Here are just a few of the ways we’re doing that:

• Our parent company reduced its carbon footprint by 15% in 2011.
• Have you seen us in your community? One in four of our employees volunteered in 2011.
• Redbox refurbishes more than 1,500 kiosks per year and recycles everything that can’t be reused.
• The facility that refurbishes Redbox kiosks only throws out one trash bin’s worth of stuff each week!

To learn more about what Redbox and Coinstar are doing to give back and stay green, check out the full Coinstar Corporate Responsibility Report right here. And thanks once again for your business.

Click here to download a copy of the Coinstar Corporate Responsibility Report:
http://www.coinstarinc.com/media/download/csr_report.pdf

That’s what happens to Leo (Channing Tatum) in The Vow, when his wife Paige (Rachel McAdams) wakes up from a car-accident-induced coma and stares at him blankly. The film, inspired by a true story, will really make you think . . . and maybe even sniffle!

To enter our giveaway and find out what happens to Paige and Leo’s marriage, all you have to do is answer this question in the comments section below:

What’s one memory you never want to forget?

One lucky Redbox fan will be selected at random to receive a DVD/Blu-ray™ combo pack of The Vow (Average Retail Value (“ARV”): $40.99) as well as the film’s poster (ARV: $5).

Be sure to enter by 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 17. The basic rules are below. (To review all the Official Rules, just click the link.)

Good luck!

• NO PURCHASE / RENTAL NECESSARY TO ENTER / WIN. A PURCHASE / RENTAL WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. Void where prohibited by law.
• Only one entry per person.
• In the comment field below this post, share your all-time favorite memory.
• MAKE SURE you leave your correct email address in the email address field ONLY—this will not be published on the site, but we’ll be able to see it and will need it to contact you if you win. Anyone who leaves an email address in the main comment field will be disqualified and their entry will not be published. We’ve had past winners who’ve used non-working email addresses, in which case we have no way of contacting them and had to give their prizes to someone else. So double-check what you’ve entered!
• You must live in 1 of the 50 United States, DC, or Puerto Rico, and be at least the age of majority in your state / jurisdiction of primary residence.
• Enter before 3:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Thursday, May 17, 2012. We will select a winner at random after that time and will post the name here on the blog in addition to sending email notification.
• Your comment must comply with the Comment Requirements in the Official Rules, which you agree to by submitting a comment. COMMENTS MUST BE NO MORE THAN 150 WORDS.
• Total ARV of all prizes: approximately $45.99. Odds of winning a prize depend on number of eligible entries received.
• Sponsor: Redbox Authorized Retail, LLC, 1 Tower Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
• Reference to third parties in connection with prizes are for reference and identification purposes only and not intended to suggest endorsement, sponsorship or affiliation with Sponsor or the giveaway.

Tomorrow’s the day when we celebrate the women who changed our diapers, held our hands while we crossed the street, and helped us grow into the wonderful people we are today. We ARE all wonderful, aren’t we?

In celebration of mothers everywhere, we thought we’d look into which Hollywood moms Redbox fans seem to like the most. The results may surprise you!

The Top-Rented Hollywood Moms of 2012 (So Far)

1. Katie Holmes (Jack & Jill, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, The Son of No One)
2. Bryce Dallas Howard (The Help, 50/50)
3. Robin Wright (Moneyball, The Conspirator)
4. Evangeline Lilly (Real Steel)
5. Viola Davis (The Help, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)
6. Andie MacDowell (Footloose, Monte Carlo)
7. Kate Winslet (Contagion)
8. Angela Lansbury (Mr. Popper’s Penguins)
9. Salma Hayek (Puss in Boots)
10. Gwyneth Paltrow (Contagion)

Click on any actress’s name in order to check out her Redbox movies.

Did your favorite Hollywood mom make the list?

Tim was gracious enough to answer a few additional questions for us on top of the usual Redbox 5. So without further ado . . .

1. What’s the one movie you couldn’t live without?

Raiders of the Lost Ark. I saw it when I was 7 on opening night with my Dad. Can’t tell you the number of times I have seen it and still love it. I think it is a perfect movie.

