America Is In Love With Blockbuster Video Again
As we mentioned last year, even though the pandemic has been a real Garfield to the helpless lasagna that is small business, the world's sole remaining Blockbuster Video in Bend, Oregon, is still in operation goddammit. Yup, in spite of recent economic horrors and the fact that it's not 1992 anymore, the world still has a Blockbuster. The store was also the focus of the new documentary The Last Blockbuster, which just hit Netflix and quickly became a huge hit among fans of '90s nostalgia and cruel twists of fate.
Thankfully, the doc only increased the store's popularity, and as a result, the store's website is reportedly moving tons of merchandise, including t-shirts, facemasks, and "dress socks" for occasions too formal for Moviefone-themed socks.
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As big fans of video stores ourselves, we're thrilled that the newfound attention is helping to keep this precious landmark in business. But it's not just the store in Bend; Blockbuster nostalgia is seemingly sweeping the nation. In cities like Detroit and Philadelphia, people have been erecting Blockbuster-themed "take a movie, leave a movie" boxes for cinephiles who, say, want to borrow a DVD copy of Eurotrip for free with zero judgment.
And some folks are already cashing in on the renewed popularity of the Blockbuster brand; on eBay right now, you can buy a legit Blockbuster marquee sign, from a South Texas store, at a starting bid of $150,000. Presumably, the signs from all the mom-and-pop stores it put out of business are sold separately.
If you don't live in Bend and aren't able to trek down to the last Blockbuster to rent a DVD of, like, Kangaroo Jack or something, there are Blockbuster-branded products available for sale on their website.
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Top Image: Adwo/Shutterstock
