On Blockbuster (kinda)

Written: 2025-07-17

But also not really, it's more about missing physical media...

Halfway through my n^th watching of 13 Going On 30, Netflix showed the loading circle of doom. Since we'd had some issues with the internet recently, I wasn't too concerned. But checking the modem and even restarting it didn't fix it. Still it wouldn't load at all, and now it just gave me an error when I clicked on the title. Restarting the app did nothing either. Frustrated, I gave up and went to bed, hoping to finish the movie the morning after.

By then, the title had disappeared completely from the app.

And this is when I remembered I owned the DVD.

Or I thought I did. Somewhere, in a box that's travelled quite a bit, gone through a few movings. Which I rummaged through, along with dozens other, but no luck.

I had purchased that DVD some decades ago, at a closing sale of a video rental shop, though my memory is fuzzy on where and when it stopped being in my possession. See, a couple of movings required downsizing, and it meant selling, giving away, and leaving behind quite a bit.

Anything bulky, that isn't often used, and did not hold a strong emotional attachment had to go. Most of my CD and DVD collection got the chop. I'd saved the CDs on my laptop long before anyways, but never did for DVDs (didn't think it was even possible).

At the time, I didn't have much of a choice - as much as I wished it, there was not enough space. Part of me regrets letting go of those items, more so in recent years, as beloved pieces of media become hard/impossible to find. Especially when I used own those titles.

Many I could find for sale in my area, thought their prices vary greatly even for the same title (and I'm still limited in space) and not always in VO. Luckily, I could find a couple at my local library, and rent them for a few movie nights/series binge watch. Thought their catalogue is very limited, because 1- they have a super tiny space, 2- prefer to fill their shelves with books, 3- streaming really lowered demands. So for the rest, including 13 Going On 30, well...

... if only there was some sort of local place that specialise in visual media, letting you borrow (let's say for a price) a bunch of DVDs at once, from really old classics to recently released titles, whole series, and everything for all ages.

I remember going to the video rental store* when I was a child and having to "fight" with my siblings on which DVD to take that week for movie night (we'd rock-paper-scissor it, I'd lose often). It was a weirdly magical place that had everything, even the last Disney movie we'd just missed in the cinema. We'd eye the more adult titles (think the explosion action movies), before we'd quickly get dragged back to the bloodless stories.

And there was the counter full of snacks we were never allowed to touch (except during holidays, they'd relent at one candy bar, which... were super overpriced in hindsight). And later, (expensive) memorabilia on the wall. Lots of things we coveted but could not have.

And it was very convenient for my parents: they did not have to buy so many VHS/DVDs (which weren't cheap!) we'd probably just watch once, before they start collecting dust somewhere and clog what could be useful storage space.

Obviously, I'm writing this fully knowing the nostalgia glasses are on. I cherish those memories, not because of those stores, but the fun time they gave us.

Because, let's be honest, these stores weren't without their negatives: the memberships were not cheap to begin with, and fees could be essentially highway robbery, some VHS/DVDs were in poor conditions (scrapped, tape twisted, etc...) or not available (so popular they were always gone!), limited catalogues in some locations, and you'd need to be really lucky if you wanted to see something a bit more indie or international movies (as in non-US/UK or non-French), or were more into operas/ballet/theater. And the carpet... ew.

It's not really surprising that these stores went out of business. The mail-order services and automated kiosk reduced the need for physical stores with actual people manning them. It's much cheaper to handle a warehouse and delivery cost rather than having to manage physical locations (rent, personnel costs, risks...). Then the on-demand TV and streaming swiped away whatever was left. No more need for physical media that needs storage, or having to deliver to doorsteps and kiosks in a specific area, just a big server that reach people worldwide. For the few stores left, COVID was the last nail.

Those services provided convenience to another new level: why bother getting to the store when you can have a seemingly infinite catalogue at your fingertips? Just a click and you could get titles from all over the world, something that wasn't always possible for some markets because of distribution rentability. You could watch (almost) whatever you wanted whenever you want for (relatively) cheap. And when Netflix started producing their own series...

Sure, there were always local restrictions, with broadcast right limiting which titles can be available where, catalogues split between services*, titles moving platforms when distribution rights expired, subscription costs rising and rising, series cancelled as soon as they were put online (Fuck you Netflix for Santa Clarita Diet and KAOS), whole genres removed and vaulted because "tax breaks" (Fuck you WB), etc...

Between the increasingly frustrating state of those services and the decreasingly availability of some media (to their complete disappearance), there's an argument to be made for the return to physical media.

First, as reclaiming ownership: instead of being at the whims of corporations attempting to make all the money in the world, of being restricted by availability (location/broadcasting rights), of being dependent on your internet connections and the services' servers. You own that title and no one can take it away from you. No subscription, no entertainment as a service, no fees... It's guaranteed access, and tangible. AND the image quality is so much better.

Second, consuming media in a more meaningful way: the physicality of the medium gives us more agency. It starts with the choice of which DVD to own, how they are purchased (online or in a store? new or second hand?), and where they end up in our home (is it displayed or in a drawer?). It continues with how and when they are used (solo watching or with other people? late night watching or afternoon lounging?). And the whole active act of using the DVD: opening its box, putting it in the player, pressing play... None of this is passive.

Finally, as an archival device: DVDs will still be there even if its distributor decides to take it off their catalogue. They are the physical proof that a piece of media existed, even if the right owner desperately tries to remove any trace of that fact. If a film or series is streaming/online only, the moment it's taken down, it's gone*.

Wouldn't it fun to think of ourselves with our little collections as mini curators of the history of visual media?