I just found out there are these free Blockbuster stands—little DIY Blockbusters full of DVDs and VHS—and I wanna build one outside our new radio home in Lowell. It’s basically the Little Free Library but for movies, packed with weird classics like Shrek 2 and no late fees (bless). I geek out on the nostalgia — family road-trip vibes, empty Blockbuster cases = first lessons in scarcity, you know the drama — and there’s even a map and VHS tips at freeblockbuster.org (there’s one on Holcomb in Springdale outside Hey, It’s A Shop). If you’re handy and wanna help me build one, hit me up (text/call 479-412-4769) and let’s make a tiny blue-and-yellow shrine to Friday night. Oh, and I made our “morning six-pack” of must-haves for the box: Jerry Maguire, Pulp Fiction, Talladega Nights, Scarface, The Empire Strikes Back, and topping it off—the Notebook (yes, Ryan Gosling stole my heart again).

Takeaways:

• I discovered these DIY 'free Blockbuster' boxes—old newspaper dispensers painted blue and yellow, stocked with DVDs and VHS for neighbors to swap.
• I get nostalgic: Blockbuster was a whole Friday-night ritual—family bonding, snack prep, and the heartbreak of empty cases.
• We talk real locations and tips: freeblockbuster.org maps spots and there's one on Holcomb Street in Springdale outside 'Hey, It's a Shop'.
• I'm pitching that we build one by our new Lowell station, and I even asked handy listeners to text or call 479-412-4769.
• We joked about stocking only true classics in the tiny boxes, so I named our top six: Jerry Maguire through The Notebook.
• Best part: no late fees, communal movie discovery can spark surprises—like a kid finding The Goonies instead of an algorithm's pick.

Good morning.

It's Haystack.

And I just learned that there are these things called free Blockbuster stands.

Basically, someone takes, like, an old newspaper box and paints it in Blockbuster colors, puts little block, fills it with DVDs and VHS tapes that people can take or people can leave.

It's actually kind of beautiful.

I guess America looked at those little free library things that people do, the little free library, and said, this is nice.

But what if instead of books, it was a Shrek 2 DVD instead?

I love this because, you know, Blockbuster.

Blockbuster used to be an entire Friday night activity.

You didn't stream a movie.

You.

You went out to acquire said movie.

The whole family got in the car like we were heading west in a covered wagon.

We need snacks, we need entertainment.

Who knows when we'll return.

You walk through Blockbuster for 45 minutes, picking up every movie, going, what about this?

Now this?

Now this.

We watched that already.

I don't remember.

You fell asleep.

But it was family bonding time.

And there was always that one movie that everyone wanted, and the box was there, but the movie was gone.

Nothing prepared children for disappointment like an empty Blockbuster case.

That was.

That was our first lesson in scarcity.

And now these little free blockbusters are kind of bringing some of that back.

It's cute.

But no late fees, which is nice.

But, yeah, there's something really sweet about this.

Some stranger leaves behind a movie that they loved, and another stranger takes it home.

Maybe a kid discovers the Goonies for the first time.

Maybe somebody finds that exact stupid comedy that they watched with their dad 30 years ago and don't remember what it was for one night, instead of an algorithm saying, because you watched this, we think you'd like this, a weird little box on the sidewalk just says, hey, somebody liked this.

Maybe you will, too.

And it feels kind of nice.

Blockbuster stores may be gone, but Friday night is still out there somewhere in a little tiny blue and yellow box waiting for somebody to press play and to be kind and rewind.

If it's vhs, there's tips on making these and an actual map of [email protected] and there's one in Springdale.

It's on Holcomb street outside of this little gift shop called, hey, it's a shop.

I think we should build one of these and put outside the radio station's new home here in Lowell.

If there's anyone super handy that would tackle this with me, let me know, text or call the do the business line.

Because I'm not always in the studio.

479-4-12 Grow.

You can call probably text.

479-412.

4769.

479.

Let's get together and make this happen.

We can build it from scratch or the do like a lot of people are doing.

I love this idea.

You find a little old newspaper dispenser and you use it.

You paint it in the blockbuster blue and put the yellow stencils on it and there you go.

I think we should do it.

This could be fun.

Now these are kind of small, so since space is limited, we would need to make sure that we stock it with true classics.

Only the best.

I think maybe we should make a list.

Maybe we could.

Maybe we can think of six movies.

Best way to start your day.

These six jokes.

He's about to say, listen up for old head back.

Crack open the morning six pack.

That's right, our morning six pack.

The top six movies that belong in every free blockbuster.

Coming in at number six, Jerry Maguire.

He's got Tom Cruise at his most charismatic.

It's got Renee Zellweger at her most adorable.

And Cuba Gooding Jr. At his most employable.

Number five, Pulp Fiction.

It is Quentin Tarantino at his absolute best, according to massive Quentin Tarantino fan Quentin Tarantino.

Number four, Talladega Nights, the Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

But you probably already feel like you've seen it since your uncle quotes it so much.

Number three, Scarface.

You know it?

It was a movie back before it was the T shirt of every guy who drives a loud car.

You know that.

Number two, the Empire Strikes Back.

Admit it, nerds, it's the only good Star Wars.

I'm gonna get.

So much hate for that one.

And then.

And the number one movie I think we should put in our little free blockbuster, the Notebook.

Rachel McAdams plays an irresistible doe eyed beauty who you instantly fall in love with.

Wait a minute, did I say Rachel McAdams?

I meant irresistible doe eyed beauty, Ryan Gosling.