Michelle Pantoliano

Transcription

(music) (V.O.) Video stores have been going out of business. Just like this one did in my hometown. It's an important part of our culture that's going away and it's also where I had my first job over 15 years ago. So when the owner had announced he was closing the store, I gave him a call. Asked him if I could follow him during the final weeks of his video store, while celebrating this culture on tape forever. (music) (Director) How's it going, Ed? (Ed) How are you, sir? My name is Ed Kaczynski. We're at Video World in Woodbury, Connecticut. I'm the owner - proud owner for 23 years. Here in the video rental business looking to see what we can do tonight to make people happy in their entertainment needs. Wow, that was a commercial. (sound of breaker switches) We have the regular DVDs and we have Blu-ray DVDs. We still do have some VHS in the store that date back - only items that are not available still on DVD. We put the boxes wherever we wish and try to confuse the customer and that works. We decided to announce to the people this year that we were going to close after 23 years in business. (sound of DVDs sliding through return slot) I was going to do it six months ago. We were going to try to do it in the fall, but I decided to keep it going because Christmas is always the busy period of the year but it just didn't make any sense... to keep going. (somber music) (Director) So what was your reaction when you heard the video store was closing? (Rosalie) I was shocked. I was shocked. (Arnie) Very upsetting to me. (Alex) Yeah, I'm not surprised. (Sara) I'm sad! (laughs) (Isabelle) Me too. (Sara) I don't look sad - (Isabelle) You don't look sad! (Sara) I don't look sad. (Sophie) Then it was like, "oh, well, I can't get all these cool movies." Then it was like, "oh, damn it. It's going out of business. That's bad. (Rosalie) It's sort of like it's always been here, so it's sort of like being in denial and then really getting angry... that it's closing. So, when I saw you over here, I said, I have to say something, because it's important to me to keep this kind of community around. It's not just a video store. (music) (Director) So, what are some of the perks of working at a video store? (Adam) Free movies. That was, that was a great perk of working at the video store. (Bill) You get to see movies that haven't come out yet. (Tina) Take home like four movies a night and stay up all night watching movies. (Nicole) I get to see all my friends and everyone is so laid back. (Tina) We had a couple celebrities come in here. There was the guy from the movie "The Reef" was it? What was it? (Director) "The Ref". (Tina) "The Ref", Denis Leary. (Nathaniel) Arthur Miller came in here. I did have the chance to meet him. (Dan V.) I am actually excited and somebody I was hoping to come in here was, ah, Rob Zombie, actually. I've been a fan of his forever. (Bill) I've met Christine Baranski. (Dan V.) Helen Hunt picked up a copy of "Twister" and asked, "what did you think of this movie?" (Dan M.) I remember I was putting movies back and Dan said, "did you notice the guy that was walking around there?" And I said, "not really." I mean, he had cut off jeans and the tattoo and the, like the greasy hair and stuff, and the big boots and stuff like that. And he was like, "it was Daniel Day-Lewis." And it just kind of took me by surprise. (music) (Ed) We first started to rent out videos in the lobby of the cinema. That was a theater and our concession stand became our video stand. And we would have people come in - they could just come in the lobby, rent a movie, and leave. And we sold video cassette recorders. We sold blank tape which was very expensive at the time, and videos. And we rented videos on a weekly basis. About '82 - well, '83 was probably the basis probably the - where the growth became phenomenal. (music - lyrics) (And I would... (keep...) (you if I could...) (sounds of receipt torn off, cash register beeps, index card filed away, door opening alert) (Director) So, why do you think video stores are going out of business? (Alex) Well, I think they're going out of business because of the online video rentals. (Rebecca) Probably because of other big chain video stores. (Nicole) The technological advances of downloading movies and everything right at your finger tips. You don't have to go anywhere. (Arnie) With the