The Last Blockbuster (2020) User Reviews

Fun/Unique/Nostalgic Look Back At Blockbuster Video

[zkonedog · 8/10 · 18 December 2020]

You probably thought that Blockbuster Video had been relegated to the dust heap of entertainment history. In almost every sense, you'd be correct. However, in Bend, Oregon, there exists one final blue-and-yellow shrine to a past physical-media age. "The Last Blockbuster" tells the story of video rental culture through the lens of that unique holdout.

"The Last Blockbuster" is basically a documentary in two parts:

One part focuses on the Bend store, most notably manager Sandi Harding. For those who grew up in the 1990s, it is incredibly nostalgic to see the old store design, membership card, and distinctive marketing images. It is also quite gratifying that Harding has basically turned the endeavor into a family/community affair, catering to customer service in a way "corporate Blockbuster" would never have been able to.

Interwoven within the above story are clips in which various entertainers pontificate on the demise of video rental stores and what it has done for the entertainment process in general. While the you-go-to-the-movies model seems quaint by today's streaming standards (and of course, those pesky late fees or empty cases!), there is also a case to be made that important social interaction has also been lost in the process. Things like date nights, key recommendations, or community-building are now eschewed in favor of strict ease-of-access.

As a frequenter of video rental stores large (Blockbuster) and small (mom-and-pop shops), "The Last Blockbuster" was always going to appeal to my nostalgic sentimentalities. At the same time, it is just general enough--there really isn't anything "too deep" here--to be a great doc for an entire family to enjoy and converse over.

Pretty corny

[kennywheeler-84081 · 6/10 · 18 March 2021]

They called this a documentary, so I would have liked to see an informative movie about the rise and fall of an iconic American company. Instead, it's more like a long version of that old show 'I love the 90's.' Talking heads cracking bad jokes and an over enthusiastic narrator who sometimes pretends to be in the room asking people questions (though I doubt that is the fault of Lauren Lapkus.) The stuff with the family who runs the last store is good though. The whole thing just came across as a little cheesy and not very serious, which would be fine, just label it as such. It's worth watching, even though you might find yourself doing something else while it plays in the background.

A wonderful glimpse at a bygone era

[flynnflon · 8/10 · 18 April 2021]

Much like the documentary "All Things Must Pass"-which showcased the rise and fall of the Towers Records franchise, this is a heartwarming look at the home-video era that predated streaming.

I'd suspect most who watch this, are of a certain age, where they recall how iconic and seemingly too big to fail, these businesses seemed.

I thought it did a fairly good job of explaining why Blockbuster stores were the Goliaths of the era, and how the downfall invariably occurred.

I also enjoyed the personal anecdotes surrounding the town of Bend, and the store's long-time manager Sandi.

It's a lighthearted sentimental journey, that was told in an engaging manner-save for a few annoying talking heads.

Good First Part

[aheaven2005 · 7/10 · 10 May 2021]

The first half of the documentary is really strong, telling a story around video stores and the history, Then it gets a bit muddy with a much too long part about the last store. Just making the first act longer would have made it perfect.

More nostalgia trip than deep dive into Blockbuster, but it's an undeniabkly pleasant trip.

[IonicBreezeMachine · 7/10 · 17 April 2021]

Chronicling the life of the last operating Blockbuster Video in the world located in Bend, Oregon, this documentary gives a cursory glance to the origins and downfall of Blockbuster while also interviewing Sandi Harding (General Manager of the last Blockbuster) and her family who run the establishment, and talking with industry figures such as Kevin Smith, Lloyd Kaufman, and others on both the business side of Blockbuster and the nostalgia(but mostly the latter).

Directed by filmmaker Taylor Morden who made the Ska documentary, Pick It Up! - Ska in the '90s and the under quarantine produced fan remake Project 88: Back to the Future Too, The Last Blockbuster is a movie that has a real sense of warmth of likability to it. It's a film that feels very inviting with likable interesting people who you could see interacting with and gaining something from (which you do). I can't really say the movie is all that "informative" as far as documentaries go as it's more focused on the human side of blockbuster than it is the actual story behind the company, but for what it is, The Last Blockbuster is a pleasant distraction.

The most informative bits definitely come from Kevin Smith who details the dealings between Blockbuster and the major studios that forced out many of the ma and pop independents and started cannibalizing them and turning them into Blockbusters. We don't really get much of a sense of how this changed the industry, there is an attempt by Troma president Lloyd Kaufman to to try and illustrate how Blockbuster cut off distribution from smaller indies like him, but it's such a rapid fire segment that's played mostly for laughs it doesn't leave much impact.

