I got served an ad for this shit yesterday. I’ll never understand how the Blockbuster Video brand became trendy nostalgia porn. Just because it no longer exists doesn’t mean it was a good thing. https://bit.ly/2ycG8EF 

I know some of y’all grew up in towns where there wasn't any other option, so that’s your sole memory of video stores. But if there wasn’t an indie alternative in your town, Blockbuster wasn’t an effect of that, they were the cause.

I cherish my memories of Movie Madness, Homewood’s tiny video store (where Gianmarco’s is now). I lived two blocks away. It was a beautiful little store run by good people. Browsing their shelves helped me fall in love with horror movies in particular.

I can’t say for sure when the Blockbuster Video on Greensprings arrived (about a mile away), or if they’re the sole reason why Movie Madness went out of business in 1996. But it sure doesn’t feel like a coincidence.

I was too young to understand. And since Birmingham only had chain retailers after that, I loved and supported our video stores. Even worked at Movie Gallery one summer in college. Like some of y’all, it was all we had then. But you won’t catch me looking back fondly on the fact.

I know that big fish eating the little fish is not a new business trend. It’s just weird to me that so many people are still showing love for the biggest fish now that the pond’s nearly empty.

So maybe instead of spending $72 on Blockbuster sweatpants, show some love for indie video stores like @VideodromeATL, @BlackLodgeNow, @ILuvVideo, @BeyondVideo_, @ScarecrowVideo, @RecklessVideo, @MovieMadnessPDX, and anyplace else that's keeping the dream alive.