The Rise and Fall of Blockbuster | What Happened to Blockbuster? | Last Blackbuster

[@MrMountainMan]

Worked at Blockbuster while in college from 98-01'. During that time on Friday and Saturday nights, there would be a line to the back of the store to check out rentals. Times changed quickly after that.

[@greg6162]

Me too… I remember when we got our first DVD’s for rent. It was such a big deal then because they were a smaller format and didn’t have to be rewound and the quality was much better than VHS. But that Blockbuster smell should be a nostalgic cologne! I kinda miss it. That was one of my favorite jobs because we got free rentals. We could watch up to two movies at a time. Customers would always come to me for movie recommendations because I was such a movie buff I would break down the movie like Siskel and Ebert without spoilers. If that paid more than $5.35/hr I wouldn’t mind working there Lol. That was in 1997-1999 and I never got a raise so I eventually got a much better PAYING job… but I actually enjoyed Blockbuster and the people I worked with

[@Tornado1994]

@@greg6162 Blockbuster's decline started in 1998. You have to remember, they did NOT start offering DVD Rentals until January of 1999.

[@kman9387]

I was a store manager for 15 years and it was the most fun place to work! People would come to me and ask what was good to rent or ask me to suggest something they may have not seen! I hope one day for a return to this type of human interaction 🤞🙏

[@GSGExtreme44]

Things I miss: 1. After a long and painful week at work, Friday night was 'Blockbuster' night with limited of 3 movies to rent 2. When walking in, the smell of popcorn and candy and fresh Febreze 3. Picking up a movie and having to read the back as to what it might be about 4. Movies that you wanted to rent were already rented out (For some reason I never got angry, but more excited to hope it was available the next day) 5. Running into a friend you may know from around the way and compare movie titles being rented 6. When you are ready to check out, chances are the cashier already saw your choices and can recommend what is good or bad 7. After enjoying your selection, BE KIND AND REWIND! Thank you, Blockbuster! You have given me the most nostalgic memories forever - I still until this day have my laminated membership card - "It belongs in a museum!" ; )

[@MovieUniversity]

What a great comment to wake up to and read! I totally agree with you.

[@Yoyoyo224]

Lovely message i still have my card

[@timebandit1266]

It was a lot more exciting walking around blockbusters than nowadays, browsing through netflix or red boxes of death.

[@mattdelong339]

Exactly the kind of nostalgic content I’m looking for on KZbin! If only someone could put in the effort you did and make a video about the mandatory Pizza Hut stop that accompanied 75% of all Blockbuster visits.

[@TruSoulDj]

I know what you mean. I'm watching the Tower Records documentary on TUBI right now. Amazing stuff.

[@greg6162]

I worked at Blockbuster in the late 1997-99… and the smell that was so iconic and somehow comforting, wasn’t just the popcorn. It was a mixture of popcorn… but mostly the new releases that came in every week for Tuesday rental with the freshly made plastic covers that housed the VHS/DVD from the factory. I used to work the day shift so I had to stuff the inserts of every new release that came into that store. I still remember and love that smell and I would make Blockbuster cologne for nostalgia if I could

[@newsbender]

I remember that task well! I was a store manager for 4 years but always worked the Monday morning shift when the big new releases came in. The toughest task was inventory once a month... used to pull an all nighter for that, usually on my own! I didn't like the job at the time, I was too young really for the responsibility, but I often think back to those days fondly.

[@lordcron]

Loved your version of the Decline of Blockbuster's. Very in depth. Blockbusters represents an Era more than anything. The Era of physical rental movies you had to take the time to go get. I lived through the decline of Drive Inn Movies also. The world has changed and not necessarily for the better.

[@MovieUniversity]

Thank you! You know, it’s possible physical could make a come back. With streaming services getting and losing content, people like me continue to buy physical to own stuff and watch wherever we want to.

[@lordcron]

@@MovieUniversity I certainly hope that becomes common understanding and people return to physical media.

[@BlockbusterAssociate]

This is exactly what I love about youtube. Amazing content filled with information and production value. Great video man!

[@MovieUniversity]

glad you like it.

