subject: DVD rental for birthdays [print this page] When it comes to DVD rental for birthdays there are two aspects to explore.
First, can this can DVD rental really given as a gift and, if so, should it? Second, which DVDs should one watch on one's birthday?
To turn to the first of those questions first: DVD rental certainly can be given as a gift.
Several of the major online DVD rental sites offer this service - with varying degrees of grace. Some include physical gifts alongside the DVD rental subscription itself, which, clearly, cannot be grasped or wrapped up in shiny paper.
At the lowest end of the scale these are simply a gift certificate or card to give to the person that you're giving the gift to and, on the higher end, they include books about film or films, some free DVDs or even cinema tickets for your film-loving friends.
At the even lower end, however, some just offer a gift by email. Cards and gifts by email haven't yet got the seal of approval from the doyennes who protect the acceptable rules of social behaviour. They say last minute loud and clear.
On the other hand, environmental activists and those well-known for being feckless could be well served by this service as it's no secret that, in the first place, you're saving paper and, in the second, last minute are the only types of gift you give.
Whether DVD rental should be given is another matter for two reasons.
First, it's a gift which is barely a step up from a retail voucher or gift certificate. This is very upsetting. Second, it prevents the user from taking advantage of a DVD rental free trial which could potentially be a big moneysaver.
However, the first point is minor if your alternative is a gift certificate in any case and the second is slightly aggravating only to the person paying who might have saved money: from the present receiver's point of view the whole thing is like a giant free trial in any case.
Keeping this in mind the parts of articles that ask questions such as Is Blockbuster Online Any Good? should be discounted since this service doesn't have a free trial on offer.
So, to turn to the second question: which films should one watch on one's birthday?
There are some obvious choices based on age: when you're turning sixteen years old, for example, you really should rent 'Sixteen Candles' and 'Logan's Run' is a must for those who are turning thirty, that's old in that film!
'13 going on 30' works for either those turning 13 or 30 but only if, at either age, they have very little taste and can stand to watch Jennifer Garner for any length of time, in which case they are infinitely more patient than me.
