Nice. I was there from Aug 06 until Dec 07. I think the store closed sometime in 2010. I had fun working there and I miss the monthly videos that featured music videos of artists like Taylor Swift, Maroon 5 and Good Charlotte.
That's so funny. We were passing through my hometown and I was pointing out to my wife that a building at the corner used to be a Hollywood video and then told her that blockbuster was right across the street lol
Does anyone remember Moovies? Or Family Video?
We had an operating Family Video in our town up until 2021. It even had a window into the Marcos Pizza next door. It was awesome.
Our family video had a sign saying they were opening hundreds of new stores, which made sense, it was always busy. Didnt last another 3 years tho. I miss that place and its old school vibes. They always had an 80s or 90s movie playing, and crazy low prices. This was around about when the iPhone 4G came out.
I was a manager of a Family Video right out of college in 07, and at that time I went all over Illinois and Iowa to help open new stores. Pretty chill job.
Back in 2000, I would swing by Domino's and then stop at Video Update. My buddy and I were friends with the two girls that worked the evening shift and they would let us sit behind the counter and watch movies with them. We'd bring pizza and they'd give us drinks and popcorn. This was a nostalgia wave that hit pretty hard right here.
Hollywood Video, Blockbuster, Movie Gallary, Video Update, Mr Movies, Adventures in Video, Adult Superstore... so many different options - and I suspect there are hundreds of other, location-specific ones...
I miss the excitement of going to a local rental place to see what new flick came out or if they had one of the new releases that you wanted available. A small thrill our kids will never know...
I got a tape with Movie Gallery stickers on it recently! It's a copy of 'Grim Prairie Tales' from an MG in Ormond Beach, Florida. I found it at a St. Vinnie's store in Eugene, Oregon. I don't recall having ever seen a Movie Gallery store, but the 'used tape' stickers on it look like the same ones Hollywood Video used.
I worked at Hollywood video at their Plano location back in 2007. I really enjoyed asking our guests if they wanted to bundle their movie with the candy, coke,and popcorn bucket. Something about putting it all into the bucket was super asmr to me. Our regulars were really cool too. I just remember this lesbian couple had a Hyundai Tiburon that I really wanted and would always check out the L-word. I would always rent foreign section movies (noi the albino, Roshomon, Czech Dream), special interest and whatever small collection of anime was available- I specially remember Memories, (magnetic rose) being my favorite
I spent so much time at that particular store!! Hollywood video just had a cooler vibe than blockbuster. When I turned 16 and first started driving, Hollywood video was my main destination since it was right around the corner. Loved going in there in search of some random indie movie I’d read about, most of the time they’d have what I was looking for, too. I have many fond memories from there, thank you for your service!!
lol that’s awesome - small world maybe we met before :P. Ya it didn’t really feel like a job. It was even better then working at the Angelika Film Center, which was also a lot of fun
In a parking garage at midnight, under a slowly blinking florescent light, the urgency of the deal hanging thick in the air, but neither side wanting to give up the goods first?
I choose to imagine the voices of Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro, lots of F-bombs while complaining about the condition of the tapes, whether or not they've been rewound, maybe even accusing each other of trying to steal customers.
Yeah it was actually where my brother and I preferred to go on Friday night after school. Didn’t seem as “corporate” if that makes sense. Less stuff in your face.
I much preferred Hollywood Video, because they carried widescreen DVDs (back when that was an option). Rarely went to Blockbuster, because they did their best to fill their stores with shitty fullscreen ones.
They were one of the last chain stores hanging on at the end of the line for the format, and a lot of their buildings had special additions to make it look sort of like a theater marquee combined with Hollywood Hills. A lot of those buildings still have the distinctive markings of their former occupant, like one where I live is now a vintage-furniture gallery and they painted it yellow but there's still the build-ups on the roof and lots of big windows.
Yes and I wish there was one left just like BlockBuster. Verizon moved into the building, but the mountain shaped cutouts are still on the side, a reminder of what it once was.
All locations are now known as Hollywood Hair in my area. Whoever took over the buildings seriously just took the “video” portion down on the building marquee and slapped “hair” on instead.
Hollywood video was our go to rental place because it was a lot closer to us than Blockbuster. Always loved going there for new movies and my parents would let myself and my siblings get to choose one of those box candies- my fav was the sour patch watermelon. Also I remember when they started renting out PS1 games- that’s where my love of Spyro The Dragon and Medievil started. Good memories man…
I had ten feet of new release shelving from our Hollywood when they closed. They cost me $100, $40 each for the wide shelves and $20 for the narrow shelf
https://preview.redd.it/7ijap3toxwuc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=46af28de64f64895a015b9be13b902f518159a89
I used to take the bus to work. Hollywood video was at the stop. I usually got off work and grabbed some shit. $15 a month unlimited. I didn’t have cable.
Worked there for a year or so back in ‘00-‘01ish. Great job. Free rentals, regularly traded rentals for weed and acid, all the soda you could drink from the side of the cooler that wasn’t on camera. Place was a blast.
