The last Blockbuster Video store standing – located in Bend, Oregon – wants you to stay the night. For $4 a night, four guests can rent out the last Blockbuster on Airbnb, just like in the old days when we’d rent out videotapes from them. There’s an entire faux living-room set up to provide guests with comfort, and those staying will have the entire run of the store from check-in to check-out. But you might want to act fast, because this offer is only available for three nights, and soon.
Look at how cozy that looks! If you’re near Bend, Oregon, and want to stay the night at the only remaining Blockbuster Video store, your time has come. The store is offering guests a chance to spend the night by renting the joint out via Airbnb, with the rental period opening up on August 17 at 1:oo PM PT with the option to book a one-night stay that will take place on August 18, August 19, or August 20. Here are some details:
Whether you want to stay up until sunrise or pass out on the couch, we’ve created the perfect space complete with a pull-out couch, bean bags and pillows for you to cozy up with “new releases” from the ‘90s. Crack open a two-liter of Pepsi before locking into a video game, charting your future in a game of MASH, or watching movie after movie. But be wary of reciting “Bloody Mary” in the staff bathroom off of the break room, as you just may summon the ghost rumored to haunt the store. And help yourself to some NERDS, Raisinets and popcorn (heavy on the butter), but make sure you save room for a couple slices. And remember, the store is all yours for the night! So let loose, blast the boombox and wear your favorite ‘90s denim so that you feel right at home in another era.
In case you’re too young to remember, Blockbuster was a big chain that offered VHS tapes for rental. Yes, back in olden times, we’d actually have to leave our houses to rent movies, and they weren’t digital, or on highfalutin DVD or Blu-ray. No way! They were on blocky plastic VHS tapes. The quality was terrible, and we loved every goddamn minute of it.
I know there were better video stores than Blockbuster. And I know Blockbuster is responsible for putting so many local mom-and-pop video stores out of business. But I can’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia for the old place. For those olden days when I’d make my parents drive me to the nearest Blockbuster and I’d spend hours walking up and down the aisle looking for something to rent. They didn’t always have the best selection – especially when it came to horror movies, which were my drug of choice – but they still offered up the magic of movies, and that was enough for me. While I’m nowhere near Oregon and can’t take advantage of this, I hope those who do have a good time.
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