Ben and Katy Beard recount their experience as customers of the video rental stores in Moscow, ID. They discuss the different rental stores in town, as well as the different iterations of Howard Hughes Video Rental. Ben talks about how he would mention the store in his classes. They talk about the sections of the store they preferred and how they selected their movies. The Beards briefly mention how important the employees were to the store and their recommendations. They describe reactions of people who would visit the store from out of town. Ben laments that there wasn't any notice that the store may have needed help and suddenly it was gone. They both talk briefly about the store closing and the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre video sale. They discuss the changes over the years including: store location, hours, parking, and movie displays. They discuss the difference between renting and watching on Netflix versus at the video store. The conversation touched briefly on Covid-19 and the possibilities for the store had it remained open. Beau also asked the Beards about their thoughts on late fees. They briefly mention becoming members of the Main Street Video Co-op. They discuss the transition of VHS to DVD to BluRay.

Beau Newsome: Okay.

Beau Newsome: looks like we're recording you might see a little recording sign on your table.

Beau Newsome: All right, well, my name is Bo newsome i'm here with.

Beau Newsome: The University of Idaho.

Beau Newsome: they're doing a.

Beau Newsome: An oral History project.

Beau Newsome: And I have been a I was a Co worker or employee at the video store for roughly seven years.

Beau Newsome: and

Beau Newsome: managed it for about seven more so that's kind of how I am affiliated with this whole project and we're just trying to get as much oral history, about the video stores, we can so if you wouldn't mind stating your names and kind of describe your relationship with her use video.

Ben and Katy Beard: Well i'm Ben beard and we've lived in Moscow for about 34 years and, from the very beginning of Howard Hughes when it was over on why guess it's Jackson no not Jackson Washington.

Beau Newsome: Washington yes in.

: Washington.

Ben and Katy Beard: You know, we we have patronized it because it was it was an incredible gem, you know I remember when they had the video store out at the East side marketplace and I was, I remember going in there once.

Ben and Katy Beard: And going, why would I come back here.

Beau Newsome: Was this movie gallery or video, and I think it went.

: yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: And then there was one out and you are.

Ben and Katy Beard: there.

Ben and Katy Beard: By macy's oh yeah yeah yeah wasn't a better place, and that was the bookstore the bookstore.

Beau Newsome: Video.

Ben and Katy Beard: Is tasty yeah and you know it was just like I still prefer the small town.

Ben and Katy Beard: The people who work there, the employees knew the movies, you ask them a question they always knew where to find it or how to find it.

Beau Newsome: When you started doing was it the smallest.

Beau Newsome: Because in these interviews we've kind of talked about three iterations there is a small store on the corner fifth and Washington expanded into the fifth street address.

Ben and Katy Beard: Right yep.

Beau Newsome: And then i'm going to be co op or the move to the mainstream yeah then became the car.

Ben and Katy Beard: I like I like the middle one it was really big and I love the star the star walls.

Beau Newsome: yeah the actor well and director.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah yeah.

Beau Newsome: yeah those are great.

Beau Newsome: Okay that's cool so you've been there.

Beau Newsome: I think it started in 1984 I believe.

Beau Newsome: got that exact, yet I don't think.

Ben and Katy Beard: We moved here in 8887 and i'm sure we were there that fall yeah.

: Okay.

Beau Newsome: um.

Beau Newsome: Do you remember, so you moved here in 87.

Beau Newsome: Do you remember how you found out about the video store or were you were you kind of long time video store renters at that point from wherever else.

Ben and Katy Beard: No, no, I believe we barely had a vcr I think it was three little kids and you know.

Ben and Katy Beard: looking for something.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah and I don't I don't know, one of the first movies, I think we ever rented my brother and his family came down to visit yeah and it was the Princess bride.

Ben and Katy Beard: And you know he basically looked at us and said.

Ben and Katy Beard: you've got to watch this movie and it was the Princess bride and then we watched.

Ben and Katy Beard: Well, so we'll all in the Princess bride we're probably our first you know if among the first movies, we ever rented from our.

Ben and Katy Beard: feature yeah you know.

Ben and Katy Beard: And the Princess bride you know, had had prominent you know.

Ben and Katy Beard: Billing in my law classes and you know all the students had to watch them after a while I signed them on the summer reading list so that the students would understand.

Beau Newsome: Right yeah did you.

Ben and Katy Beard: Other.

Beau Newsome: departments, do you mind use the video store did you use as much for the law school.

Ben and Katy Beard: I did not use it for the law school no I just simply indicated about oh it's probably the early 2000s when I realized the students weren't getting my jokes anymore.

Ben and Katy Beard: So I just told the person for orientation, I said you got to put this on the reading list with a little caption that says, if you want to understand, Professor periods jokes watch this movie over.

Beau Newsome: Here yeah yeah that's a bummer when nobody gets your movie references that's.

Ben and Katy Beard: Right, it really is.