The rest of the movie is basically built around nostalgia as the interviewees who aren't Kevin Smith are mostly comedians/ actors like voice actor James Arnold Taylor or Samm Levine and most of their contribution basically boils down to doing impressions or jokes (albeit amusing ones) while detailing their adventures with Blockbuster back in the day. It's very much a reminiscence film and there's nothing wrong with that, sometimes it's pleasant to view into bygone days we thought were long behind us.

The Last Blockbuster isn't all that informative as far as documentaries go, but it is certainly a pleasant sit that allows one to revisit video store memories. From the likable Harding family who run the store, to the various regulars we see, to the talking heads revisiting their memories it's very much like having a reunion with old friends, you don't gain much that's all that "useful" but you do crack a smile and lose yourself if only temporarily.

A Remiscence of a By-Gone Era: The Local Video Rental Store

[classicalsteve · 7/10 · 4 April 2021]

Historical documentaries often chronicle lifestyles of many decades ago, often centuries: the Roaring 20's, the Fabulous 50's, the Civil War. Because the world is changing so rapidly, particularly in the area of media, what seemed cultural mainstays only one or two decades ago are now referred to as by-gone eras. By-gone eras are no longer a half-century ago or longer. In this case, the documentary is focusing on Blockbuster Video, a cultural phenomenon mainly experienced by Gen X'ers from circa 1990 to 2010.

The interviewees discuss Blockbuster Video in ways that remind me of my grandparents talking about malt shops, horse-racing tracks or Coney Island. Blockbuster Video, began with a single store in 1985 and by 2004 was at its height with about 7500 stores US nationwide. However, by 2019, there was only one store left. What happened? The most interesting part of the documentary is the history of Blockbuster which is only about a third of the film at best. Most of the film is the interviewees talking about Blockbuster culture and the last Blockbuster Video still standing in Bend, Oregon. A lot of focus is on the general manager of the last store, Sandi Harding.

When I was at university in the 1990's, everyone I knew had a Blockbuster Video card. It was the culture for Gen-X'er film entertainment in lieu of going to see a new release in the theater. But even young mom's and dad's could rent movies for the whole family. New video releases were astronomically expensive, often costing $80 to $100 on VHS. But you could rent them for $3 to $5 for one to two nights at Blockbuster. You could gather a group, order pizza and watch the original "Halloween", "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan", or maybe a new release on video like "Silence of the Lambs". Or something nostalgic like "Plan Nine from Outer Space".

According to the documentary, Blockbuster wasn't exactly put out of business by Netflix as the conventional wisdom goes. But if you listen carefully, BB was in a way. But bad business decisions contributed.

BB was bought by Viacom which intended the video rental franchise as a cash cow to buy other media corporations such as the QVC Network. By then BB's stock price was slipping. BB was also offered a lucrative deal with Warner Bros for the upcoming explosion of DVD's which would replace VHS. The offer was tremendous: exclusive rights to distribute new release DVD's for rental before general sale. BB turned it down. Subsequently, Warner Bros lowered its new releases' prices from $80/$100 to $20 to $30. Now instead of renting for $4, consumers could just buy DVD's and own them forever.

In the early 2000's, BB had the opportunity to buy Netflix. That was turned down. And now they're down to one last store in Bend, Oregon. An interesting doc which chronicles a by-gone era... of only like 10 years ago? We live in interesting time...

Eye opening and intriguing

[Floated2 · 7/10 · 26 March 2021]

The start of this documentary is quite well done then it starts to drift off more towards little segments with comedians speaking of their love and nostalgia for Blockbuster. At times it was interesting but some of these comedians weren't needed. It showcased a lot about the manager and her family of the last owner Blockbuster which was quite intriguing at first, then got somewhat repetitive. Solid documentary, for a one time watch.

Exactly what I expected, which was fine.

[ptgasper-21207 · 8/10 · 6 July 2021]

A good 90 minute hangover movie. Other reviews here are frankly disturbing in their vitriolic criticisms.

I would've much preferred an in-depth look at the history of video stores in general.

[Analog_Devotee · 6/10 · 28 April 2021]

I wish they would've focused on more of the history and a little less on the stupid theatrics. Some of the interviews were good while some felt completely pointless. I don't know, this seemed like it needed better direction.

A very long-winded and repetitive doc.

