The Last Blockbuster

[StevePulaski]

The Last Blockbuster (2020)
Directed by: Taylor Morden

The front of the last remaining Blockbuster video-store in Bend, Oregon.

Rating: ★★★

Admittedly, I was a Family Video kid growing up. I can recall setting foot into a Blockbuster twice. The news of its closing nonetheless upset me when I heard it. Only mere weeks ago did Family Video bite the dust too. The United States is now bereft of video rental stores; at least corporate ones. The mom-and-pop places that are focused on cult horror and other oddities of cinema remain needles in vast haystacks. I'd argue they are as essential as websites like Something Weird Video and Vinegar Syndrome in terms of film preservation.

Nevertheless, one remaining Blockbuster video-store still exists — in Bend, Oregon. It's become an internet staple, and the store manages to attract customers from all over the country. Its existence demands a documentary, and thanks to director Taylor Morden, writer Zeke Kamm, and the many backers of the film's overwhelmingly successful Kickstarter campaign, the shop will be forever remembered thanks to The Last Blockbuster, a film well-worth seeing for anyone vying for a trip down nostalgia lane.

Let's talk about this last remaining Blockbuster. It's independently franchised, and has been since it overtook a Pacific Video well over a decade ago. It's run by a warm, friendly woman named Sandi Harding, known locally as the "Blockbuster mom" having employed nearly every teenager in town at one point or another. Some of the doc's most fascinating moments come when we simply observe her conducting day-to-day operations. Including, but not limited to: sifting through the returns, restocking shelves, cleaning, repairing signage, or even disassembling old computers in order to salvage parts for their classic POS system.

Sandi goes above and beyond for her customers. She frequents Target for additional copies of new releases, and will special order a movie they don't have upon customer requests. As much as it is a wealth of information about Blockbuster's beginnings, fast rise, and tragic fall, the documentary is a loving ode to people like Sandi. If you've frequented video-stores or media resale shops, you know the type. The one with whom you can have a casual conversation, the one you can nudge for a recommendation or two, or the one willing to go the extra mile to assure you're satisfied.

The younger generation won't understand the archaic concept of getting in your car, driving to a store, wandering shelves, and settling on a single movie. Half the time, it was the friends you made and the intoxicating experience that made it worth it. Familiar faces pop up throughout The Last Blockbuster — including Doug Benson (Super High Me), Brian Posehn (The Sarah Silverman Program), Jamie Kennedy, and of course, Kevin Smith — and further expound upon the fun of staring at the cluttered shelves of movies.

Even Lloyd Kaufman of Troma fame shows up for a hilarious cameo, with nary a kind word to say about Blockbuster. Blockbuster was famously stern about what movies they allowed into their stores (I always found it funny that Blockbuster wouldn't carry NC-17 nor pornographic movies, but Family Video proudly did, even having certain softcore titles out on the main floor). You wouldn't find a copy of The Toxic Avenger in Blockbuster; a corporate one at least.

The Last Blockbuster also dispels the common belief that Netflix and other streaming services single-handedly killed the chain. While certainly an aspect of it, the company saw numerous management changes and acquisitions that left them with crippling debt. Their decision to do away with late fees (coupled with "rewind fees" becoming irrelevant with DVDs) was a perplexing one from a business standpoint. The company wound up losing $250 million from that decision alone in practically no time, more than halving their overall revenue.

It is true that at one point Blockbuster had option to acquire Netflix. What a world we'd live in if that happened. Instead, Blockbuster turned them down. By the time they went the Netflix/Redbox route by mailing DVDs and investing in kiosk technology, the economy crashed in 2007. At that point, Blockbuster had over $1 billion in debt, and no one wanted to invest in the potential. Netflix was roaring, had the capital to support itself, and no brick-and-mortar locations to worry about.

The Last Blockbuster, along with its many fun guests, remind us movie-lovers how video-stores and theaters are safe havens. The weightlessness of streaming a movie is glaring when compared to the physical media we used to lug from the store to our homes. Kevin Smith brings up a great point about how the rapid disappearance of these places coupled with the lack of socialization prompted by technological convenience leads to a world less graceful — and ultimately less fun. You see it now with the pandemic.

Video-stores are (were?) an irreplaceable social conduit. They certainly were responsible in shaping my love for the medium of film. The Last Blockbuster is an affectionately made documentary, if sometimes a little too cutesy with its cutaway jokes and loose editing. If you want to see this film, I highly recommend shelling out the cash and ordering the film from the Bend store's website. You support the shop in doing so, and streaming this documentary simply doesn't feel right.

NOTE: While available to stream via Netflix, The Last Blockbuster DVD/Blu-ray combo-pack is available via the Bend Blockbuster's website: bendblockbuster.com/product/last-blockbuster-movie-pre-order/

Directed by: Taylor Morden.