The Decline of Blockbuster...What Happened?

[@lupevame]

Former Blockbuster employee here. It was my first job and I have a lot of good memories. Sure, the job didn´t pay much but I loved it: Free rentals, staff discount, I really enjoyed to talk about movies with costumers and other film buffs, the schedule allowed me to still go to college and I met some really good friends there. It was quite sad to see the death of my local Blockbuster with my own eyes: During the last months I worked there the store was pretty much empty, with only about 4 to 6 customers renting movies during the whole day. Once, I stayed the entire saturday and the whole sale of that day was about 6 dollars... It was terrible to tell my boss the news but sadly there was little that we could do. I really like Netflix but Blockbuster had something special that now is simply gone.

[@TheFallinhalo]

not to mention. services like Netflix are Super slow on getting new releases. when Blockbusters did. not to mention. Block Busters rented video games. which was great. i remember renting assassins creed 3 from my Local BB and hated the game and i only spent like i think $5 to rent it. now i have to be careful with what games i buy to make sure i didnt waste abunch of money and then get only like $2 back on a return or trade in. as with Netflix they dont even have alot of movies from decades ago like the original Star wars trilogy. all they have is TFA and the clone wars on Netflix. episodes 1-6 are none existent.

[@mrconroy4672]

Luis Valenzuela Medina They could return, who knows

[@Pikamon101]

I HATE NETFLIX!!!!! IT NEEDS TO DIE!!!!

[@MrBANUELOS56]

Luis Valenzuela Medina the experience of blockbuster will always be one of my favorite memories as a kid. I really wish they were around today. I think what was so special about the experiences is that you never know who you would meet at the store. You would have real interactions with people in your area.

[@donnellcoleman4379]

i get free stuff at wal-mart

[@IIIrandomIII]

I remember walking into a blockbuster store and thinking it had the same "atmosphere" as going to the cinemas... and bumping into family friends etc... it was cool

[@Inferno-ob9td]

IIIrandomIII | Ik the best feeling

[@lornabolden8538]

Yup it did feel like that

[@Documenting_Reality]

Ok boomer

[@SurferMan127]

Totally agree. They were community fixtures in the most unexpected way. Still miss them. Netflix started sucking right around the time Blockbuster disappeared. Not a coincidence.

[@walterg74]

Anonymous look ma, an idiot who doesn’t know how to use the phrase...

[@rcrbrewster7840]

I Can still remember the smell of BLOCKBUSTER.... Freshly minted DVD Plastic and popcorn....

[@coweatsman]

A bit OT but what is the thing about pop corn? Can not stand the stuff or its smell. It's the reason I never go to movies. hat horrible whiff of pop corn which is bland, too salty and just all round awful. YUK!

[@rcrbrewster7840]

coweatsman Lol

[@riverrat3101]

r Curtis: the blockbuster in my area is now a chuck e cheese. smells much better now.

[@jonathantan2469]

And the odor of getting burned by late fees... :/

[@dragonballzkai9283]

R Curtis Absolutely wonderful.

[@DarkpawTheWolf]

Watching this in 2021, and hearing the line: "If new movies were available to be streamed into your homes, theaters would probably become irrelevant, as well." You totally called it, back in 2017.

[@matthewmartinez6922]

Almost. The box office keeps getting better and better. Black widow, f9, quiet place, mortal Kombat. All signs point to theatrical exclusive windows. The only successful straight to streaming release is trolls world tour lol

[@matthewmartinez6922]

@UFO'S ARE REAL!!! a lot of people have been going in 2021. The box office is recovering

[@TheGymBros1998]

@@matthewmartinez6922 That's only because not every movie is able to be streamed on release day. But this is only the beginning of the decline of movie theaters. Which I hope doesn't happen because I love the movie theater experience.

[@whiteboyangel4838]

@@TheGymBros1998 na people like going in person theaters are different experience especially for younger crowds they don't want to watch a movie with all their friends at their parents lol

[@DanielRodriguez-gs2xj]

well that whole ask people if movie rentals would be irrelevant in 5 years thing is turning true in this comment thread. Right now with the number of streaming services the only thing keeping the studios from releasing straight to streaming right now is figuring out the right pricing for the releases, i'd honestly say about $10 a pop per movie maybe, but since you can get that movie theatre experience from your home for even cheaper nowadays. Their days are numbered.

[@dinadevoe2775]

Little Caesar’s Pizza was directly next door to our Blockbuster. Man, that was LIVIN’!

[@travelmaneskridge8545]

Mine had a Baskin Robin’s next to it

[@015Froggy]

Had a subway, chinese food, quicktrip gas station, blockbuster all in one..that's FAT

[@samanthamartin9254]

Dina DeVoe I had a blockbuster in Colorado and I’m not sure what it was next door to

[@thechucke.network3803]

I Rember Mine Was In Jefferson Street

[@stephengreico504]

Fuck you’re lucky

[@aimefiori1104]

and Netflix came about because a guy hated paying $19.99 for a late fee!

[@wintertheampharos4725]

moises ojeda sadly, that didn’t save them, as it was too little too late.

[@greatgoen2125]

Sad thing is Blockbuster had the chance to buyout Netflix but passed on it.

[@wintertheampharos4725]

GG GG obviously that came to bite them in the ass later.

[@c4662]

The thing is, even if they bought Netflix, their days were numbered no matter what. A streaming company would have risen from Netflix's ashes anyway.

[@justanenderman9668]

Cyrus' guitar and lift hi

[@LuisAntonioPerez327]

The reason there are Blockbusters in Alaska is because they don't have access to broadband internet.

[@emperorpalpatine1228]

Nobody uses Broadband Internet anyway. This isn't 2005. Everyone uses WiFi now.

[@jakedizzle]

Emperor Palpatine lolwut?

[@marcfield1234]

Not anymore. They are all gone. All except for one in Oregon.

[@korvix9536]

Emperor Palpatine Sorry is this some 90s kid joke I’m too 2000s kid to understand?

[@christorok1906]

@@emperorpalpatine1228 Come again?

[@shnook8484]

I was born in 1985. Blockbuster was such a great part of being a kid in the 80s/90s. Going there to pick out some movies and picking up a pizza to bring home was just an experience that was so simple yet special. I'm glad I got to enjoy that while it was a thing.

[@rileyesmay]

I was born at the turn of the century, but I still remember being 6-8 years old and going to Hollywood Video (they were closer) and getting a new release rental and buying a movie from the discounted section every time we went. And of course Godfathers pizza afterwards (also sad they are gone). Even at that age it was a special experience and I don't remember a whole lot from when I was 6 either.

[@E-Chap]

The best was getting the big movie theater sized candy towards the front of the checkout.

[@ChrisVuletich]

I was also born in 1985 and have such fond memories of going with my mom every Friday. It was the only store that my mom would let me roam free when I was like 7-8 years old. She would go look at the new releases and I'd run over to the Super Nintendo games, picking up every single box to look at the screenshots on the back to see which one I wanted to rent for the weekend. Good times.