[sckcguy · 4/10 · 18 March 2021]

I was really hoping for more substance to this. The nostalgia trips from the various talking heads became super repetitive and a little annoying by around the halfway Mark. I wanted to see a LOT more company history, financials, screwups, etc., but those topics were very brief and glossed-over. For the amount of content, this could've been a 30 minute documentary. I love the story of the Bend location, but I wanted more than that.

Nostalgic. Funny. Touching.

[asifakberali · 9/10 · 13 January 2021]

1985, when I was born and so did Blockbuster. Though, I had studied about Blockbuster in our case studies back home, however, it was a whole different and exciting experience when I first walked into its store after arriving in North America. What I loved: This documentary takes you back to an era of floppy disks, GW basics OS that fueled Blockbuster's business; a database system that kicked and converted other family video stores in the cities. A new blockbuster every 17 minutes!!! A bunch of adults sharing their experiences, and talking about their favourite titles. The store that made movie and pizza 🍕 on a weekend night a thing, and employee's suggestions mattered.

The downfall: The bad management sank the mighty ship along with their bad decisions one after another. The buyout resurrection, gimmicks, tricks, Blockbuster beer--nothing couldn't save the corporation.

One who laughed at Netflix back them, look who's laughing at them now!

Alas, the Blockbuster smell has disappeared from the face of USA--leaving only one store in Bend, Oregon. I hope they get to keep it, or at least convert it into a museum.

Cool story

[Calicodreamin · 7/10 · 16 March 2021]

A really cool story about the last blockbuster, with a bit of history on the rise and fall of the video rental mogul. The documentary style was a bit disjointed, but the celebrity interviews were fun. Interesting stories and just a small piece of history.

Boy...that should have been 20 minutes long

[garnet-suss · 4/10 · 20 March 2021]

The fact that they made a full length documentary gave me the impression that there was more to the story than I thought. I was wrong. This doc should have been 20-30mins long. It's not poorly done, it's just starved for content, so they filled the space with a bunch of boring and useless footage of the family that runs the last Blockbuster. I mean, they even show the store manager going to check the mail.

Sooooooo boringgggg and uninteresting.

Lil nostalgia

[karedhawk · 7/10 · 26 March 2021]

Cute documentary, not the greatest, but def not bad...made me nostalgic to go back to those simpler times, Block Buster with my then very young kids, choosing movies, video games, snacks for family night. Interesting story about Blockbuster , the rise and fall. It's worth a watch.

Nostalgic Goodness

[messengerdn · 7/10 · 28 March 2021]

If you remember Friday night at Blockbuster and the fun that was the video rental store, you will enjoy this documentary. This is the little engine that could of the 90's. It's hard to believe there is one last Blockbuster in existance and this is it. Not only is it a feel good of nostalgia, but the familiy running the store are great people as well. I thought the doc was fun and insightful giving brining back the Friday night Blockbuster feeling. I'm not sure why the low ratings, but I thought it was great.

An interesting documentary about a small town video store

[Mcduff3601 · 6/10 · 5 April 2021]

This documentary is less about Blockbuster and more about a small town video store. Yes the video store is/was a blockbuster and it does go through in a very high level about the rise and fall of the iconic video chain. But this really focuses on the last remaining Blockbuster in the world which is run by a woman who calls herself the blockbuster mom.

There are a lot of interviews with celebrities that talk about their memories of going to a blockbuster or video store and renting movies sprinkled in among a lot of shots of blockbuster mom, her kids, or store employees. It held a high level of nostalgia for me and it was nice to know I wasn't that old man yelling at passer byes about how great the good ol days used to be. I really do miss the video store days and definitely believe we have lost something when we said goodbye to the physical media era.

But as far as documentaries go this one was a meh for me. I don't think I would recommend it even if you are like me and have a strong nostalgic feeling when you see the brand. It wasn't that interesting. There was one interview with the old CFO who explained why blockbuster died and it is the same reason all the big iconic companies die they over extend themselves because they think they are too big to fail. That was the most interesting thing about this one. If I were you I would skip this one, maybe watch the Toys or Movies that Made us instead.

I wish I lived there

[pmtelefon · 7/10 · 17 March 2021]

"The Last Blockbuster" is a nice little movie. It's not the greatest documentary ever made but it was a (mostly) entertaining one. It does go on a little long and the celebrity guests were hit and miss but, overall, I enjoyed it. If I didn't live on Long Island (NY), I would plan a road trip.

Not Understanding the Low Scores

[parkerchristman · 9/10 · 25 March 2021]

I wasn't planning on watching the whole thing, but it was super enjoyable, and I definitely learned some interesting new facts. Don't skip this one.

