Luke Gresback recounts his memories as a customer of the Howard Hughes Video Store. He talks about his favorite sections of the store and how what he watched from the video store influenced his life. He also discusses downtown Moscow and how the video store contributed to the community. He mentions what is lost and gained from the transition from video rental stores to streaming.

Monique Lillard: There we go I think we're recording, so I am monique lillard I am interviewing on behalf of the University of Idaho library.

Monique Lillard: For an oral History project about the video rental store right here in Moscow Idaho i'm going to have my interview subject state his name in just a moment, but first I want to ask, have you sign the waiver and release.

Monique Lillard: I have very good Thank you would you state your name and would you tell us how old you are.

Luke Gresback: i'm Luke grows back and i'm 22 years old.

Monique Lillard: Very good, very good so when did you, what are your first memories of going to the video store.

: Here in tammy.

Luke Gresback: I have memories of going to the video store as far back as I could have memories me, you know, being a baby.

Luke Gresback: And having my parents come in and get videos and all those are some of the best days as a kid were the ones where we could go to the movie store and I could pick out all the movies, I wanted to watch.

Luke Gresback: In a way, that we kind of don't have access to in sort of a fun way anymore yeah.

Monique Lillard: Can you describe it, what was what was it like how often would you go.

Luke Gresback: uh we probably go.

Luke Gresback: By monthly every two weeks or so um.

Luke Gresback: and

Luke Gresback: When I was really short and piney the the the racks would go above my head and I could I was swimming and movies literally.

Luke Gresback: super fun super fun as a kid to be able to do that.

Monique Lillard: Great image that is a wonderful image, both in terms of.

Monique Lillard: The height, but also in terms of the swimming in.

Luke Gresback: That yeah.

Monique Lillard: that's Nice are you remembering the store that was opposite where the Co op is now or the one on Main Street.

Luke Gresback: I I have memories of both i'm.

Luke Gresback: The co op one is like fragmented i'm.

Luke Gresback: A.

Luke Gresback: sort of the way, everything is when you're a little kid but yeah mainly mainly the Main Street one.

: Okay.

Luke Gresback: Where I remember going.

Monique Lillard: yeah so What was your favorite section and that probably changed over time, but can you kind of walk us through the.

Luke Gresback: um.

Luke Gresback: And I think it in middle school I got into watching horror movies and freaking myself out a lot, and so the the horror section.

Luke Gresback: kind of.

Luke Gresback: adjacent to the to the cashier is to the Left was always fun, I think that one had a TV in it, too, so it was always playing something.

Luke Gresback: And yeah they had everything there.

Monique Lillard: yeah yeah that is so cool.

Monique Lillard: Do you have any recollection to the store changing over the years.

Luke Gresback: A.

Luke Gresback: vaguely i'm vaguely I mean I just I just kind of have a blurry a recollection of where when they were changing locations uh just feeling sort of in limbo at that time as a kid but inside the actual store not really.

Monique Lillard: Okay okay great did you think much about the collection, or as you look back, what do you remember about the collection itself.

Luke Gresback: I just I just remember i'm.

Luke Gresback: sort of being intimidated, because there was so much stuff that.

Luke Gresback: I didn't know um.

Luke Gresback: So much stuff that was you know 30 years older than I was um.

Luke Gresback: And just kind of feeling tossed in the deep end and having to swim out.

Monique Lillard: that's very good that's very good did you so did you start going in with your own friends at some point, rather than we.

Monique Lillard: Do parents.

Luke Gresback: yeah definitely.

Luke Gresback: yeah yeah that was that was the horror stage we would go in and.

Luke Gresback: Okay, and do the five for five and get a you know bundle or movies to freak out it.

Monique Lillard: gotcha okay.

Monique Lillard: what's your recollection who would you say was the most important person at the store and I don't have to have a name I find if you have a name if you don't that's fine too, but.

Luke Gresback: geez I don't remember uh I don't I don't remember, too many people specifically um.

Luke Gresback: I remember one guy was super nice uh I had just started doing my own videography business and they were always super cool with letting me use the.

