‘The Last Blockbuster’ Is The Story Of A Survivor

One day, I hope to have grandchildren. I imagine telling them stories about when I was a kid. It might go a little something like this:

"Gather round, children, and let me tell you about a time when we actually had to leave the house to see a movie. We went to theaters, sat with strangers, and watched the action unfold on large screens. Oh, and the floors were sticky. So very sticky. And if we wanted to watch a movie at home, we could wait for it to show up on cable or venture back out and rent it at Blockbuster. What's Blockbuster, you ask? It was a magical place with VHS tapes, DVDs, and even candy! But all of the Blockbusters are gone now. All except one..."

It's true. There's still one Blockbuster location in Bend, Oregon (top). Netflix has a documentary about it called 'The Last Blockbuster.' It tells the story of the lone holdout and what went wrong for the company that was such a big part of my life in the '80s and '90s. Ironically, it had something to do with Netflix. The financial crisis of 2008-2009 didn't help either.

Even after moving to Charlotte in 2000, my wife and I were still going to the Blockbuster locations on East Boulevard. So why does it seem like ancient history? If I'm ever in Oregon, I'd like to make the pilgrimage to Bend. I don't have my Blockbuster card anymore, but I'd just like to walk the aisles and soak up a little bit of the past, even if that past includes some left over anxiety about paying late fees.

If you do long for the old school video store experience, you might enjoy visiting Visart Video in the Eastway Crossing Shopping Center. Otherwise, here are a few photos to remind you of Blockbuster's history: