Renting videos at a Blockbuster store in 1993

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  • Опубліковано 7 сер 2022
  • Video of people browsing videos at the once mighty retail outlet in 1993.

КОМЕНТАРІ • 4,3 тис.

  • @dip.2271
    @dip.2271 Рік тому +1527

    now i'm thinking that Internet has sucked the life out of so many things.

    • @brianmeen2158
      @brianmeen2158 Рік тому +158

      It really has and it has completely changed the way we socialize

    • @bry4162
      @bry4162 Рік тому

      ....like FAKE NEWS!
      We FINALLY KNOW most of what were blatant lies because internet.
      Loved those days - but was ASLO when they unleashed 9/11 on us and
      were planning ALL of the things they are doing to us know....destroy America and the West.
      Will only make us stronger though - God Bless Youu!

    • @shayonacollins3533
      @shayonacollins3533 Рік тому +50

      Technology did

    • @thefoxdoctor1072
      @thefoxdoctor1072 Рік тому +80

      True but without the internet we wouldn't be able to watch these gems and reminisce.

    • @dip.2271
      @dip.2271 Рік тому +94

      @@thefoxdoctor1072 yes, however our reality would be similar to what was being shown in this video. That is : we would go out to rent movies, have face to face conversations with people etc,.

  • @bobbygray3430
    @bobbygray3430 Рік тому +3973

    It’s not the movies, it’s the experiences we miss. Having to get out of the house and actually interact with people.

    • @vampirerobot
      @vampirerobot  Рік тому +163

      The puzzle has been revealed! Thank you Bobby for solving the puzzle.

    • @walkingthepath4964
      @walkingthepath4964 Рік тому +114

      Yep, you are right. Used to take my son there most Fridays, such good memories.

    • @OzzyOscy
      @OzzyOscy Рік тому +72

      And the Mega Drive games section.

    • @flynnmaxim3193
      @flynnmaxim3193 Рік тому +20

      That was it. 👍👍

    • @Ms.Delphine1204
      @Ms.Delphine1204 Рік тому +21

      We appreciated cars more back then 😅

  • @gb342002
    @gb342002 4 місяці тому +179

    Nothing worse than walking to that back wall where the new releases were just to see the one you wanted is completely rented out.

    • @lakebay972
      @lakebay972 2 місяці тому

      Nope, wait by the depository at the front and you'll luck out with the first one that slides down the chute OR...if you play your cards right with the clerk and not act a fool, s/he will pull out the new release copy from the back.

    • @gb342002
      @gb342002 2 місяці тому +3

      @@lakebay972 i aint waiting by no hole bru

    • @jameswilliams-zr8co
      @jameswilliams-zr8co 2 місяці тому +1

      well they only had so many lol first come first serve : )

    • @gb342002
      @gb342002 2 місяці тому

      @@jameswilliams-zr8co no shit

    • @miketexas4549
      @miketexas4549 Місяць тому +1

      But if you waited around the cashier for a little bit someone would always drop one off

  • @kevinbirmingham8629
    @kevinbirmingham8629 7 місяців тому +556

    I'm 54 years old and I so miss this. I actually get emotional. I used to take my daughters and their friends to Blockbuster. Let them pick out some movies and some snacks. I just miss it.

    • @bruce8703
      @bruce8703 7 місяців тому +40

      Let me tell you at the age of 35 I feel confident your daughter has the same feelings about going to Blockbuster. I miss it so much going with my mom and getting popcorn and candy. We would go on a Friday and it was such a treat.

    • @ehiggin
      @ehiggin 6 місяців тому +20

      It was a fantastic time. How has it been so long?? I miss it too.

    • @hippiecheezburger5457
      @hippiecheezburger5457 6 місяців тому +6

      I’ve heard that VHS tapes back in these times were very expensive to own so that’s why everyone went out and rented copies for 2 days or 5 days. New releases were 2 day rentals

    • @TheDrakenZ
      @TheDrakenZ 6 місяців тому +4

      @@hippiecheezburger5457 nope, just the way of watching movies and deciding if they were worth the purchase or not, and new releases that weren't out yet.

    • @charg1nmalaz0r51
      @charg1nmalaz0r51 5 місяців тому +8

      @@hippiecheezburger5457 Back in these times lol. The f man we we arent dinosaurs. And no videos werent expensive to own lol, it just saved money and space overall to rent stuff if you watched a lot of films all the time.

  • @paulshaw2013
    @paulshaw2013 Рік тому +1896

    Watching this and realising it's an experience you'll never be able to repeat is actually heartbreaking.

    • @jenniferburchill3658
      @jenniferburchill3658 Рік тому

      ​@cellarentertainment5988 Obviously you haven't had many real life experiences or much, if any, empathy for others. Do you ever even set foot outside your home or workplace?

    • @WatermelonJiki
      @WatermelonJiki Рік тому +5

      @@cellarentertainment5988have a heart what’s your issue

    • @tiago2189
      @tiago2189 Рік тому +28

      Sad but true, in my town we had a library which also worked as a video rent, it closed this year 😢

    • @geomcc39
      @geomcc39 11 місяців тому +63

      Great times ! when we hit 2010 everything start to fall a part. No more video stores, Malls are closing, very few movie theater left anymore !

    • @geomcc39
      @geomcc39 11 місяців тому +20

      Even Library's are closing ! Library near me Now cut back on many services they had for the kids!. They would have a good selection of magazines you could read, they had s places to write and do research for home work for the kids . They stop all that because of the homeless coming into the library sleeping in the library causing bed bugs & roach's in the library . Library now has you check out books online then pick them up !

  • @dapper892
    @dapper892 10 місяців тому +1238

    This pastime alone was SO much healthier for people.
    -You got up, physically left and walked the store.
    -You interacted with people.
    -You learned disappointment when the new release was sold out, figured out how to make the best of it renting something else
    -You actually sat together as a family and watched the movie the night you rented it because you physically went through the trouble, it was an event……VERSUS today where because streaming is so easy, and because people have multiple TVs and TV options, you don’t sit as a family nearly as much.

    • @dapper892
      @dapper892 10 місяців тому +17

      @@gdw121 good points

    • @krisstopher8259
      @krisstopher8259 10 місяців тому +17

      @@gdw121 well said. that's why i prefer old DVDs (mostly tv shows tho) cause it reminds me of the 90's. or blurays if it's a movie or tv show that's visually important. i don't watch netflix anymore or the other services cause it got too boring (ok well i watched ONE movie on disney recently, idiocracy. cause i've had disney for a while now and didn't bother to cancel it and they happened to have that movie that i wanted to see for a while, so i watched it on my computer like i used to do in the early 2000s when DIVX/VLC was popular) man i'm getting old, lol

    • @abstract5249
      @abstract5249 10 місяців тому +10

      Nah I much prefer the luxuries of modern technology. Streaming movies and shows lets me save time for school and work. Gotta invest in my future right?

    • @dapper892
      @dapper892 10 місяців тому

      @@abstract5249 sometimes convenience is detrimental. A lot of times it is actually. Maybe you save the 20 minute blockbuster run, but piss away far more than that binging shows cuz it’s easy, or sitting on social media, or shopping on Amazon etc…. Living a more idle lifestyle Carries over into all areas of your life. People used to go to blockbuster on Friday night and watch 1 movie. The whole process was 2 hours. Now people will steam 4-5 episodes of some show in the middle of a Saturday and spend 3-4 hours. Technology is a doubled edged sword.

    • @abstract5249
      @abstract5249 10 місяців тому +6

      @@gdw121 Good point. It's sort of like how I miss playing older video games and my childhood even though, in reality, it was an awful time since my parents were always fighting and yelling, school was bad, and games were more of an escape than an actual passion. And yet, I still somehow miss my childhood while also feeling thankful I don't have to live it anymore. Humans are complicated.

  • @Nicoletta13
    @Nicoletta13 3 місяці тому +42

    The good old days .. I miss this so much. I'm so grateful I was able to grow up renting movies. Such a wholesome experience .

  • @pearllee08
    @pearllee08 5 місяців тому +22

    I would go back to these times in a second.

  • @archangel_josh
    @archangel_josh 10 місяців тому +600

    I can imagine the customers thinking "Why are you filming such a boring everyday experience?" They would have no idea how much we in the future miss this!

    • @AdioAurel
      @AdioAurel 9 місяців тому +10

      At least we still have book, board game and PC game stores which offer a similar expirience, although those dwindled in numbers too.
      It's up to us, to support what still is around and open new ones.

    • @Big1_
      @Big1_ 9 місяців тому +7

      Miss it ?? why? Today we can get whatever we want without losing our time in these stores and losing fuel going there... We have Steam, Netflix, Primevideo, etc etc...

    • @rememberwhenwe8
      @rememberwhenwe8 8 місяців тому +38

      Missed the point@@Big1_

    • @threethirtynine1514
      @threethirtynine1514 8 місяців тому +24

      @@Big1_what’s your weight

    • @JasonOwensYT
      @JasonOwensYT 8 місяців тому +1

      @@threethirtynine1514 obese

  • @cptpepper7731
    @cptpepper7731 10 місяців тому +403

    All Blockbuster stores had a specific scent - a poetic mixture of plastic and popcorn.