Luke Gresback: The corkboard to put up my my posters.

Luke Gresback: To self advertise but yeah.

Luke Gresback: Everybody who is always working the work in the cashiers table was a super Nice.

Luke Gresback: And yeah yeah very cool.

Monique Lillard: Very good, very good and you know what I was saying something to before we started recording did I forget to say it's April 21 today, I think I did.

Monique Lillard: April 21 2021 all right there we go it says, did you remember to say you remember to say before we started recording exactly all right good.

Monique Lillard: So, but actually what you just mentioned is really where I wanted to go with this, so can you describe what you're doing now, and can you talk about how the store or your experiences there might have affected that.

Luke Gresback: Sure um I am a filmmaker in Los Angeles.

Luke Gresback: it's an annoying sense to say always but uh yeah.

Luke Gresback: So much of my sensibilities is like a visual multimedia artist we're totally shaped by just all the stuff that I was watching as a kid.

Luke Gresback: which was TV and really frequently movies from the video store.

Luke Gresback: um yeah I don't know I wouldn't I wouldn't be doing what i'm doing today.

Luke Gresback: Of editing and and making fun stuff on the computer without the video store no way.

Monique Lillard: Interesting so did you ever go to stores, other than Howard Hughes video, which then became Main Street video co op did you there were others in town, did you ever go.

Luke Gresback: yeah yeah the one by East side.

Luke Gresback: We went to a good deal I forget it was a one chain was that I forget.

Monique Lillard: i'm not sure, because I think I might be misremembering So if you remember that's fine and if you don't that's fine.

Luke Gresback: But you remember the one the one over by side.

Monique Lillard: Very well.

Monique Lillard: Very well, I can see the store I just.

Monique Lillard: i'm not quite sure if it's.

Monique Lillard: A website yeah.

Luke Gresback: me neither me neither.

Luke Gresback: I know it wasn't like a huge chain it wasn't a blockbuster um.

Luke Gresback: But yeah.

Luke Gresback: That one that one we went to a lot.

Luke Gresback: um and I think that's it is on a handful of occasions I picked up some movies from the library um.

Luke Gresback: But yeah.

Monique Lillard: Did you go to Hastings ever out on the other.

Luke Gresback: Oh yeah uh huh.

Monique Lillard: yeah for videos to.

Luke Gresback: uh yeah mm hmm.

Monique Lillard: And how was Howard Hughes different from those other two.

Luke Gresback: Is the location, I mean, just like the the the feeling of downtown Moscow.

Luke Gresback: I think is so.

Luke Gresback: Central it's it's a mutual thing where where I think downtown made the video store better and then the video store made downtown better i'm.

Luke Gresback: just such a thing for all the businesses downtown in Moscow.

Luke Gresback: That has always made it so special to me.

Monique Lillard: yeah you know I think a lot of stock about how special downtown Moscow is and my vision of this oral history is not just the video powder what really Moscow.

: in general.

Monique Lillard: And since now you're living in Los Angeles you've lived a few other places now besides Moscow, can you put your finger on what's so special about Moscow.

Monique Lillard: And this huge question if you don't have an answer.

Luke Gresback: That well that's that's kind of that's kind of the funny thing is.

Luke Gresback: Like I can't I can feel it so distinctly, but I can never actually like articulate it to my.

Luke Gresback: Friends uh so i'm always begging them to come with me um I know in in Los Angeles specifically there's no that you know there's downtown's scattered, but like not no no central place that you can walk to and.

Luke Gresback: The same way there is in Moscow.

Luke Gresback: Everything everything spread out.

Luke Gresback: But.

Luke Gresback: My girlfriend was just saying this, the other day she was, like everything in Moscow is walkable i'm just like as a complete outsider that's how she says she sees it, and that's how i've always felt is.

Luke Gresback: You can totally get everywhere on foot and.

Luke Gresback: No, no where's more exemplary of that fact than downtown.

Monique Lillard: that's good.

Luke Gresback: So that that's that's always that was always kind of like the meeting in place was was downtown like okay let's walk downtown figure it out.

