For all nostalgic movie-lovers reminiscing on days past of Blockbusters, Cincinnati now has an alternative.
Shadow Valashard Woolf, 26, has been putting "Free Blockbusters" all over Greater Cincinnati, with locations in Covington, Clifton and Northside.
The concept is the same as free libraries, except these former magazine and newspaper boxes will now hold VHS tapes, video games and DVDs.
"I just sort of got nostalgic for that feeling of getting physical media because we haven't had that emphasized in years," Woolf said. "People have this longing again to hold these movies and to physically connect with something."
Cincinnati isn't the first place to have boxes like this. The "Free Blockbuster" movement has reached cities across the nation, from California to Massachusetts. Outside of Greater Cincinnati, the nearest Free Blockbusters are in Detroit.
It all works on an honor system. You can take or leave as many movies as you want, but Woolf encourages you not to get too greedy and leave some movies for others. Movies do not have to be returned, they are yours to keep.
The main principle is to take a movie and leave a movie, keeping a constant exchange.
Right now, Woolf is finding the boxes, decorating them and finding permanent homes for them all by himself. He says he got permission from the City of Cincinnati's Department of Transportation to find abandoned boxes, repurpose them and find new homes for them.
The first box was placed outside of Earth to Kentucky on March 28. Since then, Woolf has put a box outside of Arcade Legacy in Walnut Hills and the Esquire Theatre in Clifton. He's working on a fourth box and talking with other businesses that might be interested in hosting.
