The Last Blockbuster; Tom Hanks on Solitaire; You've Finished Your Film — Now What?

In today’s Movie News Rundown: Tom Hanks is done playing solitaire; how Blockbuster Video went from one store to 9,000 stores to one store;  a panel on how to make people see your first film. Plus: (alleged) witches!
Who Killed Blockbuster Video? Not Netflix, says a new documentary now streaming on, you guessed it, Netflix. Even if you find that suspect, The Last Blockbuster will probably convince you, and make you long for lost Friday nights of fat plastic boxes packed with rewindable promise.
No More Solitaire: Tom Hanks, who has gazed bittersweetly from more than a few of those boxes, wrote a charming piece for The Wall Street Journal about not wasting any more time.
Support Salem: The Salem Film Fest, one of the largest documentary film festivals in New England, kicks off today, with a slate of more than 40 features and shorts, including six features making their U.S. Premieres — plus livestream panels, musical performances, and more. Best of all, it is donating donating 50% of its ticket revenue to The Salem Pantry food bank and Behind You, Inc., a restaurant workers’ fund. I’ll be watching the Kenyan film The Letter, about a 94-year-old grandmother accused of witchcraft, because you didn’t really think we were gonna finish out a Salem item with no witch talk, did you?
You Finished Your First Feature Film. What’s Next? A panel today from our friends at New Filmmakers LA will answer that question. It includes Adele Li, festival manager of Slamdance, among other terrific panelists. She told us on a recent MovieMaker podcast that Slamdance has a Bible for filmmakers on how to get their films seen and sold, so her advice alone is worth the $10 price of admission.
The Last Good Thing on Twitter: I don’t know who runs the @FilmClickbait site, but it always make me laugh. “Saving you a click, one film-related story at a time. We also point out dumb headlines/stories,” says the bio. @MovieMakerMag has never been featured, but maybe someday.

Comment of the Day: “Can’t help but comment about how impressed I am, again, by Margeaux’s ability to say so much in so few words. Another thorough, but economical, summary… Makes me want to see something in which I had expected to have little interest,” says Chuck about this story, by Margeaux Sippell, about a young pirate in love. Thanks for the great comment, and we agree!
Remember This Quaint 2010 Political Scandal? Have a great weekend.

Main image: The heroic team keeping the last Blockbuster alive in Bend, Oregon, courtesy of Netflix.