Easy Entertainment

[msbuff · 7/10 · 19 March 2021]

Serves up a nice dose of nostalgia for when you're in the the mood. It was about a half hour too long and just became redundant. It briefly discussed the reasons for failing but I thought they could have delved more into this. Didn't Blockbuster get in trouble or have a class action suit against them at one point for overcharging late fees? Sandi was a sweet, genuine person and I hope this doc helps her stay open a little longer.

Laziest Doc Ever

[hipkat333 · 3/10 · 18 March 2021]

What could have been an interesting documentary into the workings of a video store, the hostile takeovers of independent stores, mismanagement ... literally anything of substance ... is reduced to a 10-minute segment of the business itself.

There is zero research and slight allusions to what went down, with this once-juggernaut.

Instead, be prepared for 80 minutes of C-list, annoying celebrities telling the same story over and over and over again, for forced nostalgia ... walking wide-eyed like they've seen the second coming of Christ. We get it - the place smells like popcorn and you used to rent movies so you could make out with your teenage dates.

I also want to point out, oddly enough, no mention of their video game selection. That would have been an amazing parallel to the current GameStop fiasco.

This is a horrible, repetitive waste of time.

Fun enjoyable look back at movie history

[prberg2 · 8/10 · 17 March 2021]

Really had wanted to see this movie for awhile and it was really great. Nothing groundbreaking, but a fun look back at movie history. Part of me is sad to see the loss of movie stores. Scrolling on a streaming service is just not nearly the same community experience as it was when going to a movie store. I think we are losing something in the move to streaming.

Really glad the filmmakers were able to document The Last Blockbuster and the history that goes with it. Hopefully this will maybe help to bring some of that back.

Great movie.. check it out if you like movies and movie history.

Netflix did not kill Blockbuster?! Whoa!

[mercedi-surface · 7/10 · 25 January 2022]

This was a very fun documentary, especially for the nostalgia. There was so much more to going to the video store than I realized and I miss it! It was also cool to hear how it was not Netflix that killed Blockbuster as we all seem to assume. I won't spoil it and tell you what their real downfall was, you'll just have to watch and see for yourself . 😁

NOT a documentary about Blockbuster and - a fanfest of trivial silliness

[lm-43083 · 2/10 · 18 March 2021]

If you're easily entertained by "E" list hollyweirds (most looking like frequent bathing is way down their "to do" list) talking about the good "ole days at Blockbuster, this is your kinda "documentary." If you want to actually learn something about Blockbuster's colossal business failures, as a cautionary tale, look elsewhere. This isn't for curious people.

This way too long "documentary" spends about 10 minutes actually, cartoonishly, covering a few (very few) of the missteps and half-wittery that lead to Blockbuster's demise. Would be nice to see a well documented (the root of the word "documentary") presentation of WHY Blockbuster, unnecessarily, bit the dust. I'd like to know more about why ANYONE at Blockbuster could think that depending on LATE FEES for as much as 75% of their revenue was EVER a good idea. What were they thinking, or smoking? NOOOOOO, that interesting detail, and many others, might be too boring for the navel gazers this tripe is obviously targeting.

God, I miss real (and courageous), informative, useful, insightful . . . DOCUMENTARIES.

Enjoyable but lacking

[Katz5 · 6/10 · 20 March 2021]

The title of this documentary is spot-on--it is truly all about the last Blockbuster on the planet, which is treated like some sort of shrine here. A similar documentary could probably have been made about Sam Goody or Border's Books (although Colin Hanks did make a documentary about Tower Records). It is rather ironic that this documentary is streaming on NetFlix, which is usually mentioned as the reason Blockbuster went bust. It wasn't (as this movie reveals). As someone who worked at one of Blockbuster's competitors in the '80s, mentioning other chains such as Hollywood Video or Erol's would have been nice. Especially since it was Erol's (based in Virginia), not Blockbuster, that revolutionized the computerized inventory of store movie rentals. Driving 15 hours just to experience a Blockbuster again seemed rather excessive to me; I would understand that for Tower Records, but Blockbuster? Entertaining as a whole but not particularly enlightening.

Those were the days

[sabellasmail · 6/10 · 20 March 2021]

It was nostalgic to go back to the days of fighting for the last copy of Terminator or waiting by the return shoot to see if someone returned it. Friday night was like Black Friday at Walmart. Those were the days. The mansplaining went a little overboard, and I guess only white guys rented movies.