As the largest independent video store in the country with around 130,000 individual titles, Scarecrow Video is a vibrant film archive and home for a unique cast of characters keeping the in-person video store tradition alive.

Given that our relationship to film art has – more often than not – migrated to digital and streaming services, nurturing a vibrant film archive and the community that forms around it is a genuinely wonderful achievement. Matt Lynch, Marketing Coordinator for Scarecrow Video in Seattle, sat with me for a while to chat about the evolution of the place, the types of characters that sustain the store, and the challenges it faces as life turns more and more digital.

Matt shares some of his experiences after spending 14 years of his life with Scarecrow – including providing a public forum for obscure and amateur film makers. In addition to a discussion of the idiosyncratic charms of Scarecrow Video, we also spend some time talking about film genres and specific films that have made an impact on Matt.

I don’t really belong anywhere else. I get paid to play with my toys every day. I love Scarecrow – it’s my church, it’s my second home.

Show Links

Scarecrow Video – website

“The Convenience Trap” – AV Club article

Marc Palm Comics – flyer and poster artist

“The horrible, hilarious violence of Ichi The Killer” – AV Club article

“Why Quentin Tarantino Doesn’t Like Netflix” – Cinema Blend

“Say goodbye to the video store, hello to the non-profit foundation” – Ars Technica

Credits

Podcast intro music: “Mister S” by Luc Marcotte

Podcast exit music: “Neogrotesque” by Luc Marcotte

Art and illustrations by Marc Palm