The old wooden Alfred Hitchcock silhouette that stood outside is gone, and so is the store. But Videomatica is alive and kicking in a corner of Zulu Records.
A West 4th mainstay for nearly three decades, Videomatica catered to Kitsilano cineastes looking to rent or buy non-mainstream fare (though they carried some of that, too) before closing last summer. Now the video shop occupies a much smaller space in the CD/record store a couple of blocks west of its old location, and has switched from a rental-and-sales business to strictly sales.
However, without the iconic Hitch sign outside and with only a limited advertising budget, the store has had a difficult time getting word out of its continued existence, says manager B.J. Summers.
Were still trying to let people know that were around and doing pretty good, even though its sales-only, said Summers.
Videomaticas owners had already decided to shut down the store and sell off its collection (movies to UBC, documentaries to SFU) when Zulu Records owner Grant McDonagh offered them the chance to move in. Now, says Summers, we have a very nice corner here. Its probably about the same square footage as the old sales area. The carpeting and lighting are better, though.
Besides the opportunity to support a local business, Vancouver movie lovers have other reasons to stop by. As with the old store, Videomatica is about the selection of foreign, classic and cult movies. And, with big-box stores moving increasingly away from anything thats not shiny, new and 3D, Videomatica is on its way to becoming one of the few locations outside of the Internet where people can buy (and sell or trade) non-mainstream DVDs and Blu-rays.
Regulars from the old store are still coming in, and a lot of Zulu customers have started buying some of what Summers calls the cultier stuff. But theres one filmmaker who appeals to a broad range of tastes and ages and its not Alfred Hitchcock.
Woody Allen flies off the shelf, says Summers. Any age, people are scooping up Woody Allen movies.
Videomatica.ca | 1972 W. 4th | 604-734-5752.
