Play Trivia on Twitter to win a Modern Warfare 2 PS3 Bundle!

We’re pretty excited about the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. I mean, it’s only the sequel to the BESTSELLING FIRST-PERSON ACTION GAME OF ALL TIME.

How excited are we? So excited that we’ve gone crazy, and are giving away a bunch of sweet stuff for the entire week leading up to the game’s release on November 10! The grand prize is a Playstation 3 bundled with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Hardened Collectors Edition. Other prizes include PS3 peripherals, a copy of the PS3 version of the game, and BLOCKBUSTER GiftCards.

Get in on the action by following us on Twitter. We’ll tweet a military history trivia question each business day at 2pm Central from November 2–10. The first person to correctly answer the question will win a fabulous prize!


If you’re a fan of things that are official, you’ll probably enjoy reading the Official Contest Rules below.



OFFICIAL RULES BLOCKBUSTER® Modern Warfare®2 Contest (the “Contest”)
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANGES OF WINNING. Contest begins on November 2, 2009 and ends on November 10, 2009. Contest is sponsored by Blockbuster Inc., 1201 Elm Street, Dallas, Texas 75270 (the “Sponsor”)

HOW TO ENTER: Each weekday during the Contest, Sponsor will post a military history question at approximately 2 p.m. CST on its Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/blockbuster. The first person to respond back with the correct answer will win the prize for that day. Odds of winning depend on whether you are the first person to respond with the correct answer, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Limit 1 entry per person per day and limit 1 prize per person during the Contest period. Entry requires signing up for a Twitter account through twitter.com. There is currently no charge for a Twitter account. Sponsor has no control over the data practices and data collection of Twitter. This Contest is not endorsed, sponsored by or affiliated with Twitter, Inc.

ELIGIBILITY: The Contest is open to all legal US residents, 18 and older as of the start of the Contest. Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited or restricted by law. Contest subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. By participating, entrants agree to these Official Rules and accept decisions of the Sponsor as final. Employees (and those with whom such employees are domiciled) or agents of the Sponsor, its affiliates, franchisees or their advertising and promotional agencies and the Contest judges, are not eligible. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify entrants who fail to follow these Official Rules or who make any misrepresentations relative to the Contest or the redemption of any prize. If a winner is disqualified or determined to be ineligible or if a prize is unclaimed or undeliverable, an alternate winner will be selected using the same judging process/criteria describer herein. Alternate winners are subject to all requirements set forth in these Official Rules.

PRIZES: The daily prize for each of the first six days of the Contest period will consist of either a $50 BLOCKBUSTER GiftCard® (value of $50) or a select PlayStation3 peripheral (approximate retail value of $54.99). The daily prize on November 10, 2009 is a PlayStation®3 Modern Warfare®2 bundle which includes one PlayStation®3 120GB System and a copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare®2 game, Hardened Collectors Edition (approximate retail value of $359.98). Note: BLOCKBUSTER GiftCards are subject to the terms and conditions printed on the GiftCard and/or its packaging. Prizes must be accepted as awarded, and are not transferrable, assignable or redeemable for cash. No prize may be substituted except by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right at any time to substitute a prize or any portion thereof for a prize of equal or greater value. All federal, state and local taxes imposed on the prize are the sole responsibility of the winner. Prizes will be shipped to winners.

CONSENT BY WINNERS: Your entry to the Contest constitutes your agreement to allow your entry and your name, city and state, to be published as a winner of the Contest on blockbuster.com and other websites, as determined in Sponsor’s sole discretion without any fee or other form of compensation. All winning answers submitted become the property of the Sponsor and no correspondence will be entered into. Sponsor has the right and permission to use, publish, broadcast, reproduce and distribute all winning entries in any manner or media throughout the world in perpetuity, for any purposes whatsoever, including but not limited to, advertising and promotion.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY: Sponsor is not responsible for any: (i) computer, telephone, cable, satellite, network, technical, electronic or hardware/software malfunctions, connections, failures, availability, traffic congestion, unauthorized human intervention or technical, electronic or mechanical computer error of non-transmitted automatic entries; (ii) incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by tampering, hacking or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest; or (iii) injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from your participation in the Contest. If the Contest is incapable of running as originally planned due to computer virus, bug, tampering, technical failure or other cause beyond the control of Sponsor, Sponsor reserves the right to terminate the Contest. Sponsor is entitled to interpret these Official Rules as needed and its decisions are final and binding.

