going to the movies." The cost to rent a cassette is $10 for 48 hours, unless you j o i n the Hollywood Home Movie Club for $50 a year. This entitles you to rent the cassettes for half-price, discounts of up to 20 per cent when buying movies or blank cassettes, a monthly newsletter informing you what new cassettes are available and instore discounts on video hardware, Hftod said. There are about 80 members now. The cassettes should be available for rent approximately 90 days after the movie has been released and come in both the VHS system and the Beta system, Hood said. A telephone survey of several similar stores in the Belleville area showed thaf Circle TV and Audio is the only store that rents video movie cassettes. The cost of buying movie cassettes range from about $79 to $99, but this is going to c^me down, Hood said. Because manufacturers can now duplicate the mowes at a high speed and also because the demand for the movie cassettes has riser), the price is expected to drop 25 to 30 per cent, Hood said. "The demands of the actors in Hollywood for a share in the profits may effect the price of the cassettes, but it would only be minimal," Hood said. The actors are right in what they v ant, he added. Mike Hood has an armload of movies for rent. (Photo - John Bateman) <