'It was a total risk, but I was stubborn': Dead Video alive

When Evan Kiddey first opened Dead Video, he was given one piece of advice by everyone he spoke to: 'Don't do it'. Five years later his retro video store is standing strong in the face of the digital era. Kees Chalmers sat down with Kiddey to find out the secret to his success
Evan Kiddey's collection journey was hatched at an early age. He recalls being taken around garage sales and markets by his parents, Martin and Christine Kiddey.
He developed a love for cinema and physical media, particularly the horror and cult genres.
His business, Dead Video, looks to keep what he loves alive.
Kiddey's store boasts more than 3000 titles across VHS, DVD, Blu-ray and 4k formats, including the largest selection of horror and cult titles in Christchurch.
'Everything in the store is an extension of my personality and all the things I love,' said Kiddey.
'It's having that place where people can come in and feel happy after leaving.'
His store also sells video games, comic books, vinyl records and vintage collectables.
His most expensive title is a VHS copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, priced at $750. Some of his collectables exceed $1000.
The vintage store's collection comes from a variety of places: hunting in thrift stores, scouring online and donations from the public.
"If you're not hungry for it, you're never going to find the good stuff,' Kiddey said.
The 39-year-old's passion drew him to make an Instagram page in 2019 to find like-minded people who shared a love for physical media.
"With all the (video) stores closing down, I thought it would be nice to keep that alive, keep that feeling for the next generation,' he said.
Kiddey opened two pop-up rental video stores, one next to Spooky Boogie and then one on Norwich Quay, but was forced to stop due to lockdown in March 2020.
Following lockdown being lifted, he converted his friend's garage on Dublin St into a rental video store.
In 2021, he opened the store he operates now on London St, at a time where video rental shops were closing down.
"It was a total risk, but I was stubborn.
"I asked video store owners and they were like it's not going to work, it's not a viable business plan, and I was like, whatever, I'll do it,' he said.
For a while it appeared the doubters were correct. As being purely a video rental store proved to be unfeasible, Kiddey branched out to collectables and selling secondhand movies.
"It's been a positive shift.
"It's pretty cool to have it here and still be here, because a lot of people didn't think we would be,' he said.
The business owner said more people are starting to come back to physical media.
He attributes the revival to audiences growing tired of streaming service algorithms and the effect of holding a tangible object.
"It's in your hand, you get bonus features, director commentaries, stills library, all the theatrical trailers, there's so much packed in these discs,' he said.
The journey has been amazing, Kiddey said, but it has not been without its ebbs and flows.
"We've gone through lockdowns, social distancing, limited people allowed in the store, economic downturns, everything, I've opened a business in the worst possible time in history.
"But it's been a lot of fun, I've met some absolutely amazing people by doing this and people I wouldn't have met otherwise. The community around the shop and collecting is pretty awesome.'
Dead Video regular Lewis Fitzgerald has been collecting action figures since he was a kid and loves still having places to facilitate his passion.
'I've met some cool guys, other collectors and stuff through there that I wouldn't have probably necessarily met, it's just cool.'
He found his 'holy grail' at Dead Video, a 1984 G.I Joe rattler jet.
'Evan's the man with finding random stuff people are looking for,' he said.
The store has even had Hollywood celebrities pass through – Elijah Wood from The Lord of the Rings, Jemaine Clement Flight of the Conchords and John Cho from Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle.
Kiddey is a chef by trade and works as a food and technology teacher at Unlimited Discovery School alongside running the business.
'It's a really good juggle, but I'm managing so far,' he said.

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Comedian Chris Parker On His Boyish & Satirical Sense Of Style