[@daquan4290]

I’m still thinking about you Blockbuster

[@MovieUniversity]

😭😭😭

[@-elchoya9832]

yeah,when im taking a dump

[@MovieUniversity]

Some have commented on that the music is too loud. Unfortunately there's no way I can fix this now. Maybe in the future with an "extended" version of this I'll correct the audio levels. (yes, I cut about 15 minutes off of this because I worried people wouldn't want to watch a long history of Blockbuster). One way to help mitigate this is to not listen on headphones but rather on speaker on your phone or through your TV. Again, I'm really sorry. I wanted this to be perfect. I put a lot of time researching, getting interviews and editing just to shoot myself in the foot for the music to be too loud.

[@CaptainClaytonGaming]

The music isn't loud at all and I am using headphones. You did really well brother.

[@joeguerra8435]

Bend, Oregon, at least 4 years ago, was/is home to the last Blockbuster store on the planet. I visited this store, took a picture of the storefront for sentimental sakes, then moved on because the store wasn’t open yet. I still have an unopened VHS copy of “Titanic” that I bought at Blockbuster. I have nothing bad to say about Blockbuster. Going into Blockbuster was fun like going into a album records store like Tower Records. With Blockbuster, the race was always on to make sure you returned the rented video on-time or else bad things would happen.

[@lisadunlop1786]

Yes, I recall going to Blockbuster all those years ago! What I recall the most was often being disappointed and annoyed bc the new release movies would be out of stock or, they weren’t returned yet! I could only go after work on Friday nights so it seemed people who had flexibility in their jobs and could go earlier, would get the “good movies”! By 7pm on a Friday night, forget it! I would often be left standing there picking over what was left and hating the experience! As a result, I just stopped going. Thanks for putting this video together it was quite interesting and brought back a lot of memories!

[@Dashiell777]

Blockbuster was one of my favorite stores ever I sure hope it comes back in the future. And I hope they've learned from their mistakes in the past

[@rogueraccoon1840]

Well there's actually still 1 blockbuster left still open in Bend, Oregon which they've become famous for surviving until 2021 and they're still going strong which they even got merch and a little museum about what blockbuster was about for people who don't know what it was.

[@RoyCyberPunk]

Even if they return it will be most likely as yet another streaming service and sadly gone are the days of a family sitting together at a family room watching a movie are long gone thanks to smartphones and tablets.😪

[@Dashiell777]

@@RoyCyberPunk well in my opinion I prefer DVDs over streaming services just because you don't have to worry about people banning episodes and scenes from episodes and movies

[@RoyCyberPunk]

@@Dashiell777 Physical media is getting ever harder to obtain and many producers opt to place their products online for streaming now. It's a losing battle. And my point that people rarely now ever sit together to watch anything stands.

[@Dashiell777]

@@RoyCyberPunk heck I've heard that a lot of these streaming services aren't getting the Subscribers they were hoping for

[@gyunex4889]

Amazing Mini docu. You should get Netflix to stream this, wouldn't that be something.

[@MovieUniversity]

I wish that would happen!

[@iamrightyourwrong5198]

It’s on Netflix

[@jenlovesbooks]

I stared working at Ritz Videos in 1989 then Blockbuster when they took over. I eventually left and opened my own small video store which, when rentals started to die off, changed it into a grocery store. However, I always kept a video rental section. I closed that a couple of years ago and decided to follow my heart and am currently studying creative writing at university (I'm a very, very mature student). I'm in my last year and doing research for my final assignment which is . . . a history of video rentals. Mostly covering the UK, it'll be part social history, part personal history. Video nasties and moral panics intertwined with my own personal experience of working in the business. Loved this documentary, it was so interesting.

[@taffchris]

What an amazing story. How’s the last year going??

[@jenlovesbooks]

@@taffchris Not bad, haven't been near our campus for a year but one of the advantages of doing any English related degree is that it's all reading or writing and really, you can do that at home.

[@goodcommunitylife]

How is life going for you today?

[@jenlovesbooks]

@@goodcommunitylife Okay, my time at university is now finished and I have my B.A. I'm just trying to figure out what to do with the few years I have left before I retire. I'll be writing (of course) but unlike most new graduates I will not be looking for a long-term career, just something to tide me over for a while.

[@SeanFanelli]

Awesome video as always!

[@MovieUniversity]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@LoepkeVisionFilms]

Great video! I learned A lot and miss video rental stores!!!!

[@DuckGoddies]

These stores had better movies and shows than Netflix and all of the other streaming services..way more to choose from too...people have just gotten lazy and don’t wanna leave their houses anymore to go get a dvd...sadly I don’t think that’s going to change.

