Go to your local video rental store. A store that is trying for mass appeal may tend to stock more copies of contemporary movies, but you might be able to find the old movie you're seeking to rent or purchase. If it's not on the shelves, ask the clerk to look it up for you to purchase.
Visit your local bookstore or electronics store, many of which sell movies, including older titles. If stores in your area don't carry the title, shop online at a site such as Amazon.com. If you have a specific title in mind, you could also look it up on the website of the movie studio, to see if it is available for sale there.
Sign up for an online movie rental company, such as Netflix, Blockbuster or Greencine. After you pay a monthly fee, you can browse and search for older movies on the site, and then add them to your queue. The company will send you DVDs or Blu-ray discs through the mail, which you can keep for as long as you like. When you send a movie back, the company sends the next movie in your queue.
Some sites also let you watch movies from its catalog through a streaming service, so you can watch movies through your computer or a compatible TV or other device.
Sign up with Apple's iTunes store. Then you can search and then buy or rent digital copies of older movies that can be downloaded to your computer, compatible TV or portable device.
Go to the website of a cable or satellite movie channel if you are a subscriber and browse the movie lineup. You can also search for specific titles to find the older movies you want and the next time the films will be playing.
Visit your local public library. Many libraries lend or charge a small fee to patrons to borrow movies. Library catalogs can include older movies that are not commonly found in local video rental stores. If you don't know how to use the library catalog to look up titles, ask for help at the reference desk.
Go to a nearby college or university library. If you are a student, instructor or university employee, you will likely have library privileges. Otherwise, the library may allow members of the public to pay a fee for access to library materials, including movies.
If the school has film studies courses, you may be permitted to sit in on screenings of older movies, space permitting, even if you are not a student. Check the school's website for the film studies department, and look for announcements of showings that are open to non-students.
Visit the nearest revival movie house. This type of venue often shows older movies, especially classics. Sometimes the programmer will offer a theme, such as old war movies, musicals or romantic comedies. Check at the box office for a calendar of movies. See if you can sign up to be on a mailing list to be notified about upcoming showings of older movies.
Go to the Internet Archive (see Resources), a free website that stores old movies in a variety of genres, including features, shorts, documentaries and educational films. Browse the titles or search for a particular movie in the site's search box. When you find a movie you want to watch, click on its link to download it to your computer.