@JeanGen09181213 Buy physical media to own is one thing, the idea that people are going to show up in large numbers to rent films in a large enough number to sustain a full on revival is fantasy.
English
LordBishop34
1.5K posts
I'm not against 90s business revivals, but once the novelty wears off, the very demographic these businesses need and cater to will abandon them. Once life sets in, busy ppl will choose convenience over a drive to a store to pick up a videotape for a VCR they no longer own.
English
@CoreyWriting The anti stream bias is making people rewrite and romanticize their memories of this place. If you truly enjoy movies, the availability of films now makes this place seem like the dark ages..even at the time there were better places.
English
You all really miss having to pay late fees to see a movie?
Poirot@Argenpoirot
Blockbuster fue el paraíso. No tenias la pelicula a un click, tenias que ir, recorrer pasillos, buscas y buscar, ver si estaba disponible el VHS. Y te vendían hasta los caramelos y todo tipo cosas para la experiencia cine en casa. Que hermosos recuerdos.
English
If you’re thinking about reviving blockbuster. Make renting free but charge a fee if it’s late.
nostalgia core@nostalgiacore
Streaming was a mistake
English
@TimOnPoint And people have chosen these things, its not because blockbuster is gone and streaming exist. its because a large group of people chose not to engage as much in person even though you still could..if you wanted too.
English
You don’t actually miss Blockbuster.
- You miss hanging with your crew.
- You miss the adventure.
- You miss the discussion about whose house we’re going to.
- You miss NOT having everything instantly available through cable or internet.
- You miss actual physical contact.
- You miss the gossip and the midnight pranks.
- You miss living in a somewhat peaceful neighborhood.
- You miss being able to have a great night with five bucks in your pocket.
- You miss not having to perform all the time.
- You miss having true friends.
Paul Anleitner@PaulAnleitner
If Pizza Hut can return, then we can resurrect Blockbuster. And we should. While Netflix made things more “convenient” we lost something irreplaceable: The ritual of going to a place with your family or friends to choose a story together. That experience was special.
English
@looksbizarre There will be a market, just not sure how large. I dont care as long as it is stated on the listing.
English
The thing I don't understand is there can't be that much demand for books that actual writers aren't already meeting.
People@people
Barnes & Noble CEO Says He Has 'No Problem' Selling AI-Written Books: 'We Will Stock Them' people.com/barnes-and-nob…
English
@Austen Go rent a movie for $20 on your favorite streaming service and get back to me.
English
I think Blockbuster kind of sucked
Paul Anleitner@PaulAnleitner
If Pizza Hut can return, then we can resurrect Blockbuster. And we should. While Netflix made things more “convenient” we lost something irreplaceable: The ritual of going to a place with your family or friends to choose a story together. That experience was special.
English
@jamie_graham9 What does the film's age have to do with it? Unless its public domain, streaming service has to pay to license it. People complain about prices now, no one would be willing to pay what it would cost to avoid these occasional rental situations.
English
This is my life. Only the movie is normally £3.49 to rent, despite it being 30+ years old
Bella@BellaBaddie__
Unfortunately the movie you want to watch is unavailable on your 13 streaming services You can rent it for $2.99 though
English
@TheMindScourge I think the key point missed here. Is Pizza Hut is still here, the guy bought 80 existing stores.. Pizza Hut is still one of the largest Pizza companies out there. Blockbuster is a failed business in a market there isnt a lot of interest in, physical movie rentals.
English
I mostly remember rushing in for a few minutes because we were late for something else and had to fit it in amongst a bunch of other activities
Or my dad complaining about late fees or who’d forgotten to rewind the tape?!
People can make anything nostalgic
Pizza Hut was great, though
Paul Anleitner@PaulAnleitner
If Pizza Hut can return, then we can resurrect Blockbuster. And we should. While Netflix made things more “convenient” we lost something irreplaceable: The ritual of going to a place with your family or friends to choose a story together. That experience was special.
English
@MugenLord Clean up with who? You have to know only small fraction of people pining for these stores would actual go and of those only a few would go at a level that could help sustain one. Scarecrow Video barely survives and its everything you could want in a movie rental store.
English
I agree, I believe any business would clean up if they revisit this business model and improve it.
Paul Anleitner@PaulAnleitner
If Pizza Hut can return, then we can resurrect Blockbuster. And we should. While Netflix made things more “convenient” we lost something irreplaceable: The ritual of going to a place with your family or friends to choose a story together. That experience was special.
English
@ibmmiller It helps to have an idea what you want whether you go to a store or stream. Stream is more difficult to me because its just far more content than any blockbuster could ever hope to have. If i just stuck with my list I would be fine but I still try and see what else is on stream.