Beau Newsome: Oh, and I just thought you know I turned on the transcripts they want us to do that it's easier for them to do any kind of edits or anything like.

: Okay.

Beau Newsome: So sounds like.

Beau Newsome: Once you got into video store, can you talk about some of the things that were unique about it versus some of the other ones in.

Beau Newsome: bridging the actor wall.

Ben and Katy Beard: After wall I like the.

Ben and Katy Beard: Critics choice I like the different.

Ben and Katy Beard: categories that you know it depends, it depends on what mood you're in and also the new releases that was that was great we don't follow yeah you know we would we would mostly walk in and wander.

Ben and Katy Beard: and choose from there.

Ben and Katy Beard: would be from the in the later years when really the only place where you could see this month of the movie was the new release wall.

Ben and Katy Beard: That that's where we would gravitate, but when you had them out and and at least some of the movies were shown, those are the ones we tended to go to unless we went in with something in mind.

Ben and Katy Beard: Sure, we did not always do that very often.

Ben and Katy Beard: most often just went in and said Okay, we need a movie we want an action movie okay let's go into the action shot.

Ben and Katy Beard: And it was really helpful to have.

Ben and Katy Beard: The employees.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah because they really did know what you have.

Beau Newsome: So yeah from from the start, I believe they just had a knack for people being hired to just loved to be there.

Beau Newsome: For the reason of the movie just being around movies.

: yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: And they always had movies playing.

Ben and Katy Beard: That.

: yeah.

Beau Newsome: yeah.

Beau Newsome: So you mentioned.

Beau Newsome: Critics choice, there are a couple other.

Ben and Katy Beard: The employee PICs of the month, I, like those.

: yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: Depending on the employee.

: sure.

Beau Newsome: Some of us have darker sensibilities.

Ben and Katy Beard: that's right.

Ben and Katy Beard: come through pretty clearly you.

Ben and Katy Beard: know we always got good advice.

Beau Newsome: Good do you feel that the video store was important to Moscow.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah absolutely when we would have company come in visitors, it was one of our the three main draws book club, the food co op and the video store, not necessarily in that order.

Ben and Katy Beard: You meet people.

Ben and Katy Beard: Where they say book club book people yeah but people, and you know the video store and the co op.

Beau Newsome: yeah great little triangle.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah yeah yeah yeah it was some people would walk in desert walking from town and say.

Ben and Katy Beard: wow I mean I haven't seen you know they just pick up a movie I haven't seen this movie available in years and that was the thing about my scope about about the Co op and Howard Hughes is they have all the old movies, and they didn't circulate them out, they had a library.

Ben and Katy Beard: And you know you could.

Ben and Katy Beard: ask for an old movie and pay more for a new one, if you want to do, and that was cool do you think they their pricing could have been better, I mean they could charge more and maybe that would have helped keep them in the business a lot longer.

Beau Newsome: This one thing that we've talked about I talked about with monique a couple of times and.

Beau Newsome: The pricing was just fluctuated so much we tried to hone in the right price the right amount of rental days and it just wasn't always a continuous yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: I would think that redbox will.

Ben and Katy Beard: be hard to beat yeah for the except for the old movies, and then.

Ben and Katy Beard: You want to just screwed something up that you want to watch.

Ben and Katy Beard: Especially you can you could follow you know, an actor's you can start start with the beginning and go through the career, you know and and you can't just do that.

Ben and Katy Beard: Oh yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah we really we really miss it if you hadn't noticed.

Beau Newsome: I know I do too it's good to hear, but it is not good, because it's gone, but it's good right, you know people like you first came to mind when this whole thing came up.

Ben and Katy Beard: Is that there is a sense of you don't know what you got till it's gone.

Ben and Katy Beard: Again, we always we always did appreciate it, but I think we thought that there was a problem, and this is.

Ben and Katy Beard: This kind of goes back to what I was saying earlier about it would have been nice to us add some notice that they needed help.

Ben and Katy Beard: Because I think there would have been a lot of people in town, who, for all I know what or just stop doing netflix you know if and would have made the effort to go down there and grab a movie just to support it because I think it was that widely appreciated.

Beau Newsome: yeah how did well, I mean I guess we'll get to that kind of.

Beau Newsome: Like ask some questions about how you've heard.

Beau Newsome: This fact maybe didn't hear it closing down and stuff like that so.

: didn't.

Ben and Katy Beard: didn't hear about it.

Beau Newsome: In here at all.

Ben and Katy Beard: It was gone and then the next thing I knew.

Ben and Katy Beard: They were offering these for sale in where they.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah generally we learned about that late and I I went online looking for something, but I thought that was an odd way that they set it up and I I didn't buy any.

Beau Newsome: yeah it was it was it was quick, it was.

Beau Newsome: yeah.

Beau Newsome: Over deal.

Beau Newsome: So the next question is how did the video store affect your life and i'm going to go ahead and say right now, two of my employees at the video store where your son Peter and your daughter megan.

