Blockbuster had been struggling to stay afloat in recent years, and has lately had to close many stores, including some of the Blake community’s closest locations in Plaza Del Mercado and White Oak. Says senior Emily Kamin, "The closing of Blockbuster took away my main source of entertainment."

The classic movie rental store has been downsizing to invest more money in their Total Access online program, which imitates rival movie rental company Netflix. Although Blockbuster’s Total Access offers many of the same features as Netflix, it has not caught on nearly as well with consumers.

"It is way more convenient to sit at your computer and rent movies rather than driving to Blockbuster and wasting gas," says senior Netflix user Jake Lorber. Netflix customers order their movies on the internet, and return them in prepaid envelopes. They can pick from several rental and payment plans, and are not subject to late fees. Netflix also recently unveiled a program that allows customers to download movies straight to their television sets.

Cable companies are also getting in on the competition, making it so that customers don’t even have to leave the couch to see the movies they want. Comcast and Verizon both offer extensive movie channels, with movies appearing on TV almost as soon as they hit the stores.

However, many spontaneous consumers who prefer not to deal with internet orders and costly cable plans have taken advantage of Redbox, a vending machine-like business popping up at local grocery stores. "I pay one dollar to watch a movie and I drop it off the next day," says senior Hannah Elie. "I don’t watch movies over and over in a week, so I don’t see a point in renting."

Even with all the alternatives luring ex-Blockbuster members, the absence of these local stores still leaves a void in many movie lovers’ lives. "It gave me a cheap, convenient way to spend time with family and friends," says Kamin. "Now, I am cut off from classic movies and culture."