How Video Stores are Surviving during COVID-19
When the COVID-19 outbreak mandated a nationwide shutdown this past Spring, small businesses were among the worst hit. Sadly, that included most of the last remaining video stores across the country. Despite the collapse of Blockbuster Video and Hollywood Video a decade ago, some independently run establishments have still managed to hang on, even with the ever-increasing popularity of streaming, thanks to dedicated customers and the deep catalogue of films available only on physical media. When the shutdown began in mid-March, many people believed, or at least hoped, that it would only last for a few months. Tragically, it quickly became apparent that wouldn’t be the case. As people and businesses struggled to adapt to stay at home orders, some video stores could not survive the crisis.
The first major blow came on April 7th when Vulcan Video in Austin, Texas announced it was closing permanently. This renowned store, which first opened in 1985, has been an iconic destination for film lovers. The store was popular enough to get a segment on Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show in 2015, where Kimmel and Texas native Matthew McConaughey made a hilariously cheesy commercial for the store. The skit is available on YouTube, and now serves as a memorial for a lost haven of cinema. The Austin Film Society has also done a series of interviews with former Vulcan employees on their YouTube channel.
Next came Odd Obsession in Chicago, which on April 28th announced they were closing their current location. A Chicago institution for 16 years, it was cherished not only for its 25,000+ film collection but also its treasure trove of bizarro Ghanaian film posters. They have put their vast collection in storage with the hopes of reopening, but no one knows when or if that will be possible. Even before the shutdown, they had attempted to fundraise online, but fell short of their $25,000 goal. Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, film critic and former Odd Obsession employee, penned a lovely tribute to the store for The AV Club.
And then came Eddie Brandt’s Saturday Matinee in North Hollywood, California. First opened in 1969 as a movie memorabilia store, Eddie Brandt’s counted celebrities like Quentin Tarantino among their customers, and still rented out VHS tapes, including many out of print titles that never made it to DVD. On May 12th, the family announced they were moving out of the current location, and going into storage until they’re able to reopen elsewhere. I drove over the next day to see the store one last time, but by then the shelves had already been emptied, leaving only the dusty wooden shelves that once held rare and unique artifacts. By my account, it seems that no Los Angeles news outlet even reported this closure. At least local press reported Vulcan and Odd Obsession’s final days. The iconic Eddie Brandt’s mural on the building has already been painted over.
One of the saddest aspects of these closures is that, due to the pandemic, fans were not even able to say goodbye in person to their beloved video stores. Every person had to remember their last visit before the shutdown, and realize that that had been their final visit, without even knowing it. This cruel fate is all too familiar to independent video stores. All three of these stores had moved locations over the years, struggling to deal with rising rent and the loss of business with the advent of streaming. A worldwide pandemic delivered the final blow, and both the loyal patrons and the respective cities lost a piece of culture history and communal space.
Now, other video stores are fighting to avoid this fate. Film Noir cinema, an independent movie theater and video store in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, has started a GoFundMe campaign to stay alive. Film Noir appears to be the only video store that still survives in New York City. To think that NYC, the biggest city in the country and home to so many incredible cinemas and film festivals, could end up having zero video rental stores is shocking and upsetting. And in another blow to Austin, I Luv Video, the only major video store left in the city after Vulcan closed, was also forced to shutter this year, but owner Conrad Bejarano told the Austin American-Statesmen he hopes his collection of 120,000+ films will live on in a permanent collection or with a new owner (you can still buy a t-shirt from the store’s website).
On a positive note, other video stores were able to adapt to the situation thanks to curbside pickup. Here in Southern California, Broadway Video in Long Beach started providing curbside rentals immediately, and Videotheque in Pasadena and Cinefile Video in West L.A. followed in May once the city of Los Angeles allowed it. As for the famous Last Blockbuster in Bend, Oregon, it’s open with safety measures in place, and was even featured in one of Jimmy Kimmel’s late night monologues. Let’s hope they fare better than Vulcan Video, the last recipient of a Jimmy Kimmel endorsement. Meanwhile, Family Video, the last remaining video store chain in North America, had to permanently close 200 of their locations to stay afloat, but they haven’t given up yet. They’ve started the #SaveTheVideoStore campaign on social media, and you can support them by buying merchandise on their website. And Vidiots, the iconic Santa Monica video store that was supposed to relaunch in Eagle Rock this year before being delayed by the pandemic, is also selling merch online as they plan for their 2021 opening. With the support of celebrity patrons like Aubrey Plaza & Alex Winter and generations of loyal customers, the reopening of Vidiots next year could be the shining beacon of hope for the future of video stores.
As this horrible year draws to a close, video stores tentatively remain open, requiring face masks and customer limits, always in danger of a new shutdown. The COVID vaccine has started to roll out, but COVID cases continue to rise across the country, so this pandemic is far from over. The best thing to do is continue supporting your local video stores, now more than ever. Check out that recent blockbuster you missed, or dig into a classic genre or beloved auteur from the past. Streaming has had a big boost this year with everyone inside, but even if you subscribe to every single site, you won’t get the depth of films available at your neighborhood video store. Support them today, so we’ll still have them when this is finally over. And stay safe!
