Blockbuster was the king of Friday night in the ’90s and early 2000s—before streaming killed the video rental star. Founded in 1985 in Dallas, Texas, Blockbuster grew like crazy, peaking in 2004 with over 9,000 stores worldwide. You’d walk in, grab a VHS (later DVDs, then games), and hope the one copy of The Matrix wasn’t already rented. They charged late fees—everyone hated that—until they dropped them in 2005 (too late). Netflix offered to partner in 2000 for $50M; Blockbuster laughed. Big mistake. Streaming came, Blockbuster didn’t pivot fast enough, and by 2010, they filed for bankruptcy. Today, there’s one last store in Bend, Oregon—basically a time capsule. Blockbuster isn’t just a brand; it’s a memory of rewinding tapes and debating movies in the aisles.