There’s nothing quite as New York City as a personally curated, world-renowned video store operating out of a laundromat in the late ‘80s. For those who are unfamiliar, Kim’s Video was a classic staple of NYC’s film culture. Founded by Yongman Kim, this now-defunct video and music store was widely known for fresh, esoteric films which inspired an entire generation of filmmakers. Now, it’s returning as an exciting fan experience.
Kim’s Video closed in 2012, when Kim gave his beloved film collection to bidders in Salemi, Sicily who met his specific criteria of keeping the entire collection intact and accessible. However, while the collection remained intact in Italy, it was essentially gone from public view.
Now, two decades later, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is bringing back Kim’s Video. At its Lower Manhattan location, Alamo will offer free rentals of thousands of DVDs and VHS titles from the iconic collection.
In addition to free DVD and VHS rentals, the Kim’s Video reboot at Alamo Drafthouse is equipped with VCRs and multi-region DVD players for rent. The store will also feature Kim’s Video merch, such as T-shirts and more, in the gift shop. The available rentals will include a rotating and ever-expanding selection of titles from the archive, such as rare titles from directors like Takashi Mike and unexplored genres like Nunsploitation.
Titles from the diverse Kim’s Video collection will also be shown on the big screen at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema as a part of a monthly Kim’s Video Presents screening series. Curated by Nick Prueher of the Found Footage Festival, a longtime Kim’s Video member.
The new Kim’s Video installation is officially open now. Film lovers old and new can learn more about this exciting moment by visiting drafthouse.com, following Alamo Drafthouse on their social media, or by signing up for email updates via Alamo Victory loyalty program here.
