This comedic video pokes fun at the idea that there aren’t any Blockbusters left in North America, when actually, there are. Not very many, sure. But there are a few that are still open. I mean, spoiler alert for the video, but this Blockbuster isn’t actually “abandoned” as the title of the video claims; it’s open for business.
Even bigger spoiler alert, but the guy filming this video is actually the manager of said Blockbuster, which is how he was able to film the video without incurring the wrath of any employees of the store. He also managed to film the video without irritating any customers, because, uh, there aren’t any customers in the store. At least, not until the very end of the video!
The Reddit thread that shared this video also contains a link to a comedic Twitter account called @LoneBlockbuster, which appears to be run by the actual employees of another remaining Blockbuster store (although they aren’t actually the “lone” Blockbuster remaining on the planet, as their handle implies). Their description states that they’re no longer affiliated with Blockbuster corporate, which I would guess is also the case for the store manager who made the comedy video above.
After Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy in 2010, all of the remaining franchises became “independently owned, operated and funded, and are also continuing normal business operations.” These stores continue to do well in remote areas that have spotty internet access, where renting a DVD or a video game still makes more sense than trying to stream or download a digital copy. In the future, internet access might become more and more accessible even in those areas, so that might change … but until then, there are still a few Blockbusters holding out. Strange but true!
(via Geek Tyrant, image via YouTube screencap)
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