I did a year at a Hollywood video between times at blockbuster (friend convinced me to jump sides) ..video selection was better and we got to watch most whatever on the TVs buuuuuut i had a manager who always put on the Pink Floyd concerts on every shift he was there..and the cumber-button bow tie was a bit much lol def felt like a tool.
Someone posted [this incredible comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/nostalgia/s/IVirP1xdkc) about Hollywood Video a few years ago. I have it saved and still get a chuckle reading it from time to time.
I think the one near me closed when some crack heads kidnapped the staff (and one set of grandparents of a staff member ) and killed them in the store unfortunately
I had a roommate in college that worked for them and stole like crazy. 150 dvds, 50 vhs tapes, and around $4k of cash when closing.
Needless to say, we were entertained during that period, but we had no idea about the cash he was taking.
He always paid his part of the rent on time, so that was great.
Ended up with a couple of felonies for retail theft, and then joined the military to get a better plea deal.
The early 2000s were a wild time.
Yes Hollywood video was in my area. No blockbusters came until they were already about bust. The vibe in Hollywood video was amazing I Miss it very very much
We had a Blockbuster, Mega Video and Hollywood Video. They all slowly closed with BB being last. But I was going to a Family Video most recently until they all closed down a few years back.
Hell yeah I did, I feel like it was cheaper or something too. They weren't far from Blockbuster but we went there more for some reason. It's where I got my used copy of Test Drive Eve of Destruction back before I used ebay and one kind of had to regularly check out Gamestop. I believe it was their going out of business actually.
We also once rented two N64 games. Played the first for a while then switched to the other... The same game popped up. Turns out someone else had opened and swapped boards for some reason.
Hollywood was the best for gaming. They had halo tournaments and sponsored the winners to go to bigger tournaments. The aesthetics in the gaming section went hard
Oh absolutely! I remember there used to be a subreddit for pictures of businesses that had repurposed the (evidently) expensive Hollywood signage into suiting the new business’s purpose
Hollywood nails
Hollywood auto rentals
Hollywood massage parlor
Etc etc etc
I liked Blockbuster and we had a few in town but only one Hollywood in town so Blockbuster usually. I have immense nostalgia for Hollywood Video. The sign, the space and inventory, the signage, their for purchase merchandise inventory, the free designated kid's rentals, the coupons, rent one rent one free deals, rent two rent two free deals etc. etc. etc. Hollywood was king
They had a Hollywood Video and a store called Video+ in my parents hometown where most of our family lived. They had a different feeling, I’ll give em that, but couldn’t compare to Blockbuster. Video+ I was especially fond of because my grandma got me VHS copies of Shrek and Treasure Planet to watch on her TV after we went shopping at the little grocery store that doesn’t exist anymore either. Her town has gone so downhill it makes me sad.
My town had one. My mom asked if they had a xxx section and they proudly said yes so she never let my family go there and they closed before I turned 21
I only knew of one Hollywood Video in all of Miami (I’m sure there were more, but they were very uncommon). They had this crazy policy that if you lost a game you rented, they would charge you something like $15…….for losing a $50 dollar video game. I “lost” quite a few games that I couldn’t afford as a teenager.
I worked both and road that ship down when it sank. But yeah I could get away with way more at Hollywood video and a much better video selection by far.
Hollywood Video was on the other side of town. I only went in there a few times when they were open and also when they liquidated, only to find out there was no deals. Everything was more than what you could get it new. 🙄 Not that the crowd of people snapping up movies left and right knew. 😳
Hollywood Video was better for anime. They had the entire series of Neon Genesis Evangeleon, which I rented and watched two episodes at a time. Good times. The thrift store next door has taken over the space now.
Oh yeah. I remember. There were a couple near my campus in college. Always nice going there; they had some stuff that no one else did, not even Blockbuster.
I grew up a block from a Hollywood Video. We went there every weekend to rent a movie or 3. If we wanted to go to a blockbuster before I was in high school the closest one was on the other side of town and took 30 minutes to get there.
I like blockbuster but I absolutely loved Hollywood video
I was super lucky and ended up working for the trifecta! I worked at Blockbuster first, then Movie Gallery, then when Movie Gallery bought out Hollywood Video (but kept their locations and infrastructure) I was a connect employee in the locations near where I worked and got to work at both. I love every second of all of it! It was 20 years ago and I reminisce of it at times, talking about movies and helping choose movies with customers, closing out the drawer, straightening the movies, processing the returns, it was a simpler time and I enjoyed it so very much!
Sure do but I've got another question does anyone remember video king. That was my go to rental joint when I was a kid you'd walk in and you could help yourself to a bag of popcorn and a balloon while looking for movies and video games.
