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.
