The Last Blockbuster

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.

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.

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.

I turned on this documentary in hopes they would dive into what happened to the Blockbuster chain but was disappointed that the documentary only briefly glosses over these details. If you want the story of the family-oriented last Blockbuster, then it's a nice and wholesome documentary. Most of the interviews revolve more about nostalgia than actual experience of Blockbuster's demise, which made me question why the people being interviewed were picked over someone else who was a Blockbuster member. Their memories are an accurate depiction of how many of us feel about Blockbuster so if you want the nostalgia trip, here it is. Overall, if you want the business side of Blockbuster and the company's fall, I wouldn't watch this.

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.