Blockbusted

If video killed the radio star, then iTunes killed the video star. And that's essentially what happened to Blockbuster. I thought they were officially put out to pasture some time last year, but I discovered recently that there were a few survivors still on life support.

One of these could actually be found in a town just a few minutes from my house. Well, not for long. This week they posted the perfunctory "Going Out of Business" signs. And unlike the bogus Manhattan retailers that have essentially been "going out of business" for several decades, Blockbuster's liquidation is for real.

Because I was with the kids, I thought that visiting a retail store in nosedive mode would be an interesting learning experience. Not only could they be schooled on how a company sells off merchandise before closing its doors, it would also show them how consumers could be vultures with the distressed merchandise.

After walking in, we were greeted by signs that ranged somewhere between 70% off, free, and we'll pay you to take this off our hands. DVDs in their cases were on sale for $6.99. DVDs just in their sleeves were $1.50. Even the popcorn and candy were on sale, and they were even trying to pawn a gum ball machine.

The kids were taking it all in. They were also taking everything. They grabbed movies they had seen and several more that they had never seen before. I, on the other hand, stuck to the movies I hadn't seen. And not the crap like "Get Him to the Greek." But more like, "La Vie en Rose." I've always been a very discerning customer when it comes to films, and I certainly wasn't going to change during a liquidation sale.

So the films began to pile up, and mostly from the kids. But slowly, the moment of truth had arrived - - The infamous Cut Back.

The Cut Back is a routine that I've developed over the years, where I encourage the girls to pick out anything they want in a store with the full understanding that they won't be taking everything. This forces them to think twice about what they really want and what they really need.

And so, the Cut Back began. Seventeen films needed to become nine. And not just any nine. As the sleeve DVDs were cheaper than those in the cases, well, you know where my allegiance was sitting. In the end, they made out pretty well. For less than 35 dollars, we walked away with films like "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" and "17 Again." Both made the cut and only for about a buck apiece.

I felt pretty good walking out of Blockbuster, despite its imminent demise. After all, it wasn't my fault that they fell behind the trend. But there were a few things I was going to miss. Particularly, that rush of adrenaline you used to get when a new release you were clamoring for was sold out, until miraculously, a single copy was returned while you were still in the store. Or that surprise you used to give your spouse when you left the house not knowing what movie you were bringing home, then arrived home with exactly what they wanted.

These were feelings my kids had never experienced. Growing up in an On Demand, Netflix, iTunes world, these concepts were foreign to them.

I asked the store manager when they were officially closing and he said the day of the Super Bowl. He slyly mentioned that it would be slim pickings that weekend, but the prices would be a steal. I don't think I could stick it to Blockbuster any more than I already have, but without any fond memories of the video store, the girls had no qualms about it.

They already made plans for Super Bowl Sunday. Go to Blockbuster.