By participating in this Contest, you agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor and its employees, officers, affiliates, agents and franchisees from any and all damages, injuries, claims, causes of action or losses of any kind resulting from your participation in this Contest, including without limitation, infringement of intellectual property rights, any prize won, any use of the entry materials by Sponsor, the warranties you make under these Official Rules and any misuse or malfunction of any prize awarded. IN NO EVENT WILL SPONSOR BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS CONTEST AND/OR USE OF ANY PRIZE. All disputes between you and Sponsor relating to this Contest shall be resolved by binding individual arbitration under the American Arbitration Association’s rules for consumer-related disputes. Neither you nor Sponsor will participate in a class action or class-wide arbitration for any claims relating to this Contest. If this class action waiver is found to be unenforceable in a particular case, then the entire agreement to arbitrate disputes relating this Contest shall be null and void in that case. Sponsor reserves the right to change this dispute resolution provision, but any such changes will not affect claims that have already been filed. This contest is offered in the United States only and shall be governed by the Federal Arbitration Act and, where consistent, Texas law.

WINNERS LIST: A winners list will be posted online at blog.blockbuster.com

Halloween Costume Contest Results

I was extremely impressed by the awesomeness of the costumes submitted by you, America. Turns out you people are pretty crafty. Alas, we could only pick four winners. Here they are:

First Place, and winner of a TiVo DVR for his outstanding Zoltar costume is Flickr user jonathan_gleich




Second Place, and winner of a $100 BLOCKBUSTER GiftCard for his impressively detailed Swedish Chef costume is Flickr user waynekaa



Third Place, and winner of a $50 BLOCKBUSTER GiftCard for Shrek and Fiona is Flickr user ourosao



Runner-Up, and winner of a $25 BLOCKBUSTER GiftCard for Where the Wild Things Are is Flickr user four20jm



Thanks to everyone who submitted pictures! Don't forget to check out the whole album. Stay tuned for more contests and other chances to win desirable goods and services.

Family-Friendly Halloween Movies

We’ve been talking a lot about scary movies and games for Halloween, but I haven’t really talked about stuff you can watch with the whole family. Here are some of my favorite kid-friendly movies for this time of year. I’ve divided them up into things appropriate for younger children, and those you should probably save until they’re a little older.

Appropriate For All
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
I think this is as good as it gets when looking for things to watch with your kids around Halloween. I grew up watching this every year, and still try to catch it whenever I can. In fact, it’s on this very night, at 8pm Eastern Time on ABC.

The Nightmare Before Christmas
I hesitated to put this on my list, only because I didn’t want to get that “What’s This?” song in my head. Since just thinking about the song lodged it in my head, I guess it doesn’t matter.

Ernest Scared Stupid
Yeah, that’s right, I’m a fan of Ernest P Worrell. And while other Ernest aficionados will tell you this is not the best of Jim Varney’s oeuvre, it’s still good watching. Know what I mean?

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
This scared me as a kid, but not so much that I didn’t watch it all the time.

Monsters, Inc.
Fun fact: we used to have a giant (I wanted to say “life-sized”, but that doesn’t make much sense when discussing a cartoon character) statue of Sully in our lobby. It was awesome. Then, one day, it disappeared, to the dismay of all. Especially to the dismay of me, because I wanted to steal him and make him the centerpiece of my cubicle.

Appropriate for Older Kids
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
If you have a child of a certain age, you probably own this movie already. And the other movies. And the costumes. And the toys. And the cookbooks. But it still bears mentioning, because it really is great to watch with the family.

The Monster Squad
I alluded to this in my Top 10 Movie Monsters post. It’s a fun movie, and if your child happens to pick up some valuable lessons to help defend your home against the inevitable zombie uprising, then so much the better.

Ghostbusters
This is not just a good movie to watch with the family — it also happens to be one of my favorite movies, period. I’m extremely excited that Ghostbusters 3 is in the works.

The Witches
This movie has Anjelica Huston as a villain, creatures by Jim Henson, and is based on a Roald Dahl novel. What more could you ask for?

Beetlejuice
I loved this movie when I was younger, and it still holds up now that I’m an adult. It’s a perfect mixture of humor for (older) kids and adults.

Update on Digital Content

I posted a while back about all the new stuff we’re doing with digital content, and I wanted to update you good people now that some of it has launched.

