Or faces with names I can no longer recall, like the younger guy with the thick-rimmed glasses. There are other names I remember, like Bethany, a tall and skinny, fair-skinned redhead with a bubbly sense of humor. I also remember him returning later in the month, after learning he didn’t get the part, his ever-present confidence shaken slightly. I can recall him leaving for two weeks, traveling to New York to audition for a Broadway musical. Johnathan was a sprightly young guy, a dancer and a singer. She had enough problems in her life that I can remember my mom, a naturally empathetic person, having long conversation with her, discussing her strife and troubles. She was more sardonic then her co-workers. (That was an experiment I didn't replicated.) Leslie was a short, heavy-set lady with thick black hair. When I bought the nifty “ Book of the Dead” edition of “Evil Dead,” I can recall Scott sharing an anecdote about a friend freezing his copy for some reason, giving it a really weird texture and smell. Scott was a tall, lanky guy with glasses and a slight goatee, only a few years older then me. There were other employees I became friends with. I can recall another time discussing “High Tension,” a new release at the time, and giving him a hearty recommendation. John grabbed a copy of the crappy remake of “The Fog,” a release that week, quickly taping a piece of paper with “Fritz Lang's M” written on it. I can recall one time, I asked if they had Fritz Lang’s “M” in stock. He was friendly enough to joke around with. He liked a lot of the same movies I do, weird-o horror movies and eighties action flicks. My Mom and I were in the place often enough that it didn’t take long for John to be on a first-name basis with us. John had a resounding, friendly voice that greeted anyone who stepped inside. The store manager was a guy named John, a jovial balding man in glasses that loved to converse with shoppers. My Suncoast had the friendliest staff I’ve ever known. Something to remember though: It’s never the places but the people in them. Unlike other stores, where there’s usually loud music playing to encourage a mood of brash commercialism, Suncoast seemed to encourage customers to hang out for a while. The sound was down though, to a soft murmur. There were monitors overhead, usually playing movies or TV shows. Moreover, the atmosphere of the business was entirely different then other video stores. Penny’s, so the glowing sign could be seen as you entered the mall. My Suncoast was located right outside of the J.C. A huge display window was to the left, displaying items usually tying into whatever the big release was that week. The store name was above the entrance in red-pink neon lettering. The store front had a large black border, shiny and partially transparent. The only other items they sold were related to the movies, such as film magazines, posters, or toys.Īlso setting Suncoast apart from similar businesses was its atmosphere. Suncoast was unique, in its total devotion to movies. These stores usually sold all sorts of items, like music or computer games. Mine was just up the road in the next major town, about a fifteen minute drive from my high school. As you who where there may recall, these stores were usually located in malls. However, if you wanted something a little rarer, one had to seek out a video store: Mysterious, long gone businesses with names like Sam Goody, Tower Records, Media Play, or Suncoast. You could find VHS tapes, and later DVDs, most anywhere. So let me regale you with the tragic tale of Suncoast Motion Picture Company.įor those too young to remember… Back in the days before you could just stream anything you wanted on Netflix, people actually had to go to video stores to buy movies. The last remaining Suncoast in the area, about an hour’s drive from my current home, closed up shop a little over a year ago. Unfortunately, the place went out of business before I could get that job. Probably about half of my DVD collection was bought there. My love of film can be directly linked to it. Suncoast Motion Picture Company was a place I spent a lot of time at when I was around twelve or thirteen years old. I knew where I wanted to work and couldn’t wait for the day when I reached the right age. Most teenagers figure they’ll get a job at a fast food joint or a big box store so they can have gas money and some walking-around cash. The timestamp is only as accurate as the clock in the camera, and it may be completely wrong.Most people probably don’t anticipate their first job with much excitement. If the file has been modified from its original state, some details such as the timestamp may not fully reflect those of the original file. This file contains additional information such as Exif metadata which may have been added by the digital camera, scanner, or software program used to create or digitize it.
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