Pretty interesting documentary about the last Blockbuster Video in Bend, OR and the company as a whole. Drags in a few parts but overall it's pretty solid. Somehow I had no idea Blockbuster started in Dallas.
The Last Blockbuster - Netflix
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92 Replies |
Last: 3 yr ago by NE PA Ag
I watched it last night. I really do miss blockbuster. I tell my wife all the time, it was such an exciting event to "Make it a Blockbuster night". We'd head there Friday night, have to horse trade with my brothers to pick out which movie or SNES game we got. Get a pizza and watch with the whole family.
Yeah, yeah, you can do all that now, but it just brings back so many happy memories of my childhood.
Once mom and dad said that we might go to Blockbuster, the anticipation was just a special feeling.
And the smell....the smell man. I can still smell it. A mix between popcorn smell and that warm laminate that they put on all of the VHS cases.
Yeah, yeah, you can do all that now, but it just brings back so many happy memories of my childhood.
Once mom and dad said that we might go to Blockbuster, the anticipation was just a special feeling.
And the smell....the smell man. I can still smell it. A mix between popcorn smell and that warm laminate that they put on all of the VHS cases.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER!
Yep. Arguing about what movie to watch on Netflix just isn't the same.
It was also kind of nice back then to not have Rotten Tomatoes scores to skew your judgement of a movie before you watched it. Sure, it led to watching more bad movies...but now I probably miss out on a lot I would like because I see a low RT score.
One of my summer jobs was working at a blockbuster in Austin that was test piloting Blockbuster's movies by mail response to Netflix.
They had a little small room in the back where the manager spent his entire day putting movies in envelopes or boxes to ship and taking returned movies out and filing them.
Sometimes he had someone help him. But it was a one or two man job.
Apparently, it wasn't working. Someone realized the manager had been skimming money off everyone's checks to cover the giant hole in store budget that had opened up once we started doing the movies by mail test-pilot. He got canned. I think that location, which had once been the most profitable in Texas, was closed one or two years later.
They had a little small room in the back where the manager spent his entire day putting movies in envelopes or boxes to ship and taking returned movies out and filing them.
Sometimes he had someone help him. But it was a one or two man job.
Apparently, it wasn't working. Someone realized the manager had been skimming money off everyone's checks to cover the giant hole in store budget that had opened up once we started doing the movies by mail test-pilot. He got canned. I think that location, which had once been the most profitable in Texas, was closed one or two years later.
Thanks and gig'em
It's really crazy to think that company started, grew to be a huge company, and then imploded and went out of business in only 25 years.
I hear their former HQ in Dallas has all these really odd round planters near the elevators on every floor. They're odd, because they were originally big popcorn bins.
Thanks and gig'em
Completely agree. Even as an adult, I liked stopping by Blockbuster and browsing all the movies in one spot.BadMoonRisin said:
I watched it last night. I really do miss blockbuster. I tell my wife all the time, it was such an exciting event to "Make it a Blockbuster night". We'd head there Friday night, have to horse trade with my brothers to pick out which movie or SNES game we got. Get a pizza and watch with the whole family.
Yeah, yeah, you can do all that now, but it just brings back so many happy memories of my childhood.
Once mom and dad said that we might go to Blockbuster, the anticipation was just a special feeling.
And the smell....the smell man. I can still smell it. A mix between popcorn smell and that warm laminate that they put on all of the VHS cases.
If it was still open, I'd go there.
The excitement of running to the New Release section, seeing all the cases for the new movie you wanted to get, and having to look behind all of them to see if a copy was available. Then you had the inevitable hike to the front desk to plead with the clerk to see if anyone had returned a copy.
https://bendblockbuster.com/
I looked up their website last night. I might need a hoody at some point.
I looked up their website last night. I might need a hoody at some point.
Movies, NES games, candy, browsing around and then finding something that looks awesome, ordering a pizza, time spent with friends and family... I remember all of it.
Blockbuster was such a fun, wholesome, good experience. It's a shame it's gone...