[@chairmanlmao4482]

I vaguely remember doing the same thing being a kid in the mid-2000s. My mum would take my brother and I to Blockbuster after school on Fridays and we would pick up a bunch of movies, and then pick up a couple pizzas from Eagle Boys (Australian pizza chain that no longer exists sadly), which was literally right across the road. Streaming services and pizza delivery are obviously way more convenient but it just doesn't hit the same as actually going to the Blockbuster and then the pizza place in the 2000s

[@Merknilash]

I was a part of that too and it was something great. We didn't juice our dopamine stores so often back then. Going to BB and renting a game or movie was a big deal and a huge source of simple pleasure.

[@paulcosby8662]

In answer to your "In Alaska for some reason", the reason is that the Internet is as expensive as hell out in rural Alaska, and people rent a shit ton before going out to their cabin on vacation or holiday. Source: I live in AK.

[@jamesedwards3923]

Is DSL cheaper than Cable Internet out there? I would think DSL is viable out there since laying out new infrastructure for FIOS and Cable is more expensive.

[@charlesvitanza8867]

I was actually going to comment that. What isn't more expensive in AK anyway?

[@extreemslayer]

Paul Cosby Badass kx 250 brother

[@QseftJohn]

Not to mention that the mail is also slow, along with monthly DSL bandwidth limits.

[@Anthony-rl9do]

Paul Cosby this is true I lived their for a while and the only real relevant company GCI charges out the ass for internet packages not to mention they capped their usage so u could run over easily on accident and then pay out the ass again for overage charges and that’s just the start of it.

[@ajpappas7652]

Sleepovers and renting a game was how I spent my childhood weekends.

[@capibara2020]

Nostalgia 😿😿😿

[@pleasedontleave7236]

same man

[@JimmyEsposito]

No

[@JimmyEsposito]

Deng Akuar I’m the older brother

[@harrisbadalandabad6257]

Your childhood is over. We live in a Black Country now

[@RosettaStoned1992]

The one thing I missed most about Blockbuster was... That smell!

[@cloudrz]

The mattress 😭

[@Inferno-ob9td]

Rosetta Stoned It smelt like a cinema

[@RawDogTV]

@@Inferno-ob9td facts

[@sportsfanjw559]

It did smell oddly great for some reason. It always felt weird walking out into fresh air. Not bad. But weird.

[@alexthetiger7806]

YES exactly that. There's no other smell like it. Fifteen years ago, and I still remember it

[@gomezx6056]

This one hurt, unlike all the others this one was an experience not only there at the blockbuster but it continued on back home. Gathering the family in the living room making the pop corn getting all cozy for the scary movie or whatever and all the family eventually passing out in the living room.

[@mr.mercenary7494]

I was born in 2001, so I really missed Blockbusters peak. I only went in there once, and I got Pokemon 2000 on VHS, and a big Wonka chocolate bar. It was incredible.

[@sportsfanjw559]

1993 baby. And oh how I miss the experience

[@parkermartinez3787]

As a 1998 baby I feel it miss blockbuster

[@spartanumismatics8165]

I was born in 1997 and remember going to it in the early 2000s

[@Anyo92]

I was born in 2004 and remember my parents bringing me along there a few times before the one in my area shut down in 2009

[@Gonkers20XX]

2000's zoomers really missed out

[@EDKsurly]

I loved BlockBuster when I was a kid. There was nothing like getting the last tape of a "must see" movie from the return bin!

[@brucealexander4414]

You brought back memories

[@Grassyknolldallas]

Flashback to a Blockbuster on a Saturday at 6pm in 1990. Packed with people!!

[@kevinangel7289]

dang that memory comes with the scent attached wat a time

[@brainspin7518]

And your date was in the car complaining about how long it took you. Then you get to the house and she would complain about the movie(s) you selected...i'm like b@#*h you could have brought your a#^ in the store instead of waiting outside in the ride polishing your nails. lol ahhh!....memories.

[@4WaveRider4]

I can’t even explain in words how important blockbuster was to my child hood back in the early 90’s :/ my dad would take me atleast 2 times a week to rent video games and some of my favorite movies. Just the excitement of walking into the store and seeing the rows of vhs tapes and PlayStation/ N64 games is just a whole different feeling :)

[@ChancePacker-s5j]

Good old days

[@willthereptilevlogger6090]

I miss walking into town when I was 5/6 years old and going to blockbuster only to argue with my older sister on what movie to rent 😂😂

[@dejectd2972]

WillTheReptileVlogger I remember when I was 4 i kept on going down there with my dad.

[@butterman0007]

WillTheReptileVlogger I don't remember when I was 5/6ths of a year old.

[@1l0veGod]

He means 5 OR 6 years old.

[@TOOxPHONKEE]

SAMEEE!

[@JohnDoe-wq5eu]

Tanner memes wtf is that?

[@blakesasha3517]

I worked at a blockbuster when I was 15 years old back in 1996. We could take movies home to watch for free at the end of our shift

[@zionistgoddessofstars]

That's weird. When I was 17 they said I couldn't work there, telling me I had to be 18. I guess it depended on the location I don't know.

[@jc.1191]

Nice. Hope it was good ole vhs

[@sabribeser2268]

@@zionistgoddessofstars I was born in 2006, Only thing I knew about blockbuster was a brewstew video and a the fact that Netflix assasinated it

[@zionistgoddessofstars]

@@sabribeser2268 oh wow xD

[@mikebougiamas3418]

Let's not forget that you can borrow movies from the public library... for free.

[@DreamlandRoses]

Yeah you can but they’d be scratched up And buffering

[@moviesnow1980]

The Catnat 90% of my public library"s movies are scratch proof and 10% aint but every time a new movie comes out they have 2 shelf's were a bunch of the new movies are at it like blockbuster i like it

[@ayupwhatsthis8339]

But not really new releases.

[@calvin0416ny]

but you'd have to go to the library

[@Bhiladpy-up9uy]

Did you know you can pay $8 a month to watch movies on Netflix.

[@LupusLifestyle]

Blockbuster was an experience! I remember taking my college girlfriend there and we got movies and snacks to take back to my dorm room. Needless to say we broke up but I really miss Blockbuster 😭

[@DANmovies100]

Oh the irony, before the video starts, I get an ad for a Netflix original series

[@johnbasedow8973]

DANmovies100 thats not irony. Thats a coincidence

[@desulv]

Netflix knows where their name is mentioned. It's no coincidence.

[@RespiratoryDrive-vy9ih]

desulv, Coincidence has 2 meanings. When 2 incidences occur at the same time it is a coincidence. 1. a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection. "it's no coincidence that this new burst of innovation has occurred in the free nations" synonyms: accident, chance, serendipity, fortuity, providence, happenstance, fate; a fluke "too close to be mere coincidence" 2. correspondence in nature or in time of occurrence. "the coincidence of interest between the mining companies and certain politicians" synonyms: co-occurrence, coexistence, conjunction, simultaneity, contemporaneity, concomitance

[@torilee6677]

It’s not irony, coincidence, or cookies - it’s keywords. Netflix has always advertised anywhere video rentals or even Blockbuster was mentioned online. This topic is part of their target audience for ads.

[@allabouthewaves4354]

Those fucking cookies

[@blackamerican40]

Wait a minute!! Hollywood Video gave you a free movie on your birthday!! Blockbuster didn't.

[@lakebay972]

Actually, Blockbuster did; but they didn't apply it to new releases.