Luke Gresback: And that I think that's why it feels so alive.

Luke Gresback: But no, nothing I could like say okay it's caused by ABC it just like it has its own feeling.

Luke Gresback: And i'm really grateful for it yeah.

Monique Lillard: Well, for what it's worth I completely agree with you, I can't quite put my finger on it.

Luke Gresback: Either yeah.

Monique Lillard: yeah so back to the video store, what do you think caused its decline and ultimate demise, what do you think happened.

Luke Gresback: I mean i'm sure you're getting the same answer every time but netflix obviously i'm just totally killed it um.

Luke Gresback: and

Luke Gresback: It really sucks I think there's there's a.

Luke Gresback: degree of.

Luke Gresback: spontaneity that like a future generations are losing with.

Luke Gresback: Losing things like the video store, which is like you kind of can with netflix like go into it and, like find something to watch, but you don't.

Luke Gresback: Not the same way it's like walking into a physical store and being like okay this piece of plastic looks interesting i'll turn this on tonight like.

Luke Gresback: It was it's just like.

Luke Gresback: You you don't you don't get to like branch out as much anymore, I think I missed that this is the same thing with like cable TV like you can't just like flip around on channels anymore, you have to like know what you're watching every time you turn on the streaming service.

Luke Gresback: and

Luke Gresback: It sucks I think that's lost, and I wish we had a back.

Monique Lillard: that's very interesting.

Monique Lillard: yeah I.

Monique Lillard: Actually i'm not getting all the same answer on.

Monique Lillard: A similar i've similar answers, of course, streaming has to come into the.

Monique Lillard: Answer somewhere, but.

Monique Lillard: Because i'll I mean once you're answering is not only, why did it happen, but you're starting to focus on what did we lose, so let me.

Monique Lillard: yeah question that way, what did Moscow, the town lose and then maybe, what is the world losing or at least the country losing, as we have virtually no video rental stores anymore.

Monique Lillard: yeah.

Luke Gresback: Great question well.

Luke Gresback: Moscow, specifically with a small town like Moscow when you have X amount of like cool fun things you can do in a town, when you remove one it's it's.

Luke Gresback: sort of proportionally taking away a lot of the fun things you can do.

Luke Gresback: And like going to the movie store and picking a movie for 30 minutes like that that is like a fun social thing you can do.

Luke Gresback: That just like you can't replace that with with netflix like you get sort of the same outcome, but you don't you don't get to like means to the end.

Luke Gresback: The same way you used to um.

Luke Gresback: So yeah it like it's taking away.

Luke Gresback: It takes away one fun thing you can do and makes.

Luke Gresback: The town like ultimately a little more two dimensional um one dimensional I guess.

Luke Gresback: And as a whole as a society.

Luke Gresback: I don't know a kind of like what I said, like we're.

Luke Gresback: we're losing some spontaneity.

Luke Gresback: By losing this sort of like singular places where you can.

Luke Gresback: Then do a multitude of.

Luke Gresback: different options.

Luke Gresback: you're really at you you're you're really at the mercy of like the like studios contracts, because if they if they say okay i'm going to pull my show or my movie from netflix, then you don't really have an option, whereas at a movie star, you can just like get anything.

Monique Lillard: that's something that I really felt and was aware of the whole time is.

Monique Lillard: The control that we had by owning those movies physically owning them is we are the store owner now netflix or anybody else can just flick a switch and say okay this movie is cancelled, for this reason, this movie isn't enough profit so it's off, you know I recently.

Monique Lillard: Had it happen on netflix that I was watching something and then they said it's going to be over in a in a couple weeks, they had a deadline.

Monique Lillard: yeah I was like wait i'm not done.

Luke Gresback: yeah yeah.

Monique Lillard: And I get it bandwidth and all that stuff at PBS that happens all the time it's like I wanted to be watching this yeah yeah.

Luke Gresback: yeah yeah totally like we have you know anytime you have a you know said, what do we want to watch tonight um.

