Lan Kwai Fong Movieland Shuts Its Doors
My old video store here in Hong Kong just closed and I’m feeling a little nostalgic. Throughout the late 1990’s the Movieland video store in Lan Kwai Fong was like my second home. Walking into that store I was like Norm walking into Cheers…everyone knew my name!
When I moved back to Hong Kong in 2009 I was surprised to see my old stomping ground was still open. I went up to see the old place and re-introduce myself. Turns out Elmer, the old manager I knew so well, had only recently returned home to the Philippines. Obviously the video store landscape has changed radically in the 10 years since I used to frequent the store and he probably felt it was time to wrap it up.
I mean who rents DVDs anymore??
It was really kinda sad in a way. This store used to be jam packed every night with area folk getting their evening fix of movies and TV shows. It was a hub where you were always sure to run into a familiar face. When I had left back in 1999 the store was just beginning the transition from VHS to DVD. Now DVD was starting to feel like cassette tapes and the store, once the center of the action, now seemed like a party 30 minutes after all the cool people had left.
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When I got married we spent some of our wedding gift cash on a VCR that had a wired remote control. The video store required a $50 deposit!
That was the last video recorder/player of any type that I knew how to work.
Time marches on.
Yeah Bob, I remember PAID memberships back when video stores first opened and a VHS movie to buy could be as high as US$ 80. Good bye video store!
I feel a song coming on: “Internet killed the video store…”
Farewell, Movieland, and thanks for the memories. And the Star Trek videos. (On VHS!)