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Kim's Video Closes Its "Mean" Location
By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 18, 2004
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Oct 18, 2004
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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In a subject close to Gothamist's heart (the subject of trying to see a movie), yesterday the NY Times profiled the bittersweet closing of Kim's Video on Avenue A, where employees terrorized customers into video selections more associated with Cineaste, versus Entertainment Weekly. The article provides the history of Kim's (a drycleaning establishment turned local entertainment retail empire amongst the hip), as well as admissions that the store look down on its customers. A former manager says, "We went against every business model that says, 'The customer is always right.' But I think in the end, people sort of liked the grungy East Village thing." To that end, a 14 year-old customer confirms this: "It was like an S-and-M relationship. You had to go all alpha male on them to get them not to bother you. But I do miss having it here now." Man, 14 years old today is so different from 14 years old back in our day. Anyway, Gothamist can understand wanting to go back to a store that treats you badly - that scene in Pretty Woman where Julia Roberts goes back to the snooty boutique to show them up sums it up pretty well.
There are still Kim's Video locations in the East Village, West Village, and Columbia area. And the Avenue A location was the "surly" Kim's location, if you need to be laughed at and ridiculed and have your overall movie watching habits raised to a new level by video store employees, we suggest you go to Reel Life in Brooklyn, which some have dubbed The Championship Vinyl of video stores.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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