[@dogcat823]

You can also rent movies from iTunes and google movie store what have the Same amount of Selection probably more and you don’t half to return the movie And you rent and watch the movie anywhere and don’t have to worry about someone else already renting the last available copy of the movie

[@YevgeniyShcherbakov]

Why would you wanna leave your home for a dvd store with good movies constantly not available? That was my memory. Netflix solved this problem.

[@andreasfernandez1548]

In Blockbuster, you feel the atmosphere of the nostalgia, the family, the togetherness. And also some of the old movies was part of the history such as Jurassic Park, back to the future, etc, people need those memories because the VHS, DVD, and CDmusic is also part of someone creation, for example some people collect Michael Jackson CDs for a memory. Or much better Blockbuster should make a Museum.

[@michaels4640]

@Hadeel Ab. 🤡🤡🤡🤡

[@DoodleThis]

Amazing video! To this day my friends and I share our Blockbuster memories. All the times my dad and I would rent horror movies, me taking my Pokémon snap game to get my photos printed, the time my dad rented an N64 console for us since we didn’t have one at the time, I could go on

[@MovieUniversity]

I remember the first time we rented a game console. It blew my mind thinking a company would let you rent one.

[@jonjones6764]

I miss video rental stores. Especially seeing how the horror section would be displayed in October and seeing all the movie posters from every genre. Streaming is great and all, but rental stores would be such a good alternative especially with how hard it is to find decent stuff on streaming sometimes. We have been building our DVD and even vhs collection at our place for that reason

[@kdj29]

you should have added that you can buy blockbuster memorabilia from the bend oregon store online. i just bought a hat, shirt, sunglasses, and sweatpants. just bought a sign on eBay. I worked at a Hollywood Video, and also a pizza place that rented out movies. i also was an early subscriber to blockbuster when they did the dvd by mail and then exchange at the brick/mortar, but when they stopped doing that, and netflix was cheaper, i dropped blockbuster. its crazy to me that blockbuster with all of it power and money didnt become a streaming service like netflix, i mean, other than in nordic countries. I moss the fun of going to a brick and mortar, the shopping experience of looking through movies and video games, and the thrill of the build up of how much fun you were going to have that night with your movies and games. If there was a blockbuster now that i could go to, even though i can rent online and watch with my roku, i still would, if not just for videogames (which you still cant rent online). the nostalgia part of it is awesome too. I own over 500 vhs movies.

[@SL-cl9gt]

I still have dreams about going to video stores and renting awesome monster movies.

[@kdj29]

all of the blockbusters should have been turned into airbnb's. rented out for birthdays and stuff. own your own blockbuster for a night

[@stormbowman7148]

Here in Denmark Blockbuster is still around as a streaming rental service. It's good.

[@MovieUniversity]

I tried to get one of the IT managers for the Nordic Blockbuster streaming service to do an interview with me, but they didn't reply in time.

[@boredstudent]

Blockbuster Video was my gaming place. Funny thing is that it's a MOVIE rental store but I always rented games.

[@lisadunlop1786]

Yes I recall going to Blockbuster years ago. For me It seemed the popular movies were always out of stock by the time I finished work on a Friday night. You had to get there early if you wanted to get a recently released movie. I found it very frustrating and annoying! I just recall me standing there picking over what was left...which wasn’t much! Thanks for this video and for putting all this info together!

[@donovandelaney3171]

There's a parallel universe where Blockbuster did murge with Netflix.

[@GorositoTV]

Wow… excellent video! I followed you for a long time and this is the best Blockbuster documentary till now… just one detail… I was a Total access member till the last store closed in the Miami area and we always could exchange DVD’s… so I guess they didn`t stopped it in the whole country… if you can speak Spanish watch the Luisito comunica video for The last blockbuster… is also great… Fun fact: when I came back to Uruguay to start my TV show about movies I went to Blockbuster to see if they wanted to advertise but they never give any hope even when I told them that we could do a weekly section on their store… I understood why when they closed all the stores a few time later… again great work! And you should do one like this for Redbox.

[@MovieUniversity]

I thought about it. This project was so research intensive though. Tracking people down to interview, researching newspapers and editing took close two two months. I’m not sure if I’d want to go through all that again.