[@magnetshakur6911]

Anthony Ogans real shit. I remember that

[@mestupkid211986]

none of them did because they are closed on my birthday

[@grandoldsoul4691]

hollywood video was my go to

[@nonmihiseddeo4181]

LOL

[@mlgquickscoper448]

Blockbuster still works in Alaska because Netflix and the Internet isn't as common there, which is why most of the remaining stores are there.

[@ninjamaster3453]

MLG Quickscoper Alaska is an expensive and insular state. some businesses can only be seasonal due to the climate and weather. costs of living are very high as well.

[@mrconroy4672]

MLG Quickscoper Could they return to the main states?

[@nlpnt]

They also expanded up there in the first place by franchising (or buying up a regional chain that had franchised), meaning the Alaska stores could be independents still doing business under the Blockbuster name since their contracts allowed that in the event of corporate going belly-up.

[@MrLeftTurn]

I live in Alaska and while yes, in some places like the Bush, there is little or no internet options, the main problem is that the internet we can get is very expensive, or certain providers aren't fast enough for streaming. But you are mostly correct.

[@littlegoobie]

what part of AK are you in? I don't know a single person without internet (most unlimited use) and netflix, and at minimum, they use the netflix disc mail/rental system.

[@andrewl1190]

The nostalgia of going to blockbuster as a kid was unlike no other, I remember it was in the same plaza as our Kash n Karry(grocery store) ahh the late 90’s early 2000’s was a good time.

[@ArtsyStudios]

@Andrew L So good and so simple. Everything is becoming more isolated and less social and family connections. I loved the blockbuster popcorn and takeaway next door. That was the best Saturdays

[@boredstudent]

I'm in my 30s now and I can definitely remember the days of Blockbuster Video. As a young gamer I used to go there and rent videogames on weekends and vacations. It was something I enjoyed doing as a kid. One time my mom got me my own membership card and a games freedom pass for 30 day unlimited rentals on games and every day that month I would ride my bike to one of my local Blockbuster stores and get a game and return it the next day. Those were some great times

[@magnetshakur6911]

boredstudent i agree with u man. Those was tha best days ever. I remeber renting tha mask and havin tha best slumber party with my karate class. As u said good times

[@magnetshakur6911]

Fernando you and me both brother

[@kebryanhayes7757]

I was born in 2006 and missed out on this

[@ErdnußRiegel6969]

Ur mome is a true MVP

[@noonenowhere4967]

Hell yeah,me and my buddy would be up there constantly.beat almost every SNES we could get our hands on. Ahhhhhhhhh reflection

[@natsuki2878]

I miss going to blockbuster with my mom. We would always go on every Saturday night pick some movies out and go home, heat up some popcorn and enjoy

[@MrRiffMusic]

There was one left in Morley, Western Australia. They permanently closed their doors this year. Now there is only one left in the whole world! Bend, Oregon!

[@idea7957]

now the last one is 1 day drive oof

[@dantehaskell5688]

Alaska?

[@langleybryant8641]

I remember seeing two of them in Alaska in 2016 but they closed a couple of years ago I think :(

[@Coolsomeone234]

Now it's a restaurant

[@kenmore01]

Cool, next time I'm in Bend, I'll go rent a VHS tape of Ben Hur. 😁

[@bobcloneyproductions]

I’ve been to block buster about 3 times since I was born in 2000. Yet the memory I have of them is so vivid and positive. I still love the idea of going out to the store with a few friends and browsing, and having the physical copy :)

[@karlhenke91]

I live in Anchorage, Alaska. The other day, I took a picture of a stunning rainbow; about this time of year, Anchorage is absolutely thick with rainbows. I sent this picture to all my friends back home on the east coast, and all anyone could react to was that I got the Blockbuster sign in the shot.

[@lovemoviesful2]

@Wolfie Magnet Hole before bro, I mean...blockbuster > rainbow

[@derikistheman8698]

Wolfie Magnet I live in Fairbanks and there is a blockbuster here as well actually two one in Fairbanks and one in North Pole

[@pillboy7840]

Wolfie Magnet there are 12 blockbusters since wifi is more expensive than the continental United States

[@mudkat85]

I saw on the news yesterday there's one Blockbuster in Oregon still open

[@jasmine-dq5vc]

mudkat85 in bend!

[@hadesKIU]

Yep. I passed it on a trip to the Oregon Coast.

[@littlemissprettybird]

Jacob and Timber same! I just thought “Isn’t Blickbuster closed?”

[@marycordry6399]

I went 2 weeks ago. They are whole_heartedly embracing their "Last Blockbuster" title.

[@johnnyjrotten59]

Cause they haven't invented Internet in Oregon Yet

[@j-hod6274]

2037: The decline of Netflix...what happened?

[@brandonlyon730]

What replaces it?

[@LAZRGATR]

George Soros and Dear white people happened.

[@Mrtfarrugia]

Brandon Lyon Blockbuster. People went on a nostalgia kick.

[@SonicSP]

Netflix is doing rather well at the moment.

[@chestosneakoinc]

+Commodorefan64 I think they would have taken it too far if they even included a Piñata of a Blockbuster logo to smash into pieces as their way of celebrating, don't ya think?! O.o

[@chasesmith8544]

I remember blockbuster as a young child and it was where my dad rented a lot of our ps2 games. My parents were separated so going to his house on the weekends usually meant stopping by blockbuster and picking something out. Now that he is gone these memories are something that I can really only think about. I would love to browse those shelves again.

[@LeCommieBoi]

Renting games. This. I miss this too

[@PsychoPieO]

I remember blockbuster I use to live right down the street from one so many game rentals lol good video!

[@uzairdakri880]

PsychoPieO those days.... I miss it

[@daxerbreh]

Uzair Dakri same. i remember back when i was a kid going there all the time. i'm 15 now

[@dynamiteman2498]

supremexdax You're still a kid? I would think at 15 - Blockbuster would be before your time.

[@masonw6205]

ChristopherAndersonTV I'm 13 and I remember those days...

[@pitching]

i like renting games on ps3 back in 2008 or 2009 for trophy hunting cuz it was cheaper

[@Anonymous-zu7dh]

The blockbuster left stores are in alaska for a reason. They have a bad internet connection generally.

[@WDI2008]

Anonymous Those are actually Blockbuster Video franchise stores.

[@Anonymous-zu7dh]

Kyle Chang did I say they weren't? No.

[@drugdoer6250]

hahaha

[@keeganandersson4281]

Anonymous And there’s about 12 people living there, so it all works out

[@lukeGGlee]

Anonymous wait u are saying there are 12 people in Alaska.that means 1 employee per block buster. That means one blockbuster worker is renting movies at another blockbuster when they can rent from their own store?