    • @rick3747
      @rick3747 5 місяців тому +8

      And frequently some stellar poon if you had good game.

    • @Mario_N64
      @Mario_N64 5 місяців тому +12

      And carpet.

    • @you2be839
      @you2be839 5 місяців тому +16

      Always loved the smell of brand new, fresh VHS plastic! haha

    • @you2be839
      @you2be839 5 місяців тому +3

      @@Mario_N64 Always thought the carpet choice to be a terrible choice, it gets nasty very quickly with so many people walking on it, especially on stores where you entered right after coming from dirty, and wet sidewalks!

    • @Mario_N64
      @Mario_N64 5 місяців тому +5

      @@you2be839 It was cheap, high-traffic carpet, in grey to disguise dirt.

  • @essel23fly
    @essel23fly 8 місяців тому +118

    When things become too easy, we get depressed or unhappy. Movies were destined to be streamed but it’s a good reminder that most of the fun of life is the journey, not the destination.

    • @kevinfinnerty8414
      @kevinfinnerty8414 4 місяці тому +2

      “Progress takes away what forever took to find” My favorite Dave Matthews Lyric.

    • @sirjojo7278
      @sirjojo7278 Місяць тому

      can you develop what you mean by "movies were destined to be streamed" ?

    • @zaymire88
      @zaymire88 Місяць тому +1

      @@sirjojo7278 prolly just meant that the natural evolution for tv/film was to one day end up being streamed purely out of convenience. Like with how it went from VHS to DVD and so on, it was just a matter of time before streaming became the norm.

  • @sakurachristineito6428
    @sakurachristineito6428 3 місяці тому +14

    39 years old here...I grew up hanging out with my cousins there every weekend to rent & watch movies at home

  • @lamarkellam4943
    @lamarkellam4943 Рік тому +974

    There was nothing like going to blockbuster on a Friday night to rent a game and having it for the weekend.. 😂😫 good times

    • @ChrisHonowayOFFICIAL
      @ChrisHonowayOFFICIAL Рік тому +23

      great times

    • @hectorlopez1069
      @hectorlopez1069 Рік тому +12

      Beautiful

    • @bassage13
      @bassage13 Рік тому +33

      Genesis for me! Road Rash, Batman Returns, Desert Strike. I could go on for hours. Great times!

    • @Lord_Vadr
      @Lord_Vadr Рік тому +16

      Probably helped motivate you to actually play through more of it and thus gain inferred value for your purchase or rental of said game. These days you looks at my steam account and it’s appalling how many things I’ve bought and have less than a handful of hours played on. Somethings I’ve never even gotten around to, and the chances only dip lower as time moves forward.

    • @cykrypt1049
      @cykrypt1049 Рік тому +20

      dont forget the bottle of coke and box of candy & popcorn to pick out!

  • @TomO-nx1bd
    @TomO-nx1bd Рік тому +639

    Back then, watching a movie was actually a special event. It took some commitment in time and effort to go pick up a movie. The experience of walking around the store to look at the titles, read the back covers, talk to store employees and even other customers about movies they liked.

    • @brianmeen2158
      @brianmeen2158 Рік тому +19

      Yep now we just click buttons on a remote and have access to hundreds and hundreds of movies and tv series. It’s pretty crazy
      How much instant access we have to entertainment these days

    • @lazarusblackwell6988
      @lazarusblackwell6988 Рік тому +17

      I used to watch movies on tv with my family.We were more connected back then. Today there is nothing.

    • @aldairmarroquin4184
      @aldairmarroquin4184 Рік тому +10

      Watching movies as an experience just died out. Very few people still have little movie rituals.

    • @lazarusblackwell6988
      @lazarusblackwell6988 Рік тому +14

      @@aldairmarroquin4184 I still have my own coffee and movie nights where i watch old classic movies but thats just me.

    • @lazarusblackwell6988
      @lazarusblackwell6988 Рік тому +7

      @@aldairmarroquin4184 I havent watched TV in years.Im done with it.Nothing to watch anymore.

  • @thewolverine1913
    @thewolverine1913 5 місяців тому +51

    My wife has turned on Netflix as I watch this video on UA-cam on my phone. Going to Blockbusters in the rain, choosing a few movies with my brother alongside the snacks we wnated for that evening. So simple but loved it. I still have my old blockbuster membership card till this day

    • @toosense
      @toosense 3 місяці тому +1

      Me too.

    • @MoviesAtTheBar
      @MoviesAtTheBar 3 місяці тому +1

      Shame on you for having Netflix, you're now killing Cinemas off

  • @PalkosHorrorCollection
    @PalkosHorrorCollection 7 місяців тому +66

    I can't help but feel bad for people who missed out on this part of history. There was nothing more exciting than renting a film solely based off of the cover art of a VHS big box. So glad I've kept all of my tapes over the years.

  • @thesocialartsclub9095
    @thesocialartsclub9095 9 місяців тому +244

    The current generations can't even begin to imagine...the excitement on a Friday or Saturday evening....choosing a movie you were excited to see with your family...all sitting in the car...getting some take out and driving home. Paradise!

    • @julieerin115
      @julieerin115 5 місяців тому +11

      We take it for granted now because all you have to do is simply type a few words on the keyboard to access a movie.

    • @PhilMoskowitz
      @PhilMoskowitz 3 місяці тому +2

      Or when it's a three day weekend and you take home four videos. Or the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving when you went from Blockbusters to a pizza parlor.

    • @artsyhyd
      @artsyhyd 3 місяці тому +1

      Yeah except if the movies u wanted arent available lol

    • @thesocialartsclub9095
      @thesocialartsclub9095 3 місяці тому +4

      @@artsyhyd Not always getting what you want was regular, normal life for us.

    • @julieerin115
      @julieerin115 3 місяці тому +2

      @@artsyhyd Made you appreciate it more when you did finally get to see that movie.

  • @pixelmentia
    @pixelmentia 11 місяців тому +286

    We never realized just how much we would miss so much about this era. But as they say, don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened.

    • @GarthWatkins-th3jt
      @GarthWatkins-th3jt 10 місяців тому

      Ever here of the term "bittersweet." *sigh*
      ....me too.
      It's not only what we've left behind, it's what we're headed toward. Way too much to expound upon here and now.....if not here, where? If not now, when? Do you understand?....
      As well, the old "you can't take it with you" is referring to when we pass on. Check it out- that applies to lots of things before you check out. Such as the very thing in this video. When it became obsolete did anyone take with them into the future. I doubt it. Just ask the owners of Blockbuster and Hollywood video. Life is a journey not a destination, enjoy the ride.....

    • @MarkWhich
      @MarkWhich 10 місяців тому +3

      But not everyone saw it happened.

    • @DallasOutkast
      @DallasOutkast 10 місяців тому +3

      Amen!!!😢😊

    • @The_Gallowglass
      @The_Gallowglass 10 місяців тому +10

      I miss all the family I had back in the 90s. I don't even want any of the presents, but if I could go back to every christmas, thanksgiving, easter I'd give everything I had

    • @6lastresort
      @6lastresort 10 місяців тому

      Here we are 20 years later facing WW3. Crazy how things change.

  • @zzzaccounting5924
    @zzzaccounting5924 4 місяці тому +22

    Two videos, bucket of popcorn from Blockbuster. Home Run Inn Pizza Friday night. Brings tears to my eyes. The simple life.

  • @adams.6911
    @adams.6911 6 місяців тому +70

    "Be kind, please rewind." .. ugh memories 😢

    • @stephenkissane4268
      @stephenkissane4268 3 місяці тому +1

      Be a friend rewind the tape when you reach the end

    • @1marcelfilms
      @1marcelfilms 18 днів тому

      you piss your pants when you fall asleep and the vcr auto rewinds

  • @Shabalalaaaa
    @Shabalalaaaa Рік тому +293

    The heartbreak of looking behind the cover of the VHS/DVD movie you wanted to rent, only to discover there were no more copies left 💔 good times

    • @ThePoreproductions
      @ThePoreproductions Рік тому +11

      Yeah. And you end up leaving either empty-handed, or with something else.

    • @chrishince8947
      @chrishince8947 Рік тому +17

      I would still go to front and ask if they had any in stock fingers crossed hoping someone brought one back and it wasn't put back yet. Worked a couple times.

    • @NazriB
      @NazriB Рік тому +1

      Lies again? Raw Emotions + Special Effects = Bang Bros

    • @lillianp-yj6yx
      @lillianp-yj6yx 11 місяців тому

      @@chrishince8947 or have them call when it was returned:D

    • @modickens1272
      @modickens1272 11 місяців тому +3

      Remember how the adult videos back then had the giant box covers.