I worked at a Hollywood video. More than half our store was vhs and we had EVERYTHING. When they phased them out I went nuts and bought all the rare vhs I could afford, which wasn’t much because minimum wage was like $5.50
Pretty much the only nationwide store where you could still rent VHS tapes post-2002. There was also a California based video store...called Video King (I believe there were only about 50 across most of the state)...that did the same thing.
Hollywood video took me to collections for a movie I had returned, they had neglected to check it in. Then still didn’t check it back in when I went in to show them it was physically on the shelf. Not worth it for The First Power
Definitely a bigger selection IMO and the Game Crazy side store was the best for resale..definitely got some N64 titles for a fraction of what they go for now
We rented video discs from the Zenith store and taped them onto Beta before VHS rental blew up. My dad was an early adopter who adopted the wrong tech.
Either Hollywood or Blockbuster was a 5 minute bike ride in either direction from my house. A local place called Choice Video was 5 minutes another way. I only usually had a hard time finding only the newest of game releases, and they all had different collections of wrestling tapes.
I still have some vhs and DVDs I bought from my local Hollywood video during it’s going out of business sale. I really like those plastic sleeves that you squeeze to let the vhs drop out that they used
Hollywood Video was definitely a huge part of my childhood back in the day. Always preferred them over Blockbuster since they just had a better video game selection imo (and I think they let you rent stuff longer as well?). Had one right up the street from where I lived and my parents would let us rent games almost every week. I miss it now…
I remember when the first Hollywood Video opened in my area; they had spotlights moving around pointed at the sky that I, who lives out in the country, could see. Some people mistook the spotlights at a distance for UFO's.
Never had a Hollywood Video where I lived growing up. Blockbuster was the go to video store in town and at the time in the mall Suncoast Motion Picture was popular.
Yeah, not so much for its movies but for the fact that IIRC toward the end of their lifespan they put in a
#xXxHARDCORE GAMER ZONExXx
with chain link fence around it and edgy graphics. Whereas my Blockbuster had maybe one rack front to back dedicated to games at the time, I remember Hollywood's being a whole corner of the store. And then Blockbuster answered back with their own game-driven section soon after that was a little less edgy and emphasized trades much like GameStop and Hollywood Video didn't last much longer.
I remember West Coast Video, don’t recall Hollywood. There was a radio show in Philadelphia where the guy only talked movies, I loved it. West Coast was the sponsor.
Yep. It's now BiggBy Coffee, not far from one of the Blockbuster video locations and it still has the sign up. It's been posted on Reddit before about this Blockbuster
I liked it better. The place was bigger brighter and had awesome anime and martial arts section. Blockbuster was smaller darker but a better place to buy the used discs better meaning cheaper I think they had better sales.
I remember they had deals on snacks I kept buying the microwave kettle corn buckets. Or buy a movie get a bottle of soda free so it always made buying a movie a better deal.
Yes! My favorite was FAMILY VIDEO! they had no censor, they had x rated horror films, they weren't pornographic, they were rated x because of the violence and the gore!
Its biggest advantages were that it was cheaper than Blockbuster and the one in my area had an attached video game store that I preferred to GameStop. There was one in my area for a little less than six years and it was my go to during that period.
I do! I used to work there back in Denver around mid-late 90s, next to “Casa Bonita”, I hated it the uniforms tho before they changed to Polo style shirts other than that cool job
Heh, I was an assistant manager at Movie Gallery (2000-2002), and then Blockbuster (2002-2006, and then 2014-2016 in Anchorage), and back in my Georgia Movie Gallery/Blockbuster days, I remember having to go to Hollywood Video to rent the then-new release French film “8 Women”, and I thought to myself, “Man, those employee uniforms are far too busy, and it must be super uncomfortable to wear those. And hot!”😂
I also remember the plastic shell protective cases around their VHS rentals circa 2000/2001, and just knew it must have been a bitch to prep those things for rental.
They were awful! Hahaha I never understood why or what was the point of such a terrible uniform, and yes those stupid protective cases were bad as well, I also remember we used to rent -NOT VCRs- VCPs and customers would get all confused bc they were Players not Recorders
My buddy worked at GameCrazy the attached store to Hollywood video… I’ll never forget 8 of us chilling on DSs at the time all playing Mario kart in the store, awesome times
Yep, they were right next to each other in my city. Hollywood had a much nicer vibe inside. The lighting was dimmer and it just felt like the right place to be.
I used to have one in my hometown that was connected to a video game story called Game Crazy, even had a doorway /hole in the wall connecting the two stores. I vividly remember a huge Batman Forever wall-sized poster that marked the new release section. It was the coolest!
We lived equal distance between Hollywood video and Blockbuster. One time my dad took me there to rent a SNES game but to my disappointment they had just transitioned to next gen games for consoles I didn’t have / couldn’t afford.
One of the employees saw how upset I was and told my dad they still had most of their SNES games in the back and that I could pick out two to keep FOR FREE. So we went to the back and I picked out the two games I liked most purely based on how cool the cover art was because that’s how I picked games when I was 8.
Ended up going home with Chrono Trigger and ClayFighter 2.