[@rosem5062]

You perfectly described that Blockbuster experience! There was one 5 minutes from my home when I was a kid and we visited it regularly. I also worked there during the time when Blockbuster was trying to compete with Netflix's mail-based service. We were forced to ask every customer if they wanted to join Blockbuster's subscription mail-based DVD service -- every customer, every time we saw them. We had customers that would visit the store several times per week and we had to ask them EVERY time, or get scolded by our manager. Customers eventually became angry with us and would yell at us for asking. They'd be like "You asked me the last time I was here!" It really sucked. People at that store didn't want to sign up for the mail-based service. One day, the store manager closed the door to her office and soon, we could hear screaming coming through her office phone. I could hear it all the way from the other side of the store! She was literally getting screamed at by a higher-up because our store wasn't performing on subscriptions. She cracked down on us even harder after that but all it did was tick off the customers even more. I remember the mad scramble every Friday and Saturday night for new releases. The place would be packed and people would form a line on the wrong side of the counter, waiting for someone to return one of the hottest new releases so that they could rent it because we were out of it! They'd yell from behind me (while I was attending to the long line of customers in front of me), "Which movie is that??!!! Hey! Which one is that??!!" That was an inconvenience to the customers. Some of them felt like their entire weekend was ruined because the couldn't get the movie their kids wanted to watch. I think it's another thing that led to the decline of rental stores, in general.

[@kingtigercrownestate9102]

I would have quit that job rather then having to annoy repeat customers I wouldn't have been able to work like that. Bad leadership like that is a main reason given for Blockbuster's fall and based on this story that seems to be true you don't annoy your customers like that that is just stupid!

[@Godzillafan1980]

Yeah ... gayness personified

[@Godzillafan1980]

I'd probably kill the people shouting at me cause I hate human beings you ALL look like hairless apes to me

[@HJRO]

I never went to a Blockbuster, because there wasn't one near where I lived, but we did have "Video Warehouse" and "Movie Gallery", and I remember those places quite fondly. The experience you described was quite apt, and summarized how I felt at that time perfectly. I enjoyed browsing the movies, checking out the cases, looking at the "coming features" brochures, etc. That's one thing I love about Japan: You can still visit video rental places there, and get something of a similar, albeit slightly different, experience.

[@admiralarthur1315]

Blockbuster and chill?

[@slayerdagamer465]

CaptainSwagelz No BlockBuster And CockThruster

[@slayerdagamer465]

Chris Lancour Lol Glad You Enjoyed My Joke

[@lukeGGlee]

Starbucks and chill kinda works

[@noahcolgate2673]

Hi

[@locke103]

@@noahcolgate2673 no

[@Ellzwerfmusic]

Blockbuster had the new movies Netflix doesn't

[@alazzawi89]

Netflixf has all the new trashy movies

[@gamerguru7428]

True. Blockbuster did have all of the new releases. It used to be a family event to go to Blockbusters and pick the movies that we wanted to watch.

[@thepotato405]

Netflix has every b rated movie that's similar to the new movie but never the new movie itself until the week it does.. then its gone.. then it's back.. then its gone... this is why hulu is killing netflix

[@gamerguru7428]

@@thepotato405 Netflix fell off.

[@thepotato405]

@@gamerguru7428 no wonder.. you search for any movie on netflix and they dont have it Consumer: I want X movie Netflix: we dont have X movie but heres 100 sub B rated movies that resemble X movie Consumer:I'm unsubscribing. Free streaming services with no ads has want I want Netflix: O: /(. .)/ \(. .)\ okay heres nothing you want. And 1000 sub B rated movies you kind of wanted when we were good a few years ago. Also netflix: Pull every decent show with ratings that might save us. Again also Netflix years later: heres shit on a plate Looking at my trash email years later: lmao wtf Netflix: MORE SHIT!! DELETE ALL QUALITY CONTENT THEYRE ONTO US. HAVE 1 MOVIE OUT OF 1000 THEY ACTUALLY WANT TODAY BUT REMOVE IT FROM STREAMING SERVICE TOMORROW

[@dwayne601]

Netflix figured out how lazy we were and exploited the shit out of it!

[@musettepichu]

dwayne601 I mean isnt that what most companies do? For example the automotive industry.

[@dwayne601]

Bob Bob yes I know. It wasn't meant to be taken so serious

[@jamesedwards3923]

Yep, I remember when I planned my rental schedule for 6 months in advance. Sometimes I might splurge and rent two movies at a time instead of 1 per month. Back then I read a lot more books and worked out like crazy. LOL, now trying to get back in shape. To busy to read casually. Normally my reading involves work or making money.

[@jamesedwards3923]

Yep, I am going to buy a few more shares of their stock too.

[@jamesedwards3923]

I wish Hulu kept their ad-feed-free-accounts. I had no problem with it. You could watch one add or break it up. Or you could pay and have no commercials. There were options for everybody. As for Netflix, you are correct sir. I used to rent two a month when I was not taking classes. Or One when I was heavy in studying. Believe it or not. That DVD, book reading, and weekend video games were the only things I looked forward to when I was deep in school. As I am slightly order and not in school, I love to stream for the weekend. While I do chores and take care of 'life crap' [the crud life those at you randomly]. Soon I will be going back to school and getting back into everything. Going into it all 'heavy' too :) ! Fortunately MMORPGs, Streaming, Working Out, Books, Etc. Cheaper and easier it all is now. Even many mobile games are MM (Massively Multiplayer). Most are free to play. Playing only when there are sails on items and only if you want the ability, tool, or weapon. So now even game rental is going down. Not 'dead', but you have so many avenues of gaming in general. If you are a heavy console player, you might consider www.gamefly.com. If you have heavy console gaming and with to rotate games from different consoles, then this is the best option. Me, I am more of a casual gamer. I have not played consoles much since Xbox 360. I plan on buying an Xbox One, Playstation 3 (if I can find one), Sega Genesis aka Master Drive, Super Nintendo, Classic Nintendo, Original Sega 8 bit, and Playstation 4. I wish to catch up on all the games I have been missing out on over the past decade or so. You can download some of these and if I could find a wireless controller or cast it to my TV that is good. However it is a lot of shopping. LOL, I have to consolidate :) !

[@jc.1191]

Blockbuster is gone, but we can still head down to cinemassacre video for all our favorite vhs's. Lol

[@villesanti1]

I honestly stopped going to Blockbuster in the late 90s. When the first BB opened in my town back in 89, there were 5 small, privately owned, video clubs. Heck, even the local pharmacy has a small movie section for rent. But by 91 nearly all of the Mom and Pop's video clubs were out of business thanks to BB. In 92 BB was the only video store and what do they do, they increase the rentals from 1.50 to 4.99. Obviously they had no competition so they basically could do whatever they wanted, not to mention their late fees were relentless. In 97 I started buying movies instead of renting them, at least the ones I really wanted. Last time I visited a BB was in 2009, never went back. Yeah, I did like gping there and in an odd way, taking aside their monopoly, I miss the Blockbuster experience. But in the end, Blockbuster killed Blockbuster.

[@BananaBug]

I still go to my local DVD store Video Ezy although its pretty small and it takes a while to get the new releases its still a really good store!

[@kingj0275]

Nelson Villegas Yeah I started buying movies too. There's a branch of stores here in San Antonio called CD Exchange that sell all kinds of movies, games, and cds. They can even order something that you request online and sell it to you at whatever price they paid to get it. I go there whenever I have money just to see if they have anything interesting. But I remember being around 6 or 7 and basically prancing around in joy when we went to a store called Hollywood Video. I would rent games that were like $10 for 2 weeks, and if I wasn't finished, then I would just re-rent it. I was so heartbroken when it was closed down because I had to actually buy games, but since it's 2017 alot of them along with movies are really cheap to buy used. And they are still in good working condition

[@silvafox07]

Nelson Villegas it was the price hike and late fees that didn't help against Netflix.