[@GorositoTV]

@@MovieUniversity Is really amazing… all your previous work is very very good… but this is excellent… all the newspapers references are great… I hope you get the views its deserve and more… I already shared on my Facebook page… and by the way… can`t find yours… and your Patreon link on the YT page is not working… all the best to you.

[@MovieUniversity]

Thanks for letting me know the Patreon link was broken. I fixed it now.

[@valentincavazzos4420]

@@GorositoTV slowly blockbuster will come back

[@coasterlife.]

All seriousness tho, Blockbuster should come back as a streaming service worldwide

[@MovieUniversity]

Did you happen to watch all the way through? It’s actually a streaming service in the Baltic’s already.

[@coasterlife.]

@@MovieUniversity Yes but I mean like where you pay like $6.99 a month for shows and movies and don't have to buy shows, So basically a rival to Netflix if you would say

[@MovieUniversity]

Who know man 😉

[@donovandelaney3171]

They're still releasing movies on VHS.

[@Michel190778]

I have many happy memories of Blockbuster Friday. Renting movies and games, the smell of popcorn, the store layout... Good times.

[@mattyust6127]

Around 1996-97 most of the people who worked at the Blockbuster near me in Houston went to high school with me. With that being said I never had late fees(within reason) because of this I often wasn’t charged for rentals at all. I remember one time that I guy I went to high school with was working at Blockbuster around 11::45 one Friday night when I walked in. He was close to getting done with his shift and wanted to blaze up. He left his lighter at home and told me he would trade any movie that wasn’t a new release for my my lighter. I absolutely took him up on that and selected “Animal House”. This was a video that I watched religiously and took it to college with me in the fall of 1998. I wore that videotape out and it was always funny when people asked me if I stole it because of the Blockbuster sticker on the cassette. Such innocent times and miss the days of watching certain movies that I rented only because the one I wanted was checked out only to rent something different. In doing that these films in turn became some of my favorites of all time! Thanks for posting and great video!!

[@MovieUniversity]

Thank you!

[@YourMaj3sty1]

Am I the only one sad, and almost crying about the death of Blockbuster?

[@hangingon]

I miss those days. Life was so simple and so much better. I hate to think what it's gonna be like in 10 years from now. Not to spund like a downer but life isn't fun anymore and most times it sucks.

[@ModricoTV]

There used to be a Blockbuster right next to the Albertsons where I live. It later became the Fairwood Pet Center.

[@fishingwithsam7526]

I remember Blockbuster I was a manager I remember the last thing I miss Blockbuster

[@cmartin68137]

My blockbuster is now a fireplace store. The 2 things that we use to remember it is the little ceasers and the blue pole that used to have a blockbuster ticket on it

[@tanooki426]

I didn't know about Blockbuster's bad customer service until now. I remember going to the Blockbuster down the street from my house in Atlanta and we always had amazing customer service, but you could probably say that the reason for this is because my mom always returned films on time

[@MovieUniversity]

I think it was a hit or miss thing with that. Depended on their locations and time in the company's history.

[@JimmyMorrison101]

My family was all about Hollywood Video lol

[@MovieUniversity]

ooooof

[@Tornado1994]

@@MovieUniversity Blockbuster Permanently LOST me and my family as Customers in 1998.

[@VOAN]

Interesting, it's sad what happen to Blockbuster but life goes one. Things won't just go back to how it was before now that everything is online nowadays.

[@pete49327]

Movie Gallery! Who remembers them?

[@MovieUniversity]

😭😭😭😭

[@wildsurfer12]

I’m surprised they didn’t make Blockbuster Studios. Imagine seeing a movie start with “A Blockbuster Original!”

[@The_Husband_of_Jane_Lane]

I used to have some Blockbusters in Santa Clara County. One on El Camino and Kiley in Santa Clara, one on Stevens Creek, Blvd. and one in Sunnyvale on El Camino, Maria Ln. and Linden Ave. I miss renting video games from there, as well as some movies and TV episodes/TV shows.

[@Lawliet734]

How on earth did you get so many shots of old newspapers? I add myself to the long list of viewers who find the background music too loud; it shouldn't be that loud except in the intro and outro. Vox is a channel that sets the standard.

[@Texasmilitarydepartmentvid9654]

Nobody ever talks about Hollywood Video & Family Video .