NZ Herald

8 hours ago

NZ Herald

Comedian Chris Parker On His Boyish & Satirical Sense Of Style

Comedian Chris Parker shares his perspective on fashion, from cultivating a distinct personal style to the scope of menswear in Aotearoa. For comedian Chris Parker, playing the clown isn't an excuse to dress down. 'People have paid to come see me. The least I can do is iron my shirt.' His ensembles are front of mind, as he prepares to head out on tour across Aotearoa for Stop Being So Dramatic. The show explores the titular accusation levelled toward Chris for his whole life through what's promised to be a 'dizzyingly expressive' comedy and drama. For this round of performances, he toyed with screenprinting a 'Surrender Dorothy' T-shirt (yes, from The Wizard Of Oz) or donning a dance-appropriate leotard. Though, he says it's more likely he'll opt for his reliable onstage uniform dressing – there's a rotating cast of cool button-ups, some white singlets and minimalist Thom Morison trousers. He's excited to see more playfulness in the stylings of other comics too – he points to the increasingly digitised mediums of comedy (see: Instagram) and the changing face of broad comedy. 'There was a time where comedy was held by a specific type of male and the industry was blocked off to other people, whereas I think queer comics have always historically used wardrobes to endear themselves to crowd.' Offstage, Chris cultivates slick, boyish and preppy ensembles, revelling in the promise of quality clothing and local designers (even when he's wearing sweats on tour). He's found a need to distinguish between his workwear and his off-duty wardrobe, hence his brainy interest in fashion. 'That's not @chrisparker11 on Instagram, that's mine.' It's playful and youthful. I never really got over that big Scandie pull from like 2015, when everyone was reading Kinfolk magazine. In recent years, I feel myself departing... I think it was the pull I found when I was on The Edge. It was a youth station but I was wanting to dress more maturely. When I go out, I like to be in a really nice shirt and pants and a jacket or a nice knit. Weirdly, an artist who I've always loved and I feel like I've subconsciously pulled from is David Hockney. His style is so colourful and playful, and I really love the palette. I just have an affinity towards it. I like crisp, clean lines [and colours]. I'm really kind of like trying to figure out silhouette more and as a tall guy that's quite hard. I was really scared when all the men were wearing like baby tees because I was like, 'I can't do that'. That's why [I like] this Kowtow [one]... it's playful but it's wearable and it's comfy but it's not just a boring T-shirt. It really feels like it's reflecting who I am. I'm on a real quest for a good T-shirt. I'm trying to kind of grow up in my sense of style while also holding on to a sense of play. Who do you dress for and why? I dress for how I'm feeling – so for me in a way. If I'm feeling kind of drab, then I'll sort of elevate my look to pull myself out of that a little bit. It almost feels like my styling is medicinal in a way. It's a reaction to how I'm feeling. In terms of the public eye... I guess that's why I dress boyish because when I dress masculine jokes start coming my way. People are like, 'oh, you look like a lad'. I think, because of how I position myself in terms of my own gender identity – you know, he/him pronouns, but like not 'one of the boys' – I do feel a bit uncomfortable dressing hypermasculine. This [Kowtow] rugby top, it feels almost satirical in a way, like provocative to wear that sort of stuff. I do love a pair of stubbies, though. I think that it's quite a quintessential New Zealand style. What first drew you into fashion? I think it's that kind of transformative element of it, it's the idea of it all being a costume and wanting to look and feel or present a certain way, which I really like. How do you think clothes and fashion have helped shape your identity? They haven't necessarily helped shape it, but I feel like clothes have been a companion on my identity journey. So, it's like at any inroad, they've been reflecting what I felt at the time. It's always just been like a companion to it all. It reflects where you were at, at any time. I actually just let go of a whole bunch of clothes that I've outgrown at a maturity level. For a young twink somewhere. I wish him well. Is there anything that you find particularly challenging or frustrating about clothing? The scope of menswear. It's actually really, really hard. There's Checks, there's Beach Brains – but again, they're like badass, whereas I'm playing little Christian boy. There was Thom Morison, and there's Porter James. That's my biggest gripe and, obviously ethical practices and sizing. Sizing is just crazy, isn't it? I'm a big unit and I would say the world of fashion is accessible to me, but it is still hard. Whereas I can only imagine people who feel like they're outside of those accessible ranges, it must be impossible. There's still so much work to be done there. Is there any specific piece of style advice that has been very impactful for you? Well, it's like Devil Wears Prada, Meryl Streep doing her cerulean monologue that everything is a reference of something. So, even if you feel like you're not involved in the conversation of fashion, you are a byproduct of it. You are a part of that wider ecosystem of fashion. It's more fun the more you know your references and the more you learn about why you dress the way you dress. It's not trivial, fashion is such an interesting part of the economy, style, politics, gender, race, all of it. I think the more you know about it, then the less you're sort of a victim to the toxic conversations of it. That becomes so much more healthy than 'I don't like the way my shoulders look'. You're making an intellectual choice rather than like a self-defensive [one] because the world's made you feel bad. I love people that have personal style, because they look like them. Chris Parker is on tour across the motu with Stop Being So Dramatic from June 28. He performs at Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland on July 26. More local fashion From emerging talents to statements through style. More on local fashion From NZ designers to local manufacturing. From Warkworth To London, Fashion Designer Kat Tua Is Challenging Māori Stereotypes. Menswear designer Kat Tua talks to Dan Ahwa about a deeply personal bespoke creation designed to underpin the values of her brand Manaaki for an international audience. NZ Jeweller Jessica McCormack Designed Zendaya's Engagement Ring & Opened Her First US Store. The designer has a knack for injecting cool-girl energy into top-dollar pieces. Is 'Made In New Zealand' Clothing Dying? The Reality Of Manufacturing Locally Now. Jessica Beresford looks at the challenges facing the local garment industry, which has been likened to an endangered species, and the designers staunchly protecting it.

