Goodbye to Blockbuster!

[heem6]

I drove by my local Blockbuster tonight and noticed it was going out of business. I stopped in to see if there were any deals. Everything was still priced higher than I could have found it elsewhere! I remember they started off well in the "DVD by Mail" business. I was a customer. But it really turned me off a few years later when they jumped prices and reduced what was included in each plan at the same time. And the ridiculous late fee policies! Clearly they had been trying to drive NetFlix out of business and then come back and jack up prices for everyone else. But, you know, it's kind of the end of an era. As I see things changing so quickly anymore, sometimes I don't even stop to think about it. But I stopped tonight partially so I would remember the end of the video store era. Just like when the Mom & Pop video stores all went bust. There used to be some great little stores you could go into here and rent off the wall movies - and really, it was so novel to be able to watch what you wanted to watch when you wanted to watch it back then. After growing up with only 3 network stations and PBS it was a real treat to have choices and alternate viewing options! So goodbye and good riddance to Blockbuster. We'll soon be saying hello to something else new - and maybe it will be the next magical thing that will make us wonder what we did before we had it!

www.csmonitor.com/Business/Latest-News-Wires/2010/0924/Blockbuster-bankrupt-but-small-video-stores-thrive

[stratznhatz]

Funny you should bring that up Jim. I was talking with my wife about it a couple of days ago. We were watching 'Ferris Bueller's day off' on TV and I commented on how that was the first video I ever rented way back when...'86 or '87 I think, and how it's something that's dying out, most movie rental places are probably relying more on video game rental these days.
Guess we're showing our age now buddy!

[heem6]

Ah, Ferris. What a great movie!

The first videotape I ever owned (it was a dupe) was a movie called "Videodrome" with James Woods and Deborah Harry (Blondie) directed by David Cronenberg. That must have been in '83 or '84.

[stratznhatz]

Don't remember that one Jim, guess it was way before my time.....!

If it's got Debbie Harry in it though it'll be worth a watch!

[lbeast]

I still have my first VHS video tape from 1986. "RATT!" with the first two albums worth of videos and some interviews.