Movie being filmed in Coast video store to help save it

ONE of the Gold Coast’s last video stores is pulling out all the stops to ensure the business stays open — including a movie production.

David Hooklyn owns one of two video stores left on the Gold Coast. Picture: Jerad Williams

ONE of the Gold Coast’s last video stores is not ready to let the final credits roll, pulling out all the stops to ensure the business stays open – including taking part in a movie production.

That’s Rentertainment at Runaway Bay, which was previously a Blockbuster outlet, has been hired to New York Film Academy director Brian Vining for use at night in his aptly named production ‘The Last Video Store.’

Shop owner David Hooklyn said he was first approached by Mr Vining about 12 months ago to use his store as the movie set, but couldn’t take part due to former franchising regulations.

When he rebranded to That’s Rentertainment in April, Mr Vining’s movie crew moved in and began filming.

David Hooklyn owns one of two video stores left on the Gold Coast, and is now letting his store be the home for a film being produced called 'The Last Video Store'. Picture: Jerad Williams

Mr Hooklyn said he had bought the store in 2012 – one of only two left on the Coast – after splitting from his wife and moving interstate and while it wasn’t a big money-maker, he was attached to it.

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“The business is part of my life and I enjoy it, even though it doesn’t make much money,” he said.

“It’s just slowly dying, just dwindling over the years.

“But I love the interactions with customers. We’ll stay open as long as we can. The elderly people that can’t stream (movies) still come in to the shop.”

The film production is one way of drawing people's attention to the store in the hopes to get more customers. Picture: Jerad Williams

Mr Hooklyn said he enjoyed helping other people, and the film would be great promotion for his store — but wouldn’t necessarily be a big moneymaker unless it did well when released.

“(The filmmakers) don’t pay for the store, they have paid for the new signs (outside),” he said.

“They will also pay the power bill when it comes in … and I have a 10 per cent stake in the film.”

Mr Hooklyn is also leasing out white goods and televisions to customers, who pay back in instalments before owning them outright within 12 months.

David Hooklyn has 15,000 titles to choose from. Picture: Jerad Williams

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He said both projects were helping to keep his video store business going.

Mr Vining said he had “always wanted to tell a story set in a video store … because they’re disappearing.

“Like most people growing up in the 90s and 80s, I went to video stores on the weekend and rented the latest titles,” he said.

Mr Vining said the movie, which stars Stuart Lumsden, was likely to be released by early next year. The comedy follows the blossoming romance between two employees at one of the Gold Coast’s last video stores, helped along by the store owner.

Mr Hooklyn encouraged locals to continue visiting That’s Rentertainment, adding he had more than 15,000 titles to choose from.