We’ve been working on so many cool, techy things lately — movie rentals on TiVo DVRs, rentals and purchases on Samsung electronics, sharks with lasers on their heads, and transporter technology so I can beam from place to place like Captain James T Kirk. Since the status of the last two is classified, I’ll stick with TiVo and Samsung.

BLOCKBUSTER On Demand on TiVo
Last week, we rolled out BLOCKBUSTER On Demand on TiVo DVRs. That means you can now rent and watch movies and TV shows from your Series2, Series3, TiVo HD, and TiVo HD XL boxes. Prices range from $2.99 for older movies to $3.99 for new releases.

How do we do it? Well, it involves the internet, as well as some other technical stuff. I believe beams of light are in the mix, somehow. It’s all very complicated.

All content is in standard definition for now, but we’re working on getting HD going. If you already have a TiVo box, you just need to do a software update to get the service.

Here’s more info.

BLOCKBUSTER On Demand on Samsung
BLOCKBUSTER On Demand was also released on Samsung devices last week. It’s available on newer models of Samsung plasma, LCD and LED TVs, as well as select Samsung Blu-ray players and home theater systems. You can rent or buy movies right from your Samsung device — rentals range from $2.99–$3.99, and purchases start at $7.99.

One really excellent feature is that you can start watching on one Samsung device and continue on another. So if you begin watching a movie on your Samsung Blu-ray player in the living room and only get halfway through, you can finish watching it on the Samsung TV in your bedroom (that’s just an example; I in no way know what kind of TV you have in your bedroom). It’s crazy, mindboggling wizardry, as far as I’m concerned.

More information.


We’ve got even more sweet stuff coming in the near future, including movie downloads on select mobile phones and a much-clamored-for iPhone app that will let you manage your online Queue. Stay tuned for details!

Scary Video Games

We’ve been talking a lot about scary movies this month for Halloween, but I wanted to shift gears a little and talk about scary video games.

While I don’t really get scared by movies (unless they have creepy kids in them), games can sometimes do a number on me. It’s not the “I’m going to have trouble sleeping tonight” kind of scary so much as it’s the “things keep jumping out at me and freaking me out” kind.

Which makes sense, because you’re much more emotionally invested in the outcome of a video game than a movie. You want your character to survive and progress in the game, so threats to his or her safety are much more frightening that watching an actor run away from some masked, undead goon. Add in the fact that some game developers are really good at creating creepy atmospheres (particularly in games like System Shock 2, Dead Space, Bioshock, and Silent Hill), and it’s no surprise that a 2 a.m. gaming session by yourself in the dark can get a little eerie.

Here are some of the scariest games I’ve played. Some of them are old PC or console games, and some are more recent console offerings. Since we don't have data on PC or older console games, I’ve linked you to IGN for more info on those. Keep in mind many of these games are for mature audiences only (mature by age, not mindset, which means I still get to play them).

The 7th Guest
Alone in the Dark
Bioshock
Clive Barker's Undying
Condemned: Criminal Origins
Condemned 2: Bloodshot
Dead Rising
Dead Space
Doom 3
Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem
F.E.A.R.
F.E.A.R. 2
Fatal Frame
Fatal Frame 2
Left 4 Dead
Resident Evil
Resident Evil 5
Silent Hill
Silent Hill 2
System Shock 2

If I Made a Hardy Boys Movie

Where the Wild Things Are comes out in theaters today! To celebrate, I’ve picked another favorite book (actually a series) from my childhood that I’d like to see turned into a movie, and made casting choices like a bigshot Hollywood producer.

Lord of the Rings, my favorite book growing up, has already been handled nearly as well as it could be, so I chose The Hardy Boys series. I’d like to see it turned into a comedy/mystery with the kids from the books now in their late 20s/early 30s.

Why The Hardy Boys? Well, I loved reading the books when I was young. I read all 58 of the original series by the third grade. And I still have all 58 hardbacks on my bookshelf, along with The Hardy Boys Detective Handbook. Don’t act like you’re not impressed. And while there have been a few different Hardy Boys TV shows, there’s never been a movie.

If I were making the movie, here’s who I would cast in the major roles:

Frank Hardy: Jake Gyllenhaal
I think he’d play the straight man to his brother well, and he’s believable as the smarter brother who tends to have the whole case worked out before anyone else. Also, he’s Donnie Darko.

