VHS tapes reign supreme at these Adelaide cult video stores

If streaming is the empire sweeping the media universe, then these two Adelaide film buffs are the resistance, with their stronghold in a pocket of the CBD.

It was the height of the 90s and “dorky” teen Deniel Cross was walking south from the city towards a liquidation auction on Goodwood Rd. Among the oddities up for grabs was a VHS tape of 1982 fantasy flick, The Beastmaster.

“I waited three or four hours for my one single tape,” said Mr Cross, now 44. “It was $2 or $3. Nobody else cared about it, but I left a happy boy.”

The thrill inspired him to keep thrifting for VHS tapes, which began popping up at op shops and garage sales as DVDs came on the scene. Today, his collection spans more than 1000 – and he’s now selling it to the public at his new city store, Vicious Video, in Charles St, city.

“At some point you’ve got to be real … are you going to grow old with these things and not share them with anyone?” Mr Cross said.

He’s not the only one with a penchant for physical media. A few streets over in Gawler Place, Stephen Zivkovic runs one of the last two video rental stores in Adelaide, Galactic Video.

Retro film enthusiast Deniel Cross, with his collection of more than 800 VHS tapes, is opening Vicious Video. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

If streaming is the empire sweeping the media universe, then these guys are the resistance – and Mr Zivkovic, who has been running the specialist sci-fi and horror store since 1995 – believes it may soon blossom into renaissance thanks to a growing army of young fans.

“I have a lot of members who are in their 20s and late teens and you would think they would be just streaming but they come in and they love the physical media,” he said.

“Some people like the social aspect of visiting a video rental store, which is something you don’t get online.

“I think for the remaining video stores around … there might be a renaissance.”

At Vicious Video, retro film enthusiasts will spot cult classics including Mr Cross’s proudest purchase, the 1986 BMX flick, Rad.

“She’s still stunning as she was in the ’80s,” he said. It bombed at the box office, but the beauty of VHS tapes isn’t about the screenplay itself, Mr Cross said.

Galactic Video owner Stephen Zivkovic with some of his rare titles. Picture: Brenton Edwards

“A lot of the time the money was put into the marketing of the film,” he said. “The covers are products of attraction – they want the consumer to grab them off the shelf. That’s what drew me into appreciating these covers not as disposable art, but product art.

“I also want to support and discuss the stories behind the artists, where else you can find their art and their significance in the cultural scene.”

Mr Cross’s tenancy has been made possible thanks to Renew Adelaide, which has provided a free 30-day rolling lease. VHS prices range from $5 right up to $600 for the rarest finds.

But does this mean the end of buying tapes?

“I think this illness is terminal,” Mr Cross said. “You just can’t beat the thrill of a good purchase.”

Mr Zivkovic said orders and sales now made up 50 per cent of his profits and the store was no longer limited to VHS and DVDs.

“I order books, CDs, water sprinklers – I even ordered in a World War II bomber jacket in for a customer,” he said.