Lakewood’s Way Cool Video Revives the Corner Store Movie Rental Experience

If one corner store didn’t have the VHS or DVD she wanted, Galadriel Olson used to ride her bike to the next one. On the way, she’d discover new favorites, renting films from neighborhood shops to watch at home.

“Every corner store had a little movie section,” she remembers. “I didn’t realize until it was gone, and I think a lot of people didn’t, that it was a huge part of my childhood and young adulthood.”

She decided to bring it back, opening Way Cool Video, a rental shop, in a corner of her Lakewood Art Supply store. Movies line the shelves, offering flicks of all genres, available to rent for a few bucks per title. It’s not a massive collection, but Olson says it’s been steadily growing, as she acquires new films on an almost daily basis. 

Though movie rental shops seem to be a thing of the past, Olson says she’s witnessed a recent resurgence in the scene. The business joins Killer Video in Akron among the region's newly opened movie rental spaces.

Olson only expects to see more to open up, as some movie fans distance themselves from streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Max and Apple TV, which can range in cost between $9 and $20 per platform, per month.

“It’s really expensive if you have every single streaming service,” Olson says. “People don’t want to give their money to the people who own those streaming services. They are also wanting ownership; where we come into play with that is that you can rent a movie, and if you want to own it, you can buy it. It’s a good way to try it out.”

Way Cool Video’s library allows for conversation, compromise and tactile exploration, beyond algorithmic recommendations provided on streaming sites. It’s designed to get people out of the house and into a community space of film appreciation.

“Scrolling on a streaming service is equivalent to scrolling on your phone, in my mind,” Olson says. “Finding things that get you out into the world, that you don't consider to be a time suck, is a nice thing.”

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