Movie Review: ‘The Last Blockbuster’ might take you back, but that’s about it

By Matt Pascarella

Running time 86 minutes

I remember walking on the blue carpet through a sea of video tapes, trying to find the perfect one for my Friday or Saturday night. What’s a video tape? Good question. You hardly see them anymore unless you come across a stack in the basement or find a row or pile of unwanted movies at Goodwill.

There was a day when video tapes and Blockbuster were a real treat. You’d walk around for a while looking for a movie; you’d pick up some snacks and popcorn, order pizza or takeout and you had all the ingredients for a perfect night.

In 2018, there were only four operating Blockbusters in the country. Three of them were in Alaska and one in Oregon. In 2019, the three in Alaska closed. This is an interesting documentary, that did give me some nostalgia, but I don’t think I feel the same way about the movie renting process as Kevin Smith does.

You can do everything I just mentioned without getting off the couch. Now it is almost impossible to find an open Blockbuster anywhere. Unless you live in or around Bend, Oregon where Sandi Harding, the Blockbuster Mom, has been running the last remaining Blockbuster.

“The Last Blockbuster” is a trip down memory lane. Various individuals, some involved with the company, some who just enjoyed it and one individual who really dislikes it, talk about what Blockbuster meant to them growing up. The documentary explains how Blockbuster got started, gives an overview of the store at its prime, how it began to fall apart, what finally killed it and how Harding’s store remains open. Personalities reminisce about renting movies and go on about how much they like the video store experience.

In 1985, the first Blockbuster was opened in Dallas, Texas. It offered a bigger selection and longer hours. Over time, the mom-and-pop video stores became Blockbusters. It only grew from there. Until it didn’t.

When Harding started in 2004, there were roughly 9,000 Blockbuster stores and at the height of popularity, there was one opening every 17 hours.

In 2017, Blockbusters had dwindled down to only 12 stores. As of 2020, Bend, Oregon is the only one. Harding has been recognized and interviewed about her store from every press outlet you can think of.

“The Last Blockbuster” is available on Netflix and I’m aware of the irony in that. While I liked this documentary, I don’t miss Blockbuster. At one point, someone is describing how all Blockbusters have a certain smell – not that I remember.

It did bring back some memories, but that’s it. I like being able to order a movie from my couch. I like that there are no more late fees. I felt like the reactions to these anonymous VHS tapes were pretty drawn out and exaggerated. The information about the Bend’s Blockbuster is kind of cool, but I certainly don’t need to go there. I’m only giving this one VHS tape up.

Available on Netflix.<