1. The Last Blockbuster (2020)
Did you know there was once a Blockbuster opening every seventeen minutes!? This fun documentary travels to Bend, Oregon to take a look at the only store still remaining today.
A large portion of the film centers around the store's manager Sandi Harding, and her family (who all seem to have worked at the store at one point or another). In this small community, Sandi is somewhat of a hometown hero. Her relationships and dedication to her customers have helped keep the store open as long as it has. You almost get the impression that she enjoys her customers more than her own family.
The film is interwoven with clips in which various celebrities (if you could call them that) elaborate on the demise of video rental stores. Some of them even share their experiences working in them. For many, you get the sense that landing a job like that was the absolute pinnacle of their youth. One of these celebrities in the film, Doug Benson (who I generally can't stand), earned some points with me here when he whips out his original Blockbuster card from his wallet.
This documentary will make you long for the days you could browse a Blockbuster with your family/friends/date, challenge their taste for an hour, (decide if you still want to associate with them or not), and walk out with a heavy stack of VHS tapes, Twizzlers, and hours of entertainment. The whole experience was an event that was personally one of my absolute favorites. I consider myself a movie snob today thanks to all those trips to Blockbuster and movies my mom introduced us to growing up.
While this wasn't the most profound documentary, I consider it a conversation piece, and a must-see for anyone who grew up in the tangible video age.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime
Check out this podcast to hear more about the last days of Blockbuster.
Stay tuned to find out what's next on my list of Must-See Documentaries for Any 80's/90's Kid!