economy and people aren't making the money they used to be making. And with all the TV stations putting the movies on TV and everything uh, they're trying to knock 'em out. (Sara) My husband got HBO. (Isabelle) No, not HBO. (Sara) What it is? (Isabelle) Netflix. (Sara) Netflix. Curses. You see, that's what causing all this happening. (Rosalie) Soon they'll be piping videos directly into your TV. And, I don't like that. I don't want to be piped into my TV. I'd rather be talking to people. It's too clean and non-personal. And that bothers me. (Ed) With the economy the way it is and the businessship towards a, um, lower value price to a Walmart or a Target. Our sales have been increasingly going down the past three, four years and the rental business has held somewhat steady but sales are soft. (music) (Tina) One of the toughest things of working here was collecting the late charges from the customers. (Customer) I'm very, very late. How are you? (Ed) Not bad. Not bad. (Jacqueline) If somebody comes in and the movie's like a day or so late, you know, he could charge them but he often doesn't charge them. (Tina) And some people still gave us a hard time. (Ed) We had one customer come in and she wanted to rent some movies and she was on the latest list. She got very upset and she stormed out the door and before she left she said that she hopes Blockbuster comes in and take our business away. (music) (Director V.O.) Video stores are a place where people talk about their favorite movies. (Michelle/employee) This is fantastic. (Customer) Is it really good? Oh! (Michelle) I do love to make recommendations to people. (Customer) I was just looking at "Julia & Julia". Um, "The Hangover" I want to get too. (Michelle) I'll try to figure out what their type of movie is. I'll ask them. Rather than give somebody who likes a horror film like a romantic comedy I wouldn't give that to them. I would go try to find the horror film I enjoyed. (Director) So, we're standing here next to Staff Recommendations... Is there anything on this shelf that you put here? (Ryan/employee) Oh, boy. (Nicole) I loved "Role Models." (Julie) "Requiem for a Dream" (Nicole) "Signs" (Adam) "Lost Highway" (Nicole) "The Decent". That is a crazy movie. (Max) "Lawrence of Arabia" (Bill) "The Game" (Max) "Usual Suspects" (Bill) "Memento" (Max) Anything that would have starred Arnold Schwarzenegger. (Michelle) "Rain Man" (Rebecca) "Office Space" (Keith) "Die Hard" (Tricia) "The Notebook" (Julie) "American Beauty" (A.J.) "Boogie Nights" (Wesley) The "Star Wars" trilogy. (Ryan) Oh, "Freddie Got Fingered". I love the movie "Freddie Got Fingered" with Tom Greene. And it's really awful. And I think I put it on the Staff Recommendations and I think that it was quickly taken off. (music) (Ed) Today's the last weekend of our video store business. It's our last day of rentals. We're packing up most of the movies and putting them boxes and they go to my house and I'll sell them online. The adult business was first in terms of video cassettes. Then the mainstream films started to come out. It wasn't going so well until one of the Consumer Electronic Shows in Las Vegas took off and the mainstream television newscasters followed that. And what they found at the show was the adult industry had taken a lot of space at those shows. It created a stir and people started to say, wow, I can see a film in the privacy of my own home and nobody has to know. That created sales for the VCRs and also videos, and that helped drive the industry. (Tina) We have regular customers that would come in everyday for the adult book. (Beth) Well, that started with a room. The room was set up right here where these lines are until the town got in on it and it became a book. (Adam) Not everybody knew that we had the book. (Dan V.) People would refer to it as the bible. (Ed) The book is... we would take the film covers off put them into the plastic wrap and every one would have a number. Because some of the titles could be very graphic... is probably the correct word. So, you just ask for the number and we would get them film for them. (Julie) Most of the men were older and a lot of them, when I was working by myself, would like, you know, ask to talk to a manager and I think they didn't like asking a younger girl for to see the pornography. And so, um, it would make some of them, you know, flustered or embarrassed. I