Meet the Mayor: The Video Underground

Welcome to "Meet the Mayor," a segment in which we interview local Foursquare Mayors in their natural habitats.

The Video Underground foursquare.com/venue/203224

James Lau foursquare.com/james_lau

So Blockbuster is totally fucked, but this cool indie place is still here. Why did Blockbuster fail?
They tailored to mainstream media, and there's that interactivity with smartphones and iPads where everyone's watching movies on the go. I can't do that.

Neither can David Lynch.
That's not how we started watching films. There's also the hominess of watching with friends and family. When you go on the train and everyone's watching something on their smartphone, it doesn't feel personable. Bookstores are dying because everyone's reading on tablets. There's a tactile feel to flipping through pages, or picking up a DVD case and looking at it. There's also a sense of community at a video store, where you can talk to people. You can't go to a Redbox and chat with the person next to you.

What's the most rad movie in the Video Underground's porno section?
I have not gone in there. Frankly, I'd like to see them remove it and put something else in its place.

Have you tried their ice cream?
I haven't had time to come by when they serve it.

You're not a fan of porno or ice cream?
Quite frankly, no.

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