Lost Lizard brings video rentals back to Pittsburgh
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Lost Lizard's soft opening is Aug. 8. Photo: Chrissy Suttles/Axios
Lost Lizard Video is bringing Pittsburgh's video rental era back from the dead with a Lawrenceville shop devoted to VHS tapes, DVDs, Betamax and cult cinema.
Why it matters: As streaming splinters into pricier, ad-filled platforms, shop owner Vincent Santis is delivering a rewind steeped in horror nostalgia.
The big picture: Lost Lizard joins other recent arrivals like South Side's Vinegar Syndrome in the city's physical media revival.
- Younger film buffs are helping fuel the resurgence, joining millennials and Gen X in bringing tangible formats back into circulation.
Zoom in: Browse hundreds of rotating rentals from Santis' personal collection.
- The 600-square-foot space features B-movie phantasmagoria, traditional horror, action films and hard-to-find straight-to-video releases not available on streaming.
- A full "Godfather of Gore" section showcases Pittsburgh-born Herschell Gordon Lewis classics that defined the splatter genre.
- Rent a VCR, grab '90s-era candy, snacks and drinks, and catch special screenings and meet-and-greets with local filmmakers and actors.
- Santis plans to eventually digitize old tapes for customers and offer mold cleaning.
What they're saying: Santis, an independent filmmaker who studied at the former Art Institute of Pittsburgh, tells Axios he's been "obsessed" with collecting tapes and discs for much of his life.
- "I figured one day it would come back," he says. "Pittsburgh's rooted in horror … George Romero, Tom Savini … there's this need for old-school movie stuff here."
- He says it's been well over a decade since Pittsburgh had a video rental store like his, pointing to predecessors such as Dormont's Incredibly Strange Video, which closed in 2008, and Bloomfield's Dreaming Ant, which closed in 2013.
How it works: Lost Lizard will offer tiered memberships with added perks, but anyone can rent a video for about $5 a week without a membership, Santis says.
- Tier 1 is $10 per month and gets you three rentals monthly.
- Tier 2 is $20 and gets you five rentals, plus half off events.
- Tier 3 is $30-$35 and gets you unlimited rentals, free entry into events and half off meet-and-greets.
If you go: 5310 Butler St., Lawrenceville
- Lost Lizard's soft opening is Aug. 8 from noon-6pm, with early access and membership card pickup for presale members at the highest tier. Message Lost Lizard on Instagram for details.
- The grand opening is Sept. 5. Full hours will be posted online closer to launch, but Santis expects to be open noon-6pm Wednesday-Thursday and 11am-8pm or 9pm on weekends.