1. Getting picked up from school on a Friday arvo and being driven straight to Video Ezy for a family movie night.
2. Trying to convince your parents it's better value to get the multi-deal with five weekly films and three new releases, rather than to leave with just one overnighter.
3. And leaving the store with just the one overnighter anyway.
4. Then forgetting to bring it back for three days and getting slapped with a hefty late fee.
Does video ezy still want their late fees? Holy VCR.
5. Accidentally taking the display case up to the counter, instead of the take-home movie.
6. And then running back down the aisle, only to be heartbroken upon discovering there were no copies left.
7. But taking comfort in the "Rent it now, or rent it free" promise, that would guarantee you a free movie next time.
8. Organising the ultimate sleepover with your friends and debating, in great detail, the movies you should rent for the night.
9. Whittling the list down to three top contenders and then either talking or sleeping through each one.
10. Begging your parents for a movie night, only to be told you had to wait for cheap Tuesday.
11. Then finally getting to Tuesday and finding that all the best films have already been taken.
That's not what it's called, video ezy
12. Losing entire scenes of the film to glitches and static, because the DVD is so scratched up from past rentals.
13. Then being given an alternative copy from the store which is equally unwatchable.
14. Forgetting the family Video Ezy card and trying to guess your mum's details and password, so that you could convince the cashier you were allowed to rent.
15. Fighting with your siblings about who gets to shoot the DVDs through the returns window.
So many nostalgic feels walking into a Video Ezy at Umina.. Remembering many battles over what we should rent.
16. Begging your mum for movie snacks at the counter.
17. And being told it's cheaper to go to Woolies.
18. Or the dreaded "We already have food at home."
19. Changing tact and asking dad for snacks and leaving the store with a family-size bag of popcorn, three bags of Pods and a large Coke.
20. Putting all the wrong DVDs back into the wrong cases and getting flustered when you realise at the drop-off counter.
21. Accidentally returning your DVDs to one of those dodgy, standalone Video Ezy kiosks, instead of the actual store you rented from.
22. And being hounded by staff ringing to say it's not been returned.
This is what Video Ezy is now. its so wild to see this is what it became. #VideoEzy
23. Running in to "quickly" grab an overnighter, but getting lost in the shelves for over an hour.
24. Then leaving with a film you've already seen six times.
25. Dropping your resume to the front desk on at least three different occasions so that you could get your dream job and enjoy free rentals.
26. Getting stuck staring at the in-store previews for next month's releases.
27. Being told you could only pick one film and having to create a shortlist that you debate the pros and cons of as you follow your mum through the aisles.
28. Sneaking into the horror section as a kid, so you could stare at all the creepy titles and freak yourself out.
Video Ezy Mornington Village.
29. Trying to rent a film that was MA15+, despite the fact that you were only 13 and half.
30. And being utterly humiliated when the cashier refused to serve you.
31. Accidentally taking home a Blu-ray when they became popular and getting absolutely livid when you realised you couldn't play it.
32. Exclusively browsing the arthouse aisle so that you would be seen as alternative and a little bit quirky.
33. Or hanging around the rom-com section and day dreaming about being picked up by your perfect match.
34. Taking your cues from the holy "Top 10" film board.
35. And the glossy in-store mag.
36. Walking in store and singing the jingle: "Video Ezy guarantee. Rent it now, or rent it free, at Video Ezy!"
37. And finally, decades on, still missing the experience of walking into your local Video Ezy.
I can’t believe I’m getting so emotional over a video store closing but this place was my childhood. I went for the last time today and got some DVDs I always used to rent as a child/teenager. I’ll miss you Video Ezy!!!