Ben and Katy Beard: And they loved working there, I really did love working there yeah.

Beau Newsome: yeah I like working with.

Beau Newsome: megan was the first person I remember I got the job and I.

Beau Newsome: went in and I knew I was getting free Rentals so I went in and grab the movie took it up to the counter and megan's like what are you doing.

Beau Newsome: said renting this movie she goes get behind the counter and rent it yourself.

Ben and Katy Beard: You know how to do this.

Beau Newsome: Do you remember when.

Beau Newsome: megan started working there.

Ben and Katy Beard: well.

Beau Newsome: Okay.

Beau Newsome: It wasn't the second iteration of the store, so it was the the bigger version of the store on fifth street.

Ben and Katy Beard: Right right and Peter worked, I think, Peter only worked on me when I was on me, but I don't know he may have worked earlier to.

Beau Newsome: I want to say, Peter just worked at fifth street across from the car.

Ben and Katy Beard: Across oh really yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: Because i'm pretty didn't he worked in college.

Beau Newsome: Because I was.

Ben and Katy Beard: He was working.

Ben and Katy Beard: barbers.

Ben and Katy Beard: Both.

Beau Newsome: Chris and Tom.

Ben and Katy Beard: work there, I think we came in a lot when they were in there to.

Beau Newsome: Do they were two main.

Beau Newsome: street store.

Ben and Katy Beard: They were.

Ben and Katy Beard: They were.

Ben and Katy Beard: Back on physical domain.

Beau Newsome: what's that.

Ben and Katy Beard: What year did it move to.

: me.

Beau Newsome: I.

Beau Newsome: want to say it was.

Beau Newsome: 2001 was it was probably 2006 2007 at.

Ben and Katy Beard: That would have been My guess.

Ben and Katy Beard: It was there for a while, but it was it was long and coming to mainstream, so I remember thinking I didn't like it on Main Street it wasn't as accessible, but actually it was fine I seldom have problems getting a place to park and stuff.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah yeah.

: Change.

Beau Newsome: yeah tell me just expand on that a little bit because that's when I took over managing was just a little bit on fifth street and then most of the time of me managing was at mainstream so.

Ben and Katy Beard: My recollection is that that would have been that megan Peter would have been on fifth street.

Beau Newsome: yeah because I never was manager when they were working there we were just coworkers.

Ben and Katy Beard: Okay cuz I thought I thought theatre work there when he was in college and that would have been five to nine but I can't remember, he was really busy in college so.

: yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: He worked at work at mikey's he worked at the breakfast club worked all over town um but.

Ben and Katy Beard: um I just thought the when it went to Main Street, it was a little more difficult to find parking.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah um, but it was a lot easier to drop off your videos because you could go down the alley.

Beau Newsome: Anyway, yeah that was again.

Ben and Katy Beard: If you did it really early in the morning you didn't have to worry about running into it so.

Beau Newsome: yeah i'm getting the fact that it was so much smaller yeah.

Beau Newsome: Like.

Beau Newsome: We had to kind of give put all the vhs in the back and just focus primarily on DVDs and stuff.

: Right.

Ben and Katy Beard: Then you could get the vhs.

Beau Newsome: Yes, yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: The other thing is on Main Street it went from.

Ben and Katy Beard: Opening from at noon to two.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah and I, I know that.

Ben and Katy Beard: A friend would would go and get it at our lunch hour and then we'd watch it and then you know she couldn't quite swing it going to so that made it a just a little bit more difficult staffing staffing problems and stuff I mean I.

Beau Newsome: Was we just weren't making enough.

Beau Newsome: Right to justify seeing a movie did we lost that lunch crowd.

Ben and Katy Beard: yep yeah.

Beau Newsome: was in hindsight it was probably something we could have done better.

Beau Newsome: So you mentioned you got a lot of new releases.

Beau Newsome: Sorry, you theatergoers like would you go to the movie theater and watch movies.

Ben and Katy Beard: Not much you know we did we went to the theater for the releases of.

Ben and Katy Beard: The Star Wars movies and Lord of the Rings.

Ben and Katy Beard: really big like trilogy kind of movies.

Ben and Katy Beard: But other than that you know we would sit at home ago that's the movie we should say on the big screen and that wasn't always the case, so you know, normally, we would just wait until it came up go get it from the video store.

Beau Newsome: So that's kind of, hence the.

Beau Newsome: Why, you would kind of focus on new releases and stuff coming in.

Beau Newsome: And we're sure.

Ben and Katy Beard: we're waiting for them.

: yeah.

Beau Newsome: cool.

Beau Newsome: um.

Beau Newsome: So you kind of mentioned a little bit some things about the video store the mess.

Beau Newsome: From the old one from history versus the Main Street.

Ben and Katy Beard: I don't know that I missed I missed.

Ben and Katy Beard: US via.

Ben and Katy Beard: was due to space.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah right yeah.

: yeah.

Beau Newsome: um so obviously I think we talked about maybe this before we recording but it sounds like you missed the video store now.

