THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 25, 1995 TAG: 9502250209
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KERRY DOUGHERTY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
It's Saturday, and you've decided to watch a video tonight. You want a hot new release. An action flick. Perhaps ``Timecop,'' the Jean-Claude Van Damme video that exploded onto video rental shelves this week.
Hah. Forget it. If you waited this long, you may not catch up with a copy until April.
If you want to know whether it was good, give Gregory Barker a call. This Navy hydraulics mechanic was at Blockbuster Videos Hilltop location first thing Tuesday to rent ``Timecop.''
Barker has video smarts. He's part of a growing army of people who prowl video rental stores at strategic hours, renting movies the rest of us want but can never find. These video vultures are there when the stores open in the morning. They lurk around the return desk during the day. They come back late at night.
Their moves, and the timing of their visits, are as calculated as Bobby Fischer's at a chess board.
Barker and others like him are the reason you are probably going to watch ``The Music Man'' tonight.
``Tuesday morning,'' Barker said, smiling with satisfaction at the 80 newly minted copies of ``Timecop'' glistening on the shelf. ``It's the best day of the week. Wednesday is OK, too.''
Videophiles know that Tuesday is new-release day. Those waiting when the doors open will easily capture a coveted copy of the latest movie on the shelves.
Barker arrived about 15 minutes after the store opened Tuesday. He was not one of the half-dozen people waiting outside. Nevertheless, he was well within the safety zone for securing a virgin copy of ``Timecop.'' Just to be safe, he grabbed a copy and carried it with him as he headed toward the ``F's'' for a copy of ``Fresh,'' another new release.
The drawback to this system is that Barker has to spend Tuesday or Wednesday evening viewing his treasures. Most people want videos for the weekend.
Anyone hoping to rent a prized video for Friday or Saturday night comes in Thursday night or Friday morning.
``Rats, I knew I should have come last night,'' groaned Susan Pender last Friday morning at the same Blockbuster outlet. `` `Renaissance Man' is gone already.''
Pender, a real estate broker, says she rents videos nearly every weekend. When she wants a really sought-after title, she comes Thursday night. Otherwise she comes first thing Friday.
She laughs at those who come on Saturdays.
``Saturdays?'' she repeated in disbelief as she stacked her selections (``True Lies'' and ``Little Giants'') on the checkout counter. ``You've got to be kidding. Everything's gone by then.''
Video rental shops are haunted by people like Pender who work flexible hours and can drop in at advantageous times.
``I'm lucky, I'm self-employed,'' admitted Sam Dysart, a wallpaper contractor who was peering at the video selection through eyeglasses flecked with wallpaper paste.
Because Dysart had beaten most of the crowd, he was sure he would be able to find anything he wanted.
No dice. The one movie he was hoping for had already vanished.
`` `Barcelona,' that's what I came for,'' he said. ``Gone, can you believe it?''
Dysart, who is married with two children, says he never waits until Saturday.
``It's hopeless then,'' he said. ``They've got 7,000 titles here and there's absolutely nothing left by Saturday afternoon. You wind up watching a musical or something.''
It's true. On Saturday afternoon at this outlet all copies of ``Clear and Present Danger'' are gone. Same for ``True Lies.'' ``Renaissance Man'' is gone. So is ``When a Man Loves a Woman,'' ``Speed,'' ``Natural Born Killers,'' ``Tombstone,'' ``Wyatt Earp'' and ``Wolf.''
But over on the musical tape aisle there are ample supplies of ``Oklahoma,'' ``The King and I'' and ``The Music Man.''
The crowd on Saturday afternoons is a subdued lot, as if they know they will have to be satisfied with the videophiles' leftovers.
``I just decided a few minutes ago to come over here and get me a tape,'' said Richard Keffer, smiling sheepishly. ``I'm looking for an adventure film or maybe a drama. I don't care if it's new or not.''
Good thing, too. The new-releases shelves had been picked clean.
Gregory Barker would never find himself in that situation. He steers clear of the video stores from Thursday to Monday. He'll be back this Tuesday, at 10.
That's when ``Lion King'' hits the shelves. You'd figure that a single guy would sit that one out.
``Are you kidding?'' Barker asked. ``I can't wait for Lion King. It's a great movie.
``I'll be here.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color drawing
by CNB