“Mom N Pop: The Indie Video Store Boom of the 80s & 90s” Documentary Hitting Nostalgic Senses Soon!

I’ve said it a million times: nothing brings me more nostalgic fuzzies than the fond memories of the independent mom and pop video rental stores of our youth. Riding my bike to my local Action Video every Saturday to get my orange rental card punched as I anxiously awaited for the twelfth hole to get my free rental was a high that can never be matched in the wake of the streaming era.; and I know I’m not alone here. That being said, a whole new documentary focusing on said VHS rental store memories is on the way courtesy of filmmaker Bobby Canipe Jr. (Adjust Your Tracking, Night Whispers, Shark Exorcist 2) appropriately titled: “Mom N Pop: The Indie Video Store Boom of the 80s & 90s”!

Per the Press Release:

“Mom n Pop” follows the rise, success, and eventual fall of independent video stores in the United States. Chronicling the memories of Mom and Pop video stores, from gas stations to tanning salons to grocery stores that rented videos, focusing on the “little” guys.

Mom n Pop features interviews from filmmakers that found success in the indie stores such as Brad Sykes (Camp Blood, Zombie Chronicles), Tim Ritter (Truth or Dare, Killing Spree), Gary Cohen (Video Violence), Donald Farmer (Demon Queen, Cannibal Hookers). Filmmakers influenced by their days at the video store such as Marcus Koch (100 Tears) and Henrique Couto (Scarewaves). There are also discussions with companies that grew in success during the days of indie stores, like Troma (The Toxic Avenger, Chillers, Monster in the Closet), and finally fans of the video store and owners of indie video stores during their heyday.

In addition to covering such fond VHS memories, the film visits and covers the indie video shops that have continued on today in that nostalgic faith such as Visart Video (Charlotte, NC), Orbit DVD (Asheville, NC), and Videotheque (Los Angeles, CA).

Along with director Bobby Canipe Jr., Cagney Larkin (Martel’s Movie Madness) serves as director of photography and is executive produced by Brad Sykes (Camp Blood, Plaguers) and Justin McDaniel. A full release is planned for Spring 2022 via physical media and streaming is pending distribution.