Bend, Oregon: home of the last remaining Blockbuster Video
Life seemed simpler when Blockbuster was in existence. I remember going to pick out a movie after school, browsing the shelves to find the title I was going to subject my parents to, whether it was the bizarrely animated Hoodwinked! or the rather iconic (if you ask me) Over the Hedge.
I’d admire the cutouts advertising the latest releases and the rows of movies, each a portal to somewhere new. Despite the rather heinous colour combination of bright blue and yellow which painted the walls of every Blockbuster, there was something so comforting about it; it just felt familiar – I was amazed by the seemingly endless choices, and for someone who grew up in a dead-end town, there was something so special about stepping inside of a Blockbuster, where my mind was opened up to so many new worlds.
But Blockbuster was never going to survive as streaming services began to gain prominence, with the rise of Netflix essentially ending the need for video shops – renting or streaming a movie online (or via mail-order services) eradicated the stress of incurring late fees and actually having to travel somewhere to select a movie, so of course, this quickly became the more popular option.
In 2010, Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy protection, but within a few years, most of their stores had closed. It was a true shame, though, because video stores are now essentially a thing of the past. Sure, you can go into an HMV and browse shelves of Blu-Rays and DVDs, but it’s not the same as being a regular at your local video store and getting recommendations from the staff, and feeling the excitement of selecting a movie to rent before bringing it back and picking out another one.
Luckily for Oregon residents, though, the magic of the video store lives on in the form of the last remaining Blockbuster, which is located in the city of Bend. By 2019, every Blockbuster had been shut down apart from this one, which managed to stay open because, despite harnessing the company’s name, it actually operates independently.
Initially a shop named Pacific Video Store, the owners transformed their successful business into a Blockbuster in 2000, and, with the city’s status as a popular tourist destination, it didn’t take long for the shop to become one of the franchise’s most successful. In 2004, Sandi Harding became the manager of the shop, and she remains there today, ensuring that people still get a chance to rent movies and find a sense of community within their local video shop, which offers a cheaper alternative to going to the cinema or subscribing to various streaming services.
Interestingly, the shop operates with a rather DIY ethos, with Harding telling The Washington Post that, because most DVD vendors that Blockbuster would once use are now closed down, “I’m back to buying 100% of everything at Walmart and Target.” She even shops at Costco to buy snacks to sell in the shop alongside DVDs.
With most people using streaming these days, the need for a rental shop in Bend isn’t exactly necessary, but it keeps going anyway as a nostalgic and special experience that, for many visitors, feels like stepping back in time. “It’s all tourism-driven now, where before it was all rental-driven. So it’s totally a different experience,” she said.
With movies costing between 99 cents and $3.99, the Last Blockbuster is a cheap way to watch a movie, although you’re probably wondering how they make a profit. The answer? Merch, of course. People flock from far and wide to experience a Blockbuster in the flesh once again, and here, you can buy T-shirts, onesies, sweatpants, hats, sunglasses, and everything in between.
So, if you ever find yourself in Bend, it only seems right to go and rent a movie from the world’s last remaining Blockbuster, which is doing its best to keep (what is now considered) retro movie-watching alive.
