USA

Closed

The Disappointed Tourist: Blockbuster Video, Ellen Harvey, 2024. Oil and acrylic on Gessoboard, 18 x 24″ (46 x 61 cm). Photograph: Etienne Frossard.

Blockbuster video was an American video rental store chain, founded by David Cook in 1985 as a stand-alone video rental shop that grew into a national store chain. At its peak in 2004, Blockbuster employed 84,300 people worldwide and operated 9,094 stores. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2010 and by 2014, the last stores were closed. I don’t know who took the photograph on which this painting is based.

Blockbuster Video was the place to explore the wonders of movies, in addition to discussing new releases and all-time favorite films with friends and other familiar faces. For movie buffs and cinephiles around the world, there will always be something special about physical media. There is just something about the experience of renting the physical version of a film, opposed to simply having entire genres available to you at the click of a button. Brandon M.