Ben and Katy Beard: Oh yeah absolutely yeah I mean again if if we'd had noticed that things were hurting you know I think I know we would have would have stepped up to help and i'm pretty sure there are other people that would have I just think it was a gem that a lot of people really appreciate it.

: yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: We don't we had enough netflix but.

Ben and Katy Beard: You can't find everything you want is you want to watch, I mean you sit down on Friday night oh let's let's watch so and so well you can't.

: just get it on netflix.

Ben and Katy Beard: But you could run down to the video store and pick it up.

Beau Newsome: Because a really good chance we had it.

Ben and Katy Beard: You know, absolutely yeah absolutely i'm gonna pay three bucks i'll do I don't even pay you yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: I mean i'm not gonna pay netflix money that on top of what i'm getting for prime or whatever, whatever.

Ben and Katy Beard: We still don't we and we can't go out to.

Beau Newsome: The right.

Beau Newsome: Now you don't even have that option yeah.

Beau Newsome: yeah yeah that's that's kind of you know one thing that I think he'll put us out of business was netflix Amazon prime.

Beau Newsome: New releases stuff like that.

Beau Newsome: But you couldn't get all the library, and it was kind of our library that was keeping us in business and we couldn't compete with the amount of new releases we needed.

Ben and Katy Beard: And i'm I don't know I would be interested to see a whole on that because I think.

Ben and Katy Beard: I think, just a lot of it is society is all about convenience.

Ben and Katy Beard: And it's just a heck of a lot easier to go down and turn on netflix and.

Ben and Katy Beard: Okay, I can't get this movie that I really wanted to watch tonight so i'll just find something else that I can get instead of getting up off my butt and going down and getting the video store.

Beau Newsome: But you know again sometimes you don't feel like you know.

Beau Newsome: You don't feel like seeing anybody you kind of just.

Ben and Katy Beard: that's true, I mean.

Ben and Katy Beard: Sometimes it's nice fit in your pajamas.

Ben and Katy Beard: But I think going that way so.

Beau Newsome: yeah.

Beau Newsome: Good I like we've talked about a little bit earlier was the.

Beau Newsome: The shutdown kind of.

Beau Newsome: Like if we if we could have just maybe surpassed the shutdown for the 14 days.

Beau Newsome: And now seems like a perfect opportunity to have a library like that.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: that's a real shame, it would have been interesting I think people stuck at home, they would have been flocking in there.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah and you might have had to have a you know contactless thing and call ahead and will round it up for you, I don't know how that would.

Beau Newsome: be fine.

Beau Newsome: I noticed sister's room.

Beau Newsome: or CAFE artesia now yeah they had they put in a window was sidewalk window.

Ben and Katy Beard: Oh yeah.

Beau Newsome: So that could have been something tonight.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah right.

Beau Newsome: um so who do you think was the most important person at the video store.

Beau Newsome: This.

Beau Newsome: Somebody jumps to mind is like.

: For you.

Ben and Katy Beard: And Ben.

Beau Newsome: And hardcastle.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah I think I think when I think of the video store I kinda.

Ben and Katy Beard: kind of think of the two of you.

Ben and Katy Beard: Are the faces I always expected to see in there.

: yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: A couple of other longtime employee name right right.

Beau Newsome: yeah probably remember recognize her faces.

Beau Newsome: Stephen yeah Do you remember your.

Beau Newsome: account number.

Beau Newsome: 1403 or Tina three and it was four digits.

Beau Newsome: And do you remember, so what one thing i'm kind of asking people is how did they feel about late fees, because I was always a contentious thing working there.

Ben and Katy Beard: that's fair yeah late fees at the library what's the difference.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah I mean that's fair yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: Seven days on on non new releases.

Ben and Katy Beard: It seems to me that if I get a new release I barely get it right back to you and your.

Ben and Katy Beard: six.

Beau Newsome: yeah we've actually changed that in the mainstream store we just said, by the time we clubs, instead of.

Ben and Katy Beard: And, and that I could understand people be sneaky about that, but.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah.

: Like feels.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah like like fees as a as a general rule that's fair yeah.

Beau Newsome: We know your.

Beau Newsome: kids before Peter and megan work there today right there as well.

Beau Newsome: yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah yeah.

Beau Newsome: They rock up late fees.

Ben and Katy Beard: No.

Ben and Katy Beard: No, I think we got one or two calls.

Ben and Katy Beard: And you know it wasn't always down, sometimes it was us.

Ben and Katy Beard: You know me.

Ben and Katy Beard: that's true.

Ben and Katy Beard: But you know they I think we didn't have much of an issue with wait.

Beau Newsome: yeah.

Beau Newsome: So I guess we kind of went over this too, but maybe just mentioned a few things that you think ultimately ended the video store.

Beau Newsome: I know we've talked about netflix a little bit, but.

Ben and Katy Beard: redbox I would think is very easy, and there are several places around town and those have the new releases.

