My favorite job of all time was when I worked in a movie theater. My second one though was at a video store in the mid ’80s. It was great getting first dibs on any new releases that came out, as well as going through their catalog of titles that I hadn’t seen yet. Of course, there is all the promo items we’d get that I would snag any and all that I could get my hands on.
Like most of us horror fans at that time, I was not just going the movies we had at the place I worked at, but all the other video stores in town. In fact, even when I was travelling around, whether it be to the next town over or a few states away, if I saw a video store, especially a “Mom & Pop” shop, I would stop just to check out what they had.
As a movie fan at that time, you never knew what rare title you just might come across. It was always that chance encounter of some rare title you’d be looking for years, or one that you’ve never even heard of before. It was the hunt. It was the mysterious chances you’d take when you walked in and asked where the horror section was. Some stores when above and beyond and had made a “horror” room, decked out with posters and other promo items or decorations, like blood splatter on the door leading into the room.
When I came across this new documentary on the kind of video stores we had before Blockbuster came in and wiped them out, I knew I needed to help spread the word. For those that grew up after this era, maybe this will give you a little insight to what it was like.
kitleyskrypt.com 
Wow! I worked in and owned my own “Mom N Pop” for nearly 20 years! Must… watch… now!
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That’s awesome! We’ll have to trade stories sometime!
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When I saw your post on Facebook I first thought did he just notice my photo file for Popcorn Video? Then I realized it was just that we had the same sort of racks there.
My family and I owned Popcorn Video for 5-6 years at this time. We joined the VSDA. We won a Viddie Award, awards the VSDA gave out for advertising, for a radio ad I had written and performed in. We were one of three stores in town until a chain came in and undercut us on everything because they had the volume to do so.
Through those trips to the annual VSDA shows I got to see and meet so many celebs. Elvira when she was first taking off, Jonathan Frid who I got an autograph from, Joe Bob Briggs who has an amazing memory and more. Running the store I helped guide people to great movie choices and continue to do that to this day with Digital Views online. That came about because I was constantly stopped wherever I went and asked “Hey what’s good to rent this week?” I made friends with my staff and my customers and remain friends with most to this day.
Looking forward to this one. I’m sure it will bring back good memories.
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I love those stories, Mark. And I know there are hundreds more people like you that helped other fans down the path to some great movies.
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This sounds amazing. I only had a brief summer stint at a video store while on summer break, but it was amazing. Watched sooooooooooooooooooooooooo many movies (and dubbed so many more. Remember when you had to borrow a VCR from the rental place as well because you didn’t have two of them? I do.)
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Once I realized you could hook up two VCRs like that, I had quickly saved up to buy a second one so I could do that all the time. Which I did.
Years later when the laserdisc market started to spread, I found one huge rental store close by where I would go in on a Friday, rent a player and some laserdiscs, go home and dupe them. Then take them back the next morning and rent some more, dupe them, and then hit the store one more time before they closed, and took the player back on Sunday. The good old days, indeed.
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