Movie Place was one of New York City’s original independent video stores and was long the favorite video store of Manhattan’s Upper West Side. During 23 years of business, owner Gary Dennis developed one of the most extensive film inventories of any store in the country, with a library that included one of the best collections of American film, from early silent pictures through the Golden Age of Hollywood to the rise of the American independent film industry. The store also boasted one of the most comprehensive foreign film collections in the country, including films from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa and South America.

Along with its incredible inventory, Movie Place was staffed by fanatical film enthusiasts who prided themselves on finding customers the perfect movie every time they rented. Employees could locate almost any film with the merest hint from a clueless customer, or tailor a film list based on a customer’s viewing habits (without the aide of computer generated algorithms). Housed in a quaint, if crumbling brownstone, the store was a beloved neighborhood hangout, where people came to schmooze about the latest Wes Anderson movie or debate the merits of the studio system.

When a greedy landlord more than doubled the rent in 2006, the store became the “poster child” for dying “mom and pop” businesses in New York City and was forced to close its doors, despite a valiant petition drive by some resourceful customers (click here for link to The New York Times article). This site grew out of Gary’s desire to continue sharing his love of film with the thousands of loyal customers that were left adrift with no skipper in a sea of bad entertainment choices.

Other articles about Movie place:

The New York Sun click here.

More of Gary's Scrapbook