Ben and Katy Beard: We were not.

Ben and Katy Beard: necessarily after the new releases right yeah we would.

Ben and Katy Beard: That weren't that many we were interested in I guess.

Ben and Katy Beard: The library yeah we like to live and that's what I think is the last minute, like candy says you've got red box for new releases.

Ben and Katy Beard: But that's gonna stop and what.

Ben and Katy Beard: Six months, maybe less.

Beau Newsome: yeah it'll be it'll be done you.

Ben and Katy Beard: know the Main Street The co op and Howard Hughes.

Ben and Katy Beard: You could think of virtually any movie go down and get it and, by the way, if you couldn't get it you guys usually pot.

Beau Newsome: yeah we would we would try, we would.

Ben and Katy Beard: Cover megan.

Ben and Katy Beard: megan loved stole loves Christmas on 34th street.

Ben and Katy Beard: And one year we we wanted to watch it and I don't think you guys had it and you and I got it and and while you were doing that we bought one to through you, you know.

Ben and Katy Beard: And that was the other thing you guys did was you know you would you would say Okay, you want to buy that yes, okay we'll get it for you and.

Ben and Katy Beard: You know the thing is when and obscure movie before Amazon, or you could get on Amazon and order anything you want it to you guys would order movies, for me, because I, I would want to give them as gifts.

Beau Newsome: Oh, just to buy just.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah yeah.

Beau Newsome: yeah we almost took it personally when when we didn't have a title that somebody was looking for.

Ben and Katy Beard: that's a challenge.

: yeah.

Beau Newsome: So.

Beau Newsome: So.

Beau Newsome: um.

Beau Newsome: Do you remember, I mean I can talk to megan Peter about this, but do you remember them getting the job at the video store and are getting excited about working there.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah oh yeah definitely I remember.

Ben and Katy Beard: them being excited so remember the moment they got it and came charging home but they always enjoyed working there, I remember, they were very.

Ben and Katy Beard: Here I think especially.

Beau Newsome: yeah.

Beau Newsome: But.

Ben and Katy Beard: You know you sit around our dining room table and we're always quoting movie called.

Beau Newsome: yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: And then we had we want to you know we.

Ben and Katy Beard: We had a I had a colleague who doesn't live in Moscow come from the jazz festival, and they were staying with us and they've been here since Wednesday and they go into a concert on Wednesday and Thursday and Friday and on Saturday.

Ben and Katy Beard: megan's husband Mike went to the ui and he was here and Peter was here and and our friends were sitting here and we were having dinner and Peter and Mike started this banter.

Ben and Katy Beard: And I don't know whether it was princess bride rose willow or some movie and they just they just they must have done about 44 scenes of out of princess bride back and forth, and I remember our friend of the sun was just.

Ben and Katy Beard: He was just howling he loved it to which he looked at his wife Kristen said, do we really have to go to the concert tonight when they had to leave.

Ben and Katy Beard: We just she said yes those tickets cost a lot of money.

Ben and Katy Beard: we're going to the concert.

Ben and Katy Beard: Because he just wanted to stay and that was that was something that Howard Hughes gave us, you know I mean they both had watch that movie they would they would watch it over and over and megan also work in.

Ben and Katy Beard: The movie theater right cinema.

Beau Newsome: Which which.

Ben and Katy Beard: One out by the best University in.

Beau Newsome: The US.

: forever.

Beau Newsome: Oh wow okay.

Ben and Katy Beard: And our son Mike worked out there to.

Beau Newsome: My cooler than megan here.

Ben and Katy Beard: The oldest the oldest.

Beau Newsome: agent okay.

Ben and Katy Beard: Mike Mike worked out there to under megan actually with megan feel right to need it and then then she probably got she talked Peter and our Tuesday thing yeah.

Beau Newsome: So I think I think this is before we were recording you guys mentioned that so you weren't cool.

Beau Newsome: So after mainstream video or Howard Hughes video on mainstream became the mainstream video co op you were Members to that.

: Yes.

Beau Newsome: You did.

Beau Newsome: Did you pay the monthly increments.

Ben and Katy Beard: We we paid.

Ben and Katy Beard: We paid the lifetime thing which we thought was quite the deal, I didn't know what a goddess, but that was Okay, we were we were supporting.

Beau Newsome: yeah I wasn't sure if it was after my time so remember if you got some maybe some discounts on five days seven day Rentals or late fees.

Ben and Katy Beard: I don't remember and that's not why we did it.

Ben and Katy Beard: We did it because that was sort of the first inkling that maybe there was going to be a problem yeah.

Beau Newsome: yeah yeah you know a lot of things could have been done differently, but that was definitely setting off the alarm bells.

Ben and Katy Beard: And we knew that because money is a good friend of ours, she worked at the law school with Ben.

Beau Newsome: yeah I knew she didn't.

Beau Newsome: I didn't know that until recently.

Ben and Katy Beard: Well, we came at the same time, so.

: yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: 8787

Beau Newsome: Oh we're live before that.

Ben and Katy Beard: Cleveland Ohio.

Beau Newsome: Okay, was there any kind of you remember, there being video store rental.

Ben and Katy Beard: even have a VHF we had we had a vhs but no I don't remember I don't remember a store know and it's real possible katie could be right that we bought our first you know player when we got out yeah I don't remember.

Beau Newsome: yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: White yet to that stage.

Beau Newsome: Okay, because as a kid.

Ben and Katy Beard: I remember showing Peter.

Ben and Katy Beard: Will over the first time, and he was you know the older ones loved it and.

Ben and Katy Beard: Those log dogs came on and he started to cry and I had to take him away from we were visiting my parents and he just.

Ben and Katy Beard: He just couldn't handle it no so we don't watch too many movies, you know when they unless we were really sure that they weren't going to set people up and katie also there is a.

Ben and Katy Beard: There is a movie rating, which is Is this a katie movie.

Ben and Katy Beard: And, and that means it's got to be nice and and it has to end happy and you know, there are a number of boxes, you have to check off.

Beau Newsome: For katie.

Ben and Katy Beard: But I have megan and Peter, especially to.

Ben and Katy Beard: rate them, for me, yes, so I.

Beau Newsome: Remember, Peter another watching Star Wars a lot in the store.

Ben and Katy Beard: When we oh yeah oh yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: Every time the boys got sick they watched Star Wars, you know movie after movie after movie if they were homesick and megan watched green gables.

Beau Newsome: Oh.

Ben and Katy Beard: Now we're telling stories our stories.

Beau Newsome: Do you kind of remember the.

Beau Newsome: The phase between vhs moving to DVD.

Beau Newsome: yeah.

Beau Newsome: We with that are you kind of apprehensive about.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah we were upset because then, all of a sudden, it seemed like you could only get you know the DVDs and then as soon as you got the DVD player they came out with a BLU Ray now wait a minute.

Ben and Katy Beard: That was a much bigger thing for me.

Ben and Katy Beard: I was like hey I got the vhs DVD player, so I got one player it'll do everything and now you're gonna throw BLU Ray at me how much you know really we stopped we didn't do the right part.

Beau Newsome: yeah So those are all things that we had to worry about you know it's like.

Beau Newsome: it's like do we do we get DVD like are people going to watch TV and then, once we did we're like Okay, that was a silly question.

Ben and Katy Beard: Because like men and black when Tommy Lee Jones looks at.

Ben and Katy Beard: Will and says it's the white album it's the fifth iteration that i've had to get on a new, you know format, you know and he's got the he's got the Beatles white out minutes this big.

Beau Newsome: yeah that's right yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: So that's kind of what I felt was going on with all that.

Beau Newsome: How do you you kind of mentioned that FLEX a little bit Is that how you get most of your movies now.

Ben and Katy Beard: We get a lot of them yeah yeah netflix and we you know, we had prime for mailing.

Ben and Katy Beard: And I realized.

Ben and Katy Beard: Oh, that brings movies, with it, so mostly we watch.

Ben and Katy Beard: We watch, whatever the shows are that are available knows.

Ben and Katy Beard: We do balk at paying them three bucks for a movie now or more, we don't and again that's what I was saying, you know if a movie came up and I really wanted to watch it and it was three bucks on prime I would, I would just get in the car come down and get it from you.

Beau Newsome: yeah wish more people were that way of thinking yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: Well, you know and a lot of people, you know I just think we are we're very much in a world of convenience.

Ben and Katy Beard: You know we're conveniences is sort of everything, and we don't think about a lot of things.

Ben and Katy Beard: nicely nice evening and watch it and you know it's just a lot of good town, you know, for that kind of thing.

Beau Newsome: yeah money mentioned, it was a kind of a place to be to you know.

Beau Newsome: put my keys and put people, it was I run into somebody.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah every time I went to Casa, we ran into somebody you know.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: You know, and then he played soccer with Mike so.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah.

Beau Newsome: It is Peter the youngest.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah yeah.

Beau Newsome: OK cool.

Ben and Katy Beard: When you went to school, he was in with Robin.

Ben and Katy Beard: And ellie ellie.

Beau Newsome: Okay okay yeah yeah well yeah well you know for the interview purposes all.

Beau Newsome: we're going to be interviewing hopefully megan beard and Peter beard or it's probably not megan beard anymore it's.

Beau Newsome: Fine, fine Okay, maybe later.

Beau Newsome: But so yeah we're hoping to get them in here too.

Ben and Katy Beard: that'd be great.

Beau Newsome: You would have to say.

Beau Newsome: Is gonna be.

Ben and Katy Beard: generally available in some way.

Beau Newsome: Well, I think what they're hoping to do is have it available at the line at the ui library.

Ben and Katy Beard: Okay, I was just wondering if there was going to be accessible like online.

Beau Newsome: that's a good question.

