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April 22, 2022 • Schneps Media
BY DEAN MOSES
It’s the return of a video legend.
With Blockbuster already
a memory in the late 2000s,
Kim’s Video retail store was the
East Village’s last bastion of physical,
film media where Lower Manhattanites
could browse an eyewatering
selection of VHS tapes
and DVDs. More than a mere video
outlet, it was a cultural icon for
many who spent weekends browsing
its vast catalog and discussing
cinema favorites with new friends,
before returning home with a
pizza for a movie night.
In 2014, the last location of
Kim’s Video joined its peers in
falling victim to the almighty
streaming service, marking the
end to an East Village icon. However,
nearly a decade later after an
international journey, the collection
is back and available to rent
for free.
In the lower level of Alamo
Drafthouse Cinema located at
28 Liberty Street, Nick Prueher
stood surrounded by VHS tapes,
DVDs, classic movie posters, and
a fuchsia sign reading “Kim’s Video.”
Prueher was instrumental in
bringing the collection back to the
area and curating it for the public.
“I was a Kim’s customer when
I first moved to New York in the
late 90s. I found Kim’s Video
and was just sort of blown away,”
Prueher said, recalling how he
once browsed the shelves.
After the initial closure, the
story of Kim’s Video collection
could be made into a movie itself.
According to Prueher, the vast
media library could only be taken
with the promise that it would be
available to the public, which sent
it on a voyage to Italy.
“The founder was looking
for a permanent home and his
stipulation was that the collection
couldn’t be broken apart. He
Kim cared about what happened
to this. It wasn’t just a bunch of
plastic,” Prueher said. “So, he got
an offer from a town called Salemi
in Sicily. And they said they
would take the collection, and all
got shipped over there. And it was
supposed to be on public view and
available to everyone but within
a year the mayor there who
was spearheading the project,
had alleged mafia charges and
was ousted from office. It’s
like a movie.”
With the collection once
again without a home, the
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema acquired
the large stock and with
the aid of Prueher began to curate
an exhibition showcasing
hundreds of DVDs and VHS
tapes, yet this is not a mere
visual display of covers and
box art. This new iteration of
Kim’s Video also rents out the
films and even VCRs for free.
Due to such a vast catalog, the
PHOTOS BY DEAN MOSES
Left: Nick Prueher welcomes
visitors back to Kim’s Video
for free VHS and DVD rentals.
Above: Stay-Puft Marshmallow
Man from Ghostbusters. Bottom
left: The shelves at Kim’s
Video are lined with rare and
unique films
films will be cycled through to
ensure there is always something
new to discover.
Nestled amongst frames upon
frames of classic movie posters
and iconic film replicas such as a
Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man from
Ghostbusters, but more than the
aesthetics, Prueher says there is
a chance to uncover media that
can’t be found anywhere else.
With some of the tapes never having
been transferred to DVD or
uploaded online, making this collection
one of the last places they
can be found.
“You can watch almost anything
on your phone now. To find
something that can’t be found,
something that isn’t available
anywhere else. It’s almost more
tantalizing, more enticing. So, I
think that’s really the draw here.
And it’s a curated collection. I
mean, we certainly tried to honor
the legacy of Kim’s with all the
genres and there’s 461 different
genres that are represented here,”
Prueher said.
Starting May 22 at 7:30
pm, Prueher will be hosting
a talk while showcasing various
clips from the collection in
a podcast style. Tickets can be
purchased online.
“It’s just a good place to hang
out. You can get a beer upstairs,
bring it down, browse through
the collection and take something
home,” Prueher said.
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Treasure trove on tape
How the iconic Kim’s Video store returned to Manhattan