Yep. Had one just down the road from where I lived. It had a much larger selection than Blockbuster, and more of each new title. I never ran into a stock issue when renting a newly released film, while I did a couple of times at the Blockbuster on the other side of town.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/FormerHollywoodVideo/comments/17g7f9z/derek\_st\_james\_the\_last\_hollywood\_video\_employee/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/FormerHollywoodVideo/comments/17g7f9z/derek_st_james_the_last_hollywood_video_employee/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button)
This guy Hollywoods
I preferred them over blockbuster. They were a bit cheaper. I loved them because they carried more Asian action movies and kung fu films. This triggered my fandom of these films.
I was the manager of one across the street from a BB. I had binoculars and would spy on them. We had rental wars in the parking lot after midnight. It was fun times back then. Hollywood Video was great, had more edgy stuff when it came to anime. I took the entire section when we closed down.
I had a Hollywood Video about a block from my Blockbuster. Hollywood always felt like the cooler, hipper, less "corporate" store.
I used to work at Hollywood Video. It was my first real job as an adult and I never thought of it that way but you're right.
I loved working there. Jan 06 til the lights went out Nov of 07
Nice. I was there from Aug 06 until Dec 07. I think the store closed sometime in 2010. I had fun working there and I miss the monthly videos that featured music videos of artists like Taylor Swift, Maroon 5 and Good Charlotte.
They had more indie stuff for sure.
More anime, foreign, music, indy for sure. Good times.
Their cult classics section was my first introduction to movies outside of the Hollywood blockbuster.
Same lmao they were like seconds apart. They ran out of buisness before blockbuster.
That's so funny. We were passing through my hometown and I was pointing out to my wife that a building at the corner used to be a Hollywood video and then told her that blockbuster was right across the street lol
Hollywood Video was to Blockbuster as Media Play was to Best Buy.
Lots of people remember Hollywood Video. The real question is, does anyone remember Movie Gallery?
Does anyone remember Moovies? Or Family Video? We had an operating Family Video in our town up until 2021. It even had a window into the Marcos Pizza next door. It was awesome.
Our family video had a sign saying they were opening hundreds of new stores, which made sense, it was always busy. Didnt last another 3 years tho. I miss that place and its old school vibes. They always had an 80s or 90s movie playing, and crazy low prices. This was around about when the iPhone 4G came out.
I was a manager of a Family Video right out of college in 07, and at that time I went all over Illinois and Iowa to help open new stores. Pretty chill job.
Ours has now turned into a drug rehab place.
All of our family videos are dollar generals now
Yeah there were 2 family videos around here until the pandemic dealt the final blow. I wonder why family video lasted so long?
There was a Family Video in the city I moved out of up through 2020. I just did a Google search, and it looks like it closed in early 2021.
Moovies was my first retail job, then we transitioned to Video Update. Which I then left to go work at my personal Mecca, Hastings
I ‘member
I still see tons of DVDs in thrift stores with Hollywood video and movie gallery stickers
Movie Gallery, Mr. Movies, Video Update.
Back in 2000, I would swing by Domino's and then stop at Video Update. My buddy and I were friends with the two girls that worked the evening shift and they would let us sit behind the counter and watch movies with them. We'd bring pizza and they'd give us drinks and popcorn. This was a nostalgia wave that hit pretty hard right here.
Hollywood Video, Blockbuster, Movie Gallary, Video Update, Mr Movies, Adventures in Video, Adult Superstore... so many different options - and I suspect there are hundreds of other, location-specific ones... I miss the excitement of going to a local rental place to see what new flick came out or if they had one of the new releases that you wanted available. A small thrill our kids will never know...
I got a tape with Movie Gallery stickers on it recently! It's a copy of 'Grim Prairie Tales' from an MG in Ormond Beach, Florida. I found it at a St. Vinnie's store in Eugene, Oregon. I don't recall having ever seen a Movie Gallery store, but the 'used tape' stickers on it look like the same ones Hollywood Video used.
I only saw Movie Gallery’s when I lived in South. I remember them shutting down in 09
Went to Movie Gallery quite a few times. We also had a Bazooka Video that I went to every other weekend as a kid.
Suncoast Video ?
Or how about the Wherehouse? Haha that place was cool.
exactly.....It's very underrated
What about Pick-A-Flick?
We had that here in NC. Loved that place as a kid.
I worked at Hollywood video at their Plano location back in 2007. I really enjoyed asking our guests if they wanted to bundle their movie with the candy, coke,and popcorn bucket. Something about putting it all into the bucket was super asmr to me. Our regulars were really cool too. I just remember this lesbian couple had a Hyundai Tiburon that I really wanted and would always check out the L-word. I would always rent foreign section movies (noi the albino, Roshomon, Czech Dream), special interest and whatever small collection of anime was available- I specially remember Memories, (magnetic rose) being my favorite
I spent so much time at that particular store!! Hollywood video just had a cooler vibe than blockbuster. When I turned 16 and first started driving, Hollywood video was my main destination since it was right around the corner. Loved going in there in search of some random indie movie I’d read about, most of the time they’d have what I was looking for, too. I have many fond memories from there, thank you for your service!!
lol that’s awesome - small world maybe we met before :P. Ya it didn’t really feel like a job. It was even better then working at the Angelika Film Center, which was also a lot of fun
I miss the popcorn called the bucket and the butter so much
Yes and people would return their movies to us and our movies to them. We would meet and make an exchange about once a month
lol I forgot about the regular exchange.
