On a typical Friday night in 1999, there was a social gathering taking place. Some of your friends were probably there, and when you ran into them you'd spend an hour talking about the latest movies. You probably gave yourself an hour or two to spend at the gathering before selecting a product and heading home to watch it. But remember. After three days that product was due back. And be kind, rewind.
The gathering place was called Blockbuster (or maybe Family Video depending on your Arkansas town). You carried a little card in your wallet that, when scanned, would allow you to select a few VHS tapes to take home--something to watch with the spouse after the kids went to bed, and maybe a Disney movie or Sega game for the kids to enjoy over the weekend.
It was movie night, a hallowed American tradition--at least in the 1980s and 1990s.
The papers say there will soon just be just one Blockbuster store left in the entire world (the one in Australia is closing). That store is in Bend, Ore., and fortunately for fans of the store, the owner has no plans to close it anytime soon. In fact, the owner said the business sees about 10 new accounts signed up every week. Imagine that.
Visitors come from all over to witness the retail relic, including from Europe and Asia. It's a sight to behold after Blockbuster closed all its corporate stores in 2013 and 2014.
Keep fighting on, little store. We're all rooting for you to keep going as long as you can. Because everybody loves an underdog.
Editorial on 03/08/2019