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Blockbuster Video Now Has Just One Store Left On Earth (apnews.com)

Posted by msmash on from the how-about-that dept.

Cutting_Crew writes: After the last remaining Blockbuster Video store closed in Australia on March 31st, there is only one remaining left on earth. That location is in Bend, Oregon and seems to be a thriving location, where they write out membership cards by hand and the system is rebooted using floppy disks, apparently only something one person, the general manager, knows how to do. If you are wondering how there could be still blockbuster videos open since they went bankrupt back in 2010, the remaining stores left open were independent franchises and were separate from most of the other corporate stores, thus not part of the bankruptcy. There was also an Onion video before they even went bankrupt that's pretty funny. I remember getting a membership way back in late 90s and new releases were $8 per night. Even then, that seemed way too expensive. What are your most memorable (good or bad) memories of your local blockbuster?

3 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. I wish there were more video stores by DogDude · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I miss video stores. I miss them almost daily. Streaming has no selection at all. Netflix's DVD service isn't bad, but it takes a week or so to get something that I want to see. I miss being able to get a pizza and a movie to watch over dinner. I have a huge video collection at home, but getting new stuff is still a PITA (order through Netflix DVD).

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
    1. Re:I wish there were more video stores by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Decades ago I took a date to Tower Records. Dinner and perusing Tower Records. That was the date. I bought her a CD of Phil Collin's Hello I Must Be Going as a gift. I married her, and the CD is still in our collection, so it all worked out OK.

  2. There were better options by plazman30 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I grew up in Philadelphia and we had a chain of video rental stores around here called West Coast Video. When Blockbuster came around, WCV really stepped up their game with more foreign and rare stuff you couldn't get from Blockbuster. I ended up going there more than Blockbuster.

    Then I discovered Movies Unlimited, another store that catered to more obscure stuff. They even rented Laser Discs!

    But I do miss video rental stores daily. I think they were great. Some cheese steaks and a DVD from West Coast Video made for a nice cheap date at home.