Don’t Rent 1408 By M.G. Wood Harbor no delusions that small businesses are sacred cows. But, so many of us hold a special place in our hearts for that little independent video store where we first had our minds altered by the likes of David Lynch’s ERASERHEAD; or we had our horizons broadened by the massive scope of a Fellini film; we even felt a tug at the heart by the simple pleasures found in Cassavetes’ brutal A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE. VIDEO ARCHIVES was such a video store. It’s home lay in the midst of a mini-mall in Manhattan Beach, Ca. in the 1980’s. There have been many testimonials by customers who patronized the tiny shop since it’s demise and subsequent notoriety due to a very famous former employee, Quentin Tarantino. Like so many independent video stores of its kind, VIDEO ARCHIVES was a haven for rare and obscure titles not found anywhere else. But, just like the majority of such businesses, VIDEO ARCHIVES succumbed to the ever-increasing “super-store” phenomenon. So, it’s impossible not to be knocked over by the blistering irony of the current “exclusive” deal the Weinstein Co. has with Blockbuster Video. You may remember Bob and Harvey Weinstein from their former movie business company Miramax, once considered the holy grail of independent film in the `80’s and `90’s. The irony grows thicker. For if VIDEO ARCHIVES still existed as the place Quentin Tarantino has repeatedly sited as his “film school”, Mr. Tarantino would not be able to rent his own film, DEATH PROOF. Of course, Mr. Tarantino may not want to rent DEATH PROOF. Because if he were transported back in time and saw DEATH PROOF on the shelf, he would more than likely see a movie that is completely out of touch with the Grind House from which he was born. DEATH PROOF is a multi-million-dollar film that is about as authentic as the “butter” on your popcorn. 1408 is the newest “exclusive” rental at Blockbuster. Don’t rent it! 1408 is one of the most entertaining thrillers of the year. Say what you will about Stephen King, he writes great stories about the horrors that only writers experience (MISERY, SECRET WINDOW, THE SHINING). Read MOVIES ABOUT WRITERS John Cusack plays one such writer, grinding away in his lonely apartment, surely with longings to write the great American novel, he pays the bills by catering to the superstitious desires of “haunted” hotel and B and B owners. He “investigates” the authenticity of said haunts, and then provides publicity for the getaways by writing them up in his books. And then he checks into The Dolphin Hotel, Room 1408. Buy it, burn it, or borrow it. Or if by some miracle you still have an independent video store in your town, hopefully the owners secreted away under the cover of darkness and obtained a copy of 1408 to rent. If so, keep it on the Q.T. (quiet time), on the down low; speak of it only in hushed tones. Harvey Weinstein is listening. Coming Soon: Don’t Rent PLANET TERROR on October 16th. Return to Classics
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