Alex Ross Perry's essay documentary uses existing footage culled from hundreds of sources, ranging from TV commercials to blockbuster films, to tell the story of an industry's glorious, confusing, novel, sometimes seedy, but undeniably seismic impact on American movie culture.
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In a conceptual approach reminiscent of critic-director Thom Andersen's Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003), filmmaker Alex Ross Perry created an essay film about a now-vanished institution—the video rental store. Unlike Andersen, Perry does not explore his subject through archaeological investigation or historical research. Instead, he shows how video stores, their visitors, and the unique culture formed around them were depicted in films from the 1980s through the late 2000s. Yet Perry resists the temptation of embarking on a nostalgia-inducing journey. Despite having worked at the legendary Kim's Video, Videoheaven takes a completely different approach than Kim's Video (2023). Instead of an academic examination, he presents a personal meditation narrated by actress Maya Hawke. The film guides viewers through scenes from both celebrated and obscure movies, revealing not so much the historical evolution of video stores but their cinematic representation. Future generations will likely experience the concept of video rental store only through film. As for the film's title "Videoheaven," those who experienced both the flouring and eventual decline of video rental stores understand that these establishments truly were the closest thing to paradise many film lovers have ever known. (Sung MOON)
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CInema Conservancy, Inc. | andrew@conservecinema.org
Alex Ross PERRY