  • @shnast-tv2
    @shnast-tv2 Рік тому +362

    I worked at a Blockbuster video in 1997 - 1998. I was there before DVDs were available for rent. I remember the day we had to clear a shelf just for DVDs. You wouldn't believe the lines we had when new releases came out. It really was like a Blockbuster movie experience. The store would be packed, and customer after customer being so happy to get a copy of whatever title. It brought communities and families together.
    Internet is isolating and perfect for research, however it lacks in it's social elements. Regardless of what online gamers, redditors, zoomers, and influencers, and followers, think. There is NOTHING like actual social interactions.
    The Mall, Church, Movie Theatres, Movie Rentals, Public Swimming Pools, Christmas Shopping, Toys R Us, Kaybee Toys, etc. These are all things on the decline with no replacement. Kids don't even get a decent Mc Donalds happy meal, play area, or a decent Chuck E Cheese anymore.
    They will never know the amazing wonder of animatronic musicians on stage in a dark and dim lit environment with space age lights and sounds dazzling you in a maze of arcade machines. The sheer joy of riding inside a giant plastic UFO with flashing lights, then hoping out to go bash some creature skulls for a daisy chain of paper tickets. Then cashing in that currency for squiggling sticky wonders and finger puppets and stuffed toys or candy.

    • @vampirerobot
      @vampirerobot  Рік тому +26

      Great comment 👍

    • @opaljk4835
      @opaljk4835 Рік тому +20

      Surprisingly, other things exist that now occupy children’s time that will one day be gone that they will feel nostalgic about. We’re not special, it’s just a cycle.

    • @MP-ix2jo
      @MP-ix2jo 11 місяців тому +18

      That was potentially the best era of gaming. You had Half-Life, Goldeneye, MGS, Ocarina of time, Starcraft...

    • @stormykeep9213
      @stormykeep9213 11 місяців тому +16

      I worked at one in '98 - 2000. I much preferred the old VHS clamshells to the DVD. They stacked easier when putting them away, and were much, MUCH easier to scan when doing the dreaded inventory 😄. But yeah, it was the interactions with the customers that I miss the most. You really got to know the people in the community, and chatting about your favorite movies or the new releases just made it feel like not work. Best place I ever worked.

    • @IllStayNMyBubbleTY
      @IllStayNMyBubbleTY 11 місяців тому +19

      BEST COMMENT! Im an 80s child. People will never understand unless they lived it.

  • @NemeanLion-
    @NemeanLion- 4 місяці тому +7

    Back then I never could’ve imagined that renting a video from Blockbuster would become something to be reminisced in the future.

  • @BillCosbyTouchedMyDoodle
    @BillCosbyTouchedMyDoodle 2 місяці тому +7

    I remember one of the many weekends that my godbrother slept over at my house when we were about 17. We walked 20 minutes to Blockbuster Video to rent "Dead Presidents" which, as it turned out, was unavailable. So, we just chit-chatted for a few minutes while contemplating what else to rent. All of a sudden, the employee came back to us and said that the customer just now returned "Dead Presidents" if we still wish to rent it. My godbro and I were so ecstatic. Despite the inconvenience before streaming services, I actually miss those days of struggling to get a movie we wanted, such as also when I was a pre-teen trying to rent the newly released "Problem Child 2" from a local mom & pop video store (before the Blockbuster my godbro and I frequented, was built). The owner said, "Sorry, someone else has that movie." Sometimes, sex isn't the only forbidden fruit. Shoutout to the citizens of Oregon for still having a Blockbuster Video. You guys are beyond blessed!

  • @joeyketcham6735
    @joeyketcham6735 10 місяців тому +275

    I loved growing up in the 80’s and 90’s. We weren’t distracted by technology and cellphones, Friday’s meant meeting up with friends and hitting up the video rental store, staying up until 3am with friends sleeping over watching the movies we rented. I would hate being a kid today. I’m glad I grew up in the last great generation before technology took over.

    • @OrkoSukisuki
      @OrkoSukisuki 10 місяців тому +6

      It's not the technology, it's the people.

    • @maxwell-gn2jn
      @maxwell-gn2jn 10 місяців тому +12

      I remember the staying up till 3am playing Super Nintendo at a friends sleepover while he was sound asleep, lol.

    • @maxwell-gn2jn
      @maxwell-gn2jn 10 місяців тому +8

      It's both @@OrkoSukisuki

    • @OrkoSukisuki
      @OrkoSukisuki 10 місяців тому +1

      @@maxwell-gn2jn It's always 2-way street of course.

    • @dapper892
      @dapper892 9 місяців тому +20

      @@OrkoSukisuki it’s technology the changing people. We’ll never go back to interacting with one another like we did before the internet took over. Never.

  • @mabelmartian
    @mabelmartian Рік тому +183

    I actually miss Blockbuster

    • @vampirerobot
      @vampirerobot  Рік тому +30

      Video store trolling on a Friday or Saturday night was a great excuse just to get out of the house.

    • @hectorlopez1069
      @hectorlopez1069 Рік тому +3

      Me too, I miss blockbuster video

    • @franksandoval6046
      @franksandoval6046 Рік тому +4

      @@hectorlopez1069 why people create Netflix why ?

    • @ville666sora
      @ville666sora 11 місяців тому +6

      For me it was Hollywood Video. I didn't realize how much I would miss picking out a game to rent for the weekend and some snacks to go with it. For some reason Hollywood Video seemed to always carry my favorite snacks when the grocery stores and Walmart and Kmart didn't even have them.

    • @randomtees
      @randomtees 10 місяців тому +1

      They were a predatory company that made most of its money off of unreasonable late fees. They forced their employees to harass anyone with an outstanding balance. If you didn't pay, they'd report you to a credit agency.

  • @mercedesgalvan2926
    @mercedesgalvan2926 4 місяці тому +5

    This was the last stage. The end of us. Any Blockbuster night was special. The interaction with the store clerks and other customers where priceless. The mom and pops dolar video store were the rage before this. In the 80s it was renting a movie for a dolar for an entire week.

  • @Mrfeast-AD
    @Mrfeast-AD 4 місяці тому +17

    I’ve just been in tears watching this, the nostalgia, the loss of a parent all came and hit me like a ton of bricks, such great times they were

  • @analog_memories
    @analog_memories 9 місяців тому +339

    I worked at Blockbuster back in 2005. I was actually working right next door at Movie Gallery when the BB manager offered me $1 more an hour to join their team lol. After all these years of having a career in tech, I can honestly say that working at Blockbuster was the most fun I've had at any job. I loved talking to people about movies, and I loved working with my friends. We didn't have to worry about so much back then because we were just kids. I still remember some of the fun times we had at that store. Man, if only I could go back in time, I would remind myself to stop and enjoy every moment. One day you wake up and are hit with the dreadful realization that life has sped by in a blur. Some of us look in the mirror and we don't recognize the person looking back. If you are reading this, please take the time to slow down and do something you enjoy doing. Hug your friends and your loved ones. Take out a piece of paper and write a letter to someone. Do something positive for a total stranger. At the end of every day, reflect on the positive things. Say nice things about yourself out loud. Last but not least, be good to each other.

    • @Connection-Lost
      @Connection-Lost 9 місяців тому +7

      I already do the things you suggest but time isn't slowing down. Class of 2000 here.

    • @analog_memories
      @analog_memories 9 місяців тому +6

      @@Connection-Lost Yeah, I don’t think it ever slows down, but we can at least try to do positive things for ourselves and others. You never know, your interaction with someone could make their day. No matter how small the gesture. Just smiling at someone could set a wonderful tone to their day.

    • @glennhenry5684
      @glennhenry5684 8 місяців тому +4

      Well said! There is an Auto Zone now where my Blockbuster used to be. Every time I pass by I am sad. I can still picture some of the faces of people who worked there. I miss it. Yes, life has sped by in a blur. 😢

    • @ICON-11-
      @ICON-11- 8 місяців тому +1

      ❤❤❤

    • @0000song0000
      @0000song0000 8 місяців тому +3

      It reminds me of "my dream job" was to work at the record /cd store 😅
      My family always though it was "below me".
      Then my goal was to work at E.M.I. then it went "bankrupt".
      Long story short, I am still looking for a job that involves art without having to stress yourself too much. 😅 The must relaxed i ever felt was on a job where i only had to categoriza and archive files...
      I guess i stress myself too much, but it is nice when they compliment a segment of a film that you edited, a particular bassline that you played, or that one sculpture you made for 16 hours straight (before deadline) 😅. I love those moments, but it takes thousands of hours of effort 😳.... But i guess it's not about the seconds of praise 🤔 but about how proud we are about ourselves and we create 😀❤️

  • @Jay_Force_One
    @Jay_Force_One Рік тому +216

    THIS IS MAGICAL!
    God I miss the 90s and early 2000’s. If there was one thing I could tell kids these days that they missed out on….it would be this.
    I will forever remember running down to the only Hollywood video in our city with my mom or dad on a Friday night. We would go home and pop them into our huge box screen TV we had in our furnished basement that we called “the family room”. The smell, the sights, the snacks they had…..nostalgia. Later, in the 2000s, you could also rent games. My dad would always get us one of those too. Tony Hawk Proskater 2, Nascar Thunder, Sly Cooper. God. Take me back

    • @vampirerobot
      @vampirerobot  Рік тому +14

      That sounds exactly as you put it, Magical! Such memories. I always tell people who think it's a joke to go out and "rent' movies that it was also an excuse to hang out. To be with your Mom/Dad/Brother/Sister best friend...what have you.
      Who know what that day will bring...memories for sure.
      Like you wrote above!

