Once upon a time, before the advent of Netflix, there was a place called “the video store.” This place took many different forms in many different locations around the world, but each store had in common its proliferation of the item deemed “the video tape.” These dinosaurs of the storage medium allowed viewers to enjoy movies by use of a device named “VCR.”
Some video stores were run like fast food franchises, with very little in the way of personalization. Other video stores were smaller, and encouraged their employees to express their individuality. One employee might wear a sheriff’s star to work. Another employee might inform a teen male checking out videos with his friends that he had late fees for the Barbie movie, or worse.
One thing these non-franchise video stores often permitted their employees to do was recommend a favorite movie or two with stickers or notecards saying things like, “Bobby Sue’s Top Pick! So romantic!” or “GI Joe’s Top Pick! IT DOES NOT GET MORE BEEFCAKE THAN THIS.”
One guy everywhere inevitably picked Ghost Dad, because, really. What could be more awesome than Bill Cosby as a ghost?! *
Another guy might pick Amelie, because it reflects the enormous sensitivity and quirkiness of his soul.**
One gal might select The Fast and the Furious, because she is impressed by the perfect combination of lots of yummy-looking testosterone vessels driving things really fast, occasionally to the point of collision and/or explosion.
Another still might choose Shrek, because it is just so freakin’ sweet.
Wisely, most video stores knew better than to group these movies together under a banner proclaiming:
THESE ARE THE BESTEST, MOST STUPENDULARLY AWESOME PICKS IN THE ENTIRE STORE!!!
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