2. What movie character you would love to hang out with?

Probably Indiana Jones. Or Vivian Ward from Pretty Woman because I had a huge crush on Julia Roberts after I saw that movie when I was in high school. But she was a prostitute, so maybe Rachel McAdams from Wedding Crashers. Or Yoda; I’d like to get a beer with Yoda.

3. Was there a time that Redbox made your day a little better?

Yes, last night. I had a really nasty cold and stopped to buy water and meds at a 7-11 and rented a movie at Redbox.

4. What makes movie night perfect for you?

I love movies. I love nothing more than going to the theater with a big crowd or having a bunch of friends over and watching a good movie together. I think it’s a communal experience and makes it more fun.

5. “You had me at ‘hello,’” “I’m the king of the world,” “I see dead people” — what’s your favorite movie line? Ever used it?

Hmm, there are so many good ones. The only movies I ever seem to quote are Fletch, The Nutty Professor, and Dr. Evil from the first Austin Powers. His speech at group therapy with his son Scott Evil about his childhood might be one of my favorites.

And now, the bonus questions!

What was your reaction to finding out Just Go With It had won the Redbox Movie Award?

I was excited and surprised. We did pretty well in theaters but we weren’t the highest grossing movie of the year. Or even in the top ten. So it was really nice and awesome to hear that people were really responding to the movie, renting it and telling their friends, finding it a life outside the theaters. You never know how movies are going to live after they leave the theaters. There are movies that make a ton of money but then fade away and don’t live on after. Then there are other movies that don’t do well in the theaters but find that great afterlife. Fight Club was such a flop in theaters that the heads of the studio who made it were fired. But a few years later, tell me someone who hasn’t seen that movie. I was also really proud to see when I walked by a Redbox last night that you guys have brought back another movie I wrote: Role Models. I love that it has had a nice afterlife as well.

Clearly Redbox customers thought Just Go With It was hilarious. What movies make YOU laugh?

Some of my favorite comedies are Fletch, Tootsie, L.A. Story, There’s Something About Mary, Real Genius, Ghostbusters, Midnight Run, Notting Hill, and Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Outside of the cast of Just Go With It, who are some of your favorite comedic actors and actresses — people you would love to write movies for?

I love most of the big current comedic actors out there. Jonah Hill always makes me laugh and I think he is a really good actor. I’d love to write something for him. I’d love to write something for Hugh Grant. I’d love to write something for Julia Roberts where she could be really funny and charming. I am writing something right now for Jason Bateman and Will Ferrell and am big fans of both. I love good actors or leading men or women who can be funny. Growing up I was a huge fan of Michael Keaton and Tom Hanks, who I don’t know if people remember is really funny. I’d love to do a comedy for them. Bring back Michael Keaton and the funny Tom Hanks.

We agree. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us, Tim. And congratulations once again on Just Go With It winning the Redbox Most-Rented Movie Award. We can’t wait to see what you do next!

You’ve heard of running away to join the circus, but have you ever heard of a family dropping everything to move out to the countryside and run a zoo? That’s exactly what happens in the aptly named movie We Bought a Zoo, which is based on a true story. Matt Damon plays journalist Benjamin Mee, who is desperate to bond with his two kids and find his sense of self again. Once he hears that a rundown zoo is up for grabs, he knows what he’s got to do.

To enter our giveaway and find out what happens when the Mee family attempts to look after lions, tigers, bears — and a whole lotta snakes! — all you have to do is answer this question in the comments section below:

If you could hang out with any zoo animal for a day, which would you pick, and why?

One lucky Redbox fan will be crowned our Grand Prize Winner and will receive a We Bought a Zoo Blu-ray™/DVD and Digital Copy (Average Retail Value (“ARV”): $39.99) AND four (4) tickets to a zoo near the winner’s residence (as selected by Sponsor in its sole discretion; ARV approximately $60, depending on the zoo selected and the exact price of tickets, if any). Also, two still-pretty-lucky runners-up will receive the We Bought a Zoo Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy combo pack.

Be sure to enter by 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 10. The basic rules are below. (To review all the Official Rules, just click the link.)

Good luck!

