Iconic movie rental store Blockbuster has announced it will close all its locations and cease operations on Jan. 1.
Dish Network purchased Blockbuster after it filed for bankruptcy in 2010, and will close all of its 300 locations by the beginning of next year.
In the early ’90s, long before the Internet, Blockbuster was the place to rent your favorite classic flicks on VHS or check out their New Release section. That section always seemed to be out of the movies you were looking for, but you learned to live with it.
Blockbuster was the go-to place when your date or partner wanted to watch a movie and you either didn’t have the money for two tickets and snacks, or you wanted to have a private watching experience without the commotion of a loud theater. To this day, their slogan, “Make it a Blockbuster night,” is used to describe staying in to watch a movie – even if it’s on Netflix.
Aside from movie rentals, Blockbuster carried all the snacks that could be found at the big theaters: microwavable popcorn, Goobers, Sour Patch Kids, all waiting for you to grab as you selected your flicks.
Blockbuster will forever remain a part of our past, and here, we look back at some of the things we’ll miss.
