Video Store Podcast

There are many reasons to watch movies. We watch them to learn, to laugh, to cheer, jeer, and fear. One of the most wonderful things about film is that they allow us to escape reality, if only for a couple of hours. Like many of you I have a long list of “feel good” films I put on when times are bleak and I want to escape. On this episode I am recommending four “feel good” movies maybe you haven’t...

This week I wanted to stick with movies that came out with soundtracks that felt current when the films were released. Not older songs brought in to set a mood, and not a random collection pulled together afterward, but albums that felt tied to the moment the studio was trying to sell. Fast Times at Ridgemont High , from 1982, is a good example. The soundtrack album came out that July, and Jackson...

Welcome to the Video Store Podcast. It’s March, the snow is slowly melting, and the world is turning green. Everywhere you look, stores are pushing the same movies about leprechauns and four-leaf clovers. I’m here to give you a break from the lucky charms and offer up four different movies for the green spring season. Soylent Green (1973) Set in a crowded, overheated dystopian future, Soylent Gree...

Welcome back to the Video Store Podcast . It’s Women’s History Month, so today, we’re honoring the life of Jane Baer, a trailblazer for women in animation. We lost Jane on February 16, 2026, and though you may not have known her name, you have seen her work. Her work has been so influential that we’ve already talked about a few of her films here on the Video Store Podcast . We’ve selected 4 films...

Greek mythology has a way of cycling back. Every generation seems to take a turn with these stories, reshaping them to fit the tools and tastes of the moment. With a new version of The Odyssey directed by Christopher Nolan on the horizon, it feels like a good time to revisit a few earlier attempts. Not the definitive versions. Just four films that each capture a different moment in how the myths w...

The XXV Winter Olympic Games are underway in Milan, Italy and I couldn’t be happier. I love the Olympics. I’ll admit, the Summer Games are my favorite, but growing up in the frozen tundra of the Midwest gave me a soft spot for nearly every Winter event. So, while Team USA fights for gold, I figured: what better way to get into the Olympic spirit than by watching some great movies inspired by the W...

Valentine’s Day is a holiday, so of course, I’m talking Valentine’s Day specials on this week’s Video Store Podcast . I’ve picked four specials for the staff picks wall this week that I think everyone should watch this time of year. These specials either make me laugh, have a different flavor than you might expect for a Valentine’s Day special, and one that actually changed popular culture. Grab t...

If you’ve been snowed in thanks to last week’s winter storm, you’re not alone. The entire parking lot of our Video Store is covered with three feet of snow. I’ve been stuck here for three days, living off of popcorn, Hot Tamales candy, and Red Bull. You and I are not the only ones completely snowed in — so were the characters in these films. I say “were” because not everyone makes it to the end of...

This week on the Video Store Podcast I am recommending four sequels that understood what they were doing. Not every follow up needs to top the original. Sometimes the smarter move is to change perspective, lean into experience, or admit that the audience already knows the rules. These films take different approaches, but all of them show intent rather than obligation. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)...

Welcome to the Video Store Podcast. I’ve been watching a lot of football lately. College bowl games are on just about every night and the NFL playoffs are in full swing. Really the only thing better than watching a football game is watching a movie about football and there are some great ones to watch. This week on the Video Store Podcast, I’m spotlighting four movies about football. These are foo...

Welcome back to the Video Store! We’re kicking off the New Year with a look at some of the films that inspired the hit television series Stranger Things . Get your Eggos, Reese’s Pieces, and settle in for some classic films that helped to give Stranger Things its strange, yet familiar aesthetic and themes. For this episode, we’re only focusing on season one, so don’t worry if you’ve not gotten to...

Season’s Greetings and Happy Holidays! Maybe I’m old school, but I still make New Year’s resolutions every year and this year I decided to look back at some of my favorite creature features to find inspiration. Each of this week’s movies feature characters who overcome adversities, saving themselves and others in the process! In Ants! (1977), construction foreman Mike carr (Robert Foxworth) teams...

This week on The Video Store Podcast I am recommending four films that sit in an interesting stretch of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career, when their action persona took a left turn into broad studio comedy. These are all wide release films that played constantly on cable and sat on the front wall of the video store for years. They did well in theaters, but they almost felt built to be rented, watche...