    • @Rick_Smooth
      @Rick_Smooth Рік тому +5

      Right there with you! I was 10 yrs old in '93. Great memories for sure! Going on a Friday night to pick up a couple of games, knowing my cousins and I could stay up late. Don't forget that feeling of dejection, when you walk up and there's no game/movie behind the cover, lol.

    • @bassage13
      @bassage13 Рік тому +5

      Wtf are you talking about? You could rent games in the late 80s. I rented Genesis games every weekend.

    • @Jay_Force_One
      @Jay_Force_One Рік тому +5

      @@bassage13 Not every location had that buddy.

    • @anonamatron
      @anonamatron Рік тому +5

      @@vampirerobot Yeah, no sleepover party was complete without a trip to Blockbuster to rent some games and movies.

  • @alanmedina-uq8zw
    @alanmedina-uq8zw 8 місяців тому +9

    I get on Netflix and get overwhelmed. I end up watching whatever. Back then as a child and teenager this was a pleasant experience. It was a real getaway from reality

  • @fly6ish
    @fly6ish 8 місяців тому +5

    Man…..I still remember the smell of those vhs boxes when you walked down the aisle, pure nostalgia. Thanks for uploading this.😊

  • @Something-Waffle
    @Something-Waffle 10 місяців тому +322

    It's 1993, and I was twelve years old. I loved going to Blockbuster to rent NES games. My dad would take me almost every weekend. I miss those days. It's hard to explain to younger generations the pure thrill of walking into that store. I still have that "Blockbuster smell" engrained into my memory. God, it's hard to believe this was thirty years ago.

    • @maxwell-gn2jn
      @maxwell-gn2jn 10 місяців тому +11

      A lot of us were 12 in the comments. 81 baby here. We all have a soft spot in our hearts for these times.

    • @Something-Waffle
      @Something-Waffle 9 місяців тому +7

      @@maxwell-gn2jn That's cool that you were born in 1981 too. It's awesome to know that other 1981 kids are representing in the comments. Us 81 kids have to stick together.

    • @alivetilldeath8
      @alivetilldeath8 9 місяців тому +6

      It was 30 years ago. Not over 30. I was born in 93. I'm 30. Don't make me feel older than I already do, please 😢
      *Edit*
      You're the man for editing your comment. Thank you buddy.

    • @ash34005
      @ash34005 8 місяців тому +1

      @@maxwell-gn2jn’81 baby here too! I miss experiences like this.

    • @thisisgoodnews8043
      @thisisgoodnews8043 8 місяців тому +2

      We didn’t have blockbuster in my town, it was just local owned convenience stores that rented them out (but it was still exciting go there). I would have been jealous of you getting to go to blockbuster back then :)

  • @CarmenSandiego649
    @CarmenSandiego649 10 місяців тому +281

    The nights you would fully commit to a movie instead of changing it multiple times because you had too many options with streaming. Side note: that Looney Tunes T-shirt is iconic!

    • @xrrrismickey
      @xrrrismickey 10 місяців тому +3

      True, although it could take hours in the store to decide on a movie with family and friends

    • @automnejoy5308
      @automnejoy5308 10 місяців тому +15

      Movies had to be good for that reason. I mean, there were still bad movies. But the big releases were good. They had to be. Now there is so much over-saturation and it's so easy to stream that the pressure is off. It's quantity over quality, and there are so many shitty movies and TV shows now.

    • @alessiocallegari1924
      @alessiocallegari1924 10 місяців тому +2

      ​@@automnejoy5308That's so true!!!

    • @RazorShalom
      @RazorShalom 10 місяців тому +8

      I used to work at block busters. My manager used to have sex with me. I was 16 and she was maybe 40? Idk. Best summer job ever. It’s around the time when Batman and Robbin came out.

    • @bchristian85
      @bchristian85 10 місяців тому

      Yeah. I've found very few recent Netflix movies I've actually like. Most of them are what would have been considered "straight to DVD" quality. I miss not only Blockbuster but that era of film. @@automnejoy5308

  • @RKyki
    @RKyki 7 місяців тому +5

    This and drive-ins will forever be missed! ❤☹ and certainly never forgotten! Wonderful times back then! (born 1980)

  • @Grimaldo354
    @Grimaldo354 5 місяців тому +2

    Thank you for posting this. It so perfectly captures the environment at the time. I was 8 that year; 93-98 were the best years of my life. I actually think that was the perfect time in the world to be a kid. Nothing will ever come close.

  • @williamwhite2113
    @williamwhite2113 11 місяців тому +65

    Blockbuster had the exact same smell in each location. The odor of plastic combined with buttered popcorn was one of those sensory experiences that does not exist anymore. It was always cool to find new movies on tape every week was pretty cool. Now you have to find DVD movies online because the stores selections are limited or very limited.

    • @jasonwade9160
      @jasonwade9160 10 місяців тому +7

      Thanks for pinpointing that combination. Been trying to remember what is was besides the movie cases. My nose can still conjour up that unique smell thru memory of walking into the entramce.

    • @cardbored_
      @cardbored_ 10 місяців тому +2

      Kinda like Subway restaurants all have that distinctive smell

    • @williamwhite2113
      @williamwhite2113 10 місяців тому

      Good one. That bread smell is pretty distinctive.

    • @jimboramba
      @jimboramba 10 місяців тому

      Maybe someone should start a restaurant chain that mimics the look and feel of a blockbuster, and when you come in to eat you can watch a movie there while you eat or you can still rent it and take it home if you want. Gotta find a reason to get people in to rent movies since renting movies alone isn't enough anymore.

    • @Streetw1s3r
      @Streetw1s3r 10 місяців тому

      I can confirm it even smelt the same in Australia. Dirty carpet, plastic, and popcorn from the snacks they used to sell.

  • @jannydots3870
    @jannydots3870 Рік тому +83

    Remember when there were so many movies that you wanted to rent? The final decision was tough. Now I can’t find one movie at the movie theater that I would spend money on.

    • @anonamatron
      @anonamatron Рік тому +2

      Renfield was pretty fun recently, and the new Dungeons and Dragons is not bad. They're both schlocky but play it serious enough that they work.
      I mean don't expect masterpieces, but they're fun.
      I think the superhero movies have been pretty consistently good.
      I mean I'd rather have some new property along the lines of Terminator 2.... in 1993 we really did have stuff like that.

    • @brianmeen2158
      @brianmeen2158 Рік тому +1

      True. I haven’t been to theater in years.

    • @chrisrj9871
      @chrisrj9871 Рік тому

      @@anonamatron - I wish people would give original movies a try again; they did in the late 20thC.

    • @manchesterexplorer8519
      @manchesterexplorer8519 11 місяців тому +3

      Much like music , when entertainment basically becomes free the content gets worse as well .

    • @citygirl5705
      @citygirl5705 11 місяців тому +8

      Politics and CGI ruined a lot of movies.

  • @user-mh5hc2bv3t
    @user-mh5hc2bv3t 5 місяців тому +5

    It was a very exciting thing to visit a Blockbuster. You went with your big brother, sister, or friends while your Mom got the popcorn or maybe even pizza ready for you at home. It was an experience--not something you instantly clicked on Netflix. Sometimes fast and easy is not always better.

    • @gato7908
      @gato7908 3 місяці тому

      Because the time you save finding a movie faster isn't necessarily time better spent. For most people, it's just more time playing with their phones

  • @yassersaeed2010
    @yassersaeed2010 7 місяців тому +1

    I am 54 and this video brings alot of memories of Blockbuster stores .. the good old days of early 1990s

  • @American_Gunslinger
    @American_Gunslinger 10 місяців тому +107

    This.... is amazing. I miss these days SO BAD. Thanks for these few minutes of profound nostalgia.

    • @Kay-ws2kk
      @Kay-ws2kk 10 місяців тому +2

      So bad is right. I wish we could go back. But waiting for Jesus in the clouds to take up rapture his church. Which then everything will totally fall to pieces more than now.

    • @Grandmastergav86
      @Grandmastergav86 10 місяців тому +3

      Movies are shit these days, so it's not just the experience people miss.

    • @LSD123.
      @LSD123. 10 місяців тому +4

      Looking back now, the 90s were awesome times. You don't know what you got until it's gone…

    • @mayanksingh6663
      @mayanksingh6663 10 місяців тому +1

      @@LSD123. so true , we don't know what we got until it's gone 90s

    • @barefootkid592.0
      @barefootkid592.0 10 місяців тому +1

      ​@@LSD123.I want to go back to the 70s

  • @partsunknown9892
    @partsunknown9892 9 місяців тому +50

    30 years from now we'll be watching videos of how we used to actually go to grocery stores to buy food and reminiscing of the good old days, you wait and see .