[@MovieUniversity]

True. But I don’t think they had anywhere near the brand recognition of BB. Ive often thought about doing a video on Hollywood Video.

[@bobdylan5705]

Thank you for the well-produced in-depth documentary! I'm actually in the process of getting a 1/6 scale recreation of a 90s Era store made. Would you be available to consult on a few details for accuracy?

[@MovieUniversity]

sure thing. email me at [e-mail]

[@citygirl5705]

I just watched "The Last Blockbuster" documentary. As you know, it was focused more on nostalgia than the business. Most of the documentary was good, but it went on too long and had interviews with some people who were just not that interesting. In particular, some weird documentary filmmaker and some annoying black guy. Could have done without them.

[@damiancruzfernandez3707]

Amazing channel

[@KingFluffs]

My town in the UK *STILL* had it's Blockbuster VHS logo (with working illumination even after being closed for over a decade... who payed for that lighting bill I wouldn't like to know) up until late last year when the unit (and the Staples besides it) was bought out and converted to the upteenth gym (There's now 9 within a square mile of one another...)

[@barrioscorona215]

Amazing.

[@mitzysmith8850]

❤️Block Buster❤️🍿🤩🤙

[@gloriaescovedo3429]

Blockbuster was life at one time... it was all cool 😎 Friday night was Blockbuster night 🌙 😎

[@MovieUniversity]

I agree. My dad would take me to Blockbuster on Friday nights. We'd pick out a couple of movies. Grab pizza on the way home. Life was good back then.

[@hardrays]

i remember Movies to Go and others until blockbuster put them out of business by being a high volume outfit. so there.

[@DarinCates]

SO WELL DONE except who thought the last store managers mumbling into their webcams was a good idea? It only slowed down the important info and brought nothing interesting. :)

[@valentincavazzos4420]

Blockbuster is making a comeback slowly and carefully

[@deepmindofx8148]

You wish

[@DuckGoddies]

Yeah right

[@valentincavazzos4420]

@@deepmindofx8148 well to be honest I'm not getting my hopes up I'm just hoping if it's possible that's it things change

[@rogueraccoon1840]

Thank God there's still 1 left in Oregon which now it's become super famous for holding out and being the last blockbuster on earth that's still open till this day so I'm gonna go check it out since I haven't been in a blockbuster in 15 years

[@infernalchaos1066]

Lol. I've actually rented from the Blockbuster in Ketchikan, Alaska, when I lived there. It wasn't the last one at that time, though.

[@derek-64]

Nice video. However, i feel that there are way too many streaming services and i think the bubble will eventually burst. And good for the last Blockbuster for staying open. There's also a small local video store in my area i went to when i was younger that's still open. I haven't been to it in quite some time but i just don't rent. Also, i prefer being able to buy and own my movies and other entertainment media. I also prefer physical media so i still buy my movies on dvd and physical games. Now could Blockbuster make a comeback? Who knows?

[@MovieUniversity]

I tried to leave opinion out of the video so it would stay purely historical. I think most people who come to my channel come for the info to learn and don't care about my opinion. However, I agree with you. Eventually the streaming would have gotten to them one way or another. But they had all the tools for success and squandered it. I think on top of Blockbuster online, BB could still rent out physical media to the hardcore buffs like you and me, there's definitely still a small market where you could rent out 4k and bluray discs in addition to having a streaming service. For me at least, I rent digital mostly. I buy physical media for action movies. Dunkirk, Ford v Ferrari, 1917 all in my 4k physical collection. But things like horror or comedy I'll rent digital off Vudu. I think BB is making a comeback now! =D You saw the end of the video right?

[@derek-64]

@@MovieUniversity i don't know if i would consider it a comeback. too early to tell. but i still view streaming(no pun intended) as a rental service. i personally want to buy my movies and i prefer physical because i want the actual product.

[@valentincavazzos4420]

@@MovieUniversity in my place there was a place that used to be papa John's now it's for lease hopefully they put a blockbuster there

[@MovieUniversity]

Really? Where is this?

[@valentincavazzos4420]

@@MovieUniversity in Texas

[@Mario87456]

You know Blockbuster could make a comeback if they focused on video game rentals mostly as video game rental is something that is lacking with a lot of companies like Nintendo.

[@arthsable]

Good video, I am quite nostalgic of that time. Hard to understand how they could make so many mistakes.