• NO PURCHASE / RENTAL NECESSARY TO ENTER / WIN. A PURCHASE / RENTAL WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. Void where prohibited by law.
• Only one entry per person.
• In the comment field below this post, share which zoo animal you’d like to hang out with for a day, and why.
• MAKE SURE you leave your correct email address in the email address field ONLY—this will not be published on the site, but we’ll be able to see it and will need it to contact you if you win. Anyone who leaves an email address in the main comment field will be disqualified and their entry will not be published. We’ve had past winners who’ve used non-working email addresses, in which case we have no way of contacting them and had to give their prizes to someone else. So double-check what you’ve entered!
• You must live in 1 of the 50 United States, DC, or Puerto Rico, and be at least the age of majority in your state / jurisdiction of primary residence.
• Enter before 3:00:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Thursday, May 10, 2012. We will select a winner at random after that time and will post the name here on the blog in addition to sending email notification.
• Your comment must comply with the Comment Requirements in the Official Rules, which you agree to by submitting a comment. COMMENTS MUST BE NO MORE THAN 150 WORDS.
• Total ARV of all prizes: approximately $299.97. Odds of winning a prize depend on number of eligible entries received.
• Sponsor: Redbox Authorized Retail, LLC, 1 Tower Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181
• Reference to third parties in connection with prizes are for reference and identification purposes only and not intended to suggest endorsement, sponsorship or affiliation with Sponsor or the giveaway.

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED, thanks for entering!

Redbox recently polled thousands of customers to see what they do for a good laugh, and — surprise, surprise — the #1 response was: watch a funny movie. So far this year, film fans’ favorite comedy is The Hangover Part II. Adam Sandler’s considered the most hilarious actor, and Tina Fey is the actress most likely to make you break out in hysterics.

Now, obviously everyone around the globe enjoys letting loose in a giggle fit, but based on which U.S. cities rent the most comedies, it’s fair to say that some areas just can’t get their fill of belly laughs. Here are the top 10 cities that love to laugh — did your hometown make the cut?

Top 10 Cities that Love to Laugh
1. San Diego, CA
2. Farmington, NM
3. Los Angeles, CA
4. San Bernadino, CA
5. Fresno, CA
6. El Centro, CA
7. Bellingham, WA
8. Santa Barbara, CA
9. Chico, CA
10. North Platte, NE

Who’s in it? Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Chris Evans (Captain America/Steve Rogers), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man/Tony Stark), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk/Bruce Banner), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye/Clint Barton)

What’s it about? The Tesseract (the most powerful energy source, like, ever) has fallen into the wrong hands. The director of S.H.I.E.L.D (a secret peacekeeping agency), Nick Fury, decides it’s time to assemble The Avengers — a group of superheroes and assassins who each have a unique and much-needed skill set, but don’t exactly play nice with others. Unfortunately they have no choice but to learn to get along and leverage each others’ strengths — and fast — because Loki’s determined to unleash gigantic demon-snake-monster thingies (and hundreds? thousands? of other evil creatures) through an otherworldly portal, smack into the heart of Manhattan.

What’s good? Director (and fanboy god) Joss Whedon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly) knows what his audience wants. They want witty banter, cool camera shots, and almost-nonstop action. So that’s what he delivered. I thought it would be tough for Whedon to give equal time to all of his superstar cast members, but he pulled it off. And even though Downey Jr. easily walks away with every scene he’s in, the other Avengers each had at least one exceptional shining moment. As with 2008′s Iron Man, I found The Avengers to be surprisingly funny — sprinkled with sarcastic humor (a Lord of the Rings reference was my personal favorite) and even a bit of physical comedy. Chris Evans’ Cap was excellent as the straight man to Tony Stark’s ego-gone-wild, hyperactive CEO-turned-superhero, and Chris Hemsworth once again managed to spin his stuffy-speeched Norse god into a one-liner-dropping powerhouse just when you least expect it. And, of course, when the characters aren’t lobbing hilarious insults at each other, they’re in the midst of spectacular feats of strength, bravery, and bad-guy-busting. However, while all the effects and explosions and chases were impressive, I still enjoyed the film most when the characters were getting to know each other and figuring out how to pull of the immense task that’s been dropped on them.