Welcome to the Video Store Podcast. It’s Christmas movie season but not everyone wants peppermint sweetness and cozy small-town charm. Some of us want our holiday movies filled with explosions, heists and a whole lot of chaos. This week on the Video Store Podcast, I’m spotlighting four Christmas movies that trade twinkling lights for trouble. Reindeer Games (2000) Reindeer Games is a crime thrille...

Welcome back to the holiday season at the Video Store Podcast . I’m back today with another edition of Rankin/Bass B-Sides. I love Rankin/Bass so much, and they’re part of just about every holiday season for me. Here are four more lesser-known Rankin/Bass B-Sides for you to enjoy this holiday season. And bonus! If you missed it last year, go back and check out my original edition of “Rankin/Bass B...

This week on the Video Store Podcast I am picking four Disney tapes you might have turned to when the big animated titles were already gone at the store. These were the ones that less visited shelf of the Disney section. You might not have planned on renting them, but once you did, they stayed with you. They would sometime sit untouched for weeks, but occasionally a family would rent one and their...

Welcome to the Video Store Podcast. It’s Turkey Time! The leaves are changing and the air is crisp. As the jack-o-lanterns turn into pumpkin pie I love to sit down and watch Thanksgiving movies. Some people will tell you there’s only one Thanksgiving movie to watch this time of year, I disagree. I’m going to recommend four other Thanksgiving movies that will get you in the holiday spirit and hopef...

November means Thanksgiving, and for me, that means holiday specials and Thanksgiving-themed TV episodes. One of the most popular shows to hit American television, Friends , had 10 Thanksgiving episodes across its 10-season run. I’ve picked 4 of my favorites for this week’s show. Bonus: if you want to watch the other 6, we’ve got the entire series here at the store. Season 5, Episode 8, “The One W...

When I was a kid if you wanted to talk to people about movies, you went to the local mom and pop video rental store… but if you wanted to hang out with other kids your age, you went to the mall. On this week’s episode of the Video Store Podcast, I’m recommending four movies that were filmed and heavily feature malls. First up is Fast Times at Ridgemont High , a film that follows several teenagers...

This week on The Video Store Podcast I’m talking about a handful of horror movies from the late 1980s that sit in a strange corner of the genre. They’re not the big ones you always hear about, just the kind of titles you’d find tucked on a back shelf of the local video store with a wild cover and not much else to go on. The first is The Kindred from 1987, directed by Jeffrey Obrow and Stephen Carp...

Welcome to the Video Store Podcast. I’m the new guy, you can all me Pitfall Gary. Today is my first time running the store alone. I’ve spent the last couple weeks watching training videos and stuck on the automatic rewind machine. With Halloween right around the corner I have a few movies from the master of Horror himself, John Carpenter. Not the normal Carpenter movies, these are a few of his und...

Welcome back to the Video Store Podcast and welcome to Spooky Month! We’re halfway to Halloween, and I’ve picked four underrated Halloween specials to help you celebrate the season. Halloween is Grinch Night! (1977) This lesser-known Grinch special adds a bit of spooky, Seussian fun to the Halloween season. Young Euchariah Who gets lost on a trip to the “euphemism” during a wind storm and has an e...

Hello, friends! Welcome back to the Video Store Podcast. After a short break (you’ll find out why in this episode), the store has reopened just in time for Halloween! On this episode of the podcast I’m recommending four films in which characters accidentally open portals, unleash evil spirits into this world, and spend the majority of the film trying to send it back before… gulp… you know. Evil De...

This is just a short little message. We are taking a break after over a year of putting out shows. Time to do some more watching and get our recommendations ready for more episodes. We are also interested in bringing more people into the Video Store, so if you have some podcast experience and can follow along with our format, we would love to hear from you. Send us a message or comment below and w...

On this week’s episode of The Video Store Podcast, I’m recommending four movies. They’re all from the 1980s and 1990s and all have some connection to my home state of New Jersey, even if it’s a loose one. These aren’t big studio classics. They’re weirder, smaller, and have built and kept loyal followings for decades. The Toxic Avenger (1984) Made by Troma Entertainment, this is probably their most...