[@archangele1]

I too started buying movies when it got to the point where a Block Buster rental was half the price of the movie when you bought it. I mean, rent it over night or for a weekend for $5.00 or buy a copy you can watch many times for $10.00. Still, I enjoyed just looking at what movies were out via Block Buster's stores. Now, it is all but impossible to find any place that rents movies. Where I live, there are a couple red box kiosks but other then that, nothing. Streaming video and high speed internet were also a big reason for the decline in customers to places like Block Buster. Netflix as well as Amazon Prime offer a ton of movies and the cost is far less.

[@MDE-11-84]

Around here Blockbuster seemed a bit too expensive for the time period it was around.

[@captainobvious9233]

People : "Thank god I don't have to go to the store again. I can stay at home and order it online! Also People : "Oh no! The store closed down?! I loved that place!"

[@explosivemodesonicmauricet1597]

Well,that's because BB kinda was old and if you are not born in 2008-2010 you are going to have a nostalgia effect if you ever went to BB stores once. Though I admit,there is no single BB store in my place.....

[@connorgg1346]

@@explosivemodesonicmauricet1597 I was Born in 2005 I don’t remember it at all

[@b.m.933]

There's literally one store left in Bend Oregon.

[@jokyodesigns1380]

People: are dumb Also people: are even more dumb

[@donandremikhaelibarra6421]

But yeah the Reddit Wall Street bets came in to make to stock go up

[@MrVan77]

As someone who worked in a Blockbuster from 2002-2009, everything was going fairly well for the company until the Late Fee removal. People never brought movies back on time, which led to movies never being in for the people who would still come in to rent. Those people would find other means to get their movie. The had some stores that had a "Games Rush" section, that was kinda like a mini Game Stop when you could trade/buy used games and systems. They made mistakes, but did a lot of good things, but removing Late Fees is what killed them IMO.

[@john-mc4zo]

Basicly reomving the late fees was basicly blockbuster saying we can't do it anymore becuse they were fine till 2005 but after that it was just downfall

[@jacksong8131]

I figured that would happen. The point of the late fees were to motivate people to return the movie on time, so the next person could have a chance to watch/rent it.

[@meaganbailey5672]

"If new movies could legally be streamed to people's homes" is one hell of a sentence to hear in 2021

[@loydkline4686]

Alot of movies stuff is on internets youtube, dvds,,

[@livingwill1]

I agree, there problem is that the video industry came and went at lightning speed. Practically no one owned a VCR before the late 80s , they were obsolete and being replaced by CDs by the 90's then DVDs in the 2000s and fianly steaming later that same decade. That is very fast changes it was hard to keep up.

[@DrewPicklesTheDark]

Movies were not on CDs, VHS ruled the 90s. Unless you are talking about laser disk, but those were more expensive than a VCR and VHS.

[@JCBro-yg8vd]

2004 was the start of the decline, because that was the year VHS tapes stopped being produced. Blockbuster tried to keep its business model going with DVDs, not realizing that Netflix was already beating them to it.

[@ravendarklawgaming197]

@@DrewPicklesTheDark This.

[@trafficjam.]

be kind, please rewind!!

[@hebrew26commandmentspower55]

I use to get so mad when the movie wasn't rewinded lol 😂 😂

[@Kreege]

The reason that most remaining blockbusters are in Alaska is because all the internet providers in Alaska charge based on data usage. For example $40/per month would get you 40 gb of data, and they charge exorbitant fees if you go over your bandwith allowance. Streaming a netflix movie could eat up a sizeable chunk of this bandwidth, so the oldschool service method provided by blockbuster is still relevant.

[@CarlosSanchez-en6mr]

Kreege they all closed, there is only one left and it’s not in Alaska I forgot where

[@marycordry6399]

Carlos Sanchez Its in Bend, Oregon. Went this last Saturday :)

[@livin4thelamb499]

That's facinating!

[@joegastly6166]

How do people watch movies in Alaska now with those huge data fees?

[@OmegaPoint042]

I live in Alaska. Not sure what your talking about. You said "all the internet providers". GCI gigabit internet which I have in my home is unlimited data. ACS DSL is and has always been unlimited data. AT&T and Verizon here have unlimited data plans on smart phones.

[@666sparton666]

“If movies were legally allowed to stream new movies, theaters would quickly become obsolete”....well that also happened faster than anybody expected. I don’t think movie theaters will ever be the same after COVID

[@Shockwave99999]

I lived a few blocks away from a blockbuster. When it closed I was so upset but for some reason they still have the sign up for blockbuster. Whenever I see it it makes me sad

[@bradylollis761]

That is sad :(

[@animeangel1983]

Same. There was a Blockbuster where I live now, it's become a Giant Tiger (Canadian Wal-Mart, not as fun or big) and they covered the iconic Blockbuster ticket stub shaped sign with a Rent-To-Own sign but still has the same shape underneath. I still see it from the side and KNOW that's what it is.

[@cindythecatwoman1601]

Angelo Pellicci I was upset to when the store near me closed. It's not the same experience renting a video out of the Redbox machine.

[@lorrainestevens4295]

@@animeangel1983 there are wal marts in canada

[@animeangel1983]

@@lorrainestevens4295 Yep I know, I was comparing the Canadian department store of Giant Tiger to a Wal-Mart as not being as fun or big to go to. Wal-Mart has been in Canada since 1993 and they outlasted the Target stores they had up here about five years ago. All the Targets are now gone from Canada because the incompetent asshole they put in charge of Canadian operations mishandled everything.

[@LynelleHinkley]

We still have two Family Videos in my town and they are both successful. The primary reason being that each is attached to a Marco's Pizza. When people come in to pick up a pizza they go wander around the video store while they wait. If they call to have one delivered they can order a movie to come with it. The delivery guy will even take the previous weeks movie back. I haven't been to Family video in a while but last time I was a few years ago it was packed and this was after the fall of Blockbuster. When I drive by them now they seem pretty busy. So I think a video store can still work but it has to be creative.

[@indy_go_blue6048]

Blockbusters and Hollywood Video have been closed for years here. Family Video is a nice walk away, maybe a mile, and as you said about your local FV, it seems to be doing pretty well. I always thought their (school report card) "A Club" was a nice touch; a free movie or game for a week for each A and a month free upon graduation.

[@SmallLab129]

Also depends on the area. There are still people that like the "occasion" of going to get movies, specially for their kids. If its cheap enough and convenient enough, why not?

[@MR_MRM_]

indy_go_blue60 Another reason Family Video has survived, besides being the last video rental store in many places, is they own their buildings. They can lease unnecessary floor space to a chiropractor or pizza store. Or just close and sell it all. It gives them flexibility Blockbuster never had.

[@jenniferclark9842]

Get a pizza, rent a couple of movies, you have your family movie night in one fell swoop courtesy of Family Video and Marco’s Pizza.

[@awsuser2960]

The Fibler vhs tapes do work

[@bohershey4684]

Internet is expensive in Alaska. They charge by the gigabyte. So that is why 12 blockbusters still exist in Alaska.