Otago Daily Times

10 hours ago

Otago Daily Times

Retro video store standing strong

When Evan Kiddey first opened Dead Video, he was given one piece of advice by everyone he spoke to: 'Don't do it'. Five years later his retro video store is standing strong in the face of the digital era. Kees Chalmers sat down with Kiddey to find out the secret to his success Evan Kiddey's collection journey was hatched at an early age. He recalls being taken around garage sales and markets by his parents, Martin and Christine Kiddey. He developed a love for cinema and physical media, particularly the horror and cult genres. His business, Dead Video, looks to keep what he loves alive. Kiddey's store boasts more than 3000 titles across VHS, DVD, Blu-ray and 4k formats, including the largest selection of horror and cult titles in Christchurch. 'Everything in the store is an extension of my personality and all the things I love,' said Kiddey. 'It's having that place where people can come in and feel happy after leaving.' His store also sells video games, comic books, vinyl records and vintage collectables. His most expensive title is a VHS copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, priced at $750. Some of his collectables exceed $1000. The vintage store's collection comes from a variety of places: hunting in thrift stores, scouring online and donations from the public. "If you're not hungry for it, you're never going to find the good stuff,' Kiddey said. The 39-year-old's passion drew him to make an Instagram page in 2019 to find like-minded people who shared a love for physical media. "With all the (video) stores closing down, I thought it would be nice to keep that alive, keep that feeling for the next generation,' he said. Kiddey opened two pop-up rental video stores, one next to Spooky Boogie and then one on Norwich Quay, but was forced to stop due to lockdown in March 2020. Following lockdown being lifted, he converted his friend's garage on Dublin St into a rental video store. In 2021, he opened the store he operates now on London St, at a time where video rental shops were closing down. "It was a total risk, but I was stubborn. "I asked video store owners and they were like it's not going to work, it's not a viable business plan, and I was like, whatever, I'll do it,' he said. For a while it appeared the doubters were correct. As being purely a video rental store proved to be unfeasible, Kiddey branched out to collectables and selling secondhand movies. "It's been a positive shift. "It's pretty cool to have it here and still be here, because a lot of people didn't think we would be,' he said. The business owner said more people are starting to come back to physical media. He attributes the revival to audiences growing tired of streaming service algorithms and the effect of holding a tangible object. "It's in your hand, you get bonus features, director commentaries, stills library, all the theatrical trailers, there's so much packed in these discs,' he said. The journey has been amazing, Kiddey said, but it has not been without its ebbs and flows. "We've gone through lockdowns, social distancing, limited people allowed in the store, economic downturns, everything, I've opened a business in the worst possible time in history. "But it's been a lot of fun, I've met some absolutely amazing people by doing this and people I wouldn't have met otherwise. The community around the shop and collecting is pretty awesome.' Dead Video regular Lewis Fitzgerald has been collecting action figures since he was a kid and loves still having places to facilitate his passion. 'I've met some cool guys, other collectors and stuff through there that I wouldn't have probably necessarily met, it's just cool.' He found his 'holy grail' at Dead Video, a 1984 G.I Joe rattler jet. 'Evan's the man with finding random stuff people are looking for,' he said. The store has even had Hollywood celebrities pass through – Elijah Wood from The Lord of the Rings, Jemaine Clement Flight of the Conchords and John Cho from Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle. Kiddey is a chef by trade and works as a food and technology teacher at Unlimited Discovery School alongside running the business. 'It's a really good juggle, but I'm managing so far,' he said.

Otago Daily Times

10 hours ago

Otago Daily Times