What does it mean for you to make it a Blockbuster night?
What do you remember most about visiting Blockbuster Video?
When I visited the last Blockbuster in Bend, OR a few weeks ago, I was hit with a blast of nostalgia. I could tell I wasn’t alone — there were droves of people combing the aisles and it didn’t seem like they were there just to rent Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 (iykyk).
Like me, so many others flock to the last Blockbuster to take photos or buy merch. It’s also likely that the t-shirt, hat, mug, etc. sales are what’s keeping the store afloat. But the store also serves as a bit of a time capsule. There’s even a stanchioned area designed to look like a Blockbuster’d living room, and had it not been for the contemporary television, you’d swear it was zapped into the store from the 90s.
Stepping foot inside of the last Blockbuster video was special, but it wasn’t a truly authentic Blockbuster experience. When I was a kid, I remember spending hours combing the aisles looking for a video to rent or begging my mom to let me rent a Sega Genesis, a special treat for long weekends or if I came home with a decent report card. The yellow walls and seemingly endless array of movies were a portal to something special — maybe it was discovering my new favorite movie, taking a risk on an unknown film because it had cool cover art, or finding something goofy to watch with friends that would culminate in dozens of inside jokes.
However, the last Blockbuster in Bend is more of a museum than anything, paying homage to itself. There are some DVDs and Blu-Rays available to rent or buy, but the main feature of the store is its wall of fame. There are newspaper articles and autographs from celebrity visitors. There are even tributes to the documentary, The Last Blockbuster. I’m thrilled that this place exists. Visiting it is a truly unique experience, which is odd considering that walking into a Blockbuster was once routine. If you’ve visited the Bend, OR Blockbuster, tell us what you thought!
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What do you remember most about visiting Blockbuster Video?
