Video store armageddon

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DOES THIS MEAN I DON’T HAVE TO PAY MY LATE FEES? : The remains of the Blockbuster Video store in Manteca, which closed earlier this summer. PHOTO BY CHRIS HOWZE

In the war against Internet streaming, Blockbuster suffers a fatal blow from changing viewing habits

There has been a paradigm shift in the last decade in how we watch and rent video content.

DOES THIS MEAN I DON’T HAVE TO PAY MY LATE FEES? : The remains of the Blockbuster Video store in Manteca, which closed earlier this summer. PHOTO BY CHRIS HOWZE
DOES THIS MEAN I DON’T HAVE TO PAY MY LATE FEES? : The remains of the Blockbuster Video store in Manteca, which closed earlier this summer. PHOTO BY CHRIS HOWZE

Ten years ago you could walk into a Blockbuster or a Hollywood Video and pick up a movie.

A monolith of days gone by.

Hollywood video went the way of the dodo back in 2010 and now Blockbuster has sadly followed.

Not all Blockbuster retail stores are going extinct, but all of the San Joaquin County locations are closing.

There will be no more driving by the bright blue and yellow–themed video store, waiting at the light and looking to my left and seeing people go in an out with rented movies, anxious to go home and watch.

Blockbuster on Pershing Avenue, the nearest location to Delta College, is the last to close locally.

About 300 other Blockbuster stores are closing across the nation.

There were once six Blockbuster locations in the San Joaquin County alone. Now there are none.

Some locations are being turned into other businesses, like Dollar Tree stores. Others are collecting dust.

The video store gave Americans, the family movie night or even date nights.

It was something to look forward to on every weekend.

“Sad, because as a kid, me and my brother would always go out and rent movies so I feel like a part of my childhood is gone, but

I still prefer Netflix though,” said Delta College Student, Cambrian Hibbert.

Everything changed when Netflix, Hulu, RedBox and internet torrenting came out.

People now drive to there closest RedBox machine to rent a movie for $1.29 a night even when the line was long.

Many spend $7 a month for Netflix or Hulu subscriptions, which gives viewers a different variety of movies and television shows.

You name it, Netflix and Hulu will most likely have it.

Some people even watch films for free through legally dubious websites online.

I’m not going to lie, I have Netflix, I spend $7 a month because it is worth it.

I don’t have to drive anywhere to pick up movies because they’re right on my iPad.

Every person in my family watches Netflix, including my two-year-old niece EdenJade. She wakes up everyday to watch “Backyardigans.”

Blockbuster wouldn’t have carried this cartoon.

You can take Netflix and Hulu anywhere you want as long as you have internet.

Most people think streaming movies and shows online is better.

During our childhoods, past generation go the video stores for all their filmic needs.

But seeing it go will not hurt our feelings because most people are satisfied going to their closest RedBox.

But have we lost something unique with the video store experience?

The human interaction between consumer and video store clerk usually resulted in seeing movies you may otherwise not have ever even considered.

There are a few video stores run locally still clinging on, supported by a community of devoted film lovers.

Now though people are content with having Netflix or hitting up a Redbox.

In the end we have all the choice now of how and where to watch our movies.