Blockbuster (Bend, Oregon)

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Blockbuster
Exterior of last Blockbuster Video.jpg
The store's exterior in 2018
Alternative namesThe Last Blockbuster
General information
Address211 NE Revere Avenue
Bend, Oregon
Coordinates44°04′02″N 121°18′13″W / 44.06722°N 121.30361°W / 44.06722; -121.30361Coordinates: 44°04′02″N 121°18′13″W / 44.06722°N 121.30361°W / 44.06722; -121.30361
Opened1992 (as Pacific Video)
2000 (converted into Blockbuster franchise)[1]
OwnerKen Tisher
Known forLast remaining Blockbuster retail store
Website
bendblockbuster.com

Blockbuster (colloquially known as The Last Blockbuster) is a video rental store in Bend, Oregon. As of 2022, it is the world's last remaining retail store using the Blockbuster brand.[2][3][4]

History[]

Interior, 2018

The Blockbuster in Bend, Oregon, was opened by Ken and Debbie Tisher in 1992 as the second location of Pacific Video, a small video rental store chain in Oregon.[5] In 2000, Tisher converted it into a Blockbuster franchise store.[6] Sandi Harding has been the general manager since 2004.[7]

Blockbuster LLC closed all of their corporate-owned stores by early 2014, leaving the Bend location as one of 50 remaining franchise stores.[8] In July 2018, it became the last remaining Blockbuster in the United States, and in March 2019 the last in the world.[9] Dish Network, the owner of the Blockbuster trademark, no longer grants new franchises with the Blockbuster name, which has cemented the Bend store's status as the last Blockbuster.[10]

The location has become a popular tourist destination since becoming the last Blockbuster. Ken Tisher, who still owns the store,[11] continues to license the Blockbuster trademark from Dish Network on a yearly basis, which also allows the location to sell merchandise using the name.[2] The store stocks around 1,200 titles and has an estimated 4,000 members who regularly rent movies.[12][13]

It continued to operate without laying off staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.[14] The store hosted sleepovers via Airbnb in September 2020.[15][16] A local brewery, 10 Barrel, released a dark ale called The Last Blockbuster.[17]

The Ellen DeGeneres Show visited the store for a segment in May 2019.[18] The store is the subject of the 2020 documentary film The Last Blockbuster.[19][20][21]

Memorabilia[]

The store displays several pieces of film memorabilia that formerly belonged to actor Russell Crowe, including his hood from Robin Hood, robe and shorts from Cinderella Man, vest from Les Misérables and director's chairs from American Gangster. The pieces were gifted from the last operating Alaskan Blockbuster in Anchorage following its closure in July 2018. The items were originally donated to the Alaska store for an April 2018 segment of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.[22]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "'We didn't want to give in': Bend Blockbuster is last in the world". The Oregonian. Associated Press. March 18, 2019. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Stump, Scott (March 7, 2019). "It's official: There's only one Blockbuster left in the world". Today. Archived from the original on October 31, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  3. ^ Horton, Alex (July 16, 2018). "'Why are you still here?': Inside the last Blockbuster in America". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 20, 2020.
  4. ^ Hsu, Tiffany (March 7, 2019). "The World's Last Blockbuster Has No Plans to Close (Published 2019)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 20, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  5. ^ "About". Blockbuster. Retrieved March 18, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ Pedersen, Nathan (January 22, 2021). "Last Blockbuster Video Store in the U.S." The Oregon Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 18, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ Pittman, Travis (July 18, 2018). "The last Blockbuster in America: How it survived while all others failed". KGW. Archived from the original on July 21, 2018.
  8. ^ "Dish to close rest of its Blockbuster stores in US". Deseret News. Associated Press. November 6, 2013. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  9. ^ Abrams, Abigail (July 12, 2018). "There Will Only Be 1 Blockbuster in America Soon". Time. Archived from the original on January 19, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  10. ^ "'The Last Blockbuster': Why You Can't Open Your Own Store Anymore". TheWrap. March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
  11. ^ Place, Nathan. "The true story of the world's last Blockbuster". The Independent. Archived from the original on July 3, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  12. ^ Powers, Jenny (September 17, 2019). "Be kind, rewind: The last Blockbuster on Earth is not only surviving, but thriving as a tourist destination". Roadtrippers. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  13. ^ Harding, Sandi (May 17, 2019). "Experience: I manage the last Blockbuster in the world". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 7, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  14. ^ Aubrey, Elizabeth (May 14, 2020). "The world's last remaining Blockbuster store still open despite coronavirus". New Musical Express. Archived from the original on January 26, 2021.
  15. ^ Madani, Doha (August 11, 2020). "World's last Blockbuster transforms into '90s-themed Airbnb". NBC News. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021.
  16. ^ Chin, Monica (August 17, 2020). "The world's last Blockbuster is now open for slumber parties". The Verge. Archived from the original on February 7, 2021.
  17. ^ Kryza, Andy (August 27, 2018). "The Last Blockbuster Video Is Getting Its Own Craft Beer". Thrillist. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020.
  18. ^ Kevin the Cashier at the Last Blockbuster, retrieved March 20, 2021
  19. ^ Turnquist, Kristi (March 9, 2021). "'The Last Blockbuster' documentary, about Bend video store, is coming to Netflix in 'an ironic twist of fate'". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021.
  20. ^ Jasper, David (June 25, 2020). "Talking blockbusters with 'The Last Blockbuster' filmmaker". The Bulletin. Archived from the original on October 6, 2020.
  21. ^ Fleming, Kirsten (December 17, 2020). "The last Blockbuster store is a beacon for movie nostalgia". New York Post. Archived from the original on December 18, 2020.
  22. ^ Spurr, Kyle (September 20, 2018). "Bend filmmakers document the last Blockbuster". The Bulletin. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.

External links[]

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