Scrolling through her phone, film student Penelope Park’s fingers paused midswipe on a post advertising Videodrome. She walked by the Poncey-Highland rental stop often, so she figured it was time to check it out.
Named after David Cronenberg’s science fiction horror film “Videodrome,” the store opened in 1998. While it once faced stark competition from major retail chains and other independents, Videodrome is one of the last remnants of a different time – the last video store in Atlanta.
While it’s long had committed fans and customers, COVID-19 created a new wave of DVD devotees amid the streaming age.
The necessity of living on our laptops through Zoom meetings and streaming platforms during lockdown seemed to create a longing for something physical—something to hold, be it books, vinyl, or DVDs.
The Los Angeles Times reported that DVDs are the new vinyl records, with Gen Z embracing physical media. ‘I want something I can put on my shelf,’ Aidan Gannon said, having recently collected 200 discs. ‘I can go shopping in my closet and grab something and pop it in, instead of spending an hour scrolling through Netflix to find something and then just turning on the same TV show.”
Videodrome owner Matt Booth explained that more people were watching niche movies, and it led to a renewed interest in physical media, especially amongst Gen Z.
“The people that want to be here, they want something more transgressive, more hidden, not available anywhere, not in any category,” Booth said.
Additionally, during the quarantine, many of Gen Z found themselves craving something to pass the time, many of whom discovered Letterbox, and other movie list sites.
“Letterbox and collecting went crazy during COVID,” said SCAD Atlanta alumnus and Videodrome customer Amanda Seay. She and her friend, Jacob Trauscht, discovered the store through friends. “So much media is shoved at you by mainstream, it’s refreshing to pick things out yourself,” Seay said.
Trauscht agreed. “Choosing on your own for the first time makes you realize just how much is usually being shoved in your face.”