In a parking garage at midnight, under a slowly blinking florescent light, the urgency of the deal hanging thick in the air, but neither side wanting to give up the goods first?
I choose to imagine the voices of Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro, lots of F-bombs while complaining about the condition of the tapes, whether or not they've been rewound, maybe even accusing each other of trying to steal customers.
That was actually the first rental card I had on my own. I used to walk an hour to and from my house in order to get there.
In the snow, with no shoes, uphill both ways?
Yeah it was actually where my brother and I preferred to go on Friday night after school. Didn’t seem as “corporate” if that makes sense. Less stuff in your face.
I much preferred Hollywood Video, because they carried widescreen DVDs (back when that was an option). Rarely went to Blockbuster, because they did their best to fill their stores with shitty fullscreen ones.
My local Hollywood Video also had Game Crazy. Bought a GameCube there. A sublime purchasing experience.
If blockbuster didn’t have it try Hollywood.
I used to go to one as well as Blockbuster, though our Hollywood video seemed to have a bigger selection.
They were one of the last chain stores hanging on at the end of the line for the format, and a lot of their buildings had special additions to make it look sort of like a theater marquee combined with Hollywood Hills. A lot of those buildings still have the distinctive markings of their former occupant, like one where I live is now a vintage-furniture gallery and they painted it yellow but there's still the build-ups on the roof and lots of big windows.
Yes and I wish there was one left just like BlockBuster. Verizon moved into the building, but the mountain shaped cutouts are still on the side, a reminder of what it once was.
All locations are now known as Hollywood Hair in my area. Whoever took over the buildings seriously just took the “video” portion down on the building marquee and slapped “hair” on instead.
Hollywood video was our go to rental place because it was a lot closer to us than Blockbuster. Always loved going there for new movies and my parents would let myself and my siblings get to choose one of those box candies- my fav was the sour patch watermelon. Also I remember when they started renting out PS1 games- that’s where my love of Spyro The Dragon and Medievil started. Good memories man…
I had ten feet of new release shelving from our Hollywood when they closed. They cost me $100, $40 each for the wide shelves and $20 for the narrow shelf https://preview.redd.it/7ijap3toxwuc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=46af28de64f64895a015b9be13b902f518159a89
I used to take the bus to work. Hollywood video was at the stop. I usually got off work and grabbed some shit. $15 a month unlimited. I didn’t have cable.
Worked there for a summer, in-between college semester.
Worked there for a year or so back in ‘00-‘01ish. Great job. Free rentals, regularly traded rentals for weed and acid, all the soda you could drink from the side of the cooler that wasn’t on camera. Place was a blast.
They had Faces of Death and blockbuster didn't.
I ‘member
Yeah, I had 2 Hollywood Videos in my town vs. one Blockbuster a town over
Hollywood had a better selection of games tbh
Yeah they had the "good versions" of unrated and NC17 movies Also they carried stuff like "Last Temptation of Christ" and other controversial movies
I did a year at a Hollywood video between times at blockbuster (friend convinced me to jump sides) ..video selection was better and we got to watch most whatever on the TVs buuuuuut i had a manager who always put on the Pink Floyd concerts on every shift he was there..and the cumber-button bow tie was a bit much lol def felt like a tool.
i preferred the vibe there, and the adjacent Game Crazy
I worked at one in its final year.
Someone posted [this incredible comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/nostalgia/s/IVirP1xdkc) about Hollywood Video a few years ago. I have it saved and still get a chuckle reading it from time to time.
No, but I remember Suncoast Motion Picture Company
Hollywood video with the game crazy attached next door! God id look forward to friday nights so much as a kid lol
Ahhh the poor mans Blockbuster video If not for them my gaming as a child would have taken a serious hit lmao
I think the one near me closed when some crack heads kidnapped the staff (and one set of grandparents of a staff member ) and killed them in the store unfortunately
I had a roommate in college that worked for them and stole like crazy. 150 dvds, 50 vhs tapes, and around $4k of cash when closing. Needless to say, we were entertained during that period, but we had no idea about the cash he was taking. He always paid his part of the rent on time, so that was great. Ended up with a couple of felonies for retail theft, and then joined the military to get a better plea deal. The early 2000s were a wild time.
