The Netflix DVD era is over after 25 years. Here are the 5 most-rented discs

SIMONE DEL ROSARIO:

NO NEED TO RETURN THOSE RED ENVELOPES. FRIDAY’S THE LONG-OVERDUE END OF NETFLIX DVD-BY-MAIL AFTER 25 YEARS OF SERVICE AND 5 BILLION DISCS. AT ITS PEAK CUSTOMERS WERE RETURNING 1.6 MILLION DISKS EVERY DAY AND BLOCKBUSTER WENT BANKRUPT. LET’S TAKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE. HERE ARE THE 5 MOST-RENTED DVDS FROM NETFLIX IN THIS WEEK’S FIVE FOR FRIDAY.

THE BUCKET LIST COMES IN AT NUMBER FIVE. THE 2007 DRAMEDY FOLLOWS TWO TERMINALLY ILL FELLAS, PLAYED BY MORGAN FREEMAN AND JACK NICHOLSON, LIVING OUT THEIR DREAMS BEFORE THEY KICK THE BUCKET. AUDIENCES LIKED IT, ACCORDING TO REVIEW AGGREGATOR ROTTEN TOMATOES, BUT FAMED CRITIC ROGER EBERT, WHO WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THYROID CANCER IN 2002, GAVE IT ONE STAR, SAYING, “THE BUCKET LIST” THINKS DYING OF CANCER IS A LAFF RIOT FOLLOWED BY A DIME-STORE EPIPHANY.” IF YA WANNA WATCH IT TODAY, LOOKS LIKE YOU’LL HAVE TO PAY TO RENT IT FROM A STREAMING SERVICE.

SCORSESE, LEO, DAMON, JACK AGAIN, AND MARKY MARK. THAT’S A SUREFIRE RECIPE FOR A HIT. AND 2006’S THE DEPARTED WAS JUST THAT. IT’S WELL KNOWN THAT NICHOLSON’S CHARACTER IS BASED ON FAMED BOSTON GANGSTER WHITEY BULGER. LESS KNOWN IS THE FACT THAT THE MOVIE IS A REMAKE OF THE 2002 HONG KONG FILM ‘INTERNAL AFFAIRS.’ BOTH AUDIENCES AND CRITICS LOVE THE FILM. IT WON 4 OSCARS INCLUDING BEST PICTURE AND DIRECTOR. IN A 1-2 PUNCH, THE LAST DAY TO STREAM THIS ON NETFLIX IS OCTOBER FIRST.

BEFORE JEREMY RENNER WAS AN AVENGER, HE STARRED ALONGSIDE FELLOW FUTURE SUPERHERO ANTHONY MACKIE IN THE HURT LOCKER. THE 2008 THRILLER FEATURES RENNER AS PART OF AN EXPLOSIVE ORDNANCE DISPOSAL TEAM DURING THE IRAQ WAR. IT’S JUST AS HEAVY AS IT SOUNDS. IT GOT PRETTY SOLID REVIEWS AND WON 3 OSCARS INCLUDING BEST PICTURE AND DIRECTOR FOR KATHERYN BIGELOW. IF YOU WANNA CHECK OUT THE HURT LOCKER, IT’S ON MAX.

2005’S CRASH IS A PRETTY HARD DRAMA WITH AN ENSEMBLE CAST INCLUDING SANDRA BULLOCK, DON CHEADLE, TERRANCE HOWARD AND LUDACRIS. IMDB DESCRIBES THE FILM: “LOS ANGELES CITIZENS WITH VASTLY SEPARATE LIVES COLLIDE IN INTERWEAVING STORIES OF RACE, LOSS AND REDEMPTION.” IT TOOK HOME 3 OSCARS INCLUDING BEST PICTURE AND IS DEFINITELY BETTER THAN AVERAGE IN THE REVIEW DEPARTMENT. LOOKS LIKE YOU CAN WATCH IT WITH ADS ON PRIME VIDEO’S FREEVEE.

AMERICA’S SWEETHEART SANDY B ALSO STARS IN NETFLIX’S MOST-RENTED DVD OF ALL TIME. 2009’S THE BLIND SIDE FOLLOWS THE SUPPOSED REAL LIFE STORY OF THE TUOHY FAMILY BRINGING STRUGGLING FUTURE NFL PLAYER MICHAEL OHER INTO THEIR HOME. NOT SO FAST THOUGH, 14 YEARS LATER, OHER FILED A LAWSUIT THIS SUMMER CLAIMING THE FAMILY NEVER ADOPTED HIM BUT DID TRICK HIM INTO SIGNING A DOCUMENT TO MAKE THEM HIS CONSERVATORS TO MAKE MONEY OFF HIS STORY. HE CLAIMS THE FAMILY MADE MILLIONS WHILE HE GOT NOTHING. SO OUR NUMBER ONE ISN’T AGING THAT WELL. BUT NONE OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH SANDY’S CONTRIBUTIONS, SHE WON BEST ACTRESS FOR THE ROLE. AND IT’S DOING OK ON ROTTEN TOMATOES. YOU’LL HAVE TO PAY TO STREAM IT IN 2023.

NOTHING AGAINST THIS LIST, IT’S SOME EXCELLENT CINEMA, BUT CAN Y’ALL GO BACK IN TIME AND WATCH SOME MORE FUN MOVIES TOO? STREAM SOMETHING THAT’LL MAKE YOU LAUGH THIS WEEKEND, THAT’S FIVE FOR FRIDAY, I’M SIMONE DEL ROSARIO AND IT’S JUST BUSINESS.