Video rental stores are dead. Its sad from a nostalgic perspective, but it was inevitable once Netflix, Hulu, and other on-demand streaming services came out. In some parts of the country, you can still glimpse the desiccated husks of old Blockbusters, rustling with the whispers of dead business models. <\/p>\n
Then, driving through Atlanta last week, I found the new flesh. There is one great video rental store out there, and its in Atlantas Little Five Points neighborhood. That store isVideodrome, and its fantastic. <\/p>\n
You know its special from the title itself, referring to the David Cronenberg classic and one of James Woods best roles next to him playing a nihilism-fueled omnicidal parallel universe Batman. The logo of a head with tape reel glasses over the eyes is pretty strong, too. And once you walk in and see the shelves, you immediately understand how it still exists and why its great. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The new releases wall has some big blockbusters (which, after theyre taken off that shelf, get relegated to their own section with appropriate commercial reverence), but theyre surrounded by the obscure, indie, foreign and just plain weird. May 23rds new releases includeGet Out,Logan, andGreat Wall, alongside the all-female horror anthologyXX, a French drama about Tamil refugeesDheepan, and the new Blu-ray releases of the 1975 Yakuza filmCops Vs. Thugsand 1988 Frank Henenlotter comedy horrorBrain Damage. <\/p>\n
Havent heard of those films? Neither have I, and thatsgreat. Its a taste of the full spectrum of art house and schlock that Videodrome offers. If you want the full meal, you need to dive into the different sections. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
First, there are the Asian films. Its more than just Kung Fu movies (though there are plenty). There are Japanese, Chinese, and Korean comedies, dramas, and horror movies, both new and old. Do you want to binge on Kim Ki Duks classics? He has half a shelf. And dont worry, several-of-my-jaded-coworkers: Anime is in another section, along with kaiju films. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The international movies dont stop in Asia. Denmark, Finland, Holland, Ireland, Norway, and Serbia all have shelves. Yes, there are more Serbian films thanA Serbian Film, and theyre not all like that one. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
If you have favorite directors, they probably have shelves, too. Carpenter, Cronenberg, Gondry, Jonze, Lynch, you name it. If they made something with a vision, especially if that vision was weird, theres a section in Videodrome. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Beyond the artsy, foreign, indie, and films made by filmmakers movies, theres the shlock. The delicious, delicious shlock. Videodrome lets you start atSweet Sweetbacks Baadasssss Song and work your waydown. You bet theres a Blaxploitation shelf. Its two shelves above the Ausploitation shelf. And its across from the really, really gross Italian horror movies. You can binge on Lucio Fulci and Dario Argentos films, and watch as manyZombi sequels as there are alternate titles on IMDB. <\/p>\n
To enjoy this great wealth of esoteric cinema, you need to live in Atlanta or otherwise be staying there for a few days. Besides a small stack of DVDs and Blu-rays you can buy, Videodrome is rental-only. That means you pay a few dollars, take the video for a few days, then bring it back. Which seems like a really weird concept in 2017, but its the best way to find and enjoy new and obscure movies that youll never stumble upon with Netflix. <\/p>\n
Videodrome is a marvel of weird movies of all stripes and from all ages. If you love foreign films, if you eat up obscure movies from the silent era to the 80s, if you have a favorite director who hasnt generated a billion dollars for his studio, or if you recognize the names Rich Evans, Diamanda Hagan, Brad Jones, or Kyle Kalgren. If you find yourself in Atlanta, you owe it to yourself to visit Videodrome. <\/p>\n
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Atlanta's Videodrome is the Last and Greatest Video Rental Store - Geek<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Video rental stores are dead. Its sad from a nostalgic perspective, but it was inevitable once Netflix, Hulu, and other on-demand streaming services came out. In some parts of the country, you can still glimpse the desiccated husks of old Blockbusters, rustling with the whispers of dead business models. Continue reading