Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

The Last Video Store Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman December 10, 2024

If you have somewhat hilariously / ironically watched the documentary The Last Blockbuster via a streaming service like Netflix (at least if you don't want to shell out a couple of twenties or more for what appears to be an out of print Blu-ray which according to Martin Liebman's review didn't exactly set the world on fire vis a vis its technical merits), you will know that, yes, the last Blockbuster video rental emporium is located in my home state of Oregon in the perhaps unlikely city of Bend, relatively far away from the "teeming metropolises" like Portland that tend to hover toward the western side of the state. While that facility still bears its corporate name, that is due to a licensing agreement, and in many ways that particular store despite its renowned branding is in fact probably the video rental equivalent of a so-called "independent bookstore". My hometown of Portland is home to a non profit (which tells you something right there) called Movie Madness, which actually required a pretty significant Kickstarter campaign years ago for a local movie emporium, perhaps saliently called the Hollywood, to take over ownership and curation of the huge collection of tapes (yes, tapes) and discs.

While at its core The Last Video Store is a loving homage to emporia of yore where you could spend hours wandering the aisles looking for something decent (or maybe not) to watch, the underlying conceit of the film revolves around a Ringu-esque "cursed tape" which has fallen into the hands of Nyla (Yaayaa Adams), after her father dies, perhaps having succumbed from watching the cursed tape. Nyla has a pile of rentals she wants to return to video store owner Kevin (Kevin Martin, an actual video store owner), and of course mayhem ensues when Kevin unwisely inserts the doomed tape into his handy dandy VCR. That opens a "portal" whereby all sorts of characters from various schlockfests show up at the store, threatening Kevin and Nyla in various ways.

The film is actually rather artful considering its miniscule budget, and some of the special effects are at least reasonably effective. Things may not be as completely felicitous in the actual writing, which aims for a kind of sweet nostalgia laced with sometimes snarky humor, but which can frankly be in the hit or miss category, at least in terms of landing ostensible punchlines. While neither Adams nor Martin should be reserving any shelf space for Oscars, they're winning enough, though Martin in particular may not want to give up his day job.

The Last Video Store Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Last Video Store is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. Arrow's insert booklet contains only the following minimal information on the presentation:

The Last Video Store is presented in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio with 5.1 and 2.0 audio.

The feature master was made available by Blue Finch.

Probably unsurprisingly, I haven't been able to dredge up any authoritative technical information on the shoot, but this is an appealing looking digital capture that I am assuming had 2K DI. Pretty much the entire narrative here takes place in the confined and rather dark video store locale, and while shadow definition can sometimes be iffy, on the whole detail levels are remarkably intact throughout. Some of the CGI is not exactly up to, say, Industrial Light & Magic levels, but it's often surprisingly decent, again given what must have been a miniscule budget. Fine detail on practical items like sets and costumes tends to be excellent. The palette is rather nicely lush at times, emphasizing purples, reds and greens in an interesting way.

The Last Video Store Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Last Video Store features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 options. The surround track tends to open up in some of the set pieces, as when an otherworldly beast called the Preystalker invades the store. In those moments, there is clear engagement of the side and rear channels and our two focal characters dart to and fro and the nemesis of the moment marauds through the premises. Otherwise, things tend to be anchored pretty solidly front and center, which provides absolutely fine support for all the dialogue. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Last Video Store Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary by film critics Matt Donato & Meagan Navarro


• The Videonomicon Unleashed (HD; 14:10) is an enjoyable visual essay by Heather Wixson. This offers some background on the filmmakers.


• Nostalgia Fuel (HD; 12:51) is another visual essay by Martyn Pedler, who recounts his own history with video rental stores.


• Short Films

  'Twas the Night of the Tree Beast (2012) (HD; 5:18)

  
  

  M is for Magnetic Tape (2013) (HD; 2:46)

  
  

  The Last Videostore (2013) (HD; 9:52)

  
  

  The Video Store Commerical (2019) (HD; 4:10)

• First Attempt (HD; 4:53) comes from the archive of directors Cody Kennedy and Tim Rutherford, and is a "glimpse" at their first attempt at refashioning their short (above) into a feature.


• Pre Viz

  Walkthrough (HD; 1:44)

  
  

  Preystalker Sequence (HD; 1:47)

  
  

  End Scene (HD; 2:45)

• Behind the Scenes (HD; 12:50)


• Trailer (HD; 2:00)


• Image Gallery (HD)

Arrow provides another nicely appointed insert booklet with a couple of fun essays and the typical technical and cast / crew information. The keepcase features a reversible sleeve and also encloses a fold out mini poster. Packaging features a slipcover.

The Last Video Store Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Last Video Store may frankly not hit the veritable bullseye all the time, but its heart is in the right place, and anyone who has ever lost track of time in an old school rental emporium will probably find a lot to enjoy here. Technical merits are perhaps surprisingly solid (given the film's budget), and as usual Arrow has aggregated some really appealing supplements. Recommended.