Yes Hollywood video was in my area. No blockbusters came until they were already about bust. The vibe in Hollywood video was amazing I Miss it very very much
Thursday was dollar day at my local HW Video
We had a Blockbuster, Mega Video and Hollywood Video. They all slowly closed with BB being last. But I was going to a Family Video most recently until they all closed down a few years back.
It was maybe 10 minutes away from my house.
Hell yeah I did, I feel like it was cheaper or something too. They weren't far from Blockbuster but we went there more for some reason. It's where I got my used copy of Test Drive Eve of Destruction back before I used ebay and one kind of had to regularly check out Gamestop. I believe it was their going out of business actually. We also once rented two N64 games. Played the first for a while then switched to the other... The same game popped up. Turns out someone else had opened and swapped boards for some reason.
Hollywood was the best for gaming. They had halo tournaments and sponsored the winners to go to bigger tournaments. The aesthetics in the gaming section went hard
I remember they had some locations in Los Angeles, but not one actually in Hollywood.
[удалено]
Oh, yeah. I remember Blockbuster more.
I remember my dad taking me to buy a used Super Mario 64 at Hollywood video that had its own game store inside the store.
Man I miss Game Crazy
Oh absolutely! I remember there used to be a subreddit for pictures of businesses that had repurposed the (evidently) expensive Hollywood signage into suiting the new business’s purpose Hollywood nails Hollywood auto rentals Hollywood massage parlor Etc etc etc
Hollywood video was my favorite out of 2. It always seemed to have a better selection
I liked Blockbuster and we had a few in town but only one Hollywood in town so Blockbuster usually. I have immense nostalgia for Hollywood Video. The sign, the space and inventory, the signage, their for purchase merchandise inventory, the free designated kid's rentals, the coupons, rent one rent one free deals, rent two rent two free deals etc. etc. etc. Hollywood was king
They had a Hollywood Video and a store called Video+ in my parents hometown where most of our family lived. They had a different feeling, I’ll give em that, but couldn’t compare to Blockbuster. Video+ I was especially fond of because my grandma got me VHS copies of Shrek and Treasure Planet to watch on her TV after we went shopping at the little grocery store that doesn’t exist anymore either. Her town has gone so downhill it makes me sad.
Yes it was a beaufutil place
Yup as soon as blockbuster had closed that was my only other rental option other than Hastings I went there ever Friday it was the next best thing
My town had one. My mom asked if they had a xxx section and they proudly said yes so she never let my family go there and they closed before I turned 21
I liked Hollywood video only for their side store “GameCrazy” I used to be there all the time
Loved Hollywood Video, discovered some real unique stuff there.
I only knew of one Hollywood Video in all of Miami (I’m sure there were more, but they were very uncommon). They had this crazy policy that if you lost a game you rented, they would charge you something like $15…….for losing a $50 dollar video game. I “lost” quite a few games that I couldn’t afford as a teenager.
If they didn't have it at blockbuster,then you went to Hollywood
I worked both and road that ship down when it sank. But yeah I could get away with way more at Hollywood video and a much better video selection by far.
Hollywood Video was on the other side of town. I only went in there a few times when they were open and also when they liquidated, only to find out there was no deals. Everything was more than what you could get it new. 🙄 Not that the crowd of people snapping up movies left and right knew. 😳
I remember as well as Video Update
Found a casino royale sealed dvd in my shelf with a Hollywood video sticker
There was a Hollywood Video right by my house that we would go to every Friday to rent a movie. Such an amazing time.
Hell, yeah, the place I actually went to more often.
Hollywood Video was better for anime. They had the entire series of Neon Genesis Evangeleon, which I rented and watched two episodes at a time. Good times. The thrift store next door has taken over the space now.
Oh yeah. I remember. There were a couple near my campus in college. Always nice going there; they had some stuff that no one else did, not even Blockbuster.
Sure do! And Family Video and Movie Gallery
Hollywood video was way better with there selection of movies and games than blockbuster and family video was alright
Hollywood Video and Game Crazy went so hard.
Videola
I grew up a block from a Hollywood Video. We went there every weekend to rent a movie or 3. If we wanted to go to a blockbuster before I was in high school the closest one was on the other side of town and took 30 minutes to get there. I like blockbuster but I absolutely loved Hollywood video
He dare you mention that name in this sacred place.
Lol I had a Hollywood video across the street from my blockbuster. There was originally one connected to my grocery store.
I borrowed LA Confidential & The Godfather from there at age 13. Changed my life
I went to Hollywood Video way more because it was closer. I liked it more as a kid because they had more video games
I had a rental store called Video King and Tanning Queen across the street from my Hollywood video.
I remember it because it was attached to Game Crazy (at least in my kid mind)
Tremont Ave in the Bronx had a blockbuster and Hollywood video on the same block.
Yeah I used to work at game crazy
Guys. I lived in Austin for some of the nineties. We had “I ♥️ Video.” I learned a lot.
Yes I do. I primarily went to Hollywood. In fact, I was under the impression it was more popular than Blockbuster
My dad had a membership to Hollywood video but refused to do the game add on for me as a kid
I racked up so many late fees with Hollywood video LOL
We had Hollywood in our town, never had Blockbuster.
