It may be hard for Gen Z believe, but there was a time when you had to physically leave your house if you wanted to find a movie to watch. It was an adventure, one that often revolved around the whole family going to a video store and selecting the weekend entertainment. For those of us old enough to remember, Blockbuster was a cherished staple of our youth.
Today, there is only one Blockbuster left. It is in Bend, Oregon and has recently been converted into a nostalgia-fueled AirBnB. Complete with air mattresses and pullout couches, guests can rent a night (or nights) in the video store surrounded by rows and rows of movies for rent.
Now, 1091 Pictures has acquired the rights to “The Last Blockbuster,” a documentary exploring how a small video store in a small town has managed to remain despite the entire video renting industry crashing. It follows Sandi Harding, the manager of the Oregon based store and how she has managed to remain in business despite the rise and dominance of streaming services like Netflix.
“’The Last Blockbuster’ brings the world together over our shared memory of Friday night pizza and renting movies,” Morden and Kamm said in a statement. “For us the perfect next step was getting together with 1091 Pictures to release it just in time for the holidays.”
“The Last Blockbuster” also explores the outline of how and why Blockbuster, once a corporate giant went out of business and how it shaped how we view movies in its heyday of the 90s. The feature film will be released on Dec. 15 on VOD. It includes interviews from celebrities like Adam Brody, Ione Sky, Paul Sheer, and Kevin Smith, to name a few. Its directed by Taylor Morden and written and produced by Zeke Kamm. No stranger to 90s nostalgia, Morden also directed “Pick It Up! Ska in the ‘90s.” Kamm is best known for her work on “The Powerpuff Girls” and “The Weird Al Show.”
“We are thrilled to work with Taylor and Zeke on a film that not only allows viewers to relive the nostalgic experience of renting a movie at Blockbuster, but also entertains and delights at every beat,” said Carly Reicho, director of film distribution at 1091 Pictures.
Blockbuster played a major role in my childhood growing up, and “The Last Blockbuster” seems like the perfect documentary to relive some of those great weekend memories.
