Pour One Out for Blockbuster

[Subby]

Since my boy cartman hasn't called time of death yet, I figured I would start a thread. Hard to believe one of the businesses that was ubiquitous in the 90s and early aughts is gone forever. Not really sad or anything, but I bet they will be a great business school case study alongside Tower Records, Polaroid, etc..

Blockbuster is Closing its Last 300 Stores

Blockbuster’s brick and mortar locations will be extinct by New Year’s Day.

Although physical Blockbuster stores have been few and far between, parents company DISH announced Wednesday that it will shutter the doors of the last 300 U.S. stores by the end of the year and end its by-mail DVD distribution service by early January.

“This is not an easy decision, yet consumer demand is clearly moving to digital distribution of video entertainment,” DISH CEO Joseph P. Clayton said.

Instead, Blockbuster will focus on streaming content to DISH customers.

Read more: Blockbuster is Closing its Last 300 Stores | TIME.com Blockbuster is Closing its Last 300 Stores | TIME.com

[cartman]

Randy Marsh is inconsolable.

[spleen1015]

Good. Fuck Blockbuster.

How many stores did they build right next to your local mom & pop video store in the 90s? Screw em.

[Subby]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

Good. Fuck Blockbuster.

How many stores did they build right next to your local mom & pop video store in the 90s? Screw em.

I remember how pissed I was when they completely ripped off Netflix with their DVD by mail program. Innovate or die.

[dubb93]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

Good. Fuck Blockbuster.

How many stores did they build right next to your local mom & pop video store in the 90s? Screw em.

Movie Gallery put out my local mom & pop store by offering super cheap rentals that eventually ballooned in price after the mom & pop closed.

I'm not sad to see any of these big rental places close.

[Alan T]

Originally Posted by Subby

I remember how pissed I was when they completely ripped off Netflix with their DVD by mail program. Innovate or die.

I actually preferred Blockbuster to Netflix when they first started doing that because they had the plan where you could return your mail back DVD to the store and pick up another movie in the store for free as part of your monthly plan while waiting for the next dvd via mail to arrive.

It gave the best of both worlds, the convenience of having DVDs mailed to you with the ability to just go in and pick up a movie, including new releases.

As soon as they stopped doing that, we cancelled, went with netflix primarily and then started supplementing it eventually with redbox instead.

[Maple Leafs]

So does this mean I don't have to pay my late fees on The Fugitive now?

[Arles]

Originally Posted by Alan T

I actually preferred Blockbuster to Netflix when they first started doing that because they had the plan where you could return your mail back DVD to the store and pick up another movie in the store for free as part of your monthly plan while waiting for the next dvd via mail to arrive.

It gave the best of both worlds, the convenience of having DVDs mailed to you with the ability to just go in and pick up a movie, including new releases.

As soon as they stopped doing that, we cancelled, went with netflix primarily and then started supplementing it eventually with redbox instead.

Agreed and we have followed the same path. But, it was cool when I could get some older movies I enjoyed via mail and save one up for Tuesday and drop it off in the store for a free new release rental.

That said, the redbox model + netflix streaming works well and is much cheaper. Still, part of me is sad to see the death of the movie rental place.

[Suicane75]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

So does this mean I don't have to pay my late fees on The Fugitive now?

I was so happy when my town shut down it's public library, that bigfoot book I took out in 6th grade and never returned had been weighing on my conscience for 20 years.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by DISH CEO Joseph P. Clayton

This is not an easy decision

Incorrect.

[Easy Mac]

I'm a little sad. I've been getting free movies by mail/in store by slightly changing my e-mail address for about the past 3 years. A store was 5 minutes from my home, so it was pretty much a carousel of movies and TV shows.

I guess I'll have to see what sort of liquidation deals they have.

[molson]

Has a company ever succeeded in buying a tarnished brand like Blockbuster and actually turned it around? DISH spent $300 million to try it with Blockbuster.

[JeeberD]

I finally took my Blockbuster card out of my wallet a few weeks ago after having not used it in about ten years.

[SteveMax58]

Originally Posted by molson

Has a company ever succeeded in buying a tarnished brand like Blockbuster and actually turned it around? DISH spent $300 million to try it with Blockbuster.

Doubt they cared about the B&M aspect of Blockbuster. Probably the idea that they had a working OTT delivery model already that they could eventually rebrand into DISH.

I was discussing this with my wife the other day, the nostalgia of going to Blockbuster & picking out movies. On one hand, its inconceivably inefficient & limiting in selection and we obviously rejected this as a desirable way to rent movies as has the vast majority of people on the planet. On the other hand, it was kind of one of those things you got excited to go & do and brings back good memories.