Joe Hardy: Seann William Scott
Perfect as the blonde, more athletic, more impetuous younger brother, and he’s got the comedy chops (particularly in Role Models, which was surprisingly hilarious).

Fenton Hardy: Tom Selleck
That’s right — Magnum, P.I. Who better to play the boys’ father, an ex-cop turned private investigator?

Laura Hardy: Kristin Chenoweth
The boys’ mother is always described as pretty and petite. Check and double check. Plus, Kristin Chenoweth is adorable. She’s not really old enough for this role, but that’s what movie magic is for.

Aunt Gertrude: Sally Field
I think Gidget can handle the cantankerous-yet-loving spinster bit.

Chet Morton: Jonah Hill
He’s portly, great for comic relief, and can handle the “good-natured ribbing” the brothers are always throwing his way.

Iona Morton: Rachel McAdams
I envision the girlfriends of the boys having much bigger roles in the movie than in the books. Why Rachel McAdams for Joe’s girlfriend? Because I love her.

Callie Shaw: Scarlett Johansson
Frank’s girlfriend would be played by Scarlett Johansson because I said so.

Main Villain: Gary Oldman
He’s a fantastic actor and plays a mean villain. I’d also throw in Alan Rickman, since he’s also a great villain.

Other actors who would be cast in this movie: Steve Buscemi, Billy Dee Williams, Kristen Bell, Paul Rudd, Sarah Silverman, Danny McBride, Pam Grier, Micheal Cera, Natalie Portman, Dulé Hill, Charlyne Yi

Note: I found out just as I was finishing this post that there is a Hardy Boys update, The Hardy Men, currently being written as a Ben Stiller/Tom Cruise vehicle about the Hardy boys as washed-up, middle-aged men. I’m interested to see if this gets made and what it’s like.

Fashionable Movies

The popularity of shows like America’s Next Top Model and Project Runway made us think about doing a post on fashionable movies. But the way I dress made me and everyone else think that I was the last person who should be doing a post on fashionable movies. So I asked Heather (who you might remember from such posts as this one) for her assistance again.

Movies and fashion have been wedded since long before the Academy Awards first started handing out statues for costume design in 1948. We look to actors and actresses — and sometimes even the movies themselves — to inspire style and set trends. The following are some of my favorite movies for fashion.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Funny Face
In Funny Face, the fashion industry is the backdrop for the love story between Audrey Hepburn’s bookish beauty and Fred Astaire’s fashion photographer. Holly Golightly, Hepburn’s character from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, is the flip side of Funny Face’s Jo. Flighty and street smart, Holly had effortless style. Both films’ costumes were designed by Edith Head with Givenchy pieces. What to watch for: The original LBD (little black dress), oversize accessories, beatnik aesthetic (the original hipsters), exquisite couture dresses.

Marie Antoinette
The frothy fashions by Milena Canonero looked every bit as delicate as the confections made by Ladurée for the film. What to watch for: Two words — the shoes. To be more specific, Rococo-inspired Manolo Blahniks.

Down With Love
If Marie Antoinette is handcrafted Parisian macaroons and petit fours, Down With Love is a big bag of colorful saltwater taffy. Daniel Orlandi has perfectly captured a fantasy version of 1960s New York, more Mod than Mad Men. What to watch for: Candy-colored shift and mini dresses, mid-century modern accessories and furniture.

The Aviator
Costume designer Sandy Powell won an Oscar for what was basically a love note to early Hollywood glamour written on art deco stationary. The actresses portraying their predecessors Jean Harlow, Ava Gardner and Katherine Hepburn looked like they stepped out of an Erte illustration. What to watch for: Hepburn’s sophisticated pantsuits, Harlow’s slip dress, and Howard Hughes’ Fair Isle sweater vest.

Moulin Rouge
Another Oscar winner, this time in 2001 for Catherine Martin and Angus Strathie, Moulin Rouge is a jeweled diorama of 19th Century Montmatre. As its centerpieces are Satine’s corsets and stage costumes. What to watch for: Layers upon layers of ruffled petticoats, French lace lingerie, and detailed corsets.

For more on movie couture, check out our Fashion Week List.

Creepy Little Kids

Obviously, all our scary movies are very popular this month. Flicks featuring ghosts, ghouls, slashers and assorted monsters are flying off the shelves. But those aren’t the movies that scare me. I’m not going to be kept up at night worrying about being haunted by spirits or attacked by a mask-wearing psycho.

