Last Stop Video Rentals

You know what, I’m not going to lie. I originally had AI help me write my directors statement because I thought I needed my Directors statement to sound professional but what would my Directors Statement be if I allowed a robot to write it for me. I have always been someone who isn’t afraid of being themselves and portraying themselves truthfully and so my Statement should reflect that kind of attitude. I also write my scripts like an illiterate child but the Story and Message still manage to come through in my writing, so why not do the same here.

First and foremost the film’s general story is one that I resonate with the most, and obviously used my own experiences to help guide the story. Nick’s journey of trying to figure his life out is something I am constantly doing, being trapped in a situation I wish I could just magically get out of, but it’s a journey and we as individuals need to make the effort to change. We can rely on our friends and family to get us there but we are the ones who are responsible for getting there. That’s where Nick’s story is and that’s how he relies on his co-workers, some of whom feel like family, so he can get to the destination he thinks he needs to be at.

One thing I’ve become lately is the Staunchy old timer who hates the new fandangle technology and how it’s ruining society. Which kind of seems to be the way things are headed with how quickly technology is advancing. That’s a major reason why a lot of my stories, more importantly Last Stop Video Rentals, explores a bygone era we can never return back to. Look at me, I’ve turned into a Boomer who wants to make films about how great the 1950s were. I mean the 90s were great, but that’s from my own personal experience, and that’s why I love telling these kind of stories. That’s why I loved writing and exploring Video Stores again, that’s why I loved being able to find a Real Brick and Mortar Video Rental Store to film at, and that’s why I loved making this movie. It felt like I was transported back to when I was a kid again, exploring the aisles of my video store and seeing the different kind of customers to come into the store, or the recommendations from the people who worked there. That is the heart of Last Stop Video Rentals.

Finally we just need to talk about Nostalgia and how this film could be like Stand By Me or The Last Picture Show for the next Generations. Maybe not as timeless or as Culturally Significant to the world, but you never know. Stranger things have happened in our industry. This film explores things that have come and gone in our lifetime that only so few are able to still experience if they have the privilege of living near a Video Store. For the record, I actually live about 45 minutes away from Movie World, where we filmed the Movie, and I do not regret driving there every Friday to rent new movies for the week. You go on any Social Media app and you’ll find countless short videos about people yearning for the days of Video Stores. Pop Up Video Stores like Kim’s Underground at the Alamo Drafthouse or Brick and Mortars like Vidiots and Scarecrow Video are becoming popular hot spots for people who miss “The Good ‘Ol Days”.

In conclusion, if I even need to say that, I want this film to feel like it’s a small part of our lives that we wish we could go back to. As one lucky viewer, who got to see this film in its early stages of Completion and dropped Acid before viewing it, told me…”This film made me feel Nostalgic and Depressed All at the Same Time”. That’s a Review I will take to the bank because that’s who this film is for, People who miss a small part of themselves. And if people don’t like it, that’s on them, I didn’t make this movie for people who didn’t like it.

“Don't let anybody tell you different, man: The main goal in life careerwise should always be to try to get paid to simply be yourself.” - Kevin Smith