It sure was. Most of these I probably saw on VHS. I remember when videostores would only have one copy and when it was rented out it was out. You had to wait for it to turn up, usually on the following Friday as they were one week-rentals (in hindsight a terrible business model). And then that elusive tape was there and you'd go home with 3 or 4 tapes and some munchies and your weekend was set. Nice posters T.
You know, what you just said is exactly why cinema mattered more yesterday than it does today. Today, you just click a button and you get your movie. Today, a week old movie is so yesterday, there is already something cooler at the multiplex. Nobody cares about actors, directors, movies are spectacles. Instant gratification is the word I'm looking for. Not that it's necessary bad, it's just a different way to approach it. There is so much entertainment in the palm of your hand, movies have become obsolete. Yesterday, you had to stand in line for hours, a movie would not come out on video for another year so you ended up seeing it multiple times at the theater. Yesterday, like you said, you had to make multiple trips to the local Blockbuster in hope that your movie would finally be there. You had to reserve it and wait. Wait for days. All of this made you appreciate it more, learn about it, know the cast and director, and then, you would finally see it with a few friends and it was awesome.
It could be that I was a child then and I'm not anymore, but from where I stand, the 80s were so cool.
T