bring back blockbuster
how to decide what to watch tonight, like the good old days
It’s Friday night. The year is 2000-something. The bell above the door jingles as you enter under the familiar blue-and-yellow awning. There’s a thrill in the air, of new releases and rated R movies you aren’t allowed to rent yet. You’ve been unleashed into the aisles for some unknown amount of time that will never feel like enough, to choose Your Movie for the weekend. Let the hunt begin.
What Should We Watch Tonight used to be an enjoyable process — a game, even. The whole experience was filled with anticipation. The drive to Blockbuster. The search through the aisles. The drive home, maybe picking up a pizza on the way. Waiting until tomorrow night, because your sibling’s pick gets to be played first. Half the joy is in the anticipation.
The instant gratification — the ever-so-lauded convenience — of picking something to watch on a streaming app, leaves us without a single moment of joyful anticipation. And no, the 10,000 hours we just spent swiping through the rows of recommended titles trying to make a choice doesn’t count.
Imagine Netflix gave you a countdown timer to pick something to watch before it autoplayed, or simply stopped working for the day. I wish these apps were designed like parents who are fun, but have boundaries. I want Disney+ to give me a hot ten minutes to browse, and then tell me to go to my room and read a book, young lady, if I can’t decide by then.
Alas. Apps are businesses — not Uncle Jesse from Full House.
So, this what we can do about it.
Go to your library. Your library is Blockbuster *and it’s free.* Of course, if you travel to Bend, Oregon, you can go to actual Blockbuster, where the last one is still standing and renting out movies. Peruse the shelves. Pick whatever stands out to you. Then, check out as many movies as your heart desires. You can carry fifteen DVDs out of there, and it will never compare to the algorithmic abyss of the [insert streaming service here] homepage.
These are the movies I checked out this week, which we’ll be picking from as soon as I hit publish:
Freaky Friday - in honor of the sequel, Freakier Friday, coming out today
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - starring our Queen, Michelle Yeoh
The To Do List - because we love Aubrey Plaza
The Nanny Diaries - because Chris Evans is our hometown hero & also ScarJo
Judas and the Black Messiah - it’s Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield, need I say more
The American President - because sometimes you need the fantasy of a U.S. President created by Aaron Sorkin
No endless scrolling. No bloodthirsty homepage, sucking my time and energy like the vampire it is. My man’s already picked The To Do List before I’ve even finished writing this.
Maybe you’re not ready for the library adventure. Maybe you still need to get a library card, or a DVD player. But listen. Whatever you do, stop opening entertainment apps before you’ve decided what to watch. It’s misery.
Just take a minute before you pick up the remote. Try to remember something — anything — you’ve been interested in seeing. If you’re drawing a blank, text a group chat for a rec. Check your Letterboxd Watch List. Better yet, start a to-watch list on paper, and tape it up next to the TV. Make your options finite, and pick one that sounds good. Then, go directly to that thing, no detours.
I’ll make the popcorn and meet you on the couch.
See you there,
Kristie
Artistic credits:
Thumbnail photo by Kristie Dickinson Latta (Cape Cod, 2025)
Color me inspired 📼
So good👏🏻