[@MovieUniversity]

Seriously! When doing the research for this I couldn’t believe all the stuff I kept finding out. I stopped adding things because the length of the video was getting so long.

[@MovieUniversity]

To this? It’s already an hour long? What more do you want to know???

[@MovieUniversity]

Fair point. And yes, there is.I won’t be doing one though. If I were to do that I would have had to do it during the initial editing of this video. I guess down the road I could do an “extended edition” of this. A lot of the stuff I left on the editing floor would be sprinkled throughout this video making a “part 2” impossible.

[@joeybaseball7352]

That blockbuster theme park sounded really cool though. Should've been in NY though. Not Florida.

[@MovieUniversity]

Why NY?

[@dhrgkbqxtjr2743]

It would have been a waste of precious space in New York

[@cooperbourke7717]

The evolution of Home Entertainment consumption is truly fascinating to me. I think in the long run, yes Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, etc. are superior for the vast majority of consumers because of how convenient and affordable it is. But for the Collector in me, physically owning a Movie or Show on Disc is way better.

[@MovieUniversity]

I think people used to think streaming was cheaper. But there are so many services now we're back in the days of price of cable TV.

[@lajollaseal]

Well done my friend! I knew you when 😉

[@DAnaSchweinberg]

Seems like Antioco would have stopped Netflix in its track if he was only allowed to. Man that board really messed up.

[@chriscartoons32022]

First, btw love ur vids cuz I'm a moviegoer to. I'm Christian and I'm 15😊

[@MovieUniversity]

Thank you 😊

[@LuisKerch]

Mark my words movie rental stores will be back, is not about the convenience is about the experience and commitment to watch something you have already paid for.

[@briannotafan3368]

1 thing i liked about blockbuster was the store i went to if you rented 4 you got a microwave butter popcorn & a box of candy i always got dots or snaps or whoppers

[@johndalton3180]

I worked at Blockbuster Music in Los Angeles, circa 1993. It was kinda absurd. It had been a Music Plus, and they retained employees from them. But, new hired had to give a hair sample for a drug test. Can you imagine? They wanted MUSIC STORE people to be completely drug free. I was a clean teen (at the time) so I was accepted. But the feel of the store was way too goody goody. No surprise Blockbuster Music failed.

[@justin_casers_she_her2755]

Well done! Like the Independent doc “Dozer”, I hope you’ll be hearing from the likes of N. F., Prime, Hulu, or perhaps befitting of this Works Magellan’s people oughtta DM you to schedule a meeting ✊🏼. I’m glad my friend told me to seek this piece out; thank you for all timeline stats with news clippings edited in to support the Copy. I didn’t know the relation$hip between B. B. and D. Z.. must mention how much I loved that pay-to-play with my children indoor business. When I had to tell my now later 20-Something’s that ‘our’ Discovery Zone in West Hills CA closed for business, my boys cried. Can’t fib. I got pheklempt too as I realized that our primary option for something similar was going to be the Vegas training ground aka Chuck E. Cheese’s with its indoor play spaces being more appeasements than of primary objective for use of space:profiteering in that corporation’s model. PS: I do miss the concept of physically going to a location with friends or with children to negotiate viewing and gaming options. Besides the benefits of physically spending time with other people, offering study/chore rewards in visits to a blockbuster; or hours of developmentally appropriate physical interactive D. Z. play dates might date me big time; but I’ll continue to recognize these as of the best of our urban buy-ins that might be extinct; but forever on the sentimental shelves of our 90’s-early 2000’s collective hearts. Again, thank you. I’ll be Sharing this one! 😊👍🏼

[@MovieUniversity]

Glad I help fill your need for nostalgia!

[@aaronjohnson4681]

i think that had all of the blockbusters and hollywood video locations had adapted and competed against streaming services they probably would have be a little more successful

[@Dapope_1]

1,000th former store was in my city

[@coreyoden2866]

Redbox happened to Blockbuster. It's hard to compete with $1 movies.

[@TrackerRoo]

I would like small locally owned video rental places to make a comeback. With streaming services these days they each have their own exclusives so you cant really just go with one, you have to get two or more to get the content. Where with a legit rental place you'd be able to just go in, get what you want and go home and watch it. No having to pay Disney for their service and Netflix for theirs and then Hulu for theirs.

