Blockbuster is finally dead

[Dementeleus]

They're closing their last stores and shutting down their streaming service. Talk about a company that was ubiquitous yet universally hated.

 

Here are some "obituaries":

 

If you have ever complained about Netflix, Amazon Video, or any other streaming video service, you should be deported to the year 1998, and forced to find cheap entertainment on a Friday night in suburbia. That meant going to Blockbuster Video, and that meant entering a cheap-carpet scented level of hell itself.

 

http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/2013/4/26/4270310/friday-random-blockbuster-video-was-a-thing-that-existed

 

 

Blockbuster is over. It's been a slow death of a thousand pinpricks from Netflix and Redbox, but it has finally come. The chain will close its remaining 300 stores next year and shut down its streaming service.

 

Good fucking riddance.

 

 

http://badassdigest.com/2013/11/06/i-come-to-bury-blockbuster-not-to-praise-it/

Edited November 6, 2013 by Telemachos

[Ezen Baklattan]

When my Blockbuster closed, I managed to get Blu-rays of Rango, District 9, and Fantastic Mr. Fox all for $20. I must admit that I'm kind of a vulture. 

[Empire]

This actually makes me sad. I loved going to Blockbuster as a kid a walking around and looking at all of the movies.

 

Still with that said, this really comes at no surprise. I figured it would happend sooner than later.

[Dementeleus]

This actually makes me sad. I loved going to Blockbuster as a kid a walking around and looking at all of the movies.

 

Still with that said, this really comes at no surprise. I figured it would happend sooner than later.

 

I loved video stores, but Blockbuster destroyed them.

[Jack Nevada]

 

They're closing their last stores and shutting down their streaming service. Talk about a company that was ubiquitous yet universally hated.

 

Here are some "obituaries":

 

http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/2013/4/26/4270310/friday-random-blockbuster-video-was-a-thing-that-existed

 

I'm not even that familiar with Blockbuster but this made me laugh out loud

[CoolioD1]

I worked at a Blockbuster briefly around 5 years ago. Even then it was fucking dead. I'd say the amount of people who came in and actually rented a movie per week was probably, like, 4.

[Empire]

I loved video stores, but Blockbuster destroyed them.

Yeah that is true. I did hate when they came into my town and caused the other 3 video stores to close.

[Dementeleus]

I'm not even that familiar with Blockbuster but this made me laugh out loud

 

Spencer Hall is one hell of a writer.

 

Like most giant American success stories, this was a terrible plan, and worked brilliantly because your father did not want to pay nine cents more to rent from Ted's Video and Nails down the street. Ted's Video and Nails would make up the difference by doubling down on pornography and horror movies, both usually kept in a separate vault in the back that you were supposed to show I.D. to enter.

 

Ted never made you show I.D., and is a convicted sex offender now. He was back then, too, but he let you rent I Spit On Your Grave and 9 and Wild Orchid 2 without much protest. That overcame a lot of the difficulties of your relationship with Ted, and the sex offender thing.

 

Edited November 6, 2013 by Telemachos

[Hatebox]

One of my first jobs as a teen was at Blockbuster. It was horrible.

[baumer]

I don't get the hate.  What was there to hate about Blockbuster?

[Accursed Arachnid!™]

Oh, good, discounted videos for sale soon.

[Accursed Arachnid!™]

I don't get the hate.  What was there to hate about Blockbuster?

 

They lost my videos...twice and then sent me to collections for the cost of them. I think their employees would steal them and blame the renter. I know this happened in the ghetto, but still. One week, I'd go in and new releases would be 3.99/one day, then next week they'd be 4.99 for five, then the next they'd be 4.99 for three. They kept changing the rules to get late fees, which were exorbitant. The way they did business was completely bottom line focused, and no one in upper management cared about the customer or employees.

[Dementeleus]

I don't get the hate.  What was there to hate about Blockbuster?

 

Because pre-Blockbuster you had lots of little local stores, everything from mom-n-pop outfits to small local chains. If you were a customer, they got to know you, they'd recommend stuff to you depending on what you liked, it was a very personal experience. And usually they'd cut you a break if you ended up returning a movie a day late or whatever -- it wasn't this rigid corporate deal. Plus, depending on the store, they each tended to specialize in certain genres, so if you had really good options for more esoteric or obscure titles. One store might be a bit more conservative and old-fashioned, and they'd stock lots of classic films, one store might be into sic-fi/horror, etc. When I was in college, near my hometown there was actually a store that specialized in laser-disc rentals (almost unheard of outside of big cities).

 

When Blockbuster came along, they undercut the local stores by offering slightly cheaper rental prices (but steep late-return fees), and they stocked a billion copies of whatever the new releases and big Hollywood films were. So you'd have like 20-30 copies of THE FIRM on the shelf but no NEAR DARK or ERASERHEAD. And Blockbuster got so big they refused to carry certain films they felt were too much, so either companies had to put out a cut-down version (of something like DEAD ALIVE) or Blockbuster just wouldn't carry it.

 

So the end result was a billion Blockbuster stores, all carrying the same generic titles, that didn't cater to anything but the most mainstream, middle-brow taste, that hit you hard with any late frees. And all the little quirky local stores died.

[baumer]

Ok, thanks guys.  That makes sense.

[Empire]

Yeah, my biggest reason for hating them is that they ran three video stores out of town when they showed up. Not only that, but one of the local grocery stores used to rent movie too & had to stop.

 

There was one close enough that I could walk to when I was a kid. I loved to convenience of it. Another had a great selection of lesser known movies. The other one was great because had a huge video game section the others didn't have.

 

Thinking about it makes me realise I hate Blockbuster more than I thought I did.

[Dementeleus]

As a side note, I'm pleased that the indie video store I used to go to all the time when I was in college is still alive and well:

 

http://www.moviemadnessvideo.com

 

They specialized in hard to find "psychotronic videos" -- really obscure and out-there stuff. Sometimes the cover on the box would literally be a photocopied sheet of paper. It's where you could find stuff like ILSA: SHE-WOLF OF THE SS, CURSE OF THE QUEER WOLF, NEKROMANTIK, and TETSUO: THE IRON MAN.

Edited November 6, 2013 by Telemachos

[John Marston]

when I was younger I usually went to this place called Family Video. Interestingly Family Video is still around. Every time I pass it I expect it to say "Closing Down" or something but it has not

[Empire]

Speaking of Family Video, my town actually has one & it is the only video store left. I don't know how it is still standing.

[baumer]

As a side note, I'm pleased that the indie video store I used to go to all the time when I was in college is still alive and well:

 

http://www.moviemadnessvideo.com

 

They specialized in hard to find "psychotronic videos" -- really obscure and out-there stuff. Sometimes the cover on the box would literally be a photocopied sheet of paper. It's where you could find stuff like ILSA: SHE-WOLF OF THE SS, CURSE OF THE QUEER WOLF, NEKROMANTIK, and TETSUO: THE IRON MAN.

 

 

I have the box set for ILSA and I have seen NEKROMANTIK,.  

[Ozymandias]

I don't get the hate.  What was there to hate about Blockbuster?

 

late fees