The Last Blockbuster

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 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.

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.

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.

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.