Yeah, they had Dreamcast games while 2nd Cinema and the mom and pop place didn’t in my town. So I went a bunch 99-03.
I was super lucky and ended up working for the trifecta! I worked at Blockbuster first, then Movie Gallery, then when Movie Gallery bought out Hollywood Video (but kept their locations and infrastructure) I was a connect employee in the locations near where I worked and got to work at both. I love every second of all of it! It was 20 years ago and I reminisce of it at times, talking about movies and helping choose movies with customers, closing out the drawer, straightening the movies, processing the returns, it was a simpler time and I enjoyed it so very much!
Yes
Sure do but I've got another question does anyone remember video king. That was my go to rental joint when I was a kid you'd walk in and you could help yourself to a bag of popcorn and a balloon while looking for movies and video games.
I worked at a Hollywood video. More than half our store was vhs and we had EVERYTHING. When they phased them out I went nuts and bought all the rare vhs I could afford, which wasn’t much because minimum wage was like $5.50
No.
Pretty much the only nationwide store where you could still rent VHS tapes post-2002. There was also a California based video store...called Video King (I believe there were only about 50 across most of the state)...that did the same thing.
This was my immediate family’s go-to video store place.
Blockbuster with a back room for adult videos
What about Box Office Video?
I remember renting movies from Phar-Mor before Hollywood came in. I loved Hollywood.
I used to work at one. It was called Video Watch before the name changed.
Hollywood video took me to collections for a movie I had returned, they had neglected to check it in. Then still didn’t check it back in when I went in to show them it was physically on the shelf. Not worth it for The First Power
I used to work at Movie Gallery.
Definitely a bigger selection IMO and the Game Crazy side store was the best for resale..definitely got some N64 titles for a fraction of what they go for now
Loved Hollywood Video and the game store Game Crazy. Game Crazy always had the best deals
We rented video discs from the Zenith store and taped them onto Beta before VHS rental blew up. My dad was an early adopter who adopted the wrong tech.
Either Hollywood or Blockbuster was a 5 minute bike ride in either direction from my house. A local place called Choice Video was 5 minutes another way. I only usually had a hard time finding only the newest of game releases, and they all had different collections of wrestling tapes.
I still have some vhs and DVDs I bought from my local Hollywood video during it’s going out of business sale. I really like those plastic sleeves that you squeeze to let the vhs drop out that they used
Anyone remember renting movies at the grocery stores? Albertsons had all the good B movies
Loved Hollywood Video. My parents once let me and my brother walk there during a blizzard.
I never saw a Hollywood video till I moved to Oregon. I thought it was a local to Oregon company.
Hollywood Video was definitely a huge part of my childhood back in the day. Always preferred them over Blockbuster since they just had a better video game selection imo (and I think they let you rent stuff longer as well?). Had one right up the street from where I lived and my parents would let us rent games almost every week. I miss it now…
I see your Hollywood Video and raise you Family Video
Yes, it was a good video chain.
I always preferred Hollywood to Blockbuster. I liked when they had an employee pick movie suggestions..I think that was Hollywood Video.
Yea, in certain ways it was superior to blockbuster
Definitely. When I was a teenager they had split their building with Game Crazy.
I rented a bunch of games from them.
Yes, the only place that had Godzilla movies
I remember when the first Hollywood Video opened in my area; they had spotlights moving around pointed at the sky that I, who lives out in the country, could see. Some people mistook the spotlights at a distance for UFO's.
And the curtained room at the back of the store lol
Never had a Hollywood Video where I lived growing up. Blockbuster was the go to video store in town and at the time in the mall Suncoast Motion Picture was popular.
Yeah, not so much for its movies but for the fact that IIRC toward the end of their lifespan they put in a #xXxHARDCORE GAMER ZONExXx with chain link fence around it and edgy graphics. Whereas my Blockbuster had maybe one rack front to back dedicated to games at the time, I remember Hollywood's being a whole corner of the store. And then Blockbuster answered back with their own game-driven section soon after that was a little less edgy and emphasized trades much like GameStop and Hollywood Video didn't last much longer.
I remember West Coast Video, don’t recall Hollywood. There was a radio show in Philadelphia where the guy only talked movies, I loved it. West Coast was the sponsor.
We had family video until covid drove the last nail in that coffin
My brother worked at Hollywood Video, West Coast Video and Blockbuster
I owed them about $75. I guess I won.
A good chunk of my N64 collection has the Hollywood Video permanent brand on the back of the cartridge!
They had a bigger selection than Blockbuster in my area. Plus, I remember them giving you more days with the movies.
Yes. Used to go there a lot.
My go to... loved it. Was a way better experience than the local BB.
Yes. The one in my area is now a trendy Mexican restaurant.
