It’s Friday night and we’re buzzing Northward up Hwy 6/10 in the heavy rain. Undaunted, our little 1987 Alfa eagerly flaps its wipers to and fro on the flat windshield, its green dash lights reflecting off the glass. A neon lightning bolt rips the purple sky in half up head. I love that I can smell the ozone in the air that’s blowing through the defroster vents. A crack of thunder comes barreling down at us. Maria is in the passenger seat next to me. She smiles as she reaches over to turn up the radio and the shimmering synth of Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes crackles through the stereo speakers. She holds my hand, her big hair under a neon band, heavy eyeshadow over her big, bright eyes. The rain is really coming down now – this is that kind of storm that opens up portals in time – but it’s all cool, because it’s Friday night and we’re heading to Blockbuster Video.
Wait, what? Yes, somewhere in the Quantum, it’s still here. Our destination is the abandoned BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO store still somehow largely intact in Owen Sound. Tonight, some buddies have decided to hold a retro 80s/90s/00s carshow, and they’re doing it right -rain or shine.
We pull in to the dark, wet parking lot amidst a joyful crowd of cherished relics, misfit cars and their happy people. The blue and yellow BLOCKBUSTER signage looms above the lot -tonight, this is a temple. We get the thumbs up as we park our boxy Italian anachronism amidst the other old, weird sedans and automatic convertibles. There’s a bright yellow Plymouth Prowler next to us -its driver is grinning, and the joy is contagious. Nearly everyone is soaking wet and smiling ear to ear in their day-glo shorts and flat brimmed hats. A young guy wearing a SONY Walkman Sport is happy to share that his device is waterproof. The Cranberries are playing over the PA system as we walk around to check out the other vehicles. We’re welcomed by the crowd of friendly retronauts -everybody is super knowledgeable about their cars, happily exchanging tropes about VHS tapes, Ninja Turtles and other warm and fuzzy anecdotes from the last of the early digital good ol’ days. I immediately become buddies with Ben, resplendent in his iridescent windbreaker and proud owner of a PT Cruiser convertible (he gleefully shares that it’s a “low pressure” 2.4L). It’s clear that here, what remains of the once uncool is now in fact, the coolest.
Maria holds my hand, her big hair under a neon band, heavy eyeshadow over her big, bright eyes. The rain is really coming down now – this is that kind of storm that opens up portals in time.
My car guy buddies Tom and Corey put this show together. Tom brought along a pile of old computers for people to enjoy, along with his right hand drive FIAT Multipla and wicked 5V FIAT Turbo Coupe. Said Tom, “This Blockbuster represents a happy memory. You know, back in the day, everything wasn’t so readily available, but we made plans, we made it work on a Friday night, renting a video with friends. There was a time when these awkward, ridiculous cars were possible, even desirable. Tonight, it’s all here again, it’s as if it never left. I enjoy people getting together to have a good time.. these cars are a vessel for that… I don’t know why this place still exists, but it does. Everyone who showed up tonight became a friend.. we braved terrible weather and it was a total blast!”
Corey, meanwhile, is demonstrating his resolve while holding onto an aluminum tent pole in the lightning. I asked him why old cars like a Ford Contour or a burgundy Geo make people so happy, “This stuff used to be ubiquitous, now it’s mostly gone. We wanted to provide an opportunity for people to gather and enjoy these 80s/90s/2000s cars, because there are still so many people who remember the ritual of picking up a VHS tape on a Friday night and that was their evening… everyone here is saying ‘Wow! I can’t believe you have that!’, it’s awesome that people are happy to slow down and celebrate these cool cars. No pretentiousness at all. It’s been a great time.”
And it has been a great time. I feel so reassured, somehow. It’s as if I’ve unearthed a big box of memories stored on Nintendo cartridges in my inner crawlspace. I’m so happy that “it” is still here, that these cars are still here, that the innocence, joy, and neon enthusiasm of the pre-streaming, Capri Sun age are still here, and that so many other people see it. The rain has eased up now, and it’s time to head home -time to be kind, rewind and put the tape back in the slot, I guess. We beep-beep the horn to our friends as we head out of the parking lot. Halogen headlights shine, and the big blue and yellow BLOCKBUSTER sign is lit up once again. Us too.
Words and photos by ‘Museum Rob’ Iantorno
