Airbnb rewinds last Blockbuster store to 90s for night-in

Late returns: Blockbuster and Airbnb are inviting nostalgic film buffs over for a movie night. Netflix, who? Photo / Supplied, Airbnb

The holiday letting website Airbnb has rewound a video store in Oregon back to the 90s for a nostalgic night in for two film buffs.

The store in Bend, Oregon is the last store in the world operated by Blockbuster. Teaming up with the online holiday rentals giant, Blockbuster and Airbnb has designed an event celebrating the era of analogue – when video rentals had the smell of popcorn and magnetic tape, and internet was a novelty far too slow to deliver either holiday bookings or movies. Netflix, who?

For US$4 – or the cost of an overnight rental – visitors are invited to book a movie night sleepover on the roll-out settee with no danger of "late fees".

With either a DVD or VHS player – if you can remember how one of those works – guests will have their choice of titles from the shelves.

Of course while this is an experience themed around 30-year-old technology, there are some very modern health concerns to take into account. As an event taking place in a store that will be open to the public during the day, there are a number of Covid 19 health measures in place.

Guests must wear face masks and adhere to hygiene rules. This has also meant that those applying for the event must both live in the same household 'bubble' and – more limiting still – both be residents of Bend.

There are three dates up for grabs on September 18,19 and 20.

Ok, we've seen enough. Checking out.

— Blockbuster (@blockbuster) August 11, 2020

It has been a one-of-a-kind since the last property run by the US chain closed its final overseas shopfront seven months ago, in Dargaville New Zealand.

The Dargaville store owner Chris Cocurollo told the Herald he was "sad as f***" about it's closure.

"When I made the announcement to my customers [via a livestream posted to facebook], I was crying, I had tears in my eyes, it really is emotional for me, I'm going to miss the industry, the whole thing."