No, the only two things that really scare me in movies are clowns (also in real life, because clowns are just plain terrifying) and creepy little kids. Since there are a lot more movies with creepy children, let’s talk about those.

I love children, so there’s no reason kids should scare me in movies. But you put a little girl in an old timey dress and have her talk in a distant voice in a horror movie, and you’ve freaked me out. It doesn’t make much sense, but there it is.

Here are some of the creepy little kid movies I’m talking about:

The Ring
Offending Creepy Kid: Samara Morgan

The Others
Offending Creepy Kid: Anne

Poltergeist
Offending Creepy Kid: Carol Anne Freeling

The Shining
Offending Creepy Kid: Ghost twins (twins are also kind of creepy in general, even the non-ghost kind)

The Sixth Sense
Offending Creepy Kid: Cole Sear

The Exorcist
Offending Creepy Kid: Regan MacNeil

A Nightmare on Elm Street
Offending Creepy Kid: Girls singing the Freddy song

The Grudge
Offending Creepy Kid: That evil boy spirit thing

The Omen
Offending Creepy Kid: Damien

Children of the Corn
Offending Creepy Kid: All of them

Village of the Damned
Offending Creepy Kid: Demon children

The Good Son
Offending Creepy Kid: Henry Evans

Full House
Offending Creepy Kid: The Olsen twins

So what scares you? Tell us by taking our Halloween Poll.

Top Ten Movie Monsters

Since it’s October, and Zombieland just released in theaters (haven’t seen it yet, but really want to), I decided to go through my top ten movie monsters. I’ve also included some favorite movies for each monster. I’m counting down this time, because that always adds to the suspense.

10) Gill-Man
This guy doesn’t really scare me all that much, but I’m including him because of his appearance in The Monster Squad, which is a fantastic movie.

Favorite examples: Creature from the Black Lagoon, Revenge of the
Creature, The Creature Walks Among Us

9) Giant Ape
If people would quit bringing enormous, powerful apes back from the darkest jungles, giant ape shenanigans would pretty much dry up altogether. Think about that the next time you want to bring back a massive gorilla on your next trip abroad.

Favorite examples: King Kong, Mighty Joe Young, Konga, The Son of Kong

8) Oversized, Often Radioactive Things
The fear of atomic doom in the 40s and 50s led to some great giant-things-running-amok movies, including the Japanese kaiju films.

Favorite examples: Godzilla, Rodan, Gamera, Mothra, Them!, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman

7) Various Sea Beasts
The ocean is already pretty scary on account of its vastness and tempestuousness. Then there are the sometimes-vicious sea beasts we know about, like sharks and giant squids. And dolphins. I know everyone loves them because they are cute and friendly, but they are too cunning — I smell a trap. Then, of course, there are all the creatures we don’t know about yet, like Abyss aliens. That’s why I pass on swimming in the ocean.

Favorite examples: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Abyss (bonus: they’re also aliens), The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Jaws, Behemoth, The Sea Monster (also an Oversized, Radioactive Thing), It Came from Beneath the Sea

6) Aliens
I’m thinking more about alien invasion movies on this one, rather than movies set in space. But I’m including Alien and Aliens because they are awesome movies and the aliens are fierce (although I tend to be more of a Predator man, myself).

Favorite examples: Alien, Aliens, Predator, 20 Million Miles to Earth, Kronos, Signs, V, Fire in the Sky, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The War of the Worlds, Starship Troopers, Independence Day

5) Frankenstein-type Monster
Sure, they’re reanimated corpses that possess preternatural strength, but I find them to be the least cool of the “major” movie monsters. I think I could take one.

Favorite examples: Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Curse of Frankenstein, Young Frankenstein, Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein, Frankenstein Unbound, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

4) Mummy
For centuries, philosophers and other great thinkers have pondered and debated this question: why are mummies not as cool as zombies? They’re similar, after all. I’m no Kant, but I think it’s because there’s no danger of mummification spreading like there is with zombification. It’s usually just the one mummy you’ve got to deal with.

Favorite examples: The Mummy (1932), The Mummy (1999), The Mummy (1959), Bubba Ho-Tep, The Mummy's Hand, The Mummy Returns, Abbott & Costello Meet The Mummy

3) Werewolf
I didn’t realize how many great werewolf movies there were until I started working on this post. I mean, Teen Wolf alone puts werewolves in the top 5.