    • @woodsie315
      @woodsie315 5 місяців тому +7

      You probably aren't wrong. It'll probably get delivered by drones or autonomous delivery vehicles from non-descript white warehouses by then.

    • @whendutycalls_
      @whendutycalls_ 3 місяці тому +1

      Well be uploaded To the Internet by then

    • @sakurachristineito6428
      @sakurachristineito6428 3 місяці тому +1

      I mean with all the delivery apps & everything teenagers nowadays actually refuse to learn how to drive!!! Back when I was a teenager I couldn't wait to be able to drive so that I could go out of the house & hang out with my friends!!!

    • @Grawbad
      @Grawbad 3 місяці тому

      Start recording because some people already don't go to the grocery store anymore. I don't go to the grocery store anymore. Don't think I have in 2 years, maybe more.

    • @zzzaccounting5924
      @zzzaccounting5924 3 місяці тому +1

      Sadly, SkyNet is taking over, and we're not going to be able to stop it

  • @dj.dinamix9699
    @dj.dinamix9699 5 місяців тому

    Nice....what a great memories thank you for doing this....the full effect.....you bring it me back to old school....thank you.

  • @Teacupdogz
    @Teacupdogz 9 днів тому +1

    There was something so fun about going to Blockbuster on a Friday and picking out a video. My parents would let me pick out a couple. We didn't go all the time, but it was such a treat. At the time, you couldn't imagine anything else. You couldn't imagine it never being there.

  • @IronWolf277
    @IronWolf277 Рік тому +84

    I miss the 90's. Going to Blockbuster as a kid was always fun! You walked down the isles looking at all the cool movie covers deciding what you were gonna rent for the weekend and if you were lucky your parents might even let you rent a Super Nintendo or Sega Genisis with games!

    • @WatermelonJiki
      @WatermelonJiki Рік тому +4

      I rented PlayStation, Xbox and GameCube games, as well as N64.

    • @IronWolf277
      @IronWolf277 Рік тому

      @@WatermelonJiki yep! Later on I rented many N64 games also, first game system I ever owned!

    • @christianpatriot7196
      @christianpatriot7196 10 місяців тому +2

      That’s what kids look forward to on Friday night and the weekends was blockbuster getting some pizza or some of your favorite fast food taking at home chilling out having a good time just being a kid
      Of course Blockbuster and other video stores wasn’t the only thing we look forward to doing but it’s one of those highlights as a kid we fondly remember

    • @electricearth1101
      @electricearth1101 10 місяців тому +6

      i lived across the street from one 1991-1999 so we walked there at night around 7 on the weekends to pick out movies and games. i remember the warm night air and the sunsets that felt like they came and went so slowly. guess that was because their was no news buzzing in our pockets every 15-30 minutes.

    • @kellymiller1891
      @kellymiller1891 10 місяців тому +3

      I would have to agree with you, because I too miss the 90s and I also miss Blockbuster Video, I remember every Saturday my Husband Adam, our four children, our 5-year-old Identical Twins named Zoey (Girl) and Julian (Boy), our 7-year-old daughter named Anita, our 9-year-old son named Ben, and I would get into our Family Minivan, we would go grocery shopping at a local grocery store, after that we would go to the local Blockbuster Video, Zoey, Julian, Anita, and Ben would be going over where the Children's Movies were at, while Adam and I started roaming around each movie aisle, looking at each movie, picking one up and reading the back of it, Adam and I would check out a Movie, Zoey, Julian, Anita, and Ben would check out a Movie, we would be going back to the house, Groceries put away, we would have dinner, sometimes the kids would watch a movie, and when the kids are asleep, Adam and I would watch a movie, sometimes we would watch a movie that He likes, and sometimes we would watch a movie that I like, our top ten favorite movies is,
      Adam's Favorite Movies.
      10. Indiana Jones and the last Crusade.
      9. 48 Hrs.
      8. Batman.
      7. Star Trek 2 The Wrath of Khan.
      6. The Blues Brothers.
      5. Staying Alive.
      4. Beverly Hills Cop.
      3. Rocky.
      2. Rambo.
      1. Ferris Buller's Day Off.
      My Favorite Movies.
      10. Tootsie.
      9. The Color Purple.
      8. Splash.
      7. Romancing the Stone.
      6. Three Men and a Baby.
      5. Coming to America.
      4. An Officer and a Gentleman.
      3. Look Who's Talking.
      2. Pretty Woman.
      1. Robin Hood Prince of Thieves.
      Zoey's Favorite Animated Movies.
      10. Betty Boop for President. Animated.
      9. Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (And Don't Come Back).
      8. Scruffy.
      7. The Trouble with Miss Switch.
      6. Yogi's First Christmas.
      5. The Fox and the Hound.
      4. The Little Fox.
      3. The Last Unicorn.
      2. Miss Switch to the Rescue.
      1. The Secret of NIMH.
      Julian's Favorite Animated Movies.
      10. Pinocchio's Christmas. Stop Motion Animated.
      9. The Looney Looney Looney Bugs Bunny Movie.
      8. Daffy Duck's Fantastic Island.
      7. The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie.
      6. Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie 1001 Rabbit Tales.
      5. GALLAVANTS.
      4. Samson and Sally the song of the whales.
      3. The Black Cauldron.
      2. The Care Bears Movie.
      1. Here Come the Littles.
      Anita's Favorite Animated Movies.
      10. A Journey Through Fairyland.
      9. The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. Stop Motion Animated.
      8. Rainbow BRITE and the Star Stealer.
      7. You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.
      6. An American Tail.
      5. Care Bears Movie 2 a New Generation.
      4. Castle in the Sky. Anime.
      3. The Elm-Chanted Forest.
      2. The Great Mouse Detective.
      1. Liberty and the Littles.
      Ben's Favorite Animated Movies.
      10. John the Fearless.
      9. My Little Pony Rescue at Midnight Castle.
      8. My Little Pony Escape from Katrina.
      7. My Little Pony the Movie.
      6. Pound Puppies City Pound.
      5. Pound Puppies and the legend of Big Paw.
      4. The Transformers the Movie.
      3. G.I Joe the Movie.
      2. The Brave Little Toaster.
      1. The Chipmunk Adventure.

  • @zacharyfindlay-maddox171
    @zacharyfindlay-maddox171 10 місяців тому +130

    I was 12 years old when this was filmed. I loved going to Blockbuster and renting a Sega Genesis game, and getting a movie on a Friday night. I feel really lucky to have been born in 81 and lived through this.

    • @sambobrooklyn316
      @sambobrooklyn316 10 місяців тому +8

      I was born in 81 and used to remember renting games for the sega master system.

    • @atulnayak5715
      @atulnayak5715 10 місяців тому +5

      I was 13 at the time and I used to go there with a group of friends. Many happy memories of my youth before the www and social media era. Also glad to say that I have a much sharper and inquisitive brain than "Gen Y and Z" of today!

    • @maxwell-gn2jn
      @maxwell-gn2jn 10 місяців тому +5

      I was 12 too, lol. Born in 81 as well. What a time to live back then. I miss those days so much now. Back then though, I took it for granted.

    • @maxwell-gn2jn
      @maxwell-gn2jn 10 місяців тому

      So true@@atulnayak5715

    • @sambobrooklyn316
      @sambobrooklyn316 10 місяців тому +4

      @@maxwell-gn2jn I think we all did.

  • @macorourke2222
    @macorourke2222 6 місяців тому

    Totally awesomeness. I remember going and renting movies. I used to call My Mom from the blockbusters phone and ask Her what movie She would like. The staff at My local Blockbusters were like Family. Now that location in Scarborough Ontario Canada is a Dollartree. When I go inside that store now. I still feel the Blockbuster magic! Thanks so much for sharing this video. Made Me smile 😃 👍♥️📺📼📼📼📼📼📺✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️☕️☕️☕️☕️☕️✨️✨️✨️💯💯💯💯💯✨️✨️✨️

  • @GreenBoiler
    @GreenBoiler 5 місяців тому +5

    To future readers: It's currently Feb 2024, the Apple Vision Pro just came out. Never forget how good we had it.

  • @TheGaryDaniel
    @TheGaryDaniel Рік тому +52

    We didn’t know, but one of these times it was our last time in a video rental store. Enjoy life, you never know when something is your last time.

  • @caseyk.1386
    @caseyk.1386 11 місяців тому +192

    If you miss this, go to the library or the thrift store with your family and friends. It may not be as magical as when we were kids, but it’s still fun and it’s a similar tradition to share with my son.

    • @chilld1324
      @chilld1324 10 місяців тому +11

      Yeah.. where I live.. we gotta place called vintage stock.. it's pretty cool. .. almost like hastings. But man.. It's still just different from these old video stores

    • @AlexandraPeters70
      @AlexandraPeters70 10 місяців тому

      Agreed.

