Article about how Blockbuster Video went out of business

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by PaulKTF, Oct 19, 2016.

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  1. balzac

    balzac Senior Member

    But there are, unfortunately, a *ton* of movies that aren't at Redbox *and* never show up on Netflix or Amazon Prime. I've always found that Netflix and Amazon Prime's movie selection was sketchy at best. There are some gems, random big name titles, certainly plenty of b-grade things. But there is a lot of stuff where the choice is either renting it digitally, or usually but not always, buying a new or used physical copy.

    Some movies can't even be *rented* streaming on Amazon anymore, and have gone exclusive to other subscription platforms like HBO, Showtime, etc.
     
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  2. balzac

    balzac Senior Member

    Blockbuster (as I believe the article that started this thread mentions) went back and forth on having/enforcing late fees over the years. There were indeed points where it was sadly a huge source or revenue for them. Just like banks make a ton on overdraft fees, etc.

    In my experience, if you had a rare case of having to turn something in late, sometimes you could ask the store to wave the late fee. This would particularly be the case if it was one instance where you had rented a lot of discs. Of course, if someone is serially returning stuff late, there's a point at which it isn't the store's fault.
     
  3. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    In general most employees would wave your late fee every once in awhile if you asked nicely and weren't being a loud, obnoxious jerk. But if you came in there screaming and threatening them about it and refusing to pay, they would just say "I'm sorry there's nothing I can do about it" and your account would be forwarded on to Collections if you didn't pay the late fee.
     
  4. balzac

    balzac Senior Member

    Yep, that sounds about right!

    My only beefs regarding that would be the one or two times where I *did* return my movies but they either didn't land in the little box that was placed inside under the return slot, or for some other reason the employees didn't scan the movies in. I was always able to clear it up, but I was actually surprised that didn't happen more often considering how ad-hoc their return slot/box seemed to be.
     
  5. profholt82

    profholt82 Resident Blowhard

    Location:
    West Michigan
    Great article. It reminded me of a pretty good video I saw a while back about Nintendo's fight with Blockbuster in the late 80s over video game rentals.

     
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  6. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    That's a really terrific video. I love The Game Historian's videos. For a good couple of years Blockbuster had a really good selection of NES/Super Nintendo/Sega Genesis games.
     
  7. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member

    Our vacant Blockbuster became a Popeye's Fried Chicken so, you know, good trade!

    But, yeah, I remember you couldn't even park in the Blockbuster parking lot weekend evenings in the late '80s/early '90s.
     
  8. balzac

    balzac Senior Member

    Perhaps not totally coincidentally, the local Blockbuster and Hollywood Video store in my area both became, a year or two apart, freaking paint stores! One became Kelly Moore, the other Sherwin Williams. We always joke that they purposely replaced these beloved places with most boring possible businesses on the planet.
     
  9. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    Well, trying to find a video was sometimes as boring as watching paint dry. :)
     
  10. The Panda

    The Panda Forum Mutant

    Location:
    Marple, PA, USA
    Once we came and there was a sign on the door saying that someone had broken through the wall slot and emptied all the returned movies. You should check with the front and see if you have a late charge and they would waive it. I bet a lot of people took advantage of that.
     
  11. PhilBorder

    PhilBorder Senior Member

    Location:
    Sheboygan, WI
    Like real life Dilbert clueless CEOS's. Given the relatively brief timeline of the collapse, one could almost monitor week by week by visiting stores. Each time there was some incremental but perceptible problem or inconvenience or diminished selection of movies. One thing really bugged me - They often would be blasting previews to R rated and inappropriate movies on monitors right over the kids section... Are some people just willfully stupid and amoral?
     
  12. socorro

    socorro Forum Resident

    Location:
    pennsylvania
    The last one I recall seeing was a few years ago in Cape May, NJ. I suppose it might have survived a bit longer than most because in a shore town people don't want to buy physical copies that will be accessible the 95% of the time they are back home, and don't want to pay for subscription services at a house where they will not be 95% of the time. Not to mention that the only movie theater in town was a twin screen that was down at the heels, had barely functional air conditioning, and generally got B titles.
     
  13. The Panda

    The Panda Forum Mutant

    Location:
    Marple, PA, USA
    Heh. I know what you are talking about. And the town wanted to save the place.:sigh:
     
  14. Trace

    Trace Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington State
    Mine became a Panda Express Chinese Take Out with no Drive Thru.
     
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  15. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    So it's "Panda Express, just not too 'Express'...."? :)
     
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  16. Trace

    Trace Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington State
    Yeah, I guess it's really just "Panda"....







    They're so cute, but so delicious! HA! (I kill me sometimes...)
     
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  17. socorro

    socorro Forum Resident

    Location:
    pennsylvania
    I would love to have seen it, there's little enough to do in Cape May at night with kids. It would have been a serious undertaking, and undoubtedly would have required public funds (which are all being set on fire trying to prop up Xanadu or whatever they're calling that multi-billion dollar eyesore in E. Rutherford these days), or a tech billionaire who has sentimental memories of the place.
     
  18. ky658

    ky658 Senior Member

    Location:
    Ft Myers, Florida
  19. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    They updated that article to say that it isn't true. I would have been very surprised if it had been true!
     
  20. Splungeworthy

    Splungeworthy Forum Rezidentura

    Thanks for triggering my PTSD about that place. I rode that company like Leo and Rose going down with the Titanic. I did have some good times there and met lots of cool people. But being inside of all that at the end-not fun!
     
  21. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
  22. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    I thought this was kind of interesting... Kids react to Blockbuster Video.

     
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  23. Scopitone

    Scopitone Caught the last train for the coast

    Location:
    Denver, CO
  24. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    USA
    Ah, so many memories here (I was a kid when Blockbuster sprung up everywhere).

    21 Memories Every Kid Who Rented From Blockbuster Will Have

    I really do kind of miss the experience of going to Blockbuster and just browsing the aisles of movies and games and picking out a few moves and Nintendo games and having a fun weekend with friends.
     
  25. Claus LH

    Claus LH Forum Resident

    A great piece of reading. It is astounding in retrospect that not only could BB have survived, but it might have become "NetBuster" :D
    The amount of repeated misjudgement and arrogance among the CEOs chosen is a sobering reminder of how 'off' perceptions can be.
     
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