[RainMaker]

Funny but there is this huge Family Video I drive past and can't figure out how they stay in business. Haven't seen a Blockbuster around in a long time.

As bad as it got, they are still a part of our culture that I remember growing up with.

[Desnudo]

Where are there still blockbusters open?

[sovereignstar v2]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

Where are there still blockbusters open?

Blockbuster In Store Specials and Membership Options

[RainMaker]

Also I'm glad a company that was so hell bent on fucking over their customers for years got shutdown by an innovative company that actually cared about their customer experience.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Desnudo

Where are there still blockbusters open?

There is actually one close to my house. Ironically enough my wife just opened an account because we really wanted my son to see the Lion King and they had it available.

[molson]

Apparently there will be 50 left that were franchised. How'd you like to be the guy holding onto a blockbuster franchise?

[Mota]

Surprisingly an independent company opened up a rental store nearly a year ago in my town. We were pretty excited since our Blockbuster had closed, but the concept of the movie you wanted to see being out, and to have to drive back to return the movie afterwards felt so draconian. We're an Apple TV family now for sure.

[cthomer5000]

Inconceivable 20 years go. Unimaginable that it would take this long 10 years ago.

[RainMaker]

I just don't see how any video store can survive. I have Netflix which a lot of people have. But even without that there are like 10 places you can rent movies and stream them to your TV.

[Mota]

This happened in Canada about 2 years ago, but I think we weren't ready yet. Internet packages aren't unlimited here, I know that my bill skyrocketed because I had to pay high usage fees. They have since offered unlimited plans so at this point I do think it's much easier to press a button at home and start watching.

[Fidatelo]

This may sound silly, but I watch less movies now than I did when we still had Blockbuster. It was kind of a big deal to say "lets rent a movie tonight!" and then head out into the cold to the big store. Then we'd wander around the giant walls of boxes and eventually pick something out. Often, and this is probably the telling scenario, we wouldn't really be feeling any of the options, but because we'd already gone to the trouble of going to the store we'd rent something anyways.

Now we will sometimes, but rarely, peruse the On Demand listings from our cable provider and if something really jumps out at us we'll order it up. But most often we just watch a couple episodes of Million Dollar Listings and then go to bed.

Of course, having two small kids may also have changed our habits, but who knows

[Butter]

I remember how exciting it was when they had an entire wall of the same movie to see when they only had ONE case left sitting behind all of the others that were rented out. YES, WE GOT THE LAST ONE!!! Or the half hour wander-fest that ensued when they were out of the one new release that you and everyone else wanted to see.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

I'm a little sad. I've been getting free movies by mail/in store by slightly changing my e-mail address for about the past 3 years. .

No wonder they went out of business...

[fantom1979]

Originally Posted by Butter_of_69

I remember how exciting it was when they had an entire wall of the same movie to see when they only had ONE case left sitting behind all of the others that were rented out. YES, WE GOT THE LAST ONE!!! Or the half hour wander-fest that ensued when they were out of the one new release that you and everyone else wanted to see.

I remember standing at the counter at blockbuster waiting to see if they happened to get a popular movie checked back in.


As technology keeps getting better and TV sizes seem to continue to increase, how long before we posting about AMC, Regal, or Cinemark going out of business.

[SteveMax58]

Originally Posted by fantom1979

I remember standing at the counter at blockbuster waiting to see if they happened to get a popular movie checked back in.


As technology keeps getting better and TV sizes seem to continue to increase, how long before we posting about AMC, Regal, or Cinemark going out of business.

People like me out there working on it!

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

This may sound silly, but I watch less movies now than I did when we still had Blockbuster. It was kind of a big deal to say "lets rent a movie tonight!" and then head out into the cold to the big store. Then we'd wander around the giant walls of boxes and eventually pick something out. Often, and this is probably the telling scenario, we wouldn't really be feeling any of the options, but because we'd already gone to the trouble of going to the store we'd rent something anyways.

I think this is very true - easier isn't always better imho, renting a movie was very much an 'event' ... you'd prepare for it, pick up snacks and then watch the movie.

These days because its an impulse thing its less special and thus less interesting to people generally, I think Cinema will survive while its still special and they get things early - if they stop getting movies before download then they're over.

[Logan]

I don't even like going into the other room in my 2 BR apt to grab a DVD...would rather burn through the DVR or watch something on demand/through Netflix, even if it's something I've seen before.

Viewing habits have definitely changed with convenience.