    • @ImOnlySIeeping
      @ImOnlySIeeping 10 місяців тому

      libraries are totally corrupted and thrift stores have been picked over by ebay flippers

    • @milesjohnson5487
      @milesjohnson5487 10 місяців тому +6

      Hollywood Video by my house used to be Video Library that rented porn.
      I remember men standing in the line of shame. 🤣🤣

    • @alisharo58
      @alisharo58 10 місяців тому +3

      Very much similar. These people complaining don’t actually want to recreate the experience otherwise there’d be more people doing this.

  • @morris4321
    @morris4321 6 місяців тому

    I’m thankful for whoever recorded this I remember these times
    I’m glad I was part of the last generation to experience this born in 1985 definitely grew up in the last greatest generations I remember going to the video store and arcades so much fun memories back in the day

  • @goldie8eight
    @goldie8eight 4 місяці тому +1

    I miss Blockbuster. Go grab dinner after work then choose a movie and snow caps to relax with at home. No scrolling. No cell phones. So relaxing.

  • @skyguy1988
    @skyguy1988 10 місяців тому +165

    nothing will ever beat the feeling of cassette tapes and vhs tapes. there was something really cool about holding them

    • @laurendaryani4893
      @laurendaryani4893 9 місяців тому +14

      Agreed, and the cover art, the summary, the little pictures in the back that are chosen to represent the film.... I feel this way with CDs and books also. Everything was just more intimate and tactile than it is now.

    • @Big1_
      @Big1_ 9 місяців тому +5

      Really cool ?? Yeah the 420p resolution format, wooow so cool dude... The 20 minutes need to reverse the tapes, advance it or put it into the beginning of the tape, WOOOW SO COOL DUDEEEEE!!

    • @QuantumEffectResidue
      @QuantumEffectResidue 8 місяців тому +6

      Yes, it was called being normal! Something today's society knows little about!

    • @QuantumEffectResidue
      @QuantumEffectResidue 8 місяців тому

      Yeah, and you know what's really cool about our life and obviously your life since you're downing this time period? Everyone has become very robotic, dull, anti social, cold, spoiled apathetic, selfish jerks with no attention span. Thanks A.I, Internet, and streaming! You really "enriched" our lives. @@Big1_

    • @skyguy1988
      @skyguy1988 8 місяців тому +14

      @@Big1_ ....it took less than 20 seconds to rewind a tape. and less than 10 to do a cassette. it taught patience as well.

  • @antonbanks8303
    @antonbanks8303 10 місяців тому +86

    Thanks for the trip down memory lane! I worked at a Blockbuster Video in High School. It was the first to open in my town. At one point I was able to balance a stack of about 25 VHS tapes on one arm while walking around to put them back on the shelves. I must have heard their jingle (Blockbuster video! Wow, what a difference) a million times. It still pops into my head every now and then.
    And to make us all feel old, that kid at 0:41 is now in his 30s.

    • @Theegoaat
      @Theegoaat 10 місяців тому +7

      Lol I I'm 34 and was just thinking that he's probably about my age at the time.

    • @Mysticlees
      @Mysticlees 10 місяців тому +7

      I was 16-17 in 93, I’m 47 as of 2023. How time flies lol

    • @la_baby_khalil7703
      @la_baby_khalil7703 10 місяців тому +4

      💪👍🙌👏🙏😘🙏 What an Honor Sir!!! GOD BLESS YOU FOR BRINGING US SO MUCH HAPPINESS...AMEN!!! 🙏😇🙏

    • @whiteprivilegedenier7459
      @whiteprivilegedenier7459 10 місяців тому +1

      This is really old, this is back when American women still slept with white men. I saw the end of those days as a kid, never as an adult.

  • @RobertBrown-nx6ku
    @RobertBrown-nx6ku 8 днів тому +1

    I spent my entire childhood growing up in video stores, both blockbusters and Hollywood videos. My mom was an assistant DM. So she was responsible for taking on stores in bad shape and cleaning them up and getting them running smoothly again. I can’t tell you how many nights I slept in those stores. I’d just make me a pallet in the office and go pick a stack of movies, grab a drink and snacks and I was set for the night. I miss those days. :(

  • @MethosTR
    @MethosTR 7 місяців тому +4

    As a child of the 90's and early 2000's I feel lucky to have experienced Blockbuster Video. I remember as a kid begging my parents to rent N64 games and later PS2 games from the local Blockbuster most Friday evenings, before returning home for movie night. I'd play the games over the weekend, though on Monday they'd be returned.
    I frequently rented the same game if I could, so I could continue my progress in them, especially in the PS2 era with save data being stored on memory cards rather than the cartridge with N64. My family didn't have a lot of money, so I only had a few games of my own. Blockbuster was my way to play many new releases.
    I miss this time dearly. In the age of streaming and digital distribution, it is really not the same experience anymore.

  • @Red-Eagle
    @Red-Eagle 10 місяців тому +94

    The sheer nostalgic feeling you get watching this. Used to get so excited when you go to Blockbuster and rent a game. The smell of the place and that good feeling it always gave you.

    • @joeg4707
      @joeg4707 10 місяців тому +7

      I was so pumped when they started renting games.

    • @portiabougie4828
      @portiabougie4828 10 місяців тому +6

      The SMELL 🥰 .. glad someone else has that very distinct memory of Blockbuster ..

    • @thebarbelllifestyle1478
      @thebarbelllifestyle1478 10 місяців тому +3

      Going in to check out the Nintendo power magazines was also an awesome part of the experience.

    • @TheVanillatech
      @TheVanillatech 9 місяців тому

      Not sure how YOUR local B-Buster smelled, but with mine, the smell was definitely NOT the exciting part of going! XD
      I never rented games either, would hate the idea of not owning a game, or having to pay money just to get 1/2 way through before returning it.
      But I loved going there and looking at EVERY SINGLE movie, on all the walls and displays, the movie-art on the front and reading the backs, discovering new films (pre-internet) like looking for gems in a cave.

    • @GeorgeZimmermen
      @GeorgeZimmermen 9 місяців тому +1

      @@TheVanillatechyou must be fun at parties…..

  • @donngu
    @donngu Рік тому +82

    That kid is about 30 years old now.

    • @nikhernandez8435
      @nikhernandez8435 Рік тому +20

      I'd say about 34

    • @fortheloveofgod_leave
      @fortheloveofgod_leave Рік тому +12

      More like 36-39. This was recorded 30 years ago, and last time I checked, babies don’t look like that.

    • @Flametasticeedits
      @Flametasticeedits Рік тому +6

      Yeah I was born in 91 and I'm 32

    • @zari2662
      @zari2662 Рік тому +7

      ​@@fortheloveofgod_leave that kid looks no older than 3 years old at the time. I'd say he's about 33 rn. I was born in 90' and I'm 33.

    • @ennvee1989
      @ennvee1989 Рік тому +3

      He was probably my age back than. I was 4 in 1993. He is probably 34-35

  • @S197SteelHorse80
    @S197SteelHorse80 8 місяців тому +1

    It's impressive that someone had the foresight to record this experience.

  • @prodigy_xd
    @prodigy_xd 8 місяців тому +4

    I was living in our videostore. It was just across the street and they had a flipper (terminator, dracula, etc) and poker machine. Oh, and a juice machine. I was there almost every day, looking at covers, waiting for new arrivals and buy discarded posters for just $1 to put up in my room once i got home. Such a good time. Was friends with the staff basically. Was just a kid still, but i guess they liked my dedication.

  • @mrsheatherteske
    @mrsheatherteske 10 місяців тому +42

    Back in the 90s, us kids would have never imagined that a future generation would want to watch a video about us going to blockbuster 😂 who knew how times would change! Even I enjoyed the flashback! I was a more "Hollywood video" shopper but still ❤

    • @laurendaryani4893
      @laurendaryani4893 9 місяців тому +2

      I always thought Hollywood had a better selection of the genres that were my favorite.
      There was also a Video Row in our neighborhood that had a large inventory and carried music, though that was a destination my family and I wemt to when I was younger, like 7, 8... I remember it had a small room in the back for adult films, and I would be both titillated and freaked out by the video covers in the horror section. I always felt nervous walking among that section's aisles alone because of all the scary cover art 😅

    • @deljean
      @deljean 9 місяців тому +2

      ​@laurendaryani4893 😂😂😂 I remember I came across IT and damn near freaked out lmao. I was scared everytime we went back to Hollywood because of possibly running into it again😂😂😂

    • @winterlynn9012
      @winterlynn9012 2 місяці тому +1

      ​@@deljeanThe vhs cover for Evil dead 2 with the grinning skull scared the hell outta me as a kid, lol. I was terrified of that stupid cover art haha

    • @deljean
      @deljean 2 місяці тому

      @@winterlynn9012 🤣🤣🤣

  • @JuanCarlos-bo9rd
    @JuanCarlos-bo9rd 9 місяців тому +33

    how beautiful life was back then 💖😘😘

  • @robwebnoid5763
    @robwebnoid5763 6 місяців тому +2

    In 1993, I was still studying electronics engineering at college. I do not remember when we started renting at Blockbuster, but I do know we were doing it in the Y2k era, up until Blockbuster suddenly up & died around 2012-2013. I had a mail rental DVD still at hand when they bankrupted & it was too late to mail it back, so instead Blockbuster carded me for the DVD. That's ok, I kept the disc for nostalgia, even the return envelope, as a memento of the store. What was special was that me & my dad would peruse Blockbuster many times for many years. He is also gone now & that is what makes Blockbuster special because of those memories of me & Dad browsing the Blockbuster aisles.

