The Last Blockbuster, a hit documentary film about holding on to physical media in the digital age, is being released as a series of collectible NFT digital trading cards. The set of 50 NFT cards is modeled after movie trading cards of the ’80s and ’90s, and features characters and moments from the Pop Motion Pictures documentary that tells the story of the world’s lone surviving Blockbuster Video retail location, a franchise store in Bend, Oregon, where fans and celebrities gathered to discuss their memories of the video store era with filmmakers. In addition to store manager Sandy Harding and her staff, The Last Blockbuster gathered pop culture luminaries like Kevin Smith and Lloyd Kaufman to discuss the legacy of video stores in general and Blockbuster in specific.
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It isn’t necessarily all rose-colored recollections, either; the movie also deals with how Blockbuster, as a major corporation, used its size and financial resources to force smaller stores and chains out of the industry in its heyday. Even the titular last Blockbuster used to be called Pacific Video, before Blockbuster essentially told them to either license the Blockbuster name, or find themselves in competition with a corporate-owned Blockbuster down the street. There’s also independent film legend Lloyd Kaufman, creator of the Toxic Avenger, whose scene in the film is uniquely venomous, with insults directed at Blockbuster the chain, Blockbuster management, and the video store system of that era.
The NFTs will include 50 “living trading cards,” that come to life through the magic of the internet, as well as variations on the movie poster and one super rare NFT of an infinite loop of the VHS tape that was created for the film. These digital collectibles are issued in limited quantities, with varying levels of rarity.
You can see the NFT collection for sale here.
Per the official synopsis, The Last Blockbuster sees Harding as she “reflects on the store’s vibrant past and navigates the difficult task of keeping a video rental store open in the era of streaming. Taking us through the history and subsequent rise and fall of the franchise, the documentary reveals the real reason why Blockbuster went out of business (hint – it wasn’t Netflix), while celebrating the unique and defining culture it created in the ’80s and ’90s.”
The Last Blockbuster also features appearances by Adam Brody (Shazam!), Doug Benson (The Lego Batman Movie), and Ron Funches (Trolls World Tour). The film was the #1 documentary on Netflix in the week of March 15th 2021 and is by far the most popular VHS release of the year! This set of NFTs makes The Last Blockbuster the first ever documentary to be offered as collectible trading cards. It is also the first movie of any kind to be offered on VHS, DVD (at Blockbuster Video) digital (on Netflix) AND as an NFT.