Favorite examples: An American Werewolf in London, Teen Wolf, Silver Bullet, The Howling, Ginger Snaps, Wolf, The Wolf Man, The Curse of the Werewolf, Dog Soldiers

2) Vampire
Like many people, I’m getting a little tired of the current vampire craze sweeping the nation. Especially in light of the fact that those things in Twilight are totally not vampires. But vampires are undeniably cool — they live forever, they can sometimes fly, they have superhuman strength and speed, they’re popular with the ladies, and they often have sweet accents.

Favorite examples: Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Interview with the Vampire, Salem’s Lot, From Dusk Till Dawn, Blade, The Lost Boys, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, True Blood, Underworld, Fright Night, Dracula, Nosferatu

1) Zombie
Zombies, to me, are the ultimate movie monster. Some of it has to do with how awesomely, gratuitously gory zombie movies can be. But I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that while the idea of fighting against a world-ravaging plague of flesh-eating zombies can be a little scary, it’s pretty cool at the same time.

I’m not saying that I wouldn’t be a little sad about the destruction of life as we know it; I’m just saying that when the inevitable zombie apocalypse comes, you could do worse than having me on your team. If video games are any indication (and we all know they are), I’m a zombie-killing machine.

Favorite examples: Night of the Living Dead, The Return of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Shaun of the Dead, Zombie, Re-Animator, Planet Terror, Lifeforce (also features space vampires!), Dead Snow, Dead Alive, The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies, I Was a Zombie for the FBI

Enter Our Halloween Costume Contest, Win Fabulous Prizes!

We want to see you dressed up as your favorite character from a movie, television show, or video game, or as your favorite actor or actress. In fact, we may even give you a prize if you have an especially awesome costume. To get in on all the fun/prize-winning, just join our Halloween Costume Contest group on Flickr and submit a picture of you in costume.

We’ll pick our four favorite submissions and dole out some sweet prizes. You could win:
Grand Prize: TiVo Series2 DT DVR
Second Place Prize: $100 BLOCKBUSTER GiftCard
Third Place Prize: $50 BLOCKBUSTER GiftCard
Runner-Up Prize: $25 BLOCKBUSTER GiftCard

Pictures must be submitted by October 28 to be eligible to win. We’ll announce the contest winners right here on the blog on Friday, October 30. Winners will also be notified via Flickr Mail.

If you’re a detail-oriented type, you may enjoy reading the OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES below.


Official Contest Rules:
OFFICIAL RULES BLOCKBUSTER COSTUME PHOTO CONTEST (the “Contest”) NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Contest runs from 10/1/2009, 10:01A.M. CT through 10/28/2009, 11:59 p.m. CT (“Entry Period”). All entries received after the Entry Period will not be considered. This Contest is sponsored by Blockbuster Inc. (“Sponsor”).

Entering: To enter, submit a photo of you dressed up as a movie, television show or video game character or actor/actress to the BLOCKBUSTER Costume Contest Site on Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/groups/blockbustercostumecontest/ (the “Site”). Submission on the Site requires registration at flickr.com, which is free with a free Yahoo account. Sponsor is not responsible for your use of the Flickr site and/or your ability to register on flickr.com and/or yahoo.com. Duplicate entries of the same submission will not be considered.

By entering, you warrant that your materials are original and your own work, do not infringe on any third party’s rights, and that you have obtained any necessary permissions from any third party if a third party or third party’s property appears in the photograph. You must be the sole owner of the copyright of any image submitted. Further, you warrant your materials (i) are not sexually explicit, unnecessarily violent or derogatory, (ii) do not promote drugs, alcohol, or firearms, (iii) do not contain trademarks, logos or copyrighted materials owned by others, and (iv) do not depict the likeness of anyone or any personal property without their permission. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entry if it finds in its sole discretion that any of the foregoing warranties are not true or finds an entry to be inappropriate, in its sole discretion. Sponsor is under no obligation to post any entry. Decisions of Sponsor are final and binding.

Entrants retain ownership and all other rights to future use of the photographs they enter except for the following and as set forth otherwise herein: Your entry to the Contest constitutes your agreement to allow your entered photographs and your name, city, and state, without any fee or other form of compensation, to be published as a winner of the Contest on blockbuster.com and other websites, as determined in Blockbuster’s sole discretion, and Blockbuster may make and retain copies of each winner’s photograph for archival purposes.

