Be Kind, Rewind: We're Getting a Blockbuster-Themed Speakeasy

Pressing "playback" on a vintage camcorder, all to see what exactly might be on the VHS or Betamax tape inside, means you'll likely see come across some fun and possibly zany footage, perhaps of a family picnic back in the mid-80s or prom night from 1991.

But pressing "playback" on our lives? This isn't quite so easy.

For instantly rewinding to those moments we'd like to revisit, and some of the carefree emotions we enjoyed as kids or young adults, or even those before-we-were-born times we never experienced but wish we could, can be tricky without a time machine.

But a time machine of sorts will alight on Melrose Avenue, near La Brea Avenue, later in November. For that's where and when that The Blockbuster Speakeasy, a pop-up bar and eatery with some serious nostalgic vibes, will open for a limited-time run.

This is no glitch in the system: The videotape-themed venue will serve drinks and bites that take their appetizing inspirations from the movies we loved back in the '90s when VCRs ruled our dens and living rooms.

Look also for flavorful phenomena of the era, from Orbitz to Zima, as well as dish names that draw from the world of VHSiana: Please Rewind Truffle Fries is one choice, while Late Fee Risotto Parmesan Cheese Balls is another temptation. Brunch, too, will be available a little later in the speakeasy's run, starting in December.

Oh yes, and your drink ticket? It looks like a video store membership card, a small and snazzy rectangle that was regularly seen inside millions of wallets three decades ago.

But the libation tickets are only one element of the speakeasy's style. Neon lights, splashy signage, and the sort of eye-bright design that says you're about to be entertained dominate the space, all to give guests the sense of stepping into a bygone video store.

Blockbuster Video was a powerful force on the home video market beginning in 1985, serving as not only a place for people to rent movies and games (and pick up some microwave popcorn and Red Vines), but an organic social hub of sorts, an easygoing spot to talk cinema with neighbors and strangers.

The team behind the speakeasy hopes to tap into some of the good, much-missed energy.

Bucket Listers and New Gold Empire, companies that have created retro-sweet offerings like The Golden Girls Kitchen LA, Beetlehouse, and Saved by the Max, are teaming up on the '80s-flavored enterprise.