A while back I wrote about the TLA Video store off of South Street shuttering its doors. Now comes word that the store on Locust Street in what’s referred to as Center City in Philadelphia is closing down for business as well. It’s a shame, but, like a lot of things, it’s a victim of technology. It was a horse and buggy shop in an automobile world. It hung on longer than a lot of its competitors, but just couldn’t keep up the fight against Netflix, streaming services and unmanned vending kiosks. It’s a shame because all other video rental outfits paled in comparison to TLA as far as selection and staff. I had no patience whatsoever for Blockbuster and put up with Hollywood Video because they were close by. TLA spoiled me for all other video stores because they had the goods!
TLA Video at its height had seven locations including one in Manhattan which I thought was phenomenal. Upstarts from Philadelphia dared to open a shop in The Big Apple! I was hired to provide the Godzilla illustration advertising that momentous occasion. It was a lot of fun to do.
I’m trying to think of the last movie I rented from a brick and mortar video shop. It may have been The Incredible Hulk with Edward Norton. That was because it was on VERY LONG WAIT at Netflix at the time, and I was eager to see it. I had no problem snagging a copy at Hollywood Video being that the place was mostly empty. That was back in 2008, and the writing was most definitely on the wall for that store at the time. They were doomed. My Hollywood Video is an Auto Zone now, and across the street, in front of a 7-11, is one of those DVD vending kiosks.