Consent by Winners: Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, all winning entries submitted to the Sponsor become the property of the Sponsor, and no correspondence will be entered into. Sponsor has the right and permission to use, publish, broadcast, reproduce, and distribute all winning photographs in any manner or media throughout the world in perpetuity, for any purposes whatsoever, including but not limited to, advertising and promotion.

Judging: Entries will be judged by Sponsor’s employees (“Contest Judges”) on the basis of costume creativity. Photos that have been digitally altered beyond standard optimization will be disqualified.

Final Decision: On October 29, 2009 at approximately 10:00 AM Central Time, the Contest Judges will judge all eligible photos received during the Entry Period. Decisions of the Contest Judges are final and binding.

Eligibility: The contest is open to all legal US residents, 18 and older as of the start of the Contest. Void in Puerto Rico where prohibited or restricted by law. Contest subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. By participating, entrants agree to these official rules and accept decisions of the Sponsor as final. Persons who are employees (and those with whom such employees are domiciled) or agents of the Sponsor, its franchisees or their advertising and promotional agencies and the Contest Judges, are not eligible. The promotion is offered in the United States only and shall only be construed and evaluated according to Texas law.

Prizes: There will be one (1) Grand Prize consisting of one (1) TiVo Series2 DT DVR (approximate retail value of $149.99), one (1) Second Place Prize of consisting of a $100 BLOCKBUSTER GiftCard® (each a "GiftCard" and collectively, the “GiftCards”), one (1) Third Place Prize consisting of a $50 GiftCard, and one (1) Runner Up Prize consisting of a $25 GiftCard. GiftCards may be applied to the cost of any eligible merchandise sold or rented at participating BLOCKBUSTER stores and online at blockbuster.com and cannot be used to purchase GiftCards or any third party gift card. Membership rules and certain restrictions apply for renting at BLOCKBUSTER. For complete terms and conditions, or to locate the store nearest you, visit blockbuster.com.

Prizes must be accepted as awarded, and are not transferable, assignable, or redeemable for cash. No prize may be substituted, except by Sponsor in its sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right at any time to substitute a prize or any portion thereof for a prize of equal or greater value.

Winners will be announced via blog.blockbuster.com on October 30, 2009, and winners will be emailed through their Flickr accounts. Prizes will be shipped to winners. If a winner is disqualified or determined to be ineligible, or if a prize is unclaimed or undeliverable, an alternate winner will be selected using the same judging process/criteria described above. Alternate winners are subject to all requirements set forth in these Official Rules.

Entries must be made on the Site by the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at the time of entry. “Authorized account holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, internet domain owner, or other person or organization that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address. The Sponsor reserves the right to verify the validity and originality of any entry and/or entrant (including an entrant’s identity and address) and to disqualify any entrant who submits an entry that is not in accordance with these Official Rules or who tampers with the entry process. Failure by Sponsor to enforce any of its rights at any stage does not constitute a waiver of those rights.

Limitation of Liability: Sponsor is NOT responsible for: printing or typographical errors in any related materials; stolen or fraudulent entries or mail; or transactions that are processed or lost due to computer or electronic malfunction. Each winner is solely responsible for payment of all federal, state, and local taxes on prize. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel or modify Contest if fraud or technical failure compromises the integrity of the Contest as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.

Sponsor not responsible for technical, hardware, software or telephone failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections or fraud, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmission whether caused by Sponsor, entrant, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the promotion or by any technical or human error which may occur in the process of submissions which may limit a participants ability to participate in this Contest. Sponsor is entitled to interpret these Official Rules as needed and its decisions are final and binding.
By participating in this Contest, you agree to release and hold harmless Sponsor and its employees, officers, affiliates, agents and franchisees from any and all damages, injuries, claims, causes of action, or losses of any kind resulting from your participation in this Contest, including without limitation, infringement of intellectual property rights, any prize won, any use of the entry materials by Sponsor, the warranties you make under these Official Rules, and any misuse or malfunction of any prize awarded. IN NO EVENT WILL THE SPONSOR BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THIS CONTEST AND/OR USE OF THE SITE.

Winners List: A Winners Name list will be posted online at blog.blockbuster.com.

Sponsor: Blockbuster Inc., 1201 Elm Street, Dallas, Texas 75270.