After 28 years of serving Vancouver’s most discerning film buffs, Kitsilano’s Videomatica will close its doors this summer.
According to the Straight, co-owner Graham Peat blames the tremendous surge in home-video options like TV’s video-on-demand and Netflix for the decision to close the independent video store.
After opening on the 1800-block of West 4th Avenue in May 1983, the store expanded and moved three doors down in 1987.
According to Peat attempts are being made to ensure the collection will remain available to the public in some form in the future. If that is not possible, Peat said they will hold a public sale of individual titles.
Last modified: October 25, 2011
I would much prefer if Roger’s and Blockbuster would close. Netflix movies pretty much suck anyway but they appeal to the masses.
I’d like to see the collection go to the UBC Film Department. Netflix is great for their back catalog, foreign and docs, but there is no online service that can match the Videomatical collection.
Hello,
I would like to offer my services to help archive the collection. My adult son has a progressive physical genetic disability. He is very interested in helping, it will make him feel useful and like he is contributing to the community. He is 27 years old and is strained as a music composer and producer as well as in computer game programming. Jared also has Aspergers Syndrome so archive work is a very good fit for him physically and neurologically.
Please let us know if you can use his skills.
Thanks,
Phyllis Nowosad