Luke Gresback: You know you have to have the conversation Oh, I think this just got pulled from FLEX oh that movie Oh, I wanted to watch that I think it's on HBO Oh, we don't have HBO.

Luke Gresback: You know it's like when these when all these movies, are delegated to a bunch of different streaming services it just makes it kind of a hassle to watch which you want to watch.

Luke Gresback: Whereas the movie story is kind of the perfect balance of like you can get whatever you want, but also, you can find some new stuff.

Monique Lillard: yeah I follow you tell me and i'm asking everyone under 40 this question.

Monique Lillard: Does the loss of privacy on netflix and all the other streaming services bother you, you know they can track what you've watched they could sell that information they could give it away to the government or be forced to give it to the government, I assume, probably eventually.

Monique Lillard: Does that bother you.

Luke Gresback: um.

Luke Gresback: I think when I really sit down and weigh it out and think about that um.

Luke Gresback: yeah when i'm watching not consciously.

Luke Gresback: But yeah I mean it bothers me.

Luke Gresback: But then, at that point it's like not just streaming services, specifically because kind of everywhere Superman um.

Luke Gresback: But yeah yeah.

Luke Gresback: The.

Luke Gresback: You can't really go like incognito mode.

Luke Gresback: At a movie store the same way I don't know yeah I guess.

Monique Lillard: yeah it does yeah yeah I mean you know it's kind of interesting because some of the memories that people have you know they used to be an adult section I don't know when they stopped that I doubt that it was within your consciousness, really.

Luke Gresback: But I know.

Monique Lillard: I personally never went in there, because my main reason was I thought I don't want anybody to see me going in, even if I went i'm a law professor and i'm just doing research for the first amendment it's like i'm not going in there.

Monique Lillard: And yeah some of the people used to work at the store said that people would have a sort of a legitimate, or whatever you want to call it a.

Monique Lillard: Non adult titles on either side and sandwich the adult ones in there, somebody else was saying that somebody work there, and it was her teacher and then he had this.

Monique Lillard: Oh no he's in there and then the next day she'd be sitting in class thinking.

Monique Lillard: I know what you watched last.

Monique Lillard: Night yes so.

: we're.

Monique Lillard: You know, different kinds of privacy right it's it's interesting.

Luke Gresback: yeah right yeah.

Monique Lillard: yeah yeah What if we gained by streaming services what.

Monique Lillard: what's better I mean.

Luke Gresback: convenience definitely um.

Luke Gresback: You don't have to like go out and making an event but also you don't get to go out and make it an event.

Monique Lillard: yeah yeah.

Luke Gresback: Which which is annoying um but also a.

Luke Gresback: um.

Luke Gresback: I think I think probably the at the beginning them streaming services we it was probably like significantly cheaper.

Luke Gresback: than going to the movie source, but at this point I don't think that's the case anymore.

Luke Gresback: Because there's so many services that now we have to pay.

Luke Gresback: For like every couple months there's a new one Disney just got one paramount's getting one.

Luke Gresback: Like yeah I think now the like volume of streaming services, we have to pay for in order to like kind of scratch the itch of like getting whatever we want a I think that's not the case anymore, so I think it is kind of just convenience at this point.

Monique Lillard: yeah interesting all right yeah.

: yeah.

Monique Lillard: So the videos that you make, how do you distribute them.

Luke Gresback: At home, do you make up YouTube.

Luke Gresback: YouTube okay tube.

: and

Luke Gresback: I guess uh yeah younger people kind of like minded.

Luke Gresback: folks like myself um.

Luke Gresback: But yeah yeah YouTube primarily.

Monique Lillard: YouTube got it got it, and so, of course, well, I guess, maybe YouTube is going to start eventually being a streaming service i'm not sure i'm.

Luke Gresback: Not you already it already is.

Luke Gresback: Okay yeah so yeah they have you.

Luke Gresback: They have YouTube TV where they.

Luke Gresback: The you have to pay for and and it's it's like yeah they have movies, they have sports.

Monique Lillard: Okay.

Luke Gresback: Just reinventing.

Monique Lillard: TV channel yeah yeah um.

