Entertainment
Oregon Blockbuster outlasts others to become last on Earth
BEND, Ore. (AP) — There are challenges that come with running the last Blockbuster Video on the planet.
The computer system must be rebooted using floppy disks that only the general manager — a solid member of Gen X — knows how to use. The dot-matrix printer broke, so employees write out membership cards by hand. And the store’s business transactions are backed up on a reel-to-reel tape that can’t be replaced because Radio Shack went out of business.
Yet none of that has kept this humble franchise in an Oregon strip mall from thriving as the advent of on-demand movie streaming laid waste all around it. When a Blockbuster in Australia shuts its doors for the last time on March 31, the Bend store will be the only one left on Earth.
“It’s pure stubbornness, for one. We didn’t want to give in,” said general manager Sandi Harding, who has worked at the franchise for 15 years and receives a lot of the credit for keeping it alive well past its expiration date. “We did everything we could to cut costs and keep ourselves relevant.”
The store was once one of five Blockbusters owned by the same couple, Ken and Debbie Tisher, in three central Oregon towns. But by last year, the Bend franchise was the last local Blockbuster standing.
A Blockbuster Video in Bend, Oregon, is the last one on the planet after the only other Blockbuster, in Australia, announced it’s closing this month. (March 18)
A tight budget meant no money to update the surviving store. That’s paying off now with a nostalgia factor that stops first-time visitors of a certain age in their tracks: the popcorn ceilings, low fluorescent lighting, wire metal video racks and the ubiquitous yellow-and-blue ticket stub logo that was a cultural touchstone for a generation.
“Most people, I think, when they think about renting videos — if they’re the right age — they don’t remember the movie that they went to pick, but they remember who they went with and that freedom of walking the aisles,” said Zeke Kamm, a local resident who is making a documentary about the store called “The Last Blockbuster” with a friend.
“In a lot of towns, the Blockbuster was the only place that was open past nine o’clock, and a lot of them stayed open until midnight, so kids who weren’t hoodlums would come here and look at movies and fall in love with movies.”
The Bend store had eight years under its belt as a local video store before it converted to a Blockbuster in 2000, a time when this high desert city was still a sleepy community with a small-town feel to match.
Customers kept coming back, drawn by special touches like staff recommendations, a “wish list” for videos to add to the rental selection and even home delivery for a few special customers who couldn’t drive in. Dozens of local teens have worked there over the years.
Then, in 2010, Blockbuster declared bankruptcy, and by 2014, all corporate-owned stores had shuttered. That left locally owned franchises to fend for themselves, and one by one, they closed.
When stores in Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska, shut down last summer — barely outlasting a Redmond, Oregon, store — Bend’s Blockbuster was the only U.S. location left.
Tourists started stopping by to snap selfies, and business picked up. Harding ordered up blue-and-yellow sweat shirts, T-shirts, cups, magnets, bumper stickers, hats and stocking caps from local vendors emblazoned with the words “The Last Blockbuster in America,” and they flew off the shelves.
A sign advertising locally made souvenirs from the last Blockbuster store on the planet sits in the store in Bend, Ore., in this Tuesday, March 12, 2019 photo. When a Blockbuster in Perth, Australia, shuts its doors for the last time on March 31, the store in Bend, Ore., will be the only one left on Earth, and most likely in the universe. (AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus)
Then, this month, she got a phone call: The world’s only other Blockbuster, in Perth, Australia, would soon close its doors. A new T-shirt order went out — this time with the slogan “The Last Blockbuster on the Planet” — and the store is already getting a new wave of selfie-snapping visitors from as far away as Europe and Asia.
On a recent weekday, Michael Trovato of Melbourne, Australia, stopped by while visiting his twin sister in Bend.
After posing for a photo, Trovato said he misses a time when choosing a movie meant browsing hundreds of titles and asking a video clerk for insight instead of letting a movie-streaming service recommend one for him based on a computer algorithm.
“I miss quite a bit being able to walk into a Blockbuster or CD store and have that social experience and see people looking at stuff and talking to people,” Trovato said. “It’s something you don’t get from the slick presentation of a music service or, you know, from the internet.”
The Bend store doesn’t seem to be in danger of closing anytime soon.
Its newfound fame has been a shot in the arm, and customers stream in to buy $40 sweat shirts, $20 T-shirts and even $15 yellow-and-blue beanies hand-knit by Harding herself. The store pays Dish Network for the right to use the Blockbuster logo and has several years left on its lease.
People regularly send the store boxes of old VHS tapes and DVDs. They also donate Blockbuster memorabilia: a corporate jean jacket, key chains and old membership cards.