  • @bobbymanganaro
    @bobbymanganaro 3 місяці тому

    Im grateful for all these seemingly mundane videos that are out there. Please post them so as we can all see history

  • @DJNurseAnnabella
    @DJNurseAnnabella Рік тому +61

    I remember it smelled good in those stores.

    • @evierodriguez82
      @evierodriguez82 Рік тому +12

      Yes! So I'm not the only one that thought so lol

    • @Snipes-76
      @Snipes-76 Рік тому +6

      The AC was perfectly set also. Felt amazing in there.

    • @streamingnowstreamingnow2568
      @streamingnowstreamingnow2568 Рік тому +2

      That's the cleaner spray they use, it like a perfume after cleaning up, they spray on any soft fabric.
      Like Febreeze but more Industrial.
      One of my local hotels has nice smell to it.

    • @jimmy7434
      @jimmy7434 11 місяців тому

      I wanna go back there

    • @Xhoven
      @Xhoven 11 місяців тому

      I remember loving the smell of Blockbuster, but after all these years I can't remember exactly what the smell was like. 😕

  • @sarahhulsey8834
    @sarahhulsey8834 8 місяців тому +38

    Blockbuster was my job in high school in 2001. Worked there for 4 years. Soooo many great memories!!!

    • @hectorlopez1069
      @hectorlopez1069 4 місяці тому +2

      Great life

    • @andrewburgemeister6684
      @andrewburgemeister6684 Місяць тому

      That would have been an amazing job for a teenager!!
      Do you remember what the most popular titles were that people rented from the store?

    • @sarahhulsey8834
      @sarahhulsey8834 Місяць тому

      @@andrewburgemeister6684 I remember American Pie, Harry Potter, and The Fast and Furious were really big!!

    • @PJade
      @PJade 26 днів тому +1

      I worked there. I remember when Master and Commander came out, we couldn't keep copies on the shelf.

  • @JJ-sq3jj
    @JJ-sq3jj 6 місяців тому +1

    Seeing those shelves just made me want to cry. Wow. The nostalgia. I was that lil kid once

  • @CanadianGuy79
    @CanadianGuy79 6 місяців тому +1

    Please take me back! I'm so emotional watching this.... I wished we could to back to a much simpler time. Man I feel like I'm there!!

  • @dboyd1651
    @dboyd1651 10 місяців тому +10

    My father passed away in December 2022. I just dropped off his VHS tapes and Magnavox VHS player and his collection of cassette tapes at Goodwill. Love you, Dad. Thank you for sharing this.

    • @laurendaryani4893
      @laurendaryani4893 9 місяців тому +5

      My condolences! May your father rest in peace 🌹🕯

    • @dboyd1651
      @dboyd1651 9 місяців тому

      Thank you for that.@@laurendaryani4893

  • @ModernPlague
    @ModernPlague 10 місяців тому +66

    What amazing foresight to realize that it was worth documenting something that seemed so run-of-the-mill & mundane at the time!

    • @cube2fox
      @cube2fox 8 місяців тому +6

      I can't imagine how somebody could have so much foresight! I would never have thought to film such an (at the time) mundane activity.

    • @jimmyboydonald6578
      @jimmyboydonald6578 6 місяців тому +3

      Yes imagine telling someone back then "Enjoy this because in 15 to 20 years this experience will be gone!"

    • @mcsmoothie7052
      @mcsmoothie7052 5 місяців тому +2

      @@cube2foxit’s not really “ foresight”. This stuff was filmed as background footage for various nightly news reports. Some local news station was probably doing a segment on some aspect of video rental business and sent one of their people out the day before to shoot some footage for the segment.

    • @cube2fox
      @cube2fox 5 місяців тому

      @@mcsmoothie7052 Oh really? That would explain it.

    • @mcsmoothie7052
      @mcsmoothie7052 5 місяців тому +2

      @@cube2fox yeah, that’s what all the footage on this channel is. It does make for an amazing time capsule.

  • @mavez6322
    @mavez6322 8 місяців тому

    Good times! Used to love going down to the video shop after school on a Friday night and spending like an hour or so looking at all the amazing VHS covers and renting like 3 to watch all weekend.

  • @jon9394
    @jon9394 7 місяців тому +1

    These young kids these days will never know the happiness of your parents taking you to blockbusters on a friday night to rent movies/games for the weekend.

  • @michaelevans9675
    @michaelevans9675 10 місяців тому +14

    Man I miss the video store. The delayed gratification and the bonding of actually having to drive to get it together, rent it together and watch it together. These are fond memories for me. I look back on those days and I’d trade in the streaming for the video stores any day.

  • @TheAeroAvatar
    @TheAeroAvatar 10 місяців тому +49

    Man it sucks that Blockbuster is gone. It's a lost treasure of a bygone era from not all that long ago. And yet it feels almost like an eternity.

    • @danr2652
      @danr2652 10 місяців тому +1

      Why is it bad that it's gone?

    • @fawkes4968
      @fawkes4968 9 місяців тому

      Yup and K Marts Radio Shack Circuit City just to name a few!

    • @gun-nut
      @gun-nut 8 місяців тому

      We still have one in bend oregon

    • @TheAeroAvatar
      @TheAeroAvatar 8 місяців тому

      Yep. I know. Sad that it's literally the last one. They better keep that living relic alive for a long long time. @@gun-nut

    • @Pluralofvinylisvinyls
      @Pluralofvinylisvinyls 8 місяців тому +1

      Blockbuster sucked. There were indie video stores scattered across the country that were always better.

  • @milesbbop9563
    @milesbbop9563 3 місяці тому

    My b-day! I wish i was 16 during this time. You guys lived during great years.

  • @khfan4life365
    @khfan4life365 5 місяців тому +1

    I grew up going to Blockbuster and Hollywood Video. It was very fun to browse the titles and find a movie. I really miss it.

  • @rackt09
    @rackt09 11 місяців тому +24

    For me, it's not just about renting movies at blockbuster---an experience I do miss---it's also the time it represents. A time before social media, and all the rot it has perpetuated throughout our culture. I just miss the 90s in general *sigh*

    • @randomtees
      @randomtees 10 місяців тому +1

      Yet here you are. On social media. Not living in the moment.

    • @lisac1619
      @lisac1619 10 місяців тому +2

      ​@@randomteesno smartass keyboard warriors back then either 😂

    • @trindellbrown
      @trindellbrown 5 місяців тому

      Life was better before social media

  • @JJJoeJoe
    @JJJoeJoe 11 місяців тому +33

    It was more about families coming together and browsing the aisles selecting what they wanted to watch that night. It was that experience that really made it unique and special. Browsing Netflix selections from your couch just doesn’t have the same kind of feel.

    • @folksurvival
      @folksurvival 10 місяців тому

      Sure but ultimately both are still gross as both methods of propaganda delivery into the family home are harmful.

    • @JJJoeJoe
      @JJJoeJoe 10 місяців тому +1

      @@folksurvival Lol no.

    • @folksurvival
      @folksurvival 10 місяців тому

      @@JJJoeJoe What do you mean?

  • @yogabear7140
    @yogabear7140 7 місяців тому

    This is so cool! It was such an event to go to Blockbuster on a Friday night. I miss that so much.

  • @modrenwarefare
    @modrenwarefare 5 місяців тому

    Ah the good old days. I came in the last days of it sadly but was thankful to experience it. The best Friday or Saturday evening for me was ordering Takeout food then going to Blockbuster or Hollywood Video to rent a movie to watch. Absolutely loved it! Take me back please!!!

  • @intothevideoverse
    @intothevideoverse Рік тому +38

    It’s a Friday evening. Let’s put on our shoes and drive (or bike) to the video store. It’s an adventure all in itself. Walk around with those distinct smells and the excitement of what to rent and snack on. We’ve got the whole weekend ahead of us and not a care in the world. Born in 81 and growing up in the 90s was a very fortunate experience.

    • @alexfonseca2063
      @alexfonseca2063 11 місяців тому +2

      I was born in 1981 as well. And, I agree with you.

    • @most_sadistic6665
      @most_sadistic6665 10 місяців тому +4

      Word, it was similar to that nostalgic radio shack electronics aroma when you walk in the doors. Those 80's/90's memories are bliss

    • @kindofabigdeal7284
      @kindofabigdeal7284 10 місяців тому +2

      Born in 84. And you’re right. I would love to go back to this over streaming any day

    • @plumeria66
      @plumeria66 10 місяців тому +3

      I was born in the 60s and a teen in the 80s. Enjoyed every decade and trying very hard to find it enjoyable now. Even the early 2000s was better. I keep thinking it is because I’m old but I’m not sure. Glad I’m not alone tho.

