MovieChat Forums > The Last Blockbuster (2020) Discussion > Great!

Great!

posted 4 years ago by micbarry (125)
13 replies | jump to latest

I really enjoyed this loving ode to the video rental store. This feature length documentary was very polished and well produced and really captured the feeling of both working at as well as being a customer of video stores.

The first part talks about the origins of the rental store and the rise and fall of Blockbuster Video, the world's largest rental chain. The second part celebrates the owner of the titular store, her family, and her new-found worldwide celebrity.

Overall, I think this documentary does a fantastic job of capturing the era of renting a tape or disc from a physical store rather than scrolling and streaming movies. What a time it was.

Highly recommended!

[–] old3eyes (329) 4 years ago

Did it cover the closure and conversion of the last one at Bend, Oregon?

[–] micbarry (125) 4 years ago

They do cover the history of the Bend, Oregon location: it started out as an independent store, and they talk about the conversion to Blockbuster, and there's even a bit of suspense towards the end when the owner is waiting to find out from Dish Network (the owners of Blockbuster, Inc) whether or not her Blockbuster licence will be renewed.

As of the making of the film, the location was still in business, and as I understand it, it remains so as of today!

[–] old3eyes (329) 4 years ago

Thanx for that. Must look up the movie.

[–] brux (14724) 4 years ago

Doesn't it make you mad that the studios do not have to go through all the country to maintain VHS, DVD and BlueRay factories, they don't have to buy plastic, tape, or whatever, they don't have to ship these things all over the country, they can just give one digital copy to all the streaming services, sit back and collect the money. They do not have to send out hardcopy to theaters, or advertising material or share the money with theaters.

So why are rental prices even more than they used to be before. But of course some movies do flop like the recent "Unhinged" with Russel Crowe, and terrible movie if I ever saw one, and I was sucker enough to watch it. They put the movies out first you have to buy them, then weeks later you can rent them at a huge price, then weeks after that they will drop down to regular pricing ... but a dog like Unhinged dropped to $2.99 in a matter of days. Looks like no on wants to see a raging 350 pound Russell Crowe I guess.

[–] unsanesarah (249) 4 years ago

Not only that, which is all true, but they can edit and even memory hole things later on and all your digital purchases vanish. It's all smoke, now, impossible to grasp and maybe gone any minute. Yes, people save and pirate and download, but those will be anomalies, tiny fractions, the masses to just accept that a thing is changed or gone completely. And at some point even the ability to save them will be a thing of the past. Everything plastic and subject to the whims of future politics.

[–] micbarry (125) 4 years ago

I think it's good to buy a Blu Ray or DVD of any movie that you really like for the reasons you stated.

[–] brux (14724) 4 years ago

It appears to me that at some point in the future none of the garbage they produce would be worth saving anyhow! ;-)

[–] micbarry (125) 4 years ago

True enough!!

[–] micbarry (125) 4 years ago

I have thought about this, too, and the same can be said for games! Often, you can buy a Playstation game on a disc for the same price or even less than the digital version.

[–] moviechatterer (15583) 4 years ago

i guess the cost of producing and shipping a disc isnt a significant portion of the price.
new big Games cost around $60? i think.

Blank discs used to cost about 20c , back in the day when everyone wanted them

[–] micbarry (125) 4 years ago

That makes sense. I'm guessing that running server farms isn't free, either.

[–] Mikeman77 (835) 4 years ago

End of late fees so stupid.

[–] yatzo376 (7717) 4 years ago

Loved the nostalgia!
I remember walking to the video store during snow days early 80s