Inspired by Little Free Libraries, public boxes and mini-houses where people can donate or borrow books, Free Blockbuster allows folks to exchange films in a similar spirit. The organization — which was founded in Los Angeles in 2019 by Brian Morrison, a former Blockbuster employee and film producer who sought to give old media collections new life within local communities — has made it’s way across North America and even to the United Kingdom.
Blockbuster redux allows any film lover to “franchise” locations free of charge, the organization expanded internationally, starting with a Canadian box in 2021 and now boasts more than 200 locations.
Morrison, LA-based president and secretary of Free Blockbuster, said he created the very first Free Blockbuster box after noticing that people were doing away with their DVD and physical media collections. They said some people donated them to Goodwill, but they would end up in dumpsters because the organization did not see them as valuable.
“The overarching thought was, ‘Instead of throwing these things away, how can we share them?’” he said.
Morrison said he came across an abandoned LA Weekly newspaper box after the news organization terminated their printing and distribution program, which prompted him to think about repurposing the boxes to to benefit the community.
“When I built the first one, I certainly hoped that people would see it and be inspired to create their own,” Morrison said. “I think anytime you start a thing that’s a crazy, silly idea, and you hope that it will resonate with other people. There’s always the chance that you’re just, you know, being crazy. But in this case, it worked, and I’m happy that it did.”
He said anyone can create a new location by finding an old newspaper box, cabinet or vessel of one’s choosing, placing VHS tapes or DVDs inside of it, decorating the box however they’d like, making it available for the community and informing the Free Blockbuster organization of its creation via their website.
“This is not a job,” Morrison said. “This is a gift you’re giving to your community.”
Travel Between The Pages 