[@zerozerohero7189]

great video but the word decimated literally means to reduce by 10%. Blockbuster was reduced by 99.99%

[@van1976]

"Video Paradise" (Medford, MA)...my store from 1984-2004..."Hey remember VHS?" I tell people--- lol

[@higurashianduminekoconnect1702]

Remember how most blockbusters whenever shutting down and give away like movies for real cheap. Well this one location was shutting down and mean my friend assumed they were gonna go play a cheap movies but they didn't do that it got rude with us for even thinking it. When it was unheard of for them not to do that. Come to think of it I think they started getting rude to their customers period Maybe that's one of the other reasons they lost so much customers. Although I still think streaming was what ultimately killed them most of all.

[@JDMediaTV]

@44:38 at this point they have made alot of bad moves but this tops it all, how in the hell would downloding a movie on a thumb drive but such a successful idea

[@MovieUniversity]

Probably a desperate idea at the time and the company was trying anything

[@stephanielane3165]

my childhood is diapering before my eyes :(

[@gunnerseven7724]

Hey Movie University you called the DVD a Digital Video Disc. and DVD stands for Digital Versatile Disc. Look it up.

[@MovieUniversity]

It can actually mean both. dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/dvd

[@gunnerseven7724]

@@MovieUniversity fair enough!

[@gunnerseven7724]

@@MovieUniversity Great documentary though.

[@MovieUniversity]

Thanks!

[@Yoyoyo224]

What a pity that the background music is in many instances overpowering the narrator Please keep music low volume

[@MovieUniversity]

There is a pin comment at the top where you see this is addressed.

[@daviddorward7684]

I live near Orangeville, Ontario, Canada, a small town really, which had TWO Blockbuster stores at one time! Talk about over expansion! They shrunk to one store then none of course. I prefer the video/DVD rental business model to the streaming wars we have now, but that is probably because the streaming content to me, is so poor except for the Mandalorian. Anyways, the business mistakes presented are a lesson to other business which will probably choose to ignore them. Great video though.

[@brittachu]

Discovery zone hit me right in the nostalgia bone 😅

[@MovieUniversity]

Right!?!?

[@taffchris]

Same!

[@Ee-pg4nb]

Damn, are u sure u have enough ads?🤦🏽‍♀️

[@MovieUniversity]

Unfortunately, I don’t control the ads on videos. They are put in 100% bully KZbin. They really want you to get that premium membership 😐

[@ZorroComputers]

I have cancelled Netflix. They are a joke. Compared what BlockBuster used to have Netflix movie range is just abysmal. All this trend online streaming went not in a good way for consumers.

[@jakebaca264]

My dad used to take me to block party every few weeks in Albuquerque nm it was awesome

[@MovieUniversity]

the good'ol days.

[@officialtk53]

It’s not rising hard enough to reopen all of their stores, though.

[@MovieUniversity]

To think they would ever open even half of their stores is unrealistic.

[@valentincavazzos4420]

@@MovieUniversity well all we can do is hope it will come back blockbuster the stores slowly and surely it seems it's gonna happen

[@walker3808]

I loved blockbuster, would rent 5 movies at a time. That cheap movie deal they had of older movies. Ever sense blockbuster went out I stopped buying consul systems, as I liked to rent and play. No where to rent a game anymore, it is all buy buy buy. That is ok I am more of a PC gamer anyway, but I do miss my hockey games.

[@chasecastillo1593]

I put in an application back in 2010 I didn't get the job

[@drdex6880]

I met soo many girls there! Id see what movies they were renting and just started talking about it!!

[@Toxbox2008]

So in other words, Blockbuster became the WAL MART of VIDEO STORES!

[@valentincavazzos4420]

Blockbuster might rise again it can happen it seems it's happening

[@MovieUniversity]

One can only hope! What do you see that makes you think it’s making a comeback?

[@valentincavazzos4420]

@@MovieUniversity through people turning their backs on Netflix

[@MovieUniversity]

You think because some people don’t like Netflix that blockbuster is going to make a comeback? Do you factor in all the other steaming platforms into your projections?

[@christophermoody1386]

@@MovieUniversity I'm not too educated on business economics and marketing so forgive me, but I have this idea that Blockbuster could make a comeback if they change what they sell, it's a video store right? What if they started selling video cameras and accessories, they could still do the VHS and DVD rental because it's nostalgic and people dig that but if they added more departments in their stores maybe they could open more locations? Just a thought.

