Ex-Rental

Everything to Entertain You: The Story of Video Headquarters

August 2023 •English

A 60 minute documentary on one of the greatest video stores in the country, Video Headquarters, from Keene, New Hampshire that existed for 32 years from 1983-2015. It's owner, Ken McAleer, was a prominent figure among independent video store owners and the documentary examines how one man, with a single video store, can have such a big impact in the industry. A labor of love from a first time filmmaker and former employee, this nostalgic look back at the video store era includes interviews with VHQ owner Ken McAleer, employees, comic artist and former video store owner, Stephen Bissette, and a treasure trove of archival photographs and documents from the store.

Videosyncracy

September 2010 •English

As the dissociated convenience of the Internet and globalized corporate culture continue to shut down brick-and-mortar video stores, what will happen to the longstanding, local hangouts with their rugged individuals known as clerks and the communities who love them? Videosyncracy follows three very different video rental stores as they negotiate their survival in three distinct Los Angeles neighborhoods: Old Bank DVD in the Downtown arts district, Vidiots in sunny seaside Santa Monica, and Eddie Brandt’s Saturday Matinee in bustling North Hollywood. Their stories chronicle not only the birth and twilight of a particular kind of corner store, but also decades of personal lives intertwined with those of their communities, the new challenges and facilities of a rapidly changing world, and an enduring love of the movies, a slice of Americana on the brink of disappearance yet defiant to the end.

Video World

December 2013 •English

A short documentary about the final weeks of an independent video store in Woodbury, CT.

Video Store Millionaire

December 2018 •English

The last video store in all of Lancaster County prepares to close for good. This documentary follows the Stalter family as they cope with leaving the video rental business after 35 years.

Slashback to Viper Video

November 2024 •English

The physical media format of film is in a constant state of unease, but what happens when industry professional and legally blind business owner, Shelby McIntyre, takes it upon himself to open Tampa’s only true video shop?

The Patent Scam

August 2017 •English

The corruption runs deeper than you'd ever imagine. A multi-billion dollar industry you've never heard of. This is the world Patent Trolls thrive in: A world created for them by our own U. S. Patent system. You can be sued for clicking on a hyperlink, using your own scanner, or sharing your Wi-Fi! It sounds insane, but the reality is even crazier. Patent Trolls look for obvious ideas, patent them, and then sue anyone they claim is infringing on their idea. People's lives and businesses are being destroyed.. and they have no way out. “The Patent Scam” exposes the underbelly of this system, and the people that commit this practice.

The Times of Harvey Milk

October 1984 •English

Harvey Milk was an outspoken human rights activist and one of the first openly gay U.S. politicians elected to public office; even after his assassination in 1978, he continues to inspire disenfranchised people around the world.

Tourisme religieux, un marché sacré

October 2024 •French

Havakeen Lunch

January 1979 •English

After eighteen years of operating the favourite lunch counter in Manitoba's Interlake region, Ellen and Martin Kihn have retired. A poignant look at the last day, The Kihns, their friends and their customers, demanding rural life and the place the disappearing institution of the country cafe plays in these people's lives. A tribute to the cafes found in small towns.

The Last Blockbuster

December 2020 •English

A documentary on the last remaining Blockbuster Video in Bend, Oregon.

At the Video Store

October 2019 •English

Equal parts personal essay, intense rumination, and playful satire, this movie laments the death of the American Video Store while it searches for the missing human element in today's digital landscape.

CHROMABYADHAM: ECLIPSE FEVER

Invalid date •English

Inspired by the small enterprise, CHROMABYADHAM, a colourblind inclusive clothing wear line. ECLIPSE FEVER, the third collection, encompasses the visual representation of the brand and features themes of growth and remembrance, while coherently showcasing the new collection — a celebration of nighttime and nightlife.

NA China

April 2020 •French

The implantation of African traders in Guangzhou is a recent phenomenon, on which Marie Voignier reports through her interlinking portraits of Jackie, Julie, Shanny who have come to set up their business on site. Amidst the monstrous accumulation of merchandise on the endless markets of the megacity, the film follows these African businesswomen grappling with the globalised Chinese economy.

Terror on Tape

January 1985 •English

A video store clerk showcases clips from Z-grade horror movies to curious customers.

Food and Country

October 2024 •English

America's policy of producing cheap food at all costs has long hobbled small independent farmers, ranchers, and chefs. Worried for their survival, trailblazing food writer Ruth Reichl reaches out across political and social divides to uncover the country's broken food system and the innovators risking it all to transform it.

Kim's Video

September 2023 •English

Since 1987, and for almost three decades, New York cinephiles had access to a vast treasure trove of rare films thanks to Kim's Video, a small empire run by Yongman Kim, an enigmatic character who amassed more than fifty thousand VHS tapes.

The Last Video Store

February 2020 •English

20th Century Flicks is the oldest video rental store in the world. Its small, close-knit crew has unwittingly become custodians of the largest collection of DVDs and VHS tapes in the UK, and faces a constant struggle to adapt and survive in the age of streaming and downloading.

A Última Locadora da Cidade

Invalid date •Portuguese

Rewind This!

August 2013 •English

Home video changed the world. The cultural and historical impact of the VHS tape was enormous. This film traces the ripples of that impact by examining the myriad aspects of society that were altered by the creation of videotape.

Return Chute: The Survival of a Small Town Video Store

April 2023 •English

Rod O'Hara bought Bellingen Video Connection in 2018 when video stores were already considered to be on the way out – if not already dead. Now, years later, against all the odds, and after facing many personal setbacks, Rod and the local community have kept this iconic local business and bastion for lovers of television, film and screen culture alive - but for how long?