English
I have to say, going to blockbuster with friends was actually just as frustrating as scrolling the streamer queue for me. I don't like either much.
Paul Anleitner@PaulAnleitner
If Pizza Hut can return, then we can resurrect Blockbuster. And we should. While Netflix made things more “convenient” we lost something irreplaceable: The ritual of going to a place with your family or friends to choose a story together. That experience was special.
English
@emopunkgrrrl If that's what's available, there isnt much that can be done about it. Some people want to be able to see the movie, even if this is the best it is. There is a huge library of films that havnt been upgraded to HD/UHD..or even made it to DVD.
English
@TheRealGOP You are talking about a niche market and its targeted market is collectors, the vast majority of music is bought or streamed digitally. ITs not the same anyways as blockbuster was a rental store. You borrowed movies, there is little advantage over digital rental there.
English
People would never go to a store that sells vinyl records and spend the time to buy them when they can just download music them. Right?
I liked the physicality of the Blockbuster store. You had isles of movies, set out. "Comedy," "action," it was so much easier to see what was what than scrolling on Netflix or Amazon Prime. Am I wrong?
They also had candy and popcorn to take with. It was much more of an event and that was cool. The guys in the store would recommend stuff ("I really liked the new French movie..."). Quentin Tarantino got his start in movies that way by just knowing films.
Ann Bauer@annbauerwriter
Stupid engagement farming nostalgia. No one would do this. We're not going to re-buy machines, get in our cars, drive to brick and mortar stores, pay for ONE movie we might or might not like, drive home - and then return it when we're done! Sometimes technology is better.
English
@VitoComedy People are romanticizing the experience, piggybacking on some peoples frustration with streaming price increases. These stores wouldn't make sense today vs the digital rental market.
English
Am I the only person who never enjoyed Blockbuster?
Maybe I was spoiled by the local video stores having a way more interesting selection. Blockbuster was corporate trash.
Paul Anleitner@PaulAnleitner
If Pizza Hut can return, then we can resurrect Blockbuster. And we should. While Netflix made things more “convenient” we lost something irreplaceable: The ritual of going to a place with your family or friends to choose a story together. That experience was special.
English
@dsawyer I don’t think a stand alone store could survive in most places, nostalgia can only carry so far. Digital is still a better way to rent films (selection, convenience) , Amazon is a preferred choice in most cases to purchase newer discs.
English
Blockbuster was the end-state death-phase of video stores. The introduction of blockbuster made video store-going FAR less pleasurable, and it was only offset by the fact that my local one had a sizable corner devoted to obscure non-blockbuster films. So, yeah, Blockbuster nostalgia is bogus.
But I would love to bring back video stores.
Neighborhood-owned video stores curated by film nerds with eclectic tastes.
Franklin Harris 🌐@FranklinH3000
Now they're making up 1950s advertising-style fables about Blockbuster. Going to Blockbuster was not some communal ritual.
English
@NerdCraveYT @rachel_reviews Their selection was limited, and what you are referring too was the argument people made about the importance of mom/pop stores who usually stocked a better selection of cool movies you wouldn’t have rented otherwise. Now you have the option of both from your home, for less.
English
@rachel_reviews The best part of blockbuster was finding a cool movie you never would have watched BECAUSE they didn’t have what you wanted. And maybe don’t be late?
English
hot take. I don't think Blockbuster was that great. They almost never had what you wanted and the late fees were awful
English
@AVAPopCulture @Brettdasovic I am, people used to complain about blockbuster all the time. It didn’t die becuase of streaming it died because of NetflixDVD.
English
For the vast majority, they don't miss Blockbuster.
They are homesick for a simple world that no longer exists.
That or they weren't the ones paying the late fees.
Paul Anleitner@PaulAnleitner
If Pizza Hut can return, then we can resurrect Blockbuster. And we should. While Netflix made things more “convenient” we lost something irreplaceable: The ritual of going to a place with your family or friends to choose a story together. That experience was special.
English
@soundman006 @Brettdasovic @blockbuster You don’t own it…it was a rental store. In no way better than digital rentals.
English
@Brettdasovic Dude, I will take @blockbuster over any streaming service any day. Not for nostalgia, but for the simple fact that I could own something.
English
@Brettdasovic This comparison doesn’t even make sense, Pizza Hut isn’t gone, it’s still one of the biggest pizza places. A guy bought some of the stores and is going to try some nostalgic update. Blockbuster is a failed business, in an area where only small niche stores remain.
English
@GPrime85 People clearly don’t remember how people really felt about blockbuster at the time and why NetflixDVD took off the way it did.
English
"We need to bring back Blockbuster!"
...I know the vibe is different but you can go to any public library right now and borrow movies for free. And video games. And books. Or you could just hang out. It's been this way for years
English