What could’ve been better? By now you all know that I’m not a fan of two-hour-plus movies that really don’t need to be that long. And The Avengers is one of those. Even though there were good-versus-evil battles and car/helicopter chases breaking out within the opening minutes of the film, I still felt that the first act dragged a bit. Perhaps it’s because I am not a huge comic-book fan, couldn’t remember the backstory of all of the characters, and found myself wondering things like Wait, isn’t Loki dead? What exactly is Hawkeye’s deal again? I thought Black Widow was bad? Zeus help you if you haven’t seen any of the individual character films that led up to The Avengers, because there is hardly any setup about who the players are. Which might make one of the film’s more emotional moments less so if you don’t know the significance of the character involved.  

The bottom line: Except for a gangly teenager with spidey sense and a brooding antihero with a fondness for capes, it’s hard to imagine anyone providing better Summer 2012 entertainment than Whedon and his Avengers. If you enjoyed the Marvel movies that provided the backstory for this film, then it’s absolutely a must-see. And don’t forget to stay for the not one, but two extra scenes at the end! (One is mid-credit-roll, and the other is post-credits.)

Did you see The Avengers? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Need to get up to speed on Avengers mythology before heading to the theater? Redbox can help.

Reserve a copy of:

• Iron Man and Iron Man 2
• Thor
• Captain America: The First Avenger

Twenty-five Redbox fans who ace a quick horror-movie quiz will be able to ask Darren questions during a conference call on Tuesday, May 8, 2012 from 2 – 3 p.m. ET/11 a.m. – noon PT. (Please be sure you have the opportunity to participate at that time before entering.) See below for details.

What do you have to do for a chance to join the fun?

Just answer 3 easy horror-movie questions (click here for the quiz).

Out of everyone who answers the three questions correctly, we’ll select twenty-five people at random and will send them the Redbox Roundtable dial-in information the afternoon of Monday, May 7. The hourlong Roundtable will take place over the phone the next day, Tuesday, May 8, at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT.

That’s it!

Good luck, get those questions ready for Darren, and be sure to tell all of your friends who love his films about this unique opportunity!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER/WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. Open to legal residents of any 1 of the 50 US, Puerto Rico or DC who are at least the age of majority in their state/jurisdiction of primary residence. Begins 5/4/12 at 4pm CT. Ends 5/7/12 at 11:59:59am CT. Q&A session details are subject to change without notice. Internet access and correct answers are required for entry. Odds of winning depend on the # of eligible entries received. The opportunity to participate in the Q&A session has no ARV. Void where prohibited by law. Subject to full Official Rules. Sponsor: Redbox Automated Retail, LLC, 1 Tower Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181.

Name: Mike Durst

Redbox Role: Manager, Benefits & HR Operations. I oversee the employee benefits function as well as our Human Resources Service Center.

Mike’s Pick: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is a fascinating movie that my wife and I watched last weekend. The tragic events of 9/11 serve as a backdrop to the primary story of how a young boy copes with the loss of his father. Oskar Schell (Thomas Horn) is an amazing young actor and really draws you into the emotional rollercoaster that plays out on screen. Check this movie out, you won’t be disappointed!

Did he convince you?

Reserve a copy of the Oscar-nominated Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close on DVD or Blu-ray™

Here’s what Grand Prize winner Theresa Wilson had to say:

I love Alvin. He is the true head of the Chipmunks and causes enough trouble for all of them, but does get things taken care of. He’s got spirit!

Great answer, Theresa! You’ll soon be the owner of an Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked DVD/Blu-ray™ combo pack and 6 Chipmunks Beanie Babies.

Two more Redbox fans were randomly selected as runners-up and will get the DVD/Blu-ray™ combo pack. Here’s who they are and what Chipmunk they like best:

Margarita: My favorite Chipmunk is Theodore. He is so adorable and shy and has his little fears and is very lovable!!!

Robert Wine: Being a computer geek, I gotta love Theodore.

Didn’t win? That’s OK! Check back next week for another exciting giveaway.

In the meantime, get your Chipmunk fix by reserving Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked tonight!