Monique Lillard: I never understand why they don't just make it free because it's better than the Nielsen ratings they would have absolute information about how many people watched what and where they stopped watching it and.

Monique Lillard: They just charge the advocate advertisers accordingly, you know I.

Monique Lillard: don't understand their economic model, but that would be a history series for another day.

Luke Gresback: yeah.

Monique Lillard: yeah.

Monique Lillard: Do you remember where you were when you heard the video store was closing or what.

: Do you remember hearing about it.

Luke Gresback: yeah yeah I do um.

Luke Gresback: Was it, it was what year was that.

Luke Gresback: I want to say, like 2016 but I might be totally miss remembering.

Monique Lillard: Well, the private ownership ended in about 2015 actually and then.

Luke Gresback: uh huh.

Monique Lillard: I kind of got ahead size, with the question, so it went from privately owned to this cooperative model, did you track any of that you would have still been in high school.

Luke Gresback: Where you were not.

Monique Lillard: consciously right, and then it actually shattered it stores just over a year ago it was right at the coven.

Monique Lillard: shop down.

Luke Gresback: that's right that's right yeah that's right.

: yeah.

Luke Gresback: that's right yeah cuz I do remember at a certain point, seeing it's a Co op.

Luke Gresback: yeah wonder well that's, on the other side.

: yeah.

Monique Lillard: Right interesting.

: um.

Luke Gresback: yeah.

Luke Gresback: Right.

Luke Gresback: It was a bummer it's stuck yeah.

Monique Lillard: Okay alrighty.

Monique Lillard: let's see here.

Monique Lillard: Do you have any funny stories or happy memories or stories that you've heard any any funny thing you want to tell us what happened to you heard about it whatever.

Luke Gresback: Well Okay, there was the story, where I saw my teacher in the adult video section, but I think we kind of covered that one.

Monique Lillard: that's all right all right.

Luke Gresback: i'm.

Monique Lillard: Here Luke groesbeck is also a stand up comedian.

Luke Gresback: Right.

Monique Lillard: Are you still doing that work.

Luke Gresback: I yeah kinda.

Monique Lillard: Guy right.

Luke Gresback: comedian you think other stand apart oh yeah nobody stands up now everybody sits down in front of.

Monique Lillard: yeah yeah.

Luke Gresback: Exactly exactly um.

Luke Gresback: funny stories nothing super comes to mind.

Luke Gresback: uh.

Luke Gresback: Nothing off him.

Luke Gresback: Maybe this is maybe this is one of the things where where i'll wake up in a cold sweat.

Luke Gresback: And i'll email you saying we got to reschedule.

Monique Lillard: Absolutely don't be in a cold sweat it's.

Monique Lillard: Totally fine so.

Monique Lillard: let's see I asked you everything here.

Monique Lillard: You know, you said that you enjoyed the horror section, but were there any other favorite sections, you had to the store.

Luke Gresback: i'm trying to remember the rest of hand, I think there was a cross from the war there was a cult classic section um and then sort of back near the door was where like the comedies were.

Luke Gresback: um.

Luke Gresback: I did.

Luke Gresback: I mean, I like just seeing like okay what new movies, do they have.

Luke Gresback: Because i'm not a super admin theater goer.

Luke Gresback: So, like the very front section where it would just show like Oh, they just got the new I don't know pirates of the Caribbean or whatever like that was that was a good section I love the comedy section.

Luke Gresback: um.

Luke Gresback: yeah I missed I missed the the early 2000s.

Luke Gresback: movies just lining the walls.

Monique Lillard: yeah yeah that's just it those are harder to find nowadays.

Monique Lillard: yeah.

Monique Lillard: But I think you can find most of them, but did you ever go to in the foreign section, it was sort of hard to find it was you'd walk in, and it was around to the right behind did you ever look at.

Monique Lillard: As somebody who is interested in film and somebody who.

Monique Lillard: I happen to know speak French I wondered if you went to that section very much.

Luke Gresback: Ah, I will confess I don't think I ever stepped foot in that section.

