Rental Return: Tales From the Video Store: Recent Episodes
The Retro Network
Relive the days of video rental stores through the memories of former employees. Each episode features stories from our 'Video Heroes' using a fun multi-interview format. You'll hear experiences from rental store infancy in the 1980s, dominance in the 1990s, and demise in the early 2000s. From VHS to DVD, from Blockbuster to 'Mom and Pops', Rental Return celebrates this distinctive time in film history.
With Season 2 of Rental Return in the books, Adam (@Hojukoolander), Chad (@HorrorMovieBBQ), and Jason (@RD80s) bookend the season by reflecting on what they learned through the experiences shared by the Video Heroes. They discuss some of the crazier stories, things they did not know about the video store business, and favorite moments overall. They also talk about some old newspaper stories that Jason dug up from the '80s about video rental stores, news about a video store closing recently in PA, and the trio's recent acquisitions in their collections.
Erol's Video Club Newspaper Ads Read the Newspaper stories on TheRetroNetwork.com
Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more from Rental Return visuals and VHS memories.
If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or hojukoolander@gmail.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Season 2 of Rental Return - Tales From the Video Store comes to a close with "Pushing Stop." This episode features the final days of video stores from the perspective of our Video Heroes. You'll hear how DVD, Blu-Ray, and Netflix affected the operation of their stores. Then, listen how some of our Heroes ended their tenures and their perspective on other store closings in the area. With the perspective of hind sight, we then ask our Heroes what they miss most about working at a video store. And finally, we find out if our Heroes kept any mementos from the store as a badge of honor.
Our "Video Heroes" for Season 2 include Mark DeWitt (@Mark_DeWitt), Brian B. (@InnerDemonsGR), Joe Corey (@YourCanadianGF), Matthew Corey (@rollerdogNC), Bob O’Rourke (@constrictionpix), William Lanham (@deadly_dinosaur), Colin Fitzpatrick, Alan Smith, W. Axel Foley aka Billy Foley, and Brandon Meyers.
Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more from Rental Return visuals and VHS memories.
If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or email hojukoolander@gmail.com
Visit The Retro Network podcast page for every show on the network.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Season 2 of Rental Return - Tales From the Video Store continues with "Secrets of the Staff." This episode features some wild stories of staff shenanigans during and after business hours. Here Brandon tell about an epic pen-throwing war that occurred after hours one night that ended with an exploding marker and a clean up that lasted until the wee hours of the morning. Our Heroes also take us behind-the-scenes with details about how the business of rental stores operated that most customers wouldn’t realize. William explains the unique job he had for awhile at Blockbuster going from store to store scanning tapes all night for inventory. Then find out if our Heroes' time working at rental stores resulted in some friendship that have lasted until this day. For Billy and his colleagues at World of Video, lifelong friendships were defintiely made.
Our "Video Heroes" for Season 2 include Mark DeWitt (@Mark_DeWitt), Brian B. (@InnerDemonsGR), Joe Corey (@YourCanadianGF), Matthew Corey (@rollerdogNC), Bob O’Rourke (@constrictionpix), William Lanham (@deadly_dinosaur), Colin Fitzpatrick, Alan Smith, W. Axel Foley aka Billy Foley, and Brandon Meyers.
Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more from Rental Return visuals and VHS memories.
If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or email hojukoolander@gmail.com
Visit The Retro Network podcast page for every show on the network.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Season 2 of Rental Return - Tales From the Video Store continues with "Video Land Maniacs." This episode is all about the craziest customer interactions our Video Heroes had to deal with as well as regular customers that were quirky or they tried to avoid. Billy tells about the time Quentin Tarantino and Sophia Coppola visited the store. Alan and Joe talk about some customers they suspected were dubbing rental tapes. You'll also hear some of the most ridiculous things that customers would do or complain about like paying late fees. William remembers a customer who just wanted to find a copy of Bossin' Up starring Snoop Dogg. Finally, each of our heroes recollect particular days at the store that are just ingrained in their memories. Bob and Brandon remember how 9/11 impacted their jobs.
