At the Video Store (2019)

I've seen sneers at the idea of the video store. Not just kids either. Older people who were there when it was all happening. People so dead inside the idea of leaving their couch to get books or movies is unappealing.

Those of us who love movies, really love them, tend to mourn the demise of the video store. These palaces of wonder were important parts of our lives. I spent countless hours perusing the shelves, talking to staff and other customers. Unlike many other activities I've indulged in, I don't regret a single second of my time in video stores.

At the Video Store is a recent documentary that chronicles the phenomena of the home video explosion and the birth and death of stores that rented videos. It's a heartfelt and passionate study that emphasizes art and humanity. Humanity. It's something sorely lacking in the realm of streaming.

Many people are interviewed in At the Video Store. Cult directors like John Waters, Penelope Spheeris, Nicole Holofcener, Gus Van Sant, and Todd Haynes. Film personalities Bill Hader, Lance Bangs, and Thelma Schoonmaker make appearances. More importantly, video stores owners and workers speak out about the life they chose and the heartbreak of how we threw it all away.

At the Video Store is a labor of passion from James Westby. He shot it over the course of several years, and he wrote songs to accompany the feature. Various artists recorded them in a variety of styles.

This is a gorgeous presentation that had me drying my eyes throughout its running time. It's sweet and sad and beautiful.

Plus there are cats.

It's all gone now, or at least mostly gone. There are a few stores in bigger cities, but they are rarities.

Being a suburban boy and young man, I never had access to the kind of hip video stores portrayed in At the Video Store. There was no one store I frequented and few true movie buffs to converse with. I was usually one of the most knowledgeable customers, which was kind of cool. I was a member of numerous stores, and I made weekly pilgrimages to them.

At the Video Store points out that rental stores helped put the drive-ins out of business. That's unfortunately true. Progress roars on, and leave wreckage in its wake. I was there for it all, watching movies on network TV, I witnessed the arrival of cable television and the miracle of seeing uncut movies at home. The coming and the end of VHS, DVD and on to the hell of streaming.

Times change, and I still collect. The new normal for me is thrift shops and library sales. I love the hunt, and getting movies for very low prices is great, but it's also kind of sad. Having movies at our fingertips has devalued them. Great movies on DVD and even Blu-ray sit in thrift shops, waiting for homes.

Movies are easier and cheaper than ever to produce and to distribute, which not only devalues the movies themselves, but also the people who make them. The system has become so insubstantial that we may see a day when human individuals are no longer needed to make movies. It sounds like hell on earth to me.

I'm grateful I got to experience it all. The drive-ins, the little independent theaters, the wonderment of buying and renting tapes, and the perfection of DVDs and Blu-rays. It's been a great ride, but I think we've gone past the summit and are on the way down.

You need to see At the Video Store, but for God's sake don't stream it. There is a DVD and a Blu-ray available. Secure yourself a place in movie heaven and buy one of these.

Written by Mark Sieber