Blockbuster Video Reactivated Its Website and We Have Serious Questions
Ok, hold up. It's not nice to mess with a girl's nostalgic side, but it looks like Blockbuster is doing just that.
Suddenly, and quietly we might add, the rental video chain's website was revived over the weekend. Because this is the very first update to the Blockbuster website in almost ten years, heads are spinning.
Once a favorite place to head on Friday nights to grab those weekend rentals, and a box of Milk Duds, Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy in 2010 with many blaming the new emergence of on-demand movie services like Netflix.
So what did the website have to say after all these years? Well, the parent company DISH kept it short and sweet. When you visit the website you simply see the iconic Blockbuster logo and the message, "we are working on rewinding your movie".
So what's the deal? We know that the traditional Blockbuster dealt in video rentals, but speculation is that it may be "reborn" as a new streaming service from DISH. DISH tried that approach once in the early 2010s when they introduced a Blockbuster streaming service that offered movies and TV shows for rent and sale.
For now, people like me who remember those days of planning your weekend around what movie you were able to grab at your local Blockbuster will have to just sit and wait and see if history repeats itself or if it's all just a cruel game.
For the record, there is still one last Blockbuster in existence. Lovingly known as the "Last Blockbuster", you'll find it at the intersection of U.S. Route 20 and Revere Avenue in Bend, Oregon. Opened by Ken and Debbie Tisher in 1992, they still stock around 1,200 titles and have around 4,000 members who regularly rent movies. Legendary.