Mom N' Pop: The Indie Video Store Boom of the '80s / '90s Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Mom N' Pop: The Indie Video Store Boom of the '80s / '90s Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 5, 2024

“Mom N Pop: The Indie Video Store Boom of the ‘80s/’90s” endeavors to take viewers back to a time when there was no streaming or even a connected world wide web. It was an era when entertainment was largely a communal experience, with movie theaters dominant, bringing in the masses to see the hits and the misses. And then the video revolution occurred, with these offerings suddenly available for home viewing via rentals at a video store. For some, this changed everything, putting Hollywood production within striking distance, allowing those able to make the journey to a local video store a chance to enjoy a new kind of viewing freedom. The sweet spot of availability and excitement lasted only a few decades, and director Bobby Canipe Jr. looks to celebrate such an age with “Mom N Pop,” his valentine to the glory days of video store patronage.

“Mom N Pop” begins in the pre-video world, when there was limited chances to possess a movie outside of merchandise offerings. You wanted to see something, you had to make plans to do so. This concept changes some in the 1980s, when VHS broke through to become the format of choice for a burgeoning rental market, allowing entrepreneurs a chance to sample the excitement of this financial opportunity. Canipe Jr. doesn’t get in to the monetary moves of the decade, preferring to stick with interviewees who spent a good chunk of time at video stores during their formative years, building a profound love for the experience. Video stores became hangout spots for some, giving film fans a place to discuss their passion and peruse the aisles. Such shops ended up in bizarre places too, transforming gas station corners into rental libraries, while tanning salons proved to be a popular match for VHS displays, combining a love of cinema with burned flesh.

The documentary spends a large amount of its run time discussing the era with interviewees, with most happily detailing their video store experiences as kids and teens. Some share their favorite sections of any store, with horror prized by many. Adult sections are also recalled, celebrated for their mystery and opportunities to see naked people if one was quick enough with a peek. And there are tales of lenient parents (mostly dads) allowing their children to rent inappropriate movies simply because…why not. That’s the magic of indie video stores.

“Mom N Pop” doesn’t have an overall plot, with Canipe Jr. sticking with a trip down memory lane, asking his interviewees to share their remembrances and nothing more. Perhaps most entertaining is a lengthy discussion of VHS cover art, which often didn’t represent the movie it was trying to sell. Horror titles were especially notorious for this, but some, like Gary Cohen, knew exactly what to do, creating “Video Violence,” a slasher film set inside a video store. The line-up of talking heads is mostly made up of normies, but some familiar faces are here, including Lloyd Kaufman (who would visit shops to see if they had a Troma section), and Ming Chen discusses his initial interaction with a “Clerks” tape, working for writer/director Kevin Smith soon after. At the 40-minute-mark, “Mom N Pop” makes an abrupt turn into video game rentals, but the spirit remains the same, with these weekend warriors recalling the battle to beat titles in a matter of days.

Mom N' Pop: The Indie Video Store Boom of the '80s / '90s Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation works with the technical limitations on "Mom N Pop," which was captured with commercial grade cameras. Detail is softer but acceptable, with some sense of interviewee skin particulars and hairstyles on occasion. Interview spaces retain acceptable depth, along with store and rec room tours. Color is lively, working with style choices on the interviewees, who provide a clear look at bright primaries. Lighting choices are occasionally a bit moodier and cooler. Store signage and poster art is distinct. Skin tones are natural. Some mild banding is detected.

Mom N' Pop: The Indie Video Store Boom of the '80s / '90s Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix offers a straightforward understanding of interview footage, capturing voices with clarity throughout the listening experience. Levels are a bit off at times, but this seems to be an inherent issue. Scoring supports with clarity.

Mom N' Pop: The Indie Video Store Boom of the '80s / '90s Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Bobby Canipe Jr.

• Extended Interview (21:42, HD) features YouTuber Jame Rolfe, who recalls his early years of video store hopping, sharing memories of atmosphere and shelf availability. Rolfe discusses the thrill of "the hunt," searching for special titles from a variety of locations. The interviewee pulls out an assortment of VHS titles from his collection, commenting on content and cover art, including his feature, "Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie." Talk turns to video game rentals, with Rolfe recalling the gamble of missing instructions and cartridge cleanliness. He closes with his own experiences as a non-employee of video stores, and points out the construction of his own basement shop, eager to share rental glory with his children.

• Extended Interview (10:39, HD) features Michael Morris, who sits in his VHS playroom and offers memories from his rental days, recalling multiple store options near his home. Morris details the differences between chain and independent shops, also explaining how exposure to movies on "Mystery Science Theater 3000" helped to direct his rental choices, seeking out strange titles. The interviewees also shares some anecdotes from his rental years, even making an "MST3K" video of his own. The chat closes with a tour of his special space, which is filled with movies and video games for display.

• Interview (6:09, HD) is a chat with YouTuber and TikTok "Content Creator" Michael "Oldhead Mike" Devlin, who details his love of horror movies, going on a rental tear during his last year of high school. The interviewee recounts the special smell of his local store, which shared a space with a tanning salon. He also examines the pure experience of movie rental evenings, enjoying "family night." The downfall of the rental industry is also analyzed.

• Interview (6:26, HD) is a discussion of video store memories with film school graduate Stephen Kessen. Raised during the era where VHS was fading and DVD was soaring, Kessen enjoyed both worlds, experiencing the comfort of cinema while visiting rental shops. The interviewee also tracks the appeal of video store rentals, allowing him to bring titles home for closer inspection.

• Image Gallery (2:12) collects BTS snaps, poster art, and newspaper coverage.

• "Mom N Pop Video Shop" (2:20, HD) is a music video from Creature Preachers.

• And a Trailer (2:20, HD) is included.

Mom N' Pop: The Indie Video Store Boom of the '80s / '90s Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Mom N Pop" is a fun watch, but it's not a polished one. Canipe Jr. has trouble creating a flow to the documentary to keep it interesting, spending the second half of the feature crudely jumping around topics, including the strange saga of video store nice guy/murderer Michael Wayne Brown. Structure also remains as expected, exploring the downfall of indie stores, with the rise of Blockbuster Video killing the industry it sought to dominate. Routine is a little snoozy, but "Mom N Pop" scores with tales from the shops and the fetishization of the business, with a few of these interviewees working to preserve the good times by creating video stores in their basements. Canipe Jr. doesn't have depth, but he has the power of nostalgia, with the film all about taking viewers back to a simpler time of shelf selection and rental risk.