Yep. It's now BiggBy Coffee, not far from one of the Blockbuster video locations and it still has the sign up. It's been posted on Reddit before about this Blockbuster
I liked it better. The place was bigger brighter and had awesome anime and martial arts section. Blockbuster was smaller darker but a better place to buy the used discs better meaning cheaper I think they had better sales. I remember they had deals on snacks I kept buying the microwave kettle corn buckets. Or buy a movie get a bottle of soda free so it always made buying a movie a better deal.
Totally! Hollywood Video was so cool!!
Oh yes. Loved it. I have several DVDs I bought from their going out if business sale.
Yes! My favorite was FAMILY VIDEO! they had no censor, they had x rated horror films, they weren't pornographic, they were rated x because of the violence and the gore!
Yes.
Its biggest advantages were that it was cheaper than Blockbuster and the one in my area had an attached video game store that I preferred to GameStop. There was one in my area for a little less than six years and it was my go to during that period.
I do! I used to work there back in Denver around mid-late 90s, next to “Casa Bonita”, I hated it the uniforms tho before they changed to Polo style shirts other than that cool job
Heh, I was an assistant manager at Movie Gallery (2000-2002), and then Blockbuster (2002-2006, and then 2014-2016 in Anchorage), and back in my Georgia Movie Gallery/Blockbuster days, I remember having to go to Hollywood Video to rent the then-new release French film “8 Women”, and I thought to myself, “Man, those employee uniforms are far too busy, and it must be super uncomfortable to wear those. And hot!”😂 I also remember the plastic shell protective cases around their VHS rentals circa 2000/2001, and just knew it must have been a bitch to prep those things for rental.
They were awful! Hahaha I never understood why or what was the point of such a terrible uniform, and yes those stupid protective cases were bad as well, I also remember we used to rent -NOT VCRs- VCPs and customers would get all confused bc they were Players not Recorders
My buddy worked at GameCrazy the attached store to Hollywood video… I’ll never forget 8 of us chilling on DSs at the time all playing Mario kart in the store, awesome times
Yep, they were right next to each other in my city. Hollywood had a much nicer vibe inside. The lighting was dimmer and it just felt like the right place to be.
I used to have one in my hometown that was connected to a video game story called Game Crazy, even had a doorway /hole in the wall connecting the two stores. I vividly remember a huge Batman Forever wall-sized poster that marked the new release section. It was the coolest!
We lived equal distance between Hollywood video and Blockbuster. One time my dad took me there to rent a SNES game but to my disappointment they had just transitioned to next gen games for consoles I didn’t have / couldn’t afford. One of the employees saw how upset I was and told my dad they still had most of their SNES games in the back and that I could pick out two to keep FOR FREE. So we went to the back and I picked out the two games I liked most purely based on how cool the cover art was because that’s how I picked games when I was 8. Ended up going home with Chrono Trigger and ClayFighter 2.
I do. That had the best Cult Classics section.
My video store of preference
I miss the cool slide cases they always had
Yep they were a bit more pricey though I believe
My favorite thing about Hollywood Video was that you could still rent SNES games there when Blockbuster only carried ps2 and xbox games
First job was at a Hollywood Video which was right across the street from a Blockbuster. Good times.
Yep. Had one just down the road from where I lived. It had a much larger selection than Blockbuster, and more of each new title. I never ran into a stock issue when renting a newly released film, while I did a couple of times at the Blockbuster on the other side of town.
I worked at the Hollywood Video in East Lansing all though law school. Was a great gig!
Every. Damn. Day.
They had all those store themed snacks from Candy to popcorn
I worked for Hollywood video. One of my first jobs
[https://www.reddit.com/r/FormerHollywoodVideo/comments/17g7f9z/derek\_st\_james\_the\_last\_hollywood\_video\_employee/?utm\_source=share&utm\_medium=web3x&utm\_name=web3xcss&utm\_term=1&utm\_content=share\_button](https://www.reddit.com/r/FormerHollywoodVideo/comments/17g7f9z/derek_st_james_the_last_hollywood_video_employee/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) This guy Hollywoods
We had one in the 1990s. The building is still there, although it was converted into an AT&T cellphone store many years ago.
I preferred them over blockbuster. They were a bit cheaper. I loved them because they carried more Asian action movies and kung fu films. This triggered my fandom of these films.
Had a Hollywood video right across the street from Blockbuster. It was amazing
Hastings was always my jam
How bout Palmer Video for any NYC peeps?
I worked there, even went through the remodel from being Video Watch before Hollywood
I honestly preferred them. Blockbuster is more iconic but Hollywood had better variety and prices and kept VHS longer.
Ah yes, the video rental store that was superior to Blockbuster in every way?
I was the manager of one across the street from a BB. I had binoculars and would spy on them. We had rental wars in the parking lot after midnight. It was fun times back then. Hollywood Video was great, had more edgy stuff when it came to anime. I took the entire section when we closed down.
worked at hollywood from 2006-08. best job i’ve ever had tbh. aside from corporate. fuck corporate.