[@derekk4659]

Bo Hershey damn that sucks man

[@RaginRonic]

Actually, Bo, as of August 7, 2017, there are only 10 independent franchise stores left for Blockbuster...6 are in Alaska, 3 are in Oregon, and 1 lonely store remains standing in Texas. o.o

[@arthurdurham]

I came here after watching "The Last Blockbuster" and it's fascinating how you made a significantly better and more informed documentary in 13 minutes than a studio made documentary. You actually tell the information and story behind the fall of the company and not just fan gushing for over an hour

[@wesleyalejandre2662]

Watching these videos makes me feel old af, I was part of the last generation to experience this

[@a-drewg1716]

same with Myspace

[@xXWOAT13Xx]

wesley alejandre I really miss blockbuster. It closed when I was 10? So I’m also the last generation to experience it. 😂 I’m with you, man!!

[@sbish7742]

its in australia

[@patsfan4life]

My daughter is 10 and she was the last kid generation to experience it

[@funnylaurenc]

Jim Rowell really? i’m thirteen and i’ve always thought that it was a certain kind of movie 😂

[@MayoMayorStyles]

Company Man: the only man I've never heard pronounce 2001 as Twenty O One.

[@FunnyChubbyCat]

i thought i was going crazy every time he said it

[@jokyodesigns1380]

@@SoloLevellor shouldn't you be out catching real KZbin user's on more serious offenses? This really what our AD revenue is going too? Paying your paycheck for busting the balls of users like these?

[@likeadino8580]

@@jokyodesigns1380 cant tell if your talking satire or being real?

[@jokyodesigns1380]

@@likeadino8580 satire of course good friend :) but im not surprised by your confusion after some of the people I've seen in the comment sections and apologize about that.

[@likeadino8580]

@@jokyodesigns1380 oh thank i was a bit confused there

[@AstroHopefulBenjaminGottsch]

Family video is still around. They survived the Netflix purge by attaching themselves to Marco's pizza, and give free rentals with a purchase of a pizza.

[@MegaTechpc]

LifeBeginsWithChrist wtf, Marcos is outstanding! Just too $$$.

[@jacobsaggytitties9429]

I went to fam video just last week 😂

[@bonoki3870]

i have never heard of Family Video... FunCo Land yes..

[@magnetshakur6911]

MegaTechpc i agree they want 20 bucks a pie

[@suntanman99]

Amusingly, some Family Videos carry porn too.

[@erianahargrove8993]

He said at the end “If new movies where to come directly to people’s homes the theaters would be obsolete.” Three years later a pandemic caused the new movies to go straight to people’s homes thanks to HBO max jumping on it immediately. This man predicted the future! 🤭 My mind it blown how fast everything can change!

[@mattyian1208]

What’s a pandemic?

[@tgwille3505]

2047: Netflix: I thought you were dead! Blockbuster: My death was greatly, exaggerated.

[@ultimapower6950]

Netflix back in 2005 video on demand are the future

[@gregorymirabella1423]

@@Maly_Kaly what does starwars have to do with this?

[@gregorymirabella1423]

@@Maly_Kaly no it isn't, it's from megamind.

[@russ_artzo0]

Actual copium

[@METALmurdererOG]

"Mostly in Alaska, for some reason..." Do you not realize how shit the internet is in Alaska?

[@bobbyincidemetal]

I lived in Kenai for 21 years. You are correct. The net is dog shit.

[@faustuskrauss6457]

That’s because internet service in Alaska is expensive! You pay per gig ! There is even a CBS News report on it

[@PickleRicksFATASSCOUSIN]

Least it's not like the philippines...

[@gawdat3859]

Ive seen at least a dozen "Why BB failed" videos and you managed to add many new details. Bravo.

[@Lyger26]

11:25 Who would’ve thought that this was going to happen… Streaming new movies to your home tv… Damn times change fast

[@kombatevolve]

I use to work there from 2004-2007 during college. And we knew it was on the way out. Too much corporate pushing to sell passes and then pushing to sell online mail service. They just never advanced with the times. Gamestop is seeing this now. Microsoft xbox one came on too early and too strong. Hence why ps4 had better press. Gamestop is doomed to be like blockbuster if they don't innovate. Do a gamestop video!

[@Self-kn4ez]

Now one of my favorite KZbinrs 😀😀😀

[@sloanv2610]

Alex Delashmit wtf you two have the same pic and I got confused

[@companyman114]

I'm honored iWolf.

[@FRGDEC]

Company Man Seriously dude, keep up the good work, this is facinating and the kind of content YT needs.

[@0090-w4k]

srsly

[@tiffanycardot4966]

iWolf you should check out his other channel "Basketballs best" hes a statistical GENIUS

[@jubjub444]

Netflix is next honestly. I already see the decline happening...

[@LinhNguyen-lq8yd]

Torrent only way u can watch for free

[@jubjub444]

@@LinhNguyen-lq8yd Theres otherways to watch stuff for cheap.

[@jubjub444]

@Wolfpack8706 Disney+ is going to dominate especially if Disney decides to merge it with Hulu since they own both.

[@sportsfanjw559]

@@jubjub444 Disney bought Fox. You're right. They just need a couple more links to the chain. And they will rule all. I'll stick to Tubi T.V and Free KZbin movies. Its helping me get through lockdown faze 2 coming soon

[@commentbot9510]

JubJub444 I believe our family got some kind of deal that allowed us to get both.

[@isaacpeachey8609]

You are the only person I have ever heard refer to the 00s like we do every other decade. Twenty-o-four, twenty-o-six, etc. I really like it.

[@mattyian1208]

Yes. At least it’s better than pronouncing the 2020s as two thousand twenty, two thousand twenty three, two thousand twenty four, etc.

[@wolfy1987]

My whole family hated Blockbuster. We went there out of necessity after they put our favorite video store, Movie King, out of business. Even then I don't have too many good memories from them. I just remember they had a very small selection of older movies, as well as them always being out of current releases. In fact we ended up driving 15 minutes away just to go to the better Blockbuster. Service wasn't too good either. Remember my dad arguing frequently with the cashier of the one near our house. Man do I miss video rental stores though....

[@uhatekara]

Grew up in Alaska left in '07, still have friends there. We LOVE our blockbusters with a passion. It's not just a movie spot but you go there to see faces and run into people from around town. Even in the age of cellphones something about seeing people is very important still up there. Even in the worst shit weather we' still scrape ice off the car, warm it up for 40 minutes and pile in to go find movies and hope you'd run into someone from school. We also had bandwidth limits and extremely slow internet until even more recently. I was still on dial up when lower 48 had fiber optic. Stubborn sturdy people. Nice video explaining why it died, so i give you smoll nugget on why it lives up there still. Holla Eagle River Blockbuster o/ without you I never would have gotten to play ocarina or fable!

[@kazuma3494]

I wonder if the CEOs of blockbuster are still kicking themselves for not buying Netflix in 2000. 😄

[@mario167100]

I’m actually glad they didn’t. They seemed like people who weren’t able to see progress for what it is with streaming. Netflix would’ve died along with BB.

[@cambonious23]

Coca-Cola didn’t buy Pepsi when they had the chance? Or is/was that a myth?

[@ernestoacosta7918]

If they did then they would’ve probably put Netflix down like EA does with many games studios once they acquire them

[@AnushkaBhattacharya710]

Lol tbh i doubt Netflix would've become what it is today if blockbuster bought em....

