Vidiots: 302 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405 – 310-392-8508
What’s a Vidiot? From their website I
learned Vidiot is derived from “Vidiots’ Delight”: someone who loves the
pleasure of a prolonged movie trance.
Movie Nirvana
Do
you lust after movies? I found the best Video & DVD store I’ve ever been to:
Vidiots. I can’t believe they’ve been opened since 1985. Where have I been? Their
film selection (more than 45,000 titles – specializing in foreign, documentary,
independent and rare out of print titles) is so vast and eclectic, you can find
that Jean-Luc Godard or Akira Kurosawa film you’ve been searching for. Or you
might stumble upon a Frank Zappa video you never knew existed. And then you may just get so excited to discover
this film-nirvana that you’ll join other new Vidiots and spontaneously tear up
your Blockbuster card. I was told people
did this so often upon discovering Vidiots, there used to be a wall covered in
shredded blue, white and yellow plastic.
Big Deal!!
Here’s
a secret! I discovered this while fondling the foreign films and drooling over
documentaries – Vidiots is having a sale, half-off
membership (lifetime and annual), now through August 15, 2009. Check out
the regular membership prices on their site. Yep, those prices will be cut in
half! Also, if you stop into Vidiots anytime until July 31st and say,
“Summer”, you’ll receive a free rental with another rental (limit one per
customer).
Vidiots and the Film Industry
If
the amount of titles is a bit overwhelming Vidiots’ employees are all so
passionate and knowledgeable, they’ll be able to give you great
recommendations. They even help film production companies with research, rent
to film critics and host in-store appearances by Angelica Huston, Wes Craven, Oliver
Stone, Callie Khouri, Kenneth Anger and other biggies in the film industry.
Vidiots
film collection is so large it’s divided into very specific sections: English
Language Directors and Foreign Directors, for example. These sections make an
impact. Director Nicolas Roeg came to Vidiots to have his photo taken in front
of his film section. And some Directors have been known to get insulted if they
don’t have their own section; one Director even had a letter sent to Vidiots
asking why his section was so small.
Vidiots, what a huge selection you
have!
A few other
sections are: Cult films (Betty Page, Mexican wrestling, etc.); Noir; Vintage
Comedies; British TV; Silent; A documentary section so large it’s broken down into many
areas, including – Beats, Space, Philosophy, Americana, World History, etc., And the Music
area is sectioned into types (Funk & Soul, Gospel & A Capella, etc.)
and Artists area, such as Elvis and Les Banks. They’ve got things you’ve been
searching for and things you may have never imagined existed - even a DVD
titled “Heavy Metal Parking Lot” with this review: “Unintentionally hilarious.”
Vidiots' owners, Cathy Tauber and Patty Polinger, grew up in West LA, and have
been friends since they were three years old. Cathy used to work as an office manager
for late musical genius/rocker Frank Zappa and Patty worked for MGM/UA in
foreign distribution. They were frustrated film-lovers who could never find the
movies they wanted at video stores. After reading an Esquire magazine article
about a few unique video stores in other states that specialized in independent
films and such, Cathy and Patty got the idea to open Vidiots. They started with
only 800 titles.
Things Happen at Vidiots!!
24
years later, they’re still in business and have experienced nearly everything:
The ’94 earthquake, fire, floods, Elvis impersonators, people disrobing, girl
fights, women flashing boobs to have them signed by Russ Meyer (Director of “Faster,
Pussycat! Kill! Kill!”). Director Henry Jaglom, at one of the Vidiots' events, hired a guy on the spot, after he raised his hand and asked how to get into the industry. Jaglom's answer, "You've got a job." Then there are the various animals and reptiles that’ve
escaped from the pet store next-door, and have been found amongst the aisles and
up in the rafters: An Australian Monitor
lizard and three boa constrictors; the last snake – a white boa – was given
away to a customer, after many warnings to the pet store owner. (photo of Australian monitor lizard taken by Maureen)
Become a Vidiot, too!
So film-freaks and cinephiles, instead of depending on the artificial intelligence of computer generated film recommendations, or rather than aimlessly drifting through the drab aisles of those boring chain video stores, have an experience! Walk past the brightly painted windows (painted by assistant manager and artist Patrick McGilligan) and into the doorway of Vidiots. You’ll discover a film nirvana, a place where vintage film favorites of your past sit beside those until-now undiscovered film rarities. If you’re like me, you’ll become a Vidiot, too.
Hey check Vidiots out here on Youtube with Michael Cera. Vidiots appears at 5:45 on the video.
Blogs are so informative where we get lots of information on any topic. Nice job keep it up!!
Posted by: Sociology Dissertation | October 21, 2009 at 05:53 AM