Employees always send a thank-you note, store manager Dan Montgomery said.
Recently, Harding has noticed another type of customer that’s giving her hope: a new generation of kids dragged in by their nostalgic parents who later leave happy, holding stacks of rented movies and piles of candy.
Jerry Gilless and his wife, Elizabeth, brought their two kids, John, 3, and Ellen, 5, and watched with a smile as the siblings bounced from row to row, grabbing “Peter Pan” and “The Lion King” and surveying dinosaur cartoons.
“How could we not stop? It’s the last one,” said Gilless, of their detour to the store while on vacation from Memphis, Tennessee. “They need to see that not everything’s on the iPad.”
Central Florida News
Orange County Arts & Cultural Affairs Presents ‘HYPE HAIR’ Exhibit by Peppermint Sandy in Downtown Orlando
Entertainment
USF Credit Union Named Presenting Sponsor of ‘Rainbow To Your Door’ With $5,000 Challenge Match Grant
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — The production team behind Rainbow To Your Door announced that USF Credit Union has joined the upcoming theatrical production as its Presenting Sponsor, accompanied by a $5,000 Challenge Match Grant aimed at encouraging community support and helping fully fund the project.
The partnership reflects a shared commitment to arts, education, and community engagement across Central Florida. Organizers say the challenge grant will match community contributions dollar-for-dollar up to $5,000, helping expand public access and educational opportunities connected to the production.
Original Play Celebrates Florida’s Artistic Legacy
Rainbow To Your Door is an original stage production written by Los Angeles-based playwright Kenneth Brown. The play is inspired by the historic friendship and artistic exchange between acclaimed author and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston and artist Jules André Smith.
Set in 1938 at the historic Maitland Art Center, the production explores the challenges, triumphs, and purpose of artists navigating a rapidly changing world while preserving their creative voices.
“This partnership represents more than sponsorship. It is an investment in storytelling, culture, and preserving the legacy of artistic voices that helped shape Florida’s creative identity,” Brown said. “We are incredibly grateful to USF Credit Union for believing in this vision and helping us create meaningful community impact through the arts.”
Challenge Match Campaign Aims to Fully Fund Production
As part of the sponsorship, USF Credit Union will provide a $5,000 Challenge Match Grant to encourage community participation and charitable giving. Production organizers say that once the matching goal is reached, Rainbow To Your Door will be fully funded.
Donations generated through the campaign will support expanded accessibility initiatives, educational programming, community outreach, and audience engagement efforts associated with the production.
“USF Credit Union is proud to support initiatives that enrich the communities we serve,” said Rick Skaggs, CEO of USF Credit Union. “Rainbow To Your Door reflects the power of culture, education, and the arts to inspire meaningful conversations and strengthen community connections.”
Production Scheduled for October 2026
Media relations and promotional efforts for the production are being coordinated by Fierce Entertainment.
Rainbow To Your Door is scheduled for Oct. 10–11, 2026, at the Timucua Arts Foundation in Orlando.
Additional information regarding ticket sales, sponsorship opportunities, and the community challenge campaign will be announced in the coming weeks.
Media Contact:
Rob Henlon
Fierce Entertainment
rob@alwaysfierce.com
For sponsorship information and production updates, visit Rainbow To Your Door.
Central Florida News
FNN Honors Teen Reporter Isabella Schmitt as She Graduates and Pursues Communications Degree
ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — Florida National News proudly celebrates Isabella Schmitt as she marks an important milestone with her high school graduation and prepares to begin an exciting new chapter pursuing Communications in college.
Over the years, Isabella has represented the next generation of young voices with professionalism, creativity, determination, and passion.
Through reporting opportunities, community involvement, and media experiences, she has continued to shine both on and off camera while inspiring others through her dedication and work ethic.
Jenny Rosario, Vice President of Florida National News, praised Isabella’s accomplishments and bright future ahead.
“Watching Isabella grow both personally and professionally has been truly inspiring,” Rosario said. “She represents the future of journalism, communications, and storytelling. Her passion, confidence, and commitment to making a positive impact through media are remarkable, and we are incredibly proud of all she has accomplished.”
Rosario added that Isabella’s decision to pursue Communications in college is a natural next step for someone with such strong talent and determination.
“The world of media and communications needs more young voices like Isabella’s,” Rosario said. “We know this is only the beginning of many great accomplishments to come.”
Florida National News congratulates Isabella Schmitt and the entire Class of 2026 on this exciting achievement.
“Keep dreaming big and telling stories that matter,” Rosario added.