[@deepmindofx8148]

@@christophermoody1386 Blockbuster isn’t coming back

[@Hicks-g1m]

Blockbuster the biggest mistake they made not buying Netflix

[@DanielMussen-ob7uo]

Block Busters and Net Flix Hybrid Audio Video Library Universe 01|01|1950 - 31|12|2050 A - Z By Year Past Present Future

[@elizabethhenderson3747]

CAN YOU TONE DOWN THE MUSIC SO I CAN HEAR THE DIALOG, DHAMMMITTT.

[@DanielMussen-ob7uo]

United States|UK|Japan|South Africa

[@Goodboy0953]

1988 I began trying to get all the info I could on Blockbuster. I loved moves and thought it would be terrific business. Living in a small town a buddy of mine started a video rental store out of a closet at a movie theatre. So I sent off for the franchising info. At the time the minimum out of pocket to open a Blockbuster store was $750,000, not including the building! Blockbuster was able to grow because they realized that the money was in New Releases and if you could afford to purchase 50 copies of top new release movie people would come to your store period… The problem with buying multiple copies back in 1989 through about 1994 was that a movies were released every week with a retail price on average of $89 plus per copy. Video store owners could purchase that same movie for $64 with discounts further based on the number of copies you purchased the previous months. So when I opened Box Office Hits each new movie cost me about $62. There were no $10 catalog movies these movies cost between $34 and $50. A buddy of mine owned a Blockbuster and every week he averaged $7 to $8,000 for the new releases that week. This did not include games because you had to go to someone that imported Nintendo or Sega there were no game distributors for the rental stores. The games cost about $40 and if you were lucky to find a guy who was usually from Japan and spoke broken English he could provide you with the games. Video store shelving companies popped up all over the country. Slat-wall was used and these store designers would include kid castles and beautiful shelving which if you wanted to be like Blockbuster you had to have a nice big clean store. In 1990 I opened my first store in small town of twenty thousand and the shelving fixtures with kid castle cost over $30,000. The computer program along with three terminals was almost $20,000. Then you had the nice theatre still poster marques with lights for double sided top of the line each was $1400, popcorn fancy cart and cotton candy cart like at the fair with spoke wheels $6500. Lots of money just to open the doors…

[@Goodboy0953]

The decline of video stores began when the studios began pricing movies on release day at $19.95 for sell through. Up till about 1994 the consumer could not get a new release unless he either paid full price or they went to a video store to rent. Back thin the theatre got the movie first, about 10 months later the video store got the movie, then about a year later you would see it at Walmart….

[@Goodboy0953]

In 1992, video rental was more profitable for the studios than the movie theatre.

[@Goodboy0953]

Late Fees were a make or break for every store. I rent a movie to you the day it comes out for $3. That movie only has at most 45 days to pay for itself. I paid $62.00 plus I have daily expenses not to mention every week I have to spend thousands of dollars to keep people coming in my store. Customer keeps the movie for an extra day and brings it back late. Well, during the the first few weeks of its release I would have rented that same movie had you brought back. So the most money I can make on that movie is $21.00 but two customers kept the movie an extra day. So I lost $6. At a time when people wanted to rent that movie.. You do t rent a car for a day and bring it back day late. I had to issue warrants for peoples arrest because they decided to just keep the movie. Yes people were arrested and I had to go to court every time. They paid the late fines some owed as much as $1200…. Some as little as $100 plus the retail cost of the movie..😮😮😮😮

[@Goodboy0953]

Blockbuster stoped late fees when they began sharing the revenue with the studios. They didn’t have huge upfront cost ,most of them paid $5 to $10 upfront if any!

[@ZorroComputers]

Amazingly they rented their shops. Why not buy the property, they had billions of cash.

[@MovieUniversity]

Who knows man. Probably didn't feel like messing with the taxes each year.

[@chrisredfield8548]

Those quotes at the end about interest in the Blockbuster brand. Gimme a break, it's about content and price. Who cares about the provider? 🤷‍♂️

[@allenmarvetsthewildbuck3205]

Wait they tried opening a amusement park???

[@MovieUniversity]

yup

[@DanielMussen-ob7uo]

America and Europe and Africa and Asia and USA and UK and South Africa and Japan