In an event that will signal countless thinkpieces reflecting on the current state of home cinema and the blogosphere’s relation to it, Blockbuster announced that they will be ending all retail operations. The chain’s 300 remaining U.S. stores, as well as its DVD-by-Mail service, will completely shut down by year’s end.
A brief explanation for our younger readers who may miss how this is The End of An Era: ‘Blockbuster’ was a chain of video stores–they’re like libraries, but with movies, and you paid to borrow them. What’re libraries? Well, they’re like bookstores but instead of buying books you got to borrow them for a few weeks for free. Books, before you ask, are what Tumblrs become when they grow up.
None of this matters, though, because streaming is the future and you’ll never need to go anywhere to do anything or talk to anyone else about the things you may both happen to love and want to find out more about. That’s what Google is for, you luddites.
For anyone who may have trouble letting go, Blockbuster’s parent company DISH plans to keep the brand alive, primarily through its Blockbuster @Home channel package and Blockbuster On Demand. And be sure to pour one out for those who will be losing their jobs in the very near future.
Source: Indiewire
Image: Dave Dugdale/Flickr
One thought on “Blockbuster to Close All Stores, And There Was Weeping And Gnashing of Teeth”
Right now, my local Blockbuster (which used to be a mom & pops video rental store) is now a place that sells cell phones and in other half of the building, a Little Caesar’s. I’m happy w/ the latter.