[@thatguyonyoutube989]

@@ernestoacosta7918 Why? That would be really stupid.

[@bearforce187]

I miss those days, there was just something special about stopping after college or work on Friday with my girlfriend and picking out movies for the weekend, then getting pizza across the street before heading home.

[@occono3543]

Over here CEX has kind of replaced it. It's a second hand /pawn store that has blurays, the prices are less than what rentals used to cost. You basically just trade the discs back in whenever you don't want them around anymore, even if it's only a penny in store credit.

[@timothylewis2527]

In my town, a video rental store opened in like 2010 or something. Pretty much every video store I knew of was going out of business and they were opening a new one! I told the lady who owned the store that it was a bad idea and she said something like "Our town always had a video rental store and it always will." A few months later, I was buying used video games from her and shaking my head as they were going out of business. Poor foolish lady.

[@malcus8485]

My dad would rent “The Empire Strikes Back” on VHS from them all the time for me as a kid! Sad to see this place go!

[@HyperrealisticLuigi]

They still have ONE in oregon. But it's DVDs, not VHS tapes

[@joedragon8245]

Remember when the movie you want was all rented out, then asking to see if it was in the return bin..... Then... Either it was or you hear movies hit the bin, he checked and bam there it was, like hitting the lotto.

[@cambonious23]

People would wait by the door. “What movie you returning?” That was before the bin. One guy wanted the movie so bad that he offered to pay for my rental. The movie I returned was awful: Mystic river.

[@jokyodesigns1380]

Remember getting the last getting home and having to rewind it because they employees missed it and it was destroyed and unwatchable... lol

[@jc.1191]

@@jokyodesigns1380 I do not miss rewind. But I do hate dvd menus. Would have preferred it operate as a cd does. Maybe just a stored locate point button added that had presets, so it can be bypassed.

[@johnmccurdy5019]

I remember going to blockbuster to get games for me and friends to play for the weekend if we didn’t have anything new and that was some of the best times

[@LoganCorelli]

Rest in peace Blockbuster Video (1985-2010)

[@ladyscarfaceangel4616]

I miss Blockbuster. Sure I joked about them a time or two calling them "walletbuster", but I did enjoy going there & renting movies. It was fun, a little something to do on a lazy night. It's convenient to just pick a live stream, yes, but it'd be nice to have a choice now. Not just live stream but you could either go rent one or pick a live stream at home. I don't mean go rent one from the boxes, it'd be nice to have an actual store.

[@StormsparkPegasus]

I thought about it, and my good memories of Blockbuster aren't actually good memories of the store itself...but just good memories of my younger years in general. It's just a thing that happens when you get old, you look back at things from your youth and feel nostalgic for them.

[@HermannTheGreat]

Not necessarily, you got out and walked around and talked with people, it was an event to do with the family. People now just sit in their bedroom and push their tablet to stream netflix after scrolling to the right.. pretty lame.

[@stiimuli]

I once met a girl who, in an attempt to make a good first impression, told me she worked at a Fortune 500 company. She later told me she worked at Blockbuster. Back then she technically wasn't lying =) Imagine someone trying that one now XD

[@AquaLugia]

salty kid xd

[@ferociousgumby]

I love you. . . . Be my bride

[@Super165i]

stiimuli 😂 lol

[@tomcat2395]

stiimuli lol seems like a nice girl

[@SapphireGamma]

Charles Ferdinand Bad day, eh?

[@vanessatrottier9623]

The video game rentals were the best! Renting n64 games to the actual GameCube system, I had endless fun renting out the games too.

[@GooseCheezy_official]

My parents were split and I’d spend my weekends at my dads house every Friday when he picked me up we would go straight to blockbuster and rent movies and video games. Nothing could ever take those memories from me. Thank you blockbuster!

[@MrRiffMusic]

They suffered a severe case of “we have always done it this way” syndrome.

[@growing.grounds4054]

Like kirby with door to door sales

[@holger_p]

Companies (or people) do quiet easy in adapting to new habits, but they are not good in dropping old habits.

[@davidstarr4679]

Arrogance......... I used to do some consulting work for them. They were incredibly arrogant. They thought they invented POS polling, the internet, digital communications, you name it. They did everything in-house & there were no other ideas accepted.

[@JannaBrewer]

David Starr interesting..and believable..thanks for sharing

[@electrictroy2010]

Not Invented Here syndrome which affects lots of companies (like General Motors) .

[@MrMoogey]

Yay for Sumner Redstone

[@bxbomber7128]

Growing up, it felt like such a victory when I found a copy of the hot new release that week on a Friday or Saturday, or digging through the returns and finding a copy. There was nothing like going to Blockbuster Friday night for a sleepover and getting an arm full of movies. So many good childhood memories. Pizza and Blockbuster were the best combo ever.

[@AlexSerenylan]

Oddly enough, 2004 was the precise year my family switched from dial-up to high speed internet. I distinctly remember the first time I downloaded a working .avi from P2P and thinking about the Blockbuster a half-mile from our house. Every Blockbuster within an hour was gutted by the time I finished high school. Oddly enough, 2 hours away the local video store in my grandparents' town just closed two WEEKS ago.

[@jarrettbakersr]

I used to work there. I never cared enough to debate customers about their late fees so I gave almost everybody free credits.

[@somaika]

Jarrett Baker That's sweet!

[@moosedrummer1]

Jarrett Baker can’t say I’m surprised

[@osielescalante2785]

Jarrett Baker 😂 you’re the secret reason you went bankrupt 🤣

[@NatetheNerdy]

Not all heroes wear capes.

[@dollarstoredearleader1609]

@Jerry Cerros Good luck with contacting blockbuster, seeing as there is only 1left and all.

[@DeVstatrOmga]

Had a teacher that was related to the guy that started Block Buster in Dallas. We would have Movie-Wednesdays during 7th period. She got the newest releases before they were technically supposed to be on sale or rent. But the thing I remember most she was a cute fiery red head and I was just hitting puberty so the movies weren't the main reason I was excited for Movie-Wednesday.

[@nickclark18]

DeVstatrOmga redheads are disgusting

[@Zettel9016]

Unless they're female.

[@pikafanfan9405]

DeVstatrOmga lucky

[@braxtonquintanillasummerho7419]

DeVstatrOmga hahaha

[@nuggetbaconbot1739]

DeVstatrOmga ii

[@0128aventador]

The simple fact that at 0:55 we get a glimpse of a couple Godzilla movies (top right) literally just gave me chills. As a kid I’d run to that section to see if they got any different or new Godzilla movies. Every Friday night after dinner at marinas.

[@VoltaireRex]

I was on the Blockbuster Total Access service for almost the entire time they offered it. Like Netflix you had movies mailed to you, and you could return them in the mail. However, you could also return the discs to a local store in exchange for free rentals there, so you weren't waiting around for the next DVDs to come in the mail. For a short time before fast Internet and video streaming got to be widespread they really had the best movie subscription service going. If Netflix and Redbox merged they could accomplish something similar, but I think optical discs are probably headed for extinction.