Ben and Katy Beard: i'm given you know talking about convenience.

Ben and Katy Beard: You know, and the ability for them to have so much of this available online seems to me that it would make sense for them to to try to do that.

Ben and Katy Beard: And I don't know I don't know what they're gonna charge for it, or whatever, but I think so.

Beau Newsome: yeah.

Beau Newsome: I think we're not quite sure what the plans are.

Ben and Katy Beard: But.

Beau Newsome: I know it's they want it to be available, you know, and I think that's kind of the whole reasoning behind this is to not let it die, you know.

Beau Newsome: yeah it's a.

Beau Newsome: it's a very local.

Beau Newsome: part of my history.

Beau Newsome: Do you is there anybody, other than your Peter and megan.

Beau Newsome: That you keep in contact from the video store that you probably know.

Ben and Katy Beard: Well, the Barber boys are you know.

Ben and Katy Beard: we're friends with Louise.

: Okay.

Ben and Katy Beard: Not through the videos I mean probably you and then other people that we would say hi to around town.

Ben and Katy Beard: But that's about the extent of it.

Beau Newsome: yeah we're hoping to get been in here too and.

Ben and Katy Beard: I would assume so.

Beau Newsome: It is just basically yet play and let them go.

Ben and Katy Beard: So.

Beau Newsome: um so I guess a few you gave me a few good stories about the video stores or kind of maybe just one memorable thing you can just kind of.

Beau Newsome: Just.

Ben and Katy Beard: We didn't repeat some of what we were talking about.

Beau Newsome: Well, I guess yeah when we when we kind of get into conversations before the recording sometimes I remember.

Beau Newsome: yeah you're recording or not.

Ben and Katy Beard: it's editable.

Ben and Katy Beard: Did we mention during the recording that when people would family would visit and friends would come to town, it was one of the three gems We absolutely showed everybody was the the food co op and the poor people, people and.

Ben and Katy Beard: When we move from Cleveland.

Ben and Katy Beard: There weren't even any food co OPS, I mean.

Ben and Katy Beard: that's That was a new thing, where we came to town, and it was just like whoa and this video store and this independent bookstore was just.

Beau Newsome: Remember, when it was when it first started it was at the.

Beau Newsome: Old kfc building across from subway.

Ben and Katy Beard: yep yep.

Beau Newsome: The highway.

: yeah.

Beau Newsome: The Moscow food yeah and.

Ben and Katy Beard: I moved over by what used to be market time but isn't anymore.

Beau Newsome: Right.

Ben and Katy Beard: Over there.

Beau Newsome: yeah yeah move there and then.

Beau Newsome: The fifth step fitness is right now.

Ben and Katy Beard: We do have a lot of fitness centers in this.

Ben and Katy Beard: Town this size yeah that's a pizza parlors to.

Beau Newsome: pizza parlors.

Beau Newsome: yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: We need that we need the video store back is what we need to.

Beau Newsome: Do yes it's a kind of a bummer like if if the library was still intact and maybe there would be hope you know.

Beau Newsome: You can do something with it, you know i'm really glad honored that the library you guys libraries even you know going this far with with the library, they have you know they they accumulated.

Beau Newsome: You.

Beau Newsome: I guess, this is one question we've been asking people do remember there's one of the weirdest things to happen associated with the video store and i'm nothing POPs out and.

Ben and Katy Beard: Again, if anything, POPs out of my head.

Ben and Katy Beard: If it comes up i'll tell megan or Peter and let them know right I can't think of I don't think of anything weird.

Beau Newsome: yeah yeah.

Beau Newsome: he's never know sometimes you can just by asking that you can get a gym.

Beau Newsome: story about it.

Ben and Katy Beard: have some stories.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah yeah yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: But no, we I can't remember anything.

Beau Newsome: So is there a sudden one thing we're trying to ask to is.

Beau Newsome: there's anybody we didn't talk about or the maybe wouldn't be on our interview listing you would recommend other than megan and Peter, I know you recommend to them right off the BAT so.

Ben and Katy Beard: All of our friends go or went.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: But no one in particular.

: Okay.

Beau Newsome: yeah just.

Beau Newsome: Just a way for us to kind of expand our interview list you know.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah.

Beau Newsome: um.

Beau Newsome: So I guess.

Beau Newsome: that's about it, as far as questions.

Beau Newsome: You know, I just want to say thank you guys first came to mind when this whole thing you know when I was we were going through list, and you end for myself and monique out to you guys so.

: That.

Beau Newsome: You guys were such a good customers store.

Beau Newsome: Well we've been.

Ben and Katy Beard: we've been better.

Ben and Katy Beard: And it was also always come in and just see you know, a friend right yeah.

Beau Newsome: yeah and it was it was fun to see people like you to where it's like oh cool the beard the beard to here 14 away or 14 okay.

: Great.

Beau Newsome: Okay.

Beau Newsome: awesome yeah if you don't have anything else to say I know.

