The friendly neighborhood video store is a thing of the past. Vinegar Syndrome Denver — on West Colfax Avenue — is trying to change that.
“When you walk in here, you're leaving the world behind and you're transported to a time that doesn't exist anymore,” said Theresa Mercado, manager of Vinegar Syndrome Denver. “We want people to walk in and be reminded of what video stores used to be like in the ‘80s and ‘90s before they all closed.”
Unlike the Blockbusters of yore, this store has personality.
“If it's spooky, it's in here,” Mercado said. “Lots of skulls, lots of skeletons, lots of jack-o’-lanterns and pumpkins, cool horror posters, Halloween toys, lots of creepy mannequins.”
It’s a horror nostalgia fever dream. But it has more to offer than average movies in a kitschy atmosphere.
Vinegar Syndrome is a film restoration and distribution company that restores obscure genre films — mostly from the 1960s through 1980s — and connects them with dedicated audiences worldwide.
In addition to Blu-ray, DVD and VHS, the store also carries laser discs, new and used vinyl records, comic books, merch and other collectibles.
“It is a really a special time if you're a movie person,” Mercado said with a laugh. “Because every day there's more and more lost media that is getting a great treatment and a really nice restoration that you can own and collect and watch at home.”