Blockbuster was such a fun, wholesome, good experience. It's a shame it's gone...
2 Day Video in College Station for the win!
There is a podcast called Business Wars that traces the war between Blockbuster and Netflix, and to a lesser extent HBO. Really fascinating.
The documentary was interesting. We were more of a Hastings family though! 
Drifter. said:
The documentary was interesting. We were more of a Hastings family though!
Ditto.
Hastings had a lot of other cool stuff with books, comics, and music so it was more of an experience. We could pick a movie and my dad would let us run crazy for a while.
When I went back to one a few years back in San Angelo, it was so overrun with anime and creepy fantasy stuff (not knocking it, just not my cup of tea) that I could see that it didn't have much longer.
It's a combination of several kinds of stores that are dying slow deaths. I'm kind of amazed it still exists.
Blockbuster killed me in college with late fees! The fees were more than the movie was worth.
Mostly went to Hastings in CS.
Still, it's incredible that Viacom single handedly destroyed BB. The "no late fees" business was mind boggling.
Still, it's incredible that Viacom single handedly destroyed BB. The "no late fees" business was mind boggling.
Haven't watched but I intend to.
There was an interesting podcast episode about how Blockbuster lasted so long in Alaska and what it meant to the community. It was a good listen.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brought-to-you-by/id1413374332?i=1000417405855
There was an interesting podcast episode about how Blockbuster lasted so long in Alaska and what it meant to the community. It was a good listen.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brought-to-you-by/id1413374332?i=1000417405855
Did this release on another platform previously?
I could swear I either watched this before, or something incredibly similar, maybe on YouTube.
I could swear I either watched this before, or something incredibly similar, maybe on YouTube.
They went out of business with me owing them $29 for losing their copy of AIrplane!Big Al 1992 said:
2 Day Video in College Station for the win!
I think it's relatively new. It goes all the way up through 2020.
Ranger #007 said:
It's really crazy to think that company started, grew to be a huge company, and then imploded and went out of business in only 25 years.
Technology changed too fast. The internet and streaming has all but destroyed physical media. I'm sure for most people under a certain age, the concept of going to a physical store and picking out a movie to watch is something they may not be able to comprehend.
Like others have said, there was nothing like going to Blockbuster and hunting down the right movie or game. Scrolling through Netflix just can't compare.
It's sort of like mp3 players. Those lasted what, 5 years? If you're somebody born from like...86-92, you probably owned one at some point.
Crazy how quickly everything changed.
Kids today will never know about renting a movie at Blockbuster, or going to buy a new video game at Toys R Us, or existing without a smartphone.
Crazy how quickly everything changed.
Kids today will never know about renting a movie at Blockbuster, or going to buy a new video game at Toys R Us, or existing without a smartphone.
c-jags said:Drifter. said:
The documentary was interesting. We were more of a Hastings family though!
Ditto.
Hastings had a lot of other cool stuff with books, comics, and music so it was more of an experience. We could pick a movie and my dad would let us run crazy for a while.
When I went back to one a few years back in San Angelo, it was so overrun with anime and creepy fantasy stuff (not knocking it, just not my cup of tea) that I could see that it didn't have much longer.
I grew up going to that Hastings in San Angelo too. Good times!
ChickenAndWafflesAg said:c-jags said:Drifter. said:
The documentary was interesting. We were more of a Hastings family though!
Ditto.
Hastings had a lot of other cool stuff with books, comics, and music so it was more of an experience. We could pick a movie and my dad would let us run crazy for a while.
When I went back to one a few years back in San Angelo, it was so overrun with anime and creepy fantasy stuff (not knocking it, just not my cup of tea) that I could see that it didn't have much longer.
I grew up going to that Hastings in San Angelo too. Good times!
Which one? It's been in 4 different locations. Lolz.
I think it's last location was right by the mall and target and went out of business about 4 years ago.
One of the last times I was in a Blockbuster was with my now wife in 2009. Was visiting Houston for Christmas and had my laptop stolen while in the store for 5-10 minutes. Good memory.
