In Search of the Last Great Video Store

[etimh]

Didn't know if there was a more appropriate place to post this. "In Search of the Last Great Video Store," by Kate Hagen at The Black List.

Some good info and interesting stats:

https://blog.blcklst.com/in-search-o...e-efcc393f2982

[cynatnite]

I miss the days of perusing the shelves for movies. I prefer looking at the cases, reading the backs and all that.

Right now, FYE is one of the few places that has a large enough selection for that. I wish it was bigger or there were more options where we live for that kind of searching.

[LordJameson]

Great read, thanks for sharing! I miss the good ol days of perusing the shelves of my local video stores. If I lived closer to one, I would still be renting. It's nice to see there are some strong-willed people trying to save the industry, and all the rare films!

[nikita70]

Great article, thanks for the link. We got our first VCR in 1982. The first movie we rented was Conan the Barbarian. Me and my brother watched it three times in one day. I just cannot describe the feeling of being able to watch what you wanted, when you wanted. Kids these days just wouldn’t understand.

[cynatnite]

Originally Posted by nikita70

Great article, thanks for the link. We got our first VCR in 1982. The first movie we rented was Conan the Barbarian. Me and my brother watched it three times in one day. I just cannot describe the feeling of being able to watch what you wanted, when you wanted. Kids these days just wouldn’t understand.

Today I was walking downtown and in front of one of our local stores is an old phone booth that's been there for at least a few decades. It hasn't worked in ages, but the city kept it because of it's character. Anyway, some kids probably in their late teens were getting their pictures taken in it. It took me aback when I realized that for a lot of them a phone booth is a novelty.

Face it. We're old. LOL

[nikita70]

Better old than the alternative lol

[Thomas Irwin]

Originally Posted by cynatnite

Today I was walking downtown and in front of one of our local stores is an old phone booth that's been there for at least a few decades. It hasn't worked in ages, but the city kept it because of it's character. Anyway, some kids probably in their late teens were getting their pictures taken in it. It took me aback when I realized that for a lot of them a phone booth is a novelty.

Face it. We're old. LOL

I remember the biggest annoyance about phone booths being that someone would always tear out the phone book, despite being attached by a heavy cable. The last time we got a lot of phone books dropped off at my apartment complex, no one took one. They sat out there for weeks.

[glennstl]

Great article! Brought back lots of memories.

[Wildcat2000]

I 100% prefer physical media over streaming and digital because it’s nice to have an actual copy/object available plus bonus stuff is important to me.

Still I really don’t miss video stores. I have good memories of going to them back in the day but not to the point of wanting to go back to that format. Limited copies and having them due back.

I don’t understand how Redbox is so popular when it’s the same difference of needing to return the movie after you’re done. It’s a big inconvenience now and always was actually. I remember times we’d be like...oh these are almost due or gotta stop by and return these.

Edit: Unless we’re talking actual stores were you purchase movies. I no problem with those. I didn’t read the whole article but it seems to be about both kinds.

[Monterey Jack]

Originally Posted by Wildcat2000

I don’t understand how Redbox is so popular when it’s the same difference of needing to return the movie after you’re done. It’s a big inconvenience now and always was actually. I remember times we’d be like...oh these are almost due or gotta stop by and return these.

Considering most Redbox kiosks tend to be in places that most people go to on an almost daily basis (grocery stores, Walmarts), is it that much of an inconvenience?

The grocery store I work at removed their Redbox machine about four years ago, and to this day customers still come in and ask where they can return their discs. I always have to point them towards the CVS downtown that has one outside.

[Member-222782]

There's an awesome video store in my neck of the woods. It's got all the movies I like, with only a handful of stinkers and the majority always seems to be in stock. I visit them as often as I can. It's called My Living Room

[El_Fez]

Oh, you mean like Scarecrow Video? Where they have something like 130,000 videos? If it was ever released on VHS, DVD, Blu, Laserdisc, Beta or freakin' Super 8, they'll have a copy. In all my years of going there, I've only ever found ONE movie they didnt have.

[Monterey Jack]

If I ever hit the lottery, I'm gonna buy a building just so I can house my entire collection like that.

[Purplenoon]

Originally Posted by El_Fez

Oh, you mean like Scarecrow Video? Where they have something like 130,000 videos? If it was ever released on VHS, DVD, Blu, Laserdisc, Beta or freakin' Super 8, they'll have a copy. In all my years of going there, I've only ever found ONE movie they didnt have.

Amazing! Where exactly in Funkytown is this place?

[wicky_J]

Originally Posted by Purplenoon

Amazing! Where exactly in Funkytown is this place?

It's in Seattle. It's an amazing store !

Down here in Portland we have Movie Madness.

moviemadness.org/

[Jr7936]

I just got back from central europe and over there stores still had a ton of physical media incluing dvd blu ray cds and even cassette tapes as well as boomboxes

[Member-222782]

Originally Posted by Jr7936

I just got back from central europe and over there stores still had a ton of physical media incluing dvd blu ray cds and even cassette tapes as well as boomboxes

That makes sense. I always got the impression Europeans are much more into films than we are in the US. I've imported tons of creatively-packaged movies from France, UK, Germany and elsewhere. They're really into it more passionately.

[deltatauhobbit]

Originally Posted by El_Fez

Oh, you mean like Scarecrow Video? Where they have something like 130,000 videos? If it was ever released on VHS, DVD, Blu, Laserdisc, Beta or freakin' Super 8, they'll have a copy. In all my years of going there, I've only ever found ONE movie they didnt have.

Now I need to know what that movie was. Is it about a little girl coming out of well or an angel getting its wings torn off?

[Show spoiler]If you don't get the references, it's the tape from "The Ring" or the film from John Carpenter's "Cigarette Burns".

[Purplenoon]

Originally Posted by wicky_J

It's in Seattle. It's an amazing store !

Down here in Portland we have Movie Madness.

moviemadness.org/

Thanks! Two great towns. I’ll have to check out both stores next time I’m out there.

[wicky_J]

Originally Posted by Purplenoon

Thanks! Two great towns. I’ll have to check out both stores next time I’m out there.

You're welcome ! There's also a good handful of much smaller stores here like Clinton Street Video and a bunch of mix media shops like Music Millenium, Everyday Music, CD-Game Exchange, etc.

There's a lot of options for everything here.