Mondo Kim's moves to Sicily!
December 30, 2008 12:09 PM Subscribe
Contents of the beloved/historic/deceased Mondo Kim's video store in New York City purchased by the town of Salemi, Italy. The village intends to project the videos as part of a neverending film festival open to the public. Roadtrip, anyone?
And rental videos don't normally come with public performance rights.
posted by grobstein at 12:38 PM on December 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by grobstein at 12:38 PM on December 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
And I'll also have to travel to Goa for electronica CDs.
posted by Smart Dalek at 12:40 PM on December 30, 2008
posted by Smart Dalek at 12:40 PM on December 30, 2008
The worst part of it is that the Kim's collection has so many videos, particularly in the avant-garde, exploitation, and music categories, that are hard, if not impossible, to find elsewhere. I wouldn't be surprised if some decent part of the collection (say 5%) is actually unique material.
I know Mr. Kim had tried to find a new home for the collection that would keep it in the neighborhood - apparently, the New York Film Academy backed out of a deal at the last minute. Even so, it seems like there could have been a better solution, maybe by not requiring that the collection stay together, so that an NYC institution could take the rarer material without having to take all the commercially-available DVDs as well.
In any case, I'm doing my part to "save" the collection by renting and copying as many titles as I can before they close. I'd be happy to make copies for anyone else - send me a message if you're interested in hearing what I've got.
posted by Awkward Philip at 12:45 PM on December 30, 2008 [3 favorites]
I know Mr. Kim had tried to find a new home for the collection that would keep it in the neighborhood - apparently, the New York Film Academy backed out of a deal at the last minute. Even so, it seems like there could have been a better solution, maybe by not requiring that the collection stay together, so that an NYC institution could take the rarer material without having to take all the commercially-available DVDs as well.
In any case, I'm doing my part to "save" the collection by renting and copying as many titles as I can before they close. I'd be happy to make copies for anyone else - send me a message if you're interested in hearing what I've got.
posted by Awkward Philip at 12:45 PM on December 30, 2008 [3 favorites]
How can there be so much hate for something with the words "Neverending Film Festival"?!
posted by mannequito at 12:56 PM on December 30, 2008
posted by mannequito at 12:56 PM on December 30, 2008
.
Rather than waxing nostalgic, I will say this: That was a damn fine video store. Damn fine.
posted by evidenceofabsence at 1:05 PM on December 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
Rather than waxing nostalgic, I will say this: That was a damn fine video store. Damn fine.
posted by evidenceofabsence at 1:05 PM on December 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
rental videos don't normally come with public performance rights.
And they don't normally come with the HBO logo down in the lower right corner, but Kim's was a special place.
posted by StickyCarpet at 1:25 PM on December 30, 2008 [5 favorites]
And they don't normally come with the HBO logo down in the lower right corner, but Kim's was a special place.
posted by StickyCarpet at 1:25 PM on December 30, 2008 [5 favorites]
I was sad to hear about Kim's this, though, is pretty fucking beautiful.
posted by From Bklyn at 1:29 PM on December 30, 2008
posted by From Bklyn at 1:29 PM on December 30, 2008
This headline really spiked the needle on my Holy-Shit-O-Meter.
... thanks to the efforts of Mayor Vittorio Sgarbi, called "one of the oddest and most colourful figures in contemporary Italy"...
I'd say he's earned his rep.
posted by Joe Beese at 1:34 PM on December 30, 2008
... thanks to the efforts of Mayor Vittorio Sgarbi, called "one of the oddest and most colourful figures in contemporary Italy"...
I'd say he's earned his rep.
posted by Joe Beese at 1:34 PM on December 30, 2008
Oh no! I'd heard Wesleyan was going to buy it- I figured, "well, at least it's in Connecticut."
MeFi meetup in Salemi with a Cremaster Cycle midnight marathon?
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 1:49 PM on December 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
MeFi meetup in Salemi with a Cremaster Cycle midnight marathon?
posted by foxy_hedgehog at 1:49 PM on December 30, 2008 [1 favorite]
evidenceofabsence: For what it's worth it still IS a great video store. Only the rental division is closing down.
posted by enamon at 2:47 PM on December 30, 2008
posted by enamon at 2:47 PM on December 30, 2008
Mayor Vittorio Sgarbi, called "one of the oddest and most colourful figures in contemporary Italy"
Sgarbi is to mayordom what Berlusconi is to the office of the prime minister. This will not end bene.
posted by progosk at 3:49 PM on December 30, 2008 [2 favorites]
Sgarbi is to mayordom what Berlusconi is to the office of the prime minister. This will not end bene.
posted by progosk at 3:49 PM on December 30, 2008 [2 favorites]
.
posted by SmileyChewtrain at 4:38 PM on December 30, 2008
posted by SmileyChewtrain at 4:38 PM on December 30, 2008
!
posted by SmileyChewtrain at 4:39 PM on December 30, 2008
posted by SmileyChewtrain at 4:39 PM on December 30, 2008
I knew I shouldn't have left NYC. Kim's couldn't survive without my business. =(
posted by Eideteker at 5:24 PM on December 30, 2008
posted by Eideteker at 5:24 PM on December 30, 2008
Meh. The staff at the uptown Kim's by Columbia was insufferably arrogant and rarely knowledgeable, and all too often downright rude. I was an occasional customer when I had to be. But less and less as the years went on.
I was spoiled by Scarecrow Videos in Seattle back in the 90s. I never thought either Kim's locations was even close.
posted by fourcheesemac at 5:58 PM on December 30, 2008
I was spoiled by Scarecrow Videos in Seattle back in the 90s. I never thought either Kim's locations was even close.
posted by fourcheesemac at 5:58 PM on December 30, 2008
And rental videos don't normally come with public performance rights.
I'm sure the FBI will get right on enforcing that.
posted by Remy at 6:36 PM on December 30, 2008
I'm sure the FBI will get right on enforcing that.
posted by Remy at 6:36 PM on December 30, 2008
Man, I really, really, really, really loved that place. Found so many incredibly difficult to find films there. Damn.
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 6:49 PM on December 30, 2008
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 6:49 PM on December 30, 2008
Fourcheesemac, I have lived near the uptown and downtown Kim's over the years. The staff at the downtown locations (both at Bleecker and West 10th, and Bleecker and LaGuardia; never did go to the Mondo Kim's much) was way more snotty, in my view. Not that it mattered either way, as I was thrilled to have a Kim's near my uptown apt. Now my choices are reduced to Netflix and the local hole in the wall rental joint. Feh.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 7:10 PM on December 30, 2008
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 7:10 PM on December 30, 2008
New York. Sigh. What's gonna be fucking left, huh?
*waits for indignant chorus from proud New Yorkers not yet willing to admit that their city is but a feeble shadow of its former self*
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:47 PM on December 30, 2008
*waits for indignant chorus from proud New Yorkers not yet willing to admit that their city is but a feeble shadow of its former self*
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:47 PM on December 30, 2008
... thanks to the efforts of Mayor Vittorio Sgarbi, called "one of the oddest and most colourful figures in contemporary Italy"...
That's a pretty polite way to say "total douchebag."
posted by romakimmy at 2:50 AM on December 31, 2008
That's a pretty polite way to say "total douchebag."
posted by romakimmy at 2:50 AM on December 31, 2008
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But - but - they'd be blatantly ignoring the region encoding!
posted by Artw at 12:17 PM on December 30, 2008 [2 favorites]