The one I remember most was on College Hills near Sherwood Way I thinkc-jags said:ChickenAndWafflesAg said:c-jags said:Drifter. said:
The documentary was interesting. We were more of a Hastings family though!
Ditto.
Hastings had a lot of other cool stuff with books, comics, and music so it was more of an experience. We could pick a movie and my dad would let us run crazy for a while.
When I went back to one a few years back in San Angelo, it was so overrun with anime and creepy fantasy stuff (not knocking it, just not my cup of tea) that I could see that it didn't have much longer.
I grew up going to that Hastings in San Angelo too. Good times!
Which one? It's been in 4 different locations. Lolz.
I think it's last location was right by the mall and target and went out of business about 4 years ago.
The last time I remember going into a Blockbuster was '08-'09. We moved into a new house in Gilbert, AZ, and there was a Blockbuster maybe a mile away. There was a Hollywood Video in the opposite direction which we went to sometimes as well.
Now the Blockbuster is a pre-school. My youngest went there 3 years ago. The Hollywood Video is now a Vet clinic.
Going a bit further back, before DVDs, I used to have a thing against Blockbuster because they refused to stock letterbox films. They would only carry pan & scan format.
Now the Blockbuster is a pre-school. My youngest went there 3 years ago. The Hollywood Video is now a Vet clinic.
Going a bit further back, before DVDs, I used to have a thing against Blockbuster because they refused to stock letterbox films. They would only carry pan & scan format.
Good documentary, really captures the 90s nostalgia.
There was a time when I was in 7th/8th grade that we'd go to the video store and there was barely anything I hadn't seen. It's weird because these days I don't really make time to watch movies.
There was a time when I was in 7th/8th grade that we'd go to the video store and there was barely anything I hadn't seen. It's weird because these days I don't really make time to watch movies.
I think the last time I went in was when they were all closing to see if I could pick up some movies cheap. I can't remember if they were already just picked over or still wanted more for movies than I wanted to pay. That was definitely the end of an era to be sure.
People forget that Netflix was disc rentals first before the streaming platform. They created a new market and Blockbuster (and other movie stores) never adapted.TXAG 05 said:Ranger #007 said:
It's really crazy to think that company started, grew to be a huge company, and then imploded and went out of business in only 25 years.
Technology changed too fast. The internet and streaming has all but destroyed physical media. I'm sure for most people under a certain age, the concept of going to a physical store and picking out a movie to watch is something they may not be able to comprehend.
Like others have said, there was nothing like going to Blockbuster and hunting down the right movie or game. Scrolling through Netflix just can't compare.
Family Video kept going and was even expanding up until recently. You could get free rentals from ordering Marcos pizza. They often shared locations as part of their partnership.
Looks like the business has now been a victim of COVID and is closing all of their stores.
Looks like the business has now been a victim of COVID and is closing all of their stores.
Average Joe said:People forget that Netflix was disc rentals first before the streaming platform. They created a new market and Blockbuster (and other movie stores) never adapted.TXAG 05 said:Ranger #007 said:
It's really crazy to think that company started, grew to be a huge company, and then imploded and went out of business in only 25 years.
Technology changed too fast. The internet and streaming has all but destroyed physical media. I'm sure for most people under a certain age, the concept of going to a physical store and picking out a movie to watch is something they may not be able to comprehend.
Like others have said, there was nothing like going to Blockbuster and hunting down the right movie or game. Scrolling through Netflix just can't compare.
Redbox probably took a chunk of the business as well. Blockbuster did respond, but they were way too late in starting their own disc by mail service.
It was better than Netflix because you could also rent video games. Plus the ability to return discs to the store and immediately get the next rental meant you could turn them around faster. More ability to get the movie that you wanted and exactly when you wanted it.
By the time blockbuster rolled it out other companies were moving over to streaming and it was all over at that point.
There's a documentary on Amazon Prime called "Netflix vs The World" that really is a nice companion piece to a Blockbuster documentary- there's a ton about the war between Blockbuster and Netflix, especially when Blockbuster tried to buy them
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