AIBU to miss Blockbuster shops?

[Cladder]

Anyone else? I used to like popping in and just browsing the DVDs and choosing what to watch. I miss the weird smell of the place. A mixture of popcorn and sweaty carpet. Sometimes our local branch was staffed by 'film & media' graduates who would recommend various films they had watched or slag off ones you were thinking of watching.

We tried Love Film etc but I always seemed to fall behind with the admin of it all.

I know I need to propel myself into this century and get with internet based TV and all that it has to offer on the film front but I don't seem to have the energy for it.

Oh well, there is always the local library DVD 'collection' and their "All Creatures Great and Small" box set I guess....

YANBU - I regularly bemoan the passing of Blockbuster, I used to love popping in for a film on a Friday/Saturday night. You could actually browse for what film you fancied, which doesn't seem so easy using all the fancy schmancy technology. I'd like to see them make a come back, but I don't suppose they will

We have a fab DVD shop fairly local, sells popcorn and all the share bags of sweets too as well as bargainous wine/beer etc. it's bloody great. I do ring them to reserve the latest films I want though. I don't tend to go and browse anymore.

echt you need to come back and tell us what you rented and whether you got a pillow sized bag of M&Ms or popcorn to go with it

Bit , mind...

Yanbu. We used to walk to ours and choose something. Online just isn't the same.

And if the video you wanted wasn't available you could book it for another night .

I said this to dh just last week. We used to use it loads. The library is ok- not as convenient though. Although you do get a whole week. What are everyone's alternatives?

I used to work in Blockbuster, and I can assure you that it, and me, used to smell of Body Shop Roma perfume oil - heavenly!

That's such a 90s sentence.

I used to enjoy it. Better than that, in the early 1990s our corner shop just over the road used to have a video rental wall of outdated 1980s schlock - much of which was either pirated or otherwise hooky. We watched some terrible crap in those years, but if I wanted an actual new release I'd have to make the trek down to the big Blockbusters on the High Street. Nowadays I still love a DVD, I pick them up cheap in charity shops for less than you'd rent them from in Blockbusters.

My mum had a dvd rental shop at the top of her road...it's fab, kids films £1, new releases £3....

Since you asked, Cladder, this is how it went.

Having hired from independent shops since whenever, Blockbusters's records said I hadn't been back in donkeys' years, six to be precise. So I had to produce ID and so forth. Jesus, like the immigration desk at Tullamarine.

DH said the film had to be "action-y". Possibly because he cried a bit after watching "The Lady in the Van " last week. I selected "Deadpool" because it promised to be "action-y" and I was pretty sure the F-word would be there, to make a connection with the last film we saw.

It was tip-top and hilarious. I want to see it again.

Well done, Blockbuster, and as big Arnie said: "I'll be back."

I remember thinking Blockbuster made going to the pictures less of an event!

echt thanks for your report. Sounds like a successful dvd rental night and money well spent (despite the initial bureaucratic hurdle)

It warms the cockles of my heart to think that Down Under you are all still able to go to Blockbuster. Make the most of it. The online streaming take over is nigh

We still have a local video rental place that we use regularly! It is better than blockbusters as it has lesser known films not just blockbusters. No popcorn though - missing a trick there.

Where abouts in the UK are you allegretto - if you don't mind me asking?

Sounds fab! What's the pricing like?

My DH refuses to join the 21st century so won't watch Netflix or Amazon
Video or anything online basically. So it broke his little beardy heart when Blockbusters closed.

We found an independent video shop in a nearby town but it closed last year.

But all is saved - we found another independent place in Edinburgh! . Now our DC get to bicker about which DVD to rent and do puppy dog eyes until we agree to buy popcorn and cola.

So glad it isn't just me. Was gutted when our local one shut.

I loved it. The smell of Blockbusters was the smell of Saturday night. No sleepover was complete without a trip.

Who remembers not owning a VCR and having to rent it from a video store? I remember renting the machine for the weekend, Fri to Sun, and getting 8 videos as part of the deal. Actually, my older siblings did the renting; I was far too young.

Library? I borrow loads from there, and in our borough's libraries you can get 2 for 1, new DVDs are £2.50 for a week's rental, older ones £1. And you can retune them to any library in the borough. We are very well served for libraries, I must say, we've had 2 new ones open in recent years.

I find very little film wise on Amazon Prime.

There are a few little video rental shops about. Like this one in Bristol: www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/oct/07/last-video-shop-bristol-20th-century-flicks-netflix-vhs I think such places probably have hipster appeal.

I miss Blockbuster. Our local one stank of dirty houses and lynx spray. It was staffed by incredibly nerdy men who I thought were so coooool because they knew about movies and would give their opinions.

It did make nights in much more exciting. You'd wander round, read the backs of cases, cause mischief by swapping some of the cases around, stock up on snacks... Made you excited for movie night!

VideoBox here too but I think it was just a Leicester thing.

I am old enough to remember when Blockbusters OPENED in our city. I remember feeling so excited as though a small pkiece of America had landed o n my doorstep.

I could lose myself in there. It was strangely therapeutic , wandering the aisles looking in the different sections, a bit like a library. I swear despite the easy access to films these days I actually watched more back then, because it was an event, and not only that but the new releases lined up along the walls made sure that you rarely missed or forgot about a film you'd been waiting to see.

It's been a Premier Inn for a couple of years now :(

RIP Blockbusters (and my youth).