Ben and Katy Beard: I think we're good I just it just said yeah you know we missed it we miss you, we wish you well.

Beau Newsome: Thank you me as well and yeah we do yeah yeah I.

Ben and Katy Beard: don't see what we see you around town, you know it is a small town.

Beau Newsome: It is this yeah which is.

Ben and Katy Beard: The great thing about it it's a small town that doesn't feel too small.

Beau Newsome: Exactly I think that's one reason, maybe the video store.

Beau Newsome: kind of held on for as long as it did.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah.

Beau Newsome: I think the university had a lot to do with.

Beau Newsome: Her and just the local pride to have a lot of people wanting to go to the local video store yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: I guess, I have a question for you, since you work there, so long and managed, did you have a lot of college students.

Beau Newsome: Oh, we did, but it was a.

Beau Newsome: It wasn't like we were appealing to the masses basically.

Beau Newsome: We would get those college students that kind of would appreciate a store like that.

Beau Newsome: Right you got a lot of those, but we also get the College students, that would come in and look for the blockbuster new release they didn't have it, they just looked at each other, like let's go to Hastings you know that.

Beau Newsome: That was that was kind of a fine line we're walking is.

Beau Newsome: We have a.

Beau Newsome: New releases to appease the masses, then we also had to get the library to appease everybody else.

Ben and Katy Beard: One of you by five of the blockbuster what are you gonna do with them when it's no longer the first release.

Ben and Katy Beard: Oh.

: yeah.

Beau Newsome: We did do that.

Ben and Katy Beard: One or two feeling okay.

Beau Newsome: accumulated a pretty good.

Beau Newsome: movies yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: We did we did, and then we.

Ben and Katy Beard: had our carpet replaced and half of our videos walked out the door somehow.

Beau Newsome: Oh.

Ben and Katy Beard: You know, we had to store them outside the room, so you could put the carpeting in.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah it was all in the garage and it was all in paper bags.

Ben and Katy Beard: And we were to put a bag couple of the paper bags were gone.

Ben and Katy Beard: we've replaced, some of them, but.

Ben and Katy Beard: don't lose address.

Beau Newsome: Carbon carpet layer again.

Ben and Katy Beard: Well, I well.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah I don't know who it was but anyway.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah I remember you were working and trying to go to school, too.

Beau Newsome: And yeah.

Beau Newsome: It was tough I.

Ben and Katy Beard: working hard.

Beau Newsome: Unfortunately I kind of took my job more seriously than I did school so.

Ben and Katy Beard: Well, apparently, the schooling still did you in good stead.

Beau Newsome: yeah Oh, and I did want to mention, too, that.

Beau Newsome: megan and I did work at red door restaurant.

Ben and Katy Beard: Together that's right that's right you did I do remember that.

Beau Newsome: And there's a slew of employees that worked at both places.

Ben and Katy Beard: Oh yeah you're right, I remember megan saying that you know it was there was almost like this pipeline.

Ben and Katy Beard: yeah that's cool because there were two two cool local places to work.

Beau Newsome: yeah yeah.

Beau Newsome: I definitely certainly felt cool working in both places yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: No definitely you were.

: yeah.

Beau Newsome: I think megan was on her way to both places megan was on her way out of the video store when I came in, because I think she went to go work at the red door.

Beau Newsome: And then, when I got to the read to her, she was kind of on her way out of the red door.

Beau Newsome: yeah.

Beau Newsome: cool well yeah if you want to just stick around oh i'm gonna stop recording.

Beau Newsome: yeah, but if you feel like you know I think geez we went for about 45 minutes so.

Ben and Katy Beard: that's about 30 minutes longer than I thought.

Ben and Katy Beard: You know, we would have conversation.

Beau Newsome: yeah I found when I did my interview I could have I could have talked for probably three hours.

Ben and Katy Beard: Oh yeah.

Beau Newsome: For what i'm passionate about movies and stuff too yeah.

Ben and Katy Beard: This is where you get your movies now.

Beau Newsome: I have cable.

Beau Newsome: um I would highly recommend Turner classic movies.

Beau Newsome: it's an amazing channel I feel like i'm promoting it because I was talking to monique about it as well.

Beau Newsome: what's great about Turner classic movies, is they.

Beau Newsome: there's no commercials except in between movies.

Beau Newsome: do some spots about Turner classic movies and websites, you can go to and but it's zero commercials zero editing zero anything.

Beau Newsome: In the full movie and then the next one play another one, so I, so I like that about cave on HBO and stuff like that, and then I have.

Beau Newsome: hulu and Amazon prime yeah.

: Okay.

: yeah.

Beau Newsome: Okay, well, thank you for doing this interview.

Ben and Katy Beard: i'm just gonna say thank you.

Beau Newsome: And if you want to just hang tight or Sarah goodbye and stuff so.

Ben and Katy Beard: Okay.

Beau Newsome: This is awesome thanks you guys for doing this is cool good.

Ben and Katy Beard: Good to see.

: You.