Our "Video Heroes" for Season 2 include Mark DeWitt (@Mark_DeWitt), Brian B. (@InnerDemonsGR), Joe Corey (@YourCanadianGF), Matthew Corey (@rollerdogNC), Bob O’Rourke (@constrictionpix), William Lanham (@deadly_dinosaur), Colin Fitzpatrick, Alan Smith, W. Axel Foley aka Billy Foley, and Brandon Meyers.
Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more from Rental Return visuals and VHS memories.
If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or email hojukoolander@gmail.com
Visit The Retro Network podcast page for every show on the network.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
During the Rental Return Season 2 Preview episode, several video rental themed newspaper articles from the '80s were discussed which included the small chain of California based stores called Captain Video. A quick google search by Adam found one still in existence and planned a trip to visit the store and interview the owner of 37 years, Ira Belfer. Listen to the interview and watch the video version including a walk through of the store on TRN TV. You can alsovisit Captain Video on Facebook.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Season 2 of Rental Return - Tales From the Video Store continues with "Rewind the Grind!" In Episode 2, we asked our Video Heroes why they were motivated to work at a video store and how they got the job. Now in Episode 3, we get more into their daily routines at the store like what were their favorite parts of the job and on the flip side, what was their least favorite things to do. We'll also find out some of the perks that our Heroes received including Mark's unique position as an operator to score concert tickets from local radio stations when he purchased ad time. We'll also ask our heroes about some of the mundane tasks they had to perform like rewinding tapes and shrink-wrapping previous viewed movies for sale. You'll also hear some things they didn't anticipate having to do like when the store owner's put a cappuccino bar inside Matthew's store and he had to learn how to use a cappuccino machine.
Our "Video Heroes" for Season 2 include Mark DeWitt (@Mark_DeWitt), Brian B. (@InnerDemonsGR), Joe Corey (@YourCanadianGF), Matthew Corey (@rollerdogNC), Bob O’Rourke (@constrictionpix), William Lanham (@deadly_dinosaur), Colin Fitzpatrick, Alan Smith, W. Axel Foley aka Billy Foley, and Brandon Meyers.
Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more from Rental Return visuals and VHS memories.
If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or email hojukoolander@gmail.com
Visit The Retro Network podcast page for every show on the network.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Season 2 of Rental Return - Tales From the Video Store continues with "Pushing Play!" In Episode 1, we introduced our Video Heroes including their first experiences with renting VHS tapes and what their local video stores were like. Now in Episode 2, you'll get a deeper knowledge of why our Heroes wanted to work at a video rental store. You'll get to hear how they got the job which for Bryan was a lucky second call after his initial voicemail was deleted. You'll hear what their training process was like which Brandon says included a Blockbuster training video hosted by actress Andrea Barber who played Kimmy Gibbler on Full House. And then finally, hear what kind of co-workers they had to interact with which in Axel's case included an impressive crew who had encyclopedic knowledge of specific genres.
Our "Video Heroes" for Season 2 include Mark DeWitt (@Mark_DeWitt), Brian B. (@InnerDemonsGR), Joe Corey (@YourCanadianGF), Matthew Corey (@rollerdogNC), Bob O’Rourke (@constrictionpix), William Lanham (@deadly_dinosaur), Colin Fitzpatrick, Alan Smith, W. Axel Foley aka Billy Foley, and Brandon Meyers.
Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more from Rental Return visuals and VHS memories.
If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or email hojukoolander@gmail.com
Visit The Retro Network podcast page for every show on the network.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Season 2 of Rental Return - Tales From the Video Store has begun! We hope you enjoyed our preview episode featuring Adam, Chad, and Jason, but now it's time to give our Video Heroes the spotlight in Episode 1 of Rental Return.
Episode 1 "Meet the Heroes" will be your introduction to the interviewees in Season 2 of Rental Return. Our "Video Heroes" include Mark DeWitt (@Mark_DeWitt), Brian B. (@InnerDemonsGR), Joe Corey (@YourCanadianGF), Matthew Corey (@rollerdogNC), Bob O’Rourke (@constrictionpix), William Lanham (@deadly_dinosaur), Colin Fitzpatrick, Alan Smith, W. Axel Foley aka Billy Foley, and Brandon Meyers. You will get to hear about their first experiences with renting VHS tapes and what their local video stores were like. Also, hear what titles (and video games) they rented over and over. Plus, listen to brothers Joe and Matt's experience of owning a Betamax recorder to start and how their experience changed when VHS became the popular format.
Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more from Rental Return visuals and VHS memories.
If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or email hojukoolander@gmail.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Adam, Chad, and Jason host a preview episode for Season 2 of the Rental Return podcast series. First, the host share three of their latest VHS finds. Next, they discuss the skyrocketing market for VHS tapes and the insane prices common tapes that are sealed or graded are fetching today. Then, Jason reads some newspaper stories from the '80s which give insight into the early rental market, how studios tried to secure revenue for tapes, and the effect of VCRs becoming a household item. Finally, you'll get a sneak peak of Video Heroes for Season 2.
Tapes mentioned during the show:
- Aroura: Rivers of Light in the Sky
- Beyond the Mind's Eye
- Thomas Kinkade Video Postcard
Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more from Rental Return visuals and VHS memories.
Follow Chad at HorrorMovieBBQ.com and @HorrorMovieBBQ on Twitter.
If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
With Season 1 of Rental Return in the books, Adam (@Hojukoolander), Chad (@HorrorMovieBBQ), and Jason (@RD80s) bookend the season by reflecting on what they learned through the experiences shared by the Video Heroes. They all pick some of their favorite stories that were heard during the season and finally, how Rental Return has affected their VHS collecting experience.
Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more from Rental Return visuals and VHS memories.
If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or hojukoolander@gmail.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
The first season of Rental Return - Tales From the Video Store comes to an end! In Episode 5, you heard our Video Heroes talk about some drama that happened at the store and some promotional items they got to keep. Now it's time to wrap up their memories by "Pushing Stop."
In Episode 6, you'll hear how our Video Heroes ended their tenures at the video store. Most of their experiences lasted until the end when DVDs invaded the VHS shelves and stores slowly faded from the retail scene. Christian tells how accusations of stealing ultimately led to leaving his dream job. Preston tells how his tenure ended with setting his Blockbuster shirt aflame. And speaking of flames, Amanda tells the sad story of how her parent's store was destroyed by arson and then was remembered by their community of customers. Plus, hear about Zac "the retail killer," Gary's lament for the rental store social experience, and much more in this final episode for Season 1.
Our "Video Heroes" for Season 1 include Amanda Stefaniuk, Chris Tanski, Christian McGalliard, Gary Keffer, JP Vriess, Preston Burt, and Zac Shipley. Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more from Rental Return visuals and VHS memories.
If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or email Jason@TheRetroNetwork.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
The first season of Rental Return - Tales From the Video Store continues! In Episode 4, you heard some of the crazy experiences our Video Heroes had while they were employed at the store and some of their unusual customers. Now it's time to hear the "Secrets of the Staff."
In Episode 5, get ready for some drama! You'll hear about some real co-worker issues from personal hygiene to former employees (allegedly) setting fire to the store, which is why Zac recommends you never hire best friends. Also included in this episode is some of the promotional items that our Video Heroes got to keep which includes a badge of honor that Preston still keeps in his personal collection and a stack of Spice World posters that Zac thought for sure was a small eBay fortune.
Our "Video Heroes" for Season 1 include Amanda Stefaniuk, Chris Tanski, Christian McGalliard, Gary Keffer, JP Vriess, Preston Burt, and Zac Shipley. Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more from Rental Return visuals and VHS memories.
If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or email hojukoolander@gmail.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Due to the adult nature of one of our stories and brief language in this episode, listener discretion is advised.
The first season of Rental Return - Tales From the Video Store continues! In Episode 3, you got hear about the daily grind of our Video Heroes and some of the things they didn't anticipate while working for a video rental store.
Now in Episode 4, we'll take a trip on the wild side as you'll hear some of the crazy experiences our Video Heroes had while they were employed at the store. You won't believe what someone tossed into Amanda's store while she was working one night! You'll also hear some of the worst customers they had to deal with which in Preston's case was Lord Slug and some the most ridiculous things that customers would do which Gary will tell you was fighting over copies of The Bodyguard.
