Very Good Video brings movie rentals, VHS tapes and nostalgia to Sacramento’s Oak Park
By Andres Valle
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SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — Streaming may have changed how people watch movies, but two Sacramento friends are pressing rewind with a new neighborhood video store in Oak Park.
Chris Emery and Jefferson Miller are preparing to open Very Good Video, a store stocked with thousands of DVDs, Blu-rays, and VHS tapes. Its grand opening is scheduled for noon Saturday at the corner of 35th Street and Broadway.
The pair met less than two years ago, bonded over movies and left their corporate marketing jobs to create a modern version of the video stores they remember from their childhoods.
“It was like, man, I miss sitting on the couch by myself cruising Netflix,” Miller said. “I want to go to a place where I can meet with people, browse the shelves in person, and talk to an employee.”
The store’s selection is nearing 5,000 titles, according to Emery.
“Netflix only has like 5,000 titles, and we’re about to eclipse that in our little rental box,” Emery said.
The retail section includes action, drama, thrillers, science fiction and horror. Its shelves feature well-known horror franchises and cult classics, including “Friday the 13th” and Wes Craven’s “Scream.”
Emery said the owners worked to make the store affordable for customers across a range of income levels.
“That was one thing that we wanted to make sure when we came to the neighborhood — that every socioeconomic level had access to something in our store,” Emery said.
The owners also see physical media as a form of true ownership. Movies and television shows can disappear from streaming platforms when licensing agreements expire, they said, while licensed music and other elements can sometimes be changed.
Miller pointed to his experience watching the television series “Supernatural” with his wife.
“They changed the theme song because they lost the rights,” Miller said. “All this pivotal music is pulled out and replaced with a generic whatever. So owning it, they can’t do that. You watch the original thing as it was intended, as the artist meant for it to be.”
The store will also offer two membership tiers that include free rentals and access to members-only programming.
Customers will not need to purchase a membership to rent movies. They can create an account by providing their name, phone number, and credit card information, similar to the rental process used by traditional video stores.
Rental copies will carry Very Good Video labels, and customers will be able to return them through an installed drop box.
Recognizing that many people no longer own equipment for physical media, the store will also rent VCRs, DVD players, and Blu-ray players.
“If you want to have a movie night, if you have a stack of VHS that you haven’t watched in a long time, you can very affordably rent one for the weekend,” Emery said.
Emery acknowledged that selling used movies alone would not be enough to sustain the business. Very Good Video will offer several additional services and activities designed to generate revenue and build a community around movies.
The store includes a space that can be converted into a 25-seat screening room for movie nights, trivia contests, and question-and-answer sessions with local filmmakers.
“We wanted to bring the community together and create a third space again where people can hang out, talk about movies and love movies,” Miller said.
The owners also plan to add VHS digitization and disc-repair services.
Very Good Video’s grand opening begins at noon Saturday. The store is located at 3433 Broadway, Sacramento, CA.
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