- Cory Bruce, a Comedy Central video editor, created a miniature Blockbuster in his New York office. It functions as an interactive museum, as employees can borrow and donate movies whenever they want.
- The replica features eight screens and hundreds of VHS tapes and DVDs. Different movies play each day.
- It has expanded to include other nostalgic throwbacks like a “Circuit City” replica and a collection of toys from the ‘90s.
- “I think people miss video stores because they’re doing the thing Netflix will never be able to do,” Bruce told Insider.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
In Comedy Central’s New York office, visitors will find a miniature Blockbuster tucked among the cubicles and desks.
The Blockbuster replica – or 345 Hudson Street Blockbuster, as it’s unofficially called – sits in an unoccupied cubicle and is filled with over 600 videos, according to Gothamist. It’s like an interactive museum that employees can take movies from and donate to free of charge.
I got to see the replica firsthand, and the setup immediately took me back to trips to the video store from my childhood.
Cory Bruce, a Comedy Central video editor, created the Blockbuster replica. He’s the store’s unofficial manager, as you can read on his name tag.
Bruce “founded” the faux Blockbuster by accident two years ago. He brought a few videos someone was giving away to work one day, and he set them up on a coworker’s desk with a Blockbuster logo in jest.
But his office mate decided to build on the display, printing more logos. The collection kept growing from there as other employees brought in more tapes and paraphernalia.
"Within the first week, movies started appearing," Bruce told Insider.
It's been open for two years and has eight screens that play movies from the 600 films in its library each day.
The films are always muted as to not disrupt work, and passersby can select a film from the library to play at will. Box office hits like "Space Jam" and "The Breakfast Club" are in the collection, but people have also donated their personal videos of graduations or weddings.
Someone even 3D printed Blockbuster signs for the store, and the display is part of the official office tour for new employees. A homemade movie made by an employee played the day I visited.
Employees eat lunch, stop by to snag some free candy, or sit in the cubicle when they're working.
People also donate to the store anonymously, adding videos from their personal libraries and other items from the '90s on a regular basis.
Bruce thinks people have enthusiasm for the Blockbuster replica because of the nostalgia it inspires.
"A lot of people here are young enough that they didn't go to a Blockbuster," he pointed out (there's only one remaining functional Blockbuster in the world). "They just like it because it's a fun thing and you can participate in it with everyone else."
People aren't required to donate videos to participate. "Being here and enjoying the videos is contributing," Bruce said.
He thinks of it as "a fun thing that people can enjoy throughout the workday and spend a moment going 'oh yeah, I remember this movie.'"
Bruce worked in a real Blockbuster from 2001 to 2004, and said the store was like "Disneyland in our town."
Bruce said Blockbuster offered a community-oriented space that he thinks modern society is lacking.
"That face-to-face time is so important, and we don't have it," he told Insider.
"I think people miss video stores because they're doing the thing Netflix will never be able to do. It's a place to go to, a thing to do," Bruce said.
In Bruce's opinion, Blockbuster offered something that streaming services can't. Picking a movie was more consequential since you had to pay for that film, take it home with you, and risk late fees if you forgot to return it.
The Blockbuster replica has expanded to become a miniature '90s strip mall with signs for a Tower Records and Circuit City electronics store.
Bruce has a love of decorating spaces in unique ways, which has helped the '90s throwback space thrive.
Toys from the '90s cover Bruce's desk, including Power Rangers action figures and a Polly Pocket house.
"I don't know where decor meets art," Bruce said of his passion for design. "But I like seeing a thing, and going how can we make this better? And how can we make this crazier and louder and weirder?"
"The Blockbuster is a really good project for me because it's never really done and it's never not done," he added.
"People have said it's the most fun thing they've seen in a long time in a workplace," Bruce said.
"Have a Blockbuster day," Bruce called as I walked back to the 21st-century world.
Blockbuster did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on Bruce's replica.
- Read more:
- Only a single Blockbuster remains open in the entire world. Here's what it's like to visit.
- The last Blockbuster in America is creating a beer to celebrate its lonely status
- https://www.insider.com/best-outfits-from-90s-movies-2018-10
- You can buy inflatable glitter chairs that will take you straight back to the '90s