Our "Video Heroes" for Season 1 include Amanda Stefaniuk, Chris Tanski, Christian McGalliard, Gary Keffer, JP Vriess, Preston Burt, and Zac Shipley. Follow them on Twitter and @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more from Rental Return visuals and VHS memories.
If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or email Jason@TheRetroNetwork.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
The first season of Rental Return - Tales From the Video Store continues! In Episode 2, you got a deeper knowledge of why our Heroes wanted to work at a video rental store, what their training process was like and a little bit about the co-workers and supervisors they had.
Now in Episode 3, you'll hear what the daily grind was like for our Heroes at the video store including some of the mundane tasks they endured like rewinding tapes. To offset those tasks, some great perks were obtained like free rentals, free posters, and in Preston's case, first dibs on out-of-print tapes worth bank on eBay! Plus, Amanda tells how several of the store standees got a tour of their town. Finally, we ask about some of the things our Heroes didn't anticipated when initially taking the job like Gary's experience of finding returned tapes that were not owned by the store and then awkwardly phoning the customer about it.
Our "Video Heroes" for Season 1 include Amanda Stefaniuk, Chris Tanski, Christian McGalliard, Gary Keffer, JP Vriess, Preston Burt, and Zac Shipley. Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more from Rental Return visuals and VHS memories.
If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or email Jason@TheRetroNetwork.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
The first season of Rental Return - Tales From the Video Store continues! In Episode 1, we introduced our Video Heroes including their first experiences with renting VHS tapes and what their local video stores were like. You also heard the interviewees thoughts on how cable television impacted their movie experience and what some of their favorite rentals were as kids.
Now in Episode 2, you'll get a deeper knowledge of why our Heroes wanted to work at a video rental store. You'll get to hear what the training process was like and in Zac's case, what it was like to setup a brand new Blockbuster store. Our heroes also tell us about their co-workers and supervisors they had and if they were just as enamored with movies or saw it as more of just a job. Amanda also explains a little bit about ordering new titles at her parents' store and even a special video store owners' convention in Las Vegas that she attended in 1996.
Our "Video Heroes" for Season 1 include Amanda Stefaniuk, Chris Tanski, Christian McGalliard, Gary Keffer, JP Vriess, Preston Burt, and Zac Shipley. Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more from Rental Return visuals and VHS memories.
If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter or email Jason@TheRetroNetwork.com
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
The first season of Rental Return - Tales From the Video Store has begun! We hope you enjoyed our preview episode featuring Adam, Chad, and Jason's memories of visiting video stores back in the day, but now it's time to give our Video Heroes the spotlight in Episode 1 of Rental Return.
Episode 1 "Meet the Heroes" will be your introduction to the interviewees in Season 1 of Rental Return. Our "Video Heroes" include Amanda Stefaniuk, Chris Tanski, Christian McGalliard, Gary Keffer, JP Vriess, Preston Burt, and Zac Shipley. You will get to hear about their first experiences with renting VHS tapes and what their local video stores were like. In Amanda's case, you'll get to hear what it was like having parents who owned a video rental store. You'll also hear our heroes' thoughts on how cable television impacted their movie experience and what some of their favorite rentals were as kids.
Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more from Rental Return visuals and VHS memories.
If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
Adam, Chad, and Jason host a preview episode for the Rental Return podcast series. You will get to hear the origins behind Rental Return plus a fun look back at the rental era through the hosts' personal experiences including favorite local stores, most-rented VHS tapes, and memories.
Follow @TRNsocial on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more from Rental Return visuals and VHS memories.
If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
In this short trailer episode for Rental Return, Adam explains the concept behind the podcast series and introduces the "Video Heroes" whose stories and memories will be featured in Season 1.
The origin of Rental Return began with these podcasts on The Retro Network:
- TRN Talk - VHS Collecting & Home Video Memories
- TRN Talk - Weird VHS Tapes
If you are a former rental store employee and would like to be interviewed for an upcoming season, please contact Adam @hojukoolander on Twitter.
★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★