Netflix Effectively Kills Blockbuster, But Our Hearts Will Go On

via 423Smith

Blockbuster has finally succumbed to something we all know was a long time coming (who among us has entered a video store -- and, no, not that kind -- in the last year? Please raise your hand.) As a side effect to the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing that was announced today, a number of retail spaces will likely open up in New York City, reports Crains, which mentions that there are 26 Blockbusters currently in the five boroughs. For rent reasons, the stores in Manhattan are expected to be the first to go...but Google maps seems to indicate that a number of them have already up and went.

Aside from the utter inconvenience of renting your movies in a store where you have to deal with actual people, there's stuff like this:

"Floor was dirty, they were out of what I wanted. The lady was helpful though ..."‎

Well, we all knew it was coming. The question is, will the opening up of retail spaces around Manhattan formerly held by this long-entrenched big corporation actually allow for more mom & pop shops around the city? Or are they destined to be filled by Starbucks and banks?

Meanwhile, Consumerist captures the decline of Blockbuster with beautiful brevity to win the chart of the day award. Gosh, remember those halcyon times of 2000? Mission Impossible II, Gladiator, Meet the Parents, The Perfect Storm? From the store, not your mailbox? Good times, those. And who among us didn't rent Titanic, a spanking new release from the video store, to watch in the comfort of our own homes on our cutting-edge VCRs back in 1997? Technology, you are a harsh mistress.

via the Consumerist

Blockbuster owes debts of $1.5 billion and owes money to more than 100,000 creditors. But we'll always have Celine.

[JDoll]