Now playing at a Redbox: you, waiting in line

Imagine a few years ago, someone pitching you this business plan. "We're going to rent DVDs from a Coke machine."

Um, well. That sounds…um...

Yet, proving that Americans will defy anyone's efforts to understand our species – here comes Redbox, a (har, har) blockbuster success with 17,000 locations and more springing up from the pavement each passing hour.

But wait. (Cue sinister music) There's just one catch. Success has bred tension among the villagers. Let me set the scene.

A Wal-Mart at dusk. Shoppers rolling carts back and forth. A looming thunderstorm. There's a Redbox near the door and you're aching to rent "17 Again" or some other brain candy. It's just $1 a night, so whatever.

But what's that! A line? At the Redbox? There must be a dozen people waiting. You gotta be kidding me! (Shift to black-and-white slow-mo.)

And the people at the front. They're not even renting! They're….browsing through titles!? Arrrgh!

Let me raise the stakes. Enter Mark French, avid Redbox fanatic. He's both renting and returning a movie to the Redbox at a New Port Richey Wal-Mart.

In a world gone mad, fiction has become reality.

"Aw man," French said, waving his arms in disgust. "You get these people in front who don't know what they want and I'm like 'Come on man!'"

If French can't reach the front of the line and return the movie in the magic slot by 9 p.m., he's charged another night's rental.

8:56, 8:57, 8:59.

Not Blockbuster

It's one thing to wander the aisles of Blockbuster store by your lonesome, or sit online sifting through the Netflix library. But imagine waiting for everyone there to pick a flick before you can even start.

Tracey Mendon of New Port Richey put it plainly. "We love Redbox," she said, as her copy of "Obsessed" pops out of the box. "The downfall is the lines. You get these people who just stand there!"

The online system linked to Redbox lets customers reserve movies in advance, and pick them up in a few seconds. But not everyone uses it. There's no online system to say "Wait! Don't charge a late fee! I'm right here in line!"

Savvy Redbox veterans don't take this sitting down – or rather – standing, in line.

Fans like French say they scour town for Redboxes tucked away in low-traffic convenience stores – the sketchier the better. A lonely 7-Eleven? Perfect. A deserted Walgreens? Awesome.

Sometimes, French drives across New Port Richey to a hidden Redbox. Where? He won't say on the record. (Cue sneaky spy music.)

How it started

If you're a fan of Redbox, it's worth thanking the Big Mac.

The whole project began in Colorado in 2002 when a McDonalds franchisee looked for ways to boost foot traffic. Food + Movies = More Revenue.

The first Redboxes went up in Denver in 2004, and expanded to 800 from Baltimore to Salt Lake City. Coinstar Inc., the change counting machine company, invested in Redbox, and later bought out McDonald's like a value meal.

Netflix might have 100,000 titles available by mail, but a Redbox has 200 titles right here next to the Slurpee machine.

Proving that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Blockbuster is getting into the kiosk game too, rolling out blue "Blockbuster Express" machines. The company lists a smattering of locations, including three in Tampa Publix stores, one in Clearwater and one in St. Petersburg among others.

Meanwhile, the nation is awash in Redboxes. This month, Redbox rented its half-billionth movie. Stock in Redbox parent Coinstar is up about 60 percent in six months. So, with all this movie loving action, Hollywood studios would adore Redbox, right? Um. Not exactly.

Proving that media innovators prosper at their own risk, the lawyers have started circling, and Redbox has split Hollywood in two. (Cut to ancient battlefield scene.)

The Roman Army: Companies like Warner Home Video, 20th Century Fox and others that want to delay new releases to Redbox by up to 30 days.

The Visigoths: Companies like Sony and Lionsgate that adore Redbox and want to expand their deals.

The problem was, Redbox created a convenient way for people to watch movies at a low price. Horrific, I know. So let me add to the irony. Of a half-dozen people I interviewed at Redboxes, all of them said they'll often rent a movie at Redbox, then go in the store to buy a copy to keep. So Hollywood gets paid twice.

Redbox has countered Hollywood's lawyers by suing several studios, claiming anti-trust violations. And we all march to the courthouse. Remember all the legal fights around Napster, YouTube, and even VCRs and DVRs? Welcome to the sequel. (Narrator: This time, it's personal.)

As for French, he's psyched about a Redbox coming soon to the exact place where he works, 7-Eleven. "Finally," he says with a sigh. (Roll credits.)