remember this one man who apologized and said, "oh, I my wife just died." I was like, oh, he seemed sweet... but he wanted to see some porn. (Dan V.) I felt dirty whenever I wanted to give it to somebody. I had to wash my hands afterward. To be honest with you. (music) (Ed) We're going to have a party. It will be just like an open house with customers coming in. We'll just get to say so long. I hate goodbyes. I don't like goodbyes. Just a, so long, and we'll see you a little bit later. And in another aspect. Yeah. (sounds of shelves being disassembled) (Director) So, did you think you were going to be around forever? (Ed) Yes. (Director) At least to retirement. (Ed) Yes, I did. Ah, yeah. In all honesty I kind of how do you say, ignored the problem for a long time. And I let it get bad. (sound of rack falling) (Ed) Okay, guys. Here it is. The big... okay. (sound of dry erase marker squeaking) Zero days. (Director) So, where do you think you're going to rent your movies? (Julie) Probably one of those mail things, but I've also heard from people that you don't get the good quality because the CDs. I mean, they don't really care when you get them back, so the quality isn't so good. (Jacqueline) I know that the library sometimes offers a fairly good selection of independent films. So I guess I could do that. (Garrett) I'm not sure. We haven't figured that out yet. (Ted) All this is going to do is cause me to go somewhere I don't want to go, you know, and that is what it's going to do. (music) (Director V.O.) Actor Joe Pantoliano was filming in the area that day and heard that Ed's video store was closing so he decided to stop by. (Joe) Hey, Ed! (Joe) Hey, Ed. (Ed) How are you, sir? (Joe) I'm Joey. (Ed) How are you? I'm good, Joey. (Ed) Joey pants came. (Joey) Hi. Joe Pantoliano. (Ed) Ah, that was a special treat for everyone. (Dan M.) Actor who's been in basically everything. Sopranos... his own shows on CBS. (Kathy) Now, I can't remember. Was he, Ralphie? Yeah. Oh, boy. Okay. (Dan M.) I guess he's actually making documentaries now. (Joe) Start a website, Ask Ed. (Ed) Ask Ed. Right. (Joe) A local website so that you're customers could still be in contact with you and then you could tell them what movies to watch. (Ed) That was, that was a real good deal. That was a lot of fun. (music/piano) (Ed) Well, we're just about closing up the video store for the very last time. We've got emptiness and it's been one of the greatest days in my life in business. It's... it's been awesome. (sound of sign dropped into garbage) (Ed) I can't believe the amount the customers that we had. Thank you very much. (Customer) You've been a good friend. (Ed) The amount of friends that we got to say hi to. (Customer) We're really going to miss you. (Ed) We even had drinks with a few customers who brought wine It's just the fact that many people came by just to say goodbye. Not goodbye, to a friendship, but goodbye to the physical store and the way interacted for all those years. It's not a sign of the end of a business, to me, it's, ah, a part of my life. A big part of my life. (music / lyrics) (mmmm... ) (Never choose to let you go...) (Never choose to let you go...) (Rosalie) I just want to make sure people know how important this kind of place is to the rest of the community. (Adam) People would either meet here and then go out. Or, they would meet here. Pick up a bunch of movies. Some snacks. And then go back to someone else's house, and hang out for a night. (Arnie) Going some place and interacting with people, I find myself a lot easier, a lot better. (Dan M.) Picking up a box and reading the back of it and and... and... from down there going, "Ed, what do you think about this? Is this?" And then, he'd say, "no", or, "that's a good one." (Sara) When you're young you don't get to make many choices I think, when you're really little. Like she could come in pick out what she wanted. And she could only pick three and she had to make her choices very carefully. (Jacqueline) When you come to know films through that process, you have a deeper relationship with them. (Sara) We're going to miss it. It's been a big part of... us. So... (Director) What's your all-time favorite film? (Ed) Casablanca. My favorite simply because it shows the character does the right thing, ultimately sacrifices everything, to do what's best for the common good rather than personal. (music)