Monique Lillard: don't tell your mom okay.

Luke Gresback: I know she would be so mad at me but yeah.

Luke Gresback: As somebody who didn't do didn't really set out to have a particularly.

Luke Gresback: cultured palette.

Luke Gresback: I accept more to the Adam sandler's stuff.

: On the front.

Monique Lillard: Tell me this when you would take out a DVD would you look at the special features.

Luke Gresback: I know I was I wasn't a huge special features guy um but I loved I love, looking at the box designs, those are so important to me.

Luke Gresback: And they just don't exist anymore yeah like there's no physical thing I can like scan anymore.

Monique Lillard: yeah that's so interesting some people really feel that.

Monique Lillard: My husband's another one, and you know he's he's a very good visual artist also and I think this shows from the first image of swimming in the sea of videos and the box design, I think that video visual things seem to attract your eye yeah.

Luke Gresback: uh huh.

Monique Lillard: yeah yeah interesting interesting.

Monique Lillard: All right, is there anything else that and maybe i'll be the one who wakes up in a cold sweat and think.

Monique Lillard: Oh, I forgot yeah something but.

Monique Lillard: Is there anything else that you want you want to say anything else I should have asked you.

Luke Gresback: i'm trying to think uh.

Luke Gresback: I just don't think I just like there's very few.

Luke Gresback: Businesses downtown that like encapsulate the feeling of downtown Moscow, the same way that Howard used in.

Luke Gresback: There, like the kenworthy one world.

Luke Gresback: The co op kinda like these are the elite headliners.

Monique Lillard: Of.

Luke Gresback: The downtown Moscow Idaho staples.

Luke Gresback: And we've lost one and it's sad yeah i'm.

Luke Gresback: And I don't know I hope in some way, we can some big it something similar back, but I don't know.

Monique Lillard: I don't know you know that reminds me of something that you said earlier and I meant to follow up You said something about how it was a social experience to go in there.

Monique Lillard: And you're the only one who said this actually that the process of picking was its own joy, I guess, people said it in different ways, but yeah that became what one pleasure in and of itself.

Monique Lillard: You recollect talking to two people people there and running into people there, or is it wasn't more a place you'd go with your friends or.

Luke Gresback: A cheese i'm sure that happened all the time um.

Monique Lillard: But it's not standing out and it doesn't have to it's all history, you know.

: Every yeah.

Luke Gresback: um.

Luke Gresback: No, no particulars but like.

Luke Gresback: yeah I mean just the other, and not even in the store just getting another reason to like walk downtown.

Luke Gresback: yeah and like run into somebody on the way um it wasn't just the point, it was the fact that I needed to go to the point.

Monique Lillard: I follow you.

Luke Gresback: I found yeah.

Luke Gresback: um.

Luke Gresback: And it's yeah it's just something we lost.

Monique Lillard: yep I understand well we've been going for 30 minutes already 20 minutes and that funny.

Monique Lillard: goes fast yeah.

Monique Lillard: Is there anybody else you think we should talk to about this place, other than that.

Luke Gresback: i'm Joe, for I mean for us is the perfect person to talk again i'm.

Luke Gresback: cheese, let me think Oh, Mr ramalingam and emory emory ramalingam definitely.

Monique Lillard: Okay, and rafe okay that's interesting I will I had one member of their family, I put all of them on yeah.

Luke Gresback: Oh, did you have.

Monique Lillard: Jeff and I had, I had no actually I had to Neil, I mean yeah that means you get the whole family to get that whole.

Luke Gresback: family is.

Luke Gresback: Yes, perfect yeah i'd say emory definitely emery was always the mom that like brought us kids to Howard Hughes.

Luke Gresback: Okay um.

Luke Gresback: And she also has a photographic memory so i'm sure she.

Luke Gresback: She has a lot of stuff to say.

Monique Lillard: OK OK, I will do that.

Monique Lillard: I want to thank you for your time while we're on the recording and then i'll turn off the recording and stay on a second and we'll just farewell, but this was perfect Thank you and thanks for your time and your effort.