    • @pedrowilson6211
      @pedrowilson6211 10 місяців тому +2

      1976 born, but if there was a time machine I would go back to 1994, was 18 not too many worries, working in an apprenticeship, living at home, going out with mates, and my mum was still alive ❤

  • @jayhoffman492
    @jayhoffman492 Рік тому +39

    Miss going to blockbuster 😪 those were the best of times

  • @hectornegron9155
    @hectornegron9155 3 місяці тому

    I miss those days so much.
    Watching the expression on my daughters little faces on our way to the video store, then watching them trying to decide which movies to rent, then to the supermarket to pick up some popcorn and soda, then getting home and closing all windows and doors so that darkness made them feel as if we were at the movies but with the comfort of being home, then deciding who's movie we would watch first cause they couldn't agree.
    That was something we will never be able to experience with new technology.

  • @dutchvader4294
    @dutchvader4294 12 днів тому

    It was always fantastic to go to the videostore. My parents, brother and myself looking around to rent videos for the weekend.
    Miss those days..... life seemed easier and more relaxed.

  • @hectorlopez1069
    @hectorlopez1069 Рік тому +20

    I can't tell how many times I went to blockbuster video when I was a little boy in the 90s.

  • @flyhightyty
    @flyhightyty Рік тому +46

    One of the only things my dad ever did with me growing up was drive us to blockbuster for movie nights. Good times.

    • @TheLostWorldFanChann
      @TheLostWorldFanChann 11 місяців тому +2

      Sometimes One thing is enough.

    • @TheeDeadDoll
      @TheeDeadDoll 11 місяців тому +3

      @@TheLostWorldFanChannwhat? Lmfao not if you’re a dad. what’s wrong with you? 😂

    • @Thatsright-tr2ks
      @Thatsright-tr2ks 10 місяців тому

      ​@@TheeDeadDollless is more if your an abusive father

  • @Svelasc2
    @Svelasc2 8 місяців тому +1

    That was the highlight of my weekend as a kid. We'd go to blockbuster, and get pizza. I was so happy.

  • @MikeRusso82
    @MikeRusso82 4 місяці тому +8

    I miss the good old days. I was 10 going on 11 years old in 1993, Friday nights everyone got so excited to go to Blockbuster to wander around the "Movie Wonderland" which is what I used to call it, to browse and choose a movie. I miss the Blockbuster aroma, the feeling of the air conditioner, the smell of the plastic movie boxes, the candies, and sodas on the sides. I recently drove passed where the old Blockbuster used to be and saw it was replaced by some sort of carpet shop. I nearly teared up.

  • @jasonrobert3849
    @jasonrobert3849 Рік тому +24

    I miss this so much. Video store nights were the best as a kid

    • @hectorlopez1069
      @hectorlopez1069 Рік тому +1

      Rent a movie and buy some popcorn.

    • @franksandoval6046
      @franksandoval6046 Рік тому +1

      @@hectorlopez1069 they need to blame those people for creating Netflix

  • @prismaticx1375
    @prismaticx1375 Рік тому +41

    My mom was a blockbuster manager from 2004 to 2009 and boy were those times amazing😢, she would get early releases of video games/movies and bring them home before any of my childhood friends did lol

    • @vampirerobot
      @vampirerobot  Рік тому +6

      Wow! Lucky you. That sounds amazing!!

    • @luigi7834
      @luigi7834 Рік тому +5

      bet u were a popular kid in school huh

    • @prismaticx1375
      @prismaticx1375 Рік тому +5

      @@luigi7834 not at all actually more of the quiet secluded type.

    • @chrisrj9871
      @chrisrj9871 Рік тому +1

      @@prismaticx1375 - which is great because kids who wanted to be your friend just because of video games and nothing else aren't great friends.

  • @miketexas4549
    @miketexas4549 Місяць тому +1

    No smartphones. People today don't realize how good we had it back then.

  • @thunkjunk
    @thunkjunk 7 місяців тому +2

    Before computers and social media people used to get addicted to spending time out and with each other. There was such a thing as a social life and proper ways to act out in public and with each other. And when dating someone, if you went out to RENT a movie then that was a good sign you and your partner are reaching a new level....

  • @ember-x9o
    @ember-x9o Рік тому +83

    I would offer my kidney to live through this.
    I was born in 1996 and I have very fond memories of my hometowns blockbuster. Something I feel is lacking in my life now is a sense of community, there are so many people where I live now and I feel like I’m alone.

    • @fishels3895
      @fishels3895 Рік тому +8

      I totally agree. I haven’t met a friend in person in years.

    • @josephberryman4106
      @josephberryman4106 Рік тому +1

      I know right this was the year I graduating high school and I miss it so much

    • @FrenchDanceParty
      @FrenchDanceParty Рік тому +3

      Same, born in 1993. It's ironic the internet/social media was intended to bring us closer together, but people feel more isolated than before.

    • @opaljk4835
      @opaljk4835 Рік тому +4

      It’s often made out to be more than it was. People are nostalgic now, but at the time it was a means to an end. Sure it was a fun experience looking at stuff sometimes, but peeling that back you often found yourself browsing the same titles at the same stores, trying to find something that would not suck, and there was a lot of terrible stuff! The fact that you can still see all these movies now so easily should be seen as a positive thing instead of a nostalgia for something that you didn’t really get to experience much of anyway.

    • @mgshock
      @mgshock Рік тому +3

      @@opaljk4835 The risk of renting a complete stinker was part of the thrill!

  • @MiketheratguyMultimedia
    @MiketheratguyMultimedia Рік тому +22

    I love that the video begins with Chariots of Fire. It really fit the sensation of being in a Blockbuster during those first few years.

  • @brandonsponseller2643
    @brandonsponseller2643 4 місяці тому +1

    This Blockbuster store brings me back a lot of memories

  • @daisytaylor5053
    @daisytaylor5053 3 місяці тому

    When I was in second grade (2012), there was a blockbuster still open in my town. I was having a sleepover with my friend and her mom took us there to pick out a movie. It was all very sweet and simple. Glad to have at least one memory from this place :)

  • @algerae1984
    @algerae1984 Рік тому +243

    I'll take a blockbuster type store today vs streaming

    • @ChrisHonowayOFFICIAL
      @ChrisHonowayOFFICIAL Рік тому +22

      I like both. I just miss going there and seeing all the new releases and the candy!

    • @jumbothompson
      @jumbothompson Рік тому +21

      I like the fact that It was something you had to actually get up and do. You actually had to make some effort and it was fun, you went with friends or family. Now all most people do is order food and binge watch Netflix by themselves.

    • @algerae1984
      @algerae1984 Рік тому +8

      @@jumbothompson and the small talk u could make with strangers about recommendations.

    • @jumbothompson
      @jumbothompson Рік тому +8

      @@algerae1984 Yup. It was social and interactive, it was fun. I used to mostly go to the smaller video rental places in my neighbourhood. I knew the owner and he would order tapes for me if they weren't in stock. Good times.

    • @DeathlessSun
      @DeathlessSun Рік тому +8

      Most definitely. Would love to be able to do this again. I’d be going back right away!

  • @suetg6450
    @suetg6450 Рік тому +91

    I miss this, but it wouldn't be the same if the video stores made a comeback today. Now that streaming technology exists, I doubt people would give that up. Back then, getting off work on Friday, stopping by the video store to rent movies for the weekend, and then grabbing a pizza before heading home to the family was something we looked forward to. Streaming is convenient, and we have access to more varity at our fingertips, but that has spoiled people to a point. Not having access unless you went to the theater or rented a movie when it was released somehow made it more special and fun.

    • @erebus79
      @erebus79 Рік тому

      Streaming sucks. It's completely soulless.

    • @CrispyHulk1
      @CrispyHulk1 Рік тому

      Streaming and the anti-socialism that came with the social media cancer. People are now too intimidated to face the likes of a video store. Just hide away and steam quietly instead

    • @ooooswain
      @ooooswain Рік тому +2

      There's actually still one blockbuster in the world today. I think it's in Portland. And although streaming is improving, blu ray disc still has superior quality, especially in the sound department.

    • @Thoralmir
      @Thoralmir Рік тому

      ​@@ooooswain Yeah, but you'd have to visit it in a state that bows to the whim of ANTIFA radicals.

    • @rpgdreamer8690
      @rpgdreamer8690 Рік тому +2

      I also think video games kind of killed movies abit, as they improved, people had more entertainment options, and alot of people prefer playing video games to watching movies.

  • @JE56777
    @JE56777 3 місяці тому

    I remember thinking the people who used to work at these stores, were the biggest losers I had ever scene. Such memories. Thanks for posting.

  • @richardhambel648
    @richardhambel648 7 місяців тому +1

    I still remember going to Blockbuster and seeing the Mario 64 display when it came out. One of those memories that never left me for some reason.