[@MsJamiewoods]

Not everyone has or can afford fast enough Internet for streaming. Some people live in areas without broadband. And they sometimes do not live all that far from a city. A subsidiary of Netflix still rents DVDs by mail. And Redbox remains popular. DVDs can be played in desktop and laptop computers. This means you can rent from a Redbox and watch on a laptop in your hotel or motel room for far less than the hotel charges for a movie. and if the TV has an HDMI input and your laptop has an HDMI output or you have a VGA to HDMI adaptor, you can play the movie through your hotel room TV screen.

[@Brainulator9]

I still like optical discs because DRM is nowhere near as involved.

[@PostManUpsideDown]

As of March 11, 2019, the location in Bend, Oregon will be the last Blockbuster standing in the whole world.

[@caseyroper1]

Now closed, and when it was open was not a franchise store. It was more of a novelty store, come and take a picture type place.

[@peepeepoopoo7182]

aye i lived there

[@SergeantExtreme]

@@caseyroper1 Nope. It didn't close. I just moved to a new location. The store is currently back open in its new location, and is doing better than ever.

[@BennyLlama39]

"Last Blockbuster standing" sounds like a title for a creepypasta. 😀

[@matthewthacker3683]

dont worry randy marsh will buy it and try to revive it lol

[@arumikahaven]

I MISS BLOCKBUSTER! ;_;

[@themattk]

me too

[@jonathanbarker71]

There is Last Blockbuster Video in Bend, Oregon.

[@jonathanbarker71]

Yes

[@andrew881000]

NPC# 8675309 yup that’s what awesome about it

[@curehead9877]

Same

[@The1997Accord]

My childhood blockbuster was torn down in the late 2000’s (07/08 IIRC) and replaced by apartments. When I drive by that location I can’t help but to reminisce on all the fantastic memories from the early 2000’s and the excitement of renting a new PS2 game for the weekend.

[@gummybear41283]

great video, millions of us miss Blockbuster and I also loved Hollywood video. I wish there was a way to bring them back, we miss the experience of going to the video store. It was a good part of our lives

[@markregan8907]

I was the manager of a Blockbuster 1999/2000. Late fees were the key to the company's success at the time. Our store averaged close to 30% of our monthly take just from late fees. It was not a great company to work for at the time. My salary equated to about $14 an hour before bonus which was very difficult to get. The best bonus was the free movies, all I could watch and I did, a lot. Have a great day!

[@No2hISwear]

There is only one Blockbuster left open in the US. Somewhere in Oregon. The Alaska ones announced they are closing this week

[@littlemissprettybird]

No2h Returns it’s on the coast of Oregon. I past it on my trip there this summer.

[@krishnadoraisamy2042]

Bend Oregon

[@Deamons64]

Isn’t there also one in Hawaii?

[@whyamihere4780]

Man, I remember when my dad took me to these here and there in the early 2000's and I still have a "halo legends" dvd that we got when we went there one time.

[@madelinet]

i kind of hope blockbuster makes an amazing come back somehow because the nostalgia of walking into one with my parents every week is a fond memory

[@Pduarte79]

Nostalgia.... For me is was cheaper to rent a dvd or bluray on Blockbuster, that to go to the movies cinema. Movies tickets are expensive and theren't alot of good movies nowadays. In my opinion was illegal / piracy download, besides video rentals like Blockbuster, in my country we used to have big stores that sell music cds / dvds, like "Valentim de Carvalho" and "Virgin", but they started to perish around the same time as Blockbuster. Aswell the same occured with small stores that sell Videogames and other toys.

[@croatianmechanic1280]

the blockbuster near my high school over here in australia just closed... such a great sadness

[@ttaayylloorrmmtt]

Croatian Mechanic it just closed? I honestly haven't seen a BB over here in the states in about five years.

[@BuckingBadger]

The Blockbuster in Wisconsin Rapids is still open if i wanted to i can take a half hour drive and bam

[@ermesdistefano5322]

I live in Australia aswell (Perth) and we still have one blockbuster store left. We also had another one that closed down about a year or two ago.

[@mickcollins1921]

Streaming had a much more limited appeal back then. The data speeds you needed to make it work weren’t available in a lot of places, and weren’t cheap when they were available. While streaming would have eventually killed the rental store, it was Redbox that did the honors. Quicker experience, far more locations (including outside places you were already going), being able to return them anywhere (with car based DVD players, this allowed you to take a road trip with rentals) and being able to check online and reserve copies ahead of time. Those are the features that Redbox offered…the tools they used to murder blockbuster. Blockbuster could have attempted to copy some of them. Smaller locations, return anywhere, post inventories online and allow reservations…it would have potentially fended off the Redbox attack if done early enough. But then they would have just been killed by streaming a few years later. Unless they were going to pull a Netflix and turn into a content producer their days were numbered.

[@NonbinarySky]

"If new movies could be streamed right to people's homes, movie theaters would probably become irrelevant as well...." He legit predicted 2020 lol

[@daleolson3506]

If they ever make a movie worth watching. Total garbage

[@jc.1191]

That's kinda been a thing for about 7 years. Amc is in big trouble unfortunately. Sad too

[@daleolson3506]

@@jc.1191 if the did more drugs,or gave them out to watch that garbage. Maybe we could watch it. Lol

[@jc.1191]

@@daleolson3506 Lol. I gotta agree that I don't care for most movies. I just turn off so many before finding a good one.

[@Danbo22987]

@@daleolson3506 I guess you don't watch a lot of movies

[@that_single_mama]

I miss Blockbuster! I honestly wish we could go back to those simpler times. I know that technology can be good and it's necessary to stay up to date with it but I wish it would go back to how things were in the late 90's

[@jasongannaway9310]

I couldn’t agree more. Back in the 80s and 90s life just seemed simpler and had simpler entertainment. Seems like after 2000 everybody got offended by every little thing and technology went out of control and over advanced. I don’t like being forced to have cable/satellite. I mean what was wrong with the TV that had an antenna on top of your house and a VCR that played VHS’s. Simpler and things did not break down as often as they do today it seems

[@MC-bd5ub]

How old were you in the 90s?

[@jasongannaway9310]

@@MC-bd5ub I was about 11 at the time

[@LeCommieBoi]

I still remember being 10 (Born in 2004) and going to our Québec version of Blockbuster. That feeling... I miss it

[@jaws-ofoz3627]

Working at Blockbuster I can tell one HUGE reason what happened. They had a "One Size Fits All" mentality. I worked at an upscale neighborhood and in San Fernando Valley. Many of our customers wanted "Art House" style movies. We would get 60 copies of "Armageddon" and some copies of them never rented! Our customers wanted films that were "Academy Award Material" not "Popcorn Flicks" . They should have tailored each store to the neighborhood they served. What would rent in one area would not rent in others. "They never learned that"

[@aaronlochard7360]

Stan Heck they did learn that somewhat. I was a Store Manager around 2007. They rolled out some urban interest stores with a bigger Afro-American selection in the inner city. They also had some stores with expanded anime sections and I think some that had larger foreign film sections as well.

[@ihatetobethatguy1481]

I think their other problem was their refusal to set up an internet businesses.

[@Z95HeadHunter]

I'm in the weird generation gap between "Millennial" and "Gen Z" (born in 1995-1996), I have a burning memory of being brought to a BlockBuster in my hometown with my older siblings to get movies, I remember the cut-out of The Scorpion King being in there along with a Jango Fett one. This memory is what comes to mind every time I think of BlockBuster.