Listen up physical media fans: this isn’t your mother’s Blockbuster. Southport’s newest pop-up, Terror Vision Records & Video, is a fully functioning DVD and VHS rental that opened April 11. Offering a $15 flat rate per month, subscribers can rent unlimited movies from the store’s selection (with the exception of pulling more than three at a time).
Co-owner Ryan Graveface runs about ten other companies including Graveface Records and Terror Vision, a soundtrack company, started around a decade ago. Years ago he “randomly” got the idea to start a video rental store. He contacted local filmmaker Joe Swanberg and the pop-up came to fruition once they found the Southport location available for rent.
Graveface says he’s very spontaneous with his ideas. He wasn’t at all worried about opening a media rental shop in this digital landscape. In fact, he never considered it.
“Worry would imply that I thought about it. I put no thought into it, I just did it,” Graveface said.
Focusing primarily on horror, the shop has all the classics like the “Halloween” and “Chucky” series but also caters to a deeper fanbase. Graveface says he has about 74,000 titles alone, which doesn’t include Swanberg’s collection, and plans to swap out titles monthly to showcase more of them. In his extensive variety of media there’s many films that would be classified niche, from “Chopping Mall” to “Frankenhooker” — both are currently featured on the shop’s walls.
In addition to their films and shows, they sell a range of other merchandise including totes, shirts and even taxidermy squirrels sticking up their middle fingers.
They’re located directly next to the Music Box Theatre, which is similarly known for playing indie and “underground” films at 35mm. This brings in a lot of walk-in traffic after showings.
Ezequiel Alvarez, a Chicago resident and Music Box regular, is a fan of their inventory. He says he’s always been drawn to “weirdo” and outsider art, which he tends to find most in the horror genre.
“I subscribe to several streaming sites, which I like, but I find their libraries of films to be somewhat limited,” Alvarez said. “After browsing through Terror Vision’s collection I knew it would be a cool place to find some weird obscure movies.”
Alvarez recently began a subscription with Terror Vision and not only loves their inventory, but also the opportunity to support the type of independent business he remembers growing up with.
Being neighbors to the Music Box allows for the businesses to overlap events and leverage their similar audience. On Thursday, May 1, the shop hosted author Adam Cesare to sign copies of his horror trilogy “Clown in a Cornfield,” first released in 2020. That same night the Music Box showed an early screening of the movie based on his book, releasing to the public May 9.
Kayleigh Jensen, a high school teacher in the suburbs, comes to the city frequently and was in line for the screening when she found the shop. She hosts a podcast, Glitter & Gore, with her friend Kami that focuses on all things horror.
Jensen thought the shop was incredible and says she would recommend it to anyone who likes horror. She’s hoping the pop-up can extend their lease and stick around past September.
“I would love (if they stayed),” Jensen said. “I feel like horror is such a huge genre that is underrepresented at the same time.”
Besides their emphasis on obscure video and all things horror, records are a big part of the shop, hence their name. There’s even a pretty good chance you’ll find your favorite horror movie’s soundtrack in their bins. A “Scream” and “Rocky Horror” record have already found their way home with me.
Whether you’re a quirky film major or simply a horror enthusiast, pay a visit to Terror Vision. You can come for the rentals, but you’ll want to stay for the angry stuffed squirrels.
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