‘Everything To Entertain You: The Story Of Video Headquarters’ Blu-Ray Review – A Pleasant Look At Video Store Culture

Everything to Entertain You: The Story of Video Headquarters is a documentary about one of the greatest video stores in the country: Video Headquarters from Keene, New Hampshire. The store existed for 32 years from 1983-2015. It’s owner, Ken McAleer, was a prominent figure among independent video store owners and this documentary examines how one man, with a single video store far outside the film hubs of New York and L.A., can have such a big impact in the industry. The store, voted the best video retailer in the country in 1997, not only served as a cultural institution in southwest New Hampshire but Ken McAleer served prominent roles in trade organizations and buying groups to help bolster independent stores around the country. This documentary is as much about Ken and his contributions to the industry as it is about the store. A labor of love from a first time filmmaker and former employee, this nostalgic look back at the video store era includes interviews with Ken McAleer, former employees, customers, comic artist and former video store owner, Stephen Bissette, and a treasure trove of archival audio, video, photographs, and documents from the store.

For thoughts on Everything to Entertain You: The Story of Video Headquarters, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

Video Quality

Everything to Entertain You: The Story of Video Headquarters comes to Blu-Ray in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio from a solid HD master. The film is a good mixture of interviews and fly-on-the-wall material captured over the last decade along with some archival footage interspersed for additional context and history. The footage from all eras looks as technically excellent as the source will allow in high definition. The transfer appears to have room to breathe as there are no issues with compression artifacts, banding, or other digital nuisances. 

The footage from the early days of the store seems to be the best version of it that would be possible, with much of it looking pretty gritty and soft as you would expect from basic recording equipment and vintage new sources. New interview segments appear crisp and clear with natural skin tones and detailed facial features. The colors featured in the film are natural and vibrant as they provide a nice visual pop on screen. Black levels are strong and give way to some amount of detail in shadows when the conditions allow for it. I do not see how this set could have been improved visually. It’s a rich transfer given the original source material that is handled with care by ETR Media. 

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that translates this material without a hiccup. Director Brantley Palmer admits he is more on the amateur side of the filmmaker spectrum, but there do not seem to be any rookie mistakes when it comes to delivering information. Dialogue is the driving force of the film and it is mostly balanced well with the competing sounds of the filming environment. The implementation of the score from Dustin Krefft adds some personality to the film, and it is resolved well here as it fills the room. Environmental sounds are plentiful and are replicated perfectly. You cannot argue with what this delivers. There are optional English SDH subtitles included for those who desire them. 

Special Features

• Audio Commentary: Director Brantley Palmer provides a very informative commentary track in which he discusses the process of filming right before the closing of the store, how they secured some of the interviews, the music created for the film, additional background information about some of the individuals, how things have changed since the production of the film and so much more that fans should take the time to check out. 

• Making Of Featurette: A 15-minute featurette is provided in which director Brantley Palmer discusses his history with Video Headquarters, how he met some of his collaborators on the film, getting the inside scoop on the business that led to him documenting the story of the store, approaching the documentary as a non-professional filmmaker, and more.

• Composing The Music: A seven-minute interview with composer Dustin Krefft in which he discusses coming on board to the project, his musical influences, his affection for his own local video stores, composing his first film score, and more. 

• Designing The Titles: A five-minute interview with Title Editor Nick Schwartz in which he discusses his friendship with Palmer, his process of designing the title treatments in the film, giving distinct styles to different categories of titles, and more. 

• Interview – Ken McAleer: A substantial 63-minute interview with the founder of Video Headquarters who discusses his background that led him to the video store, the history of getting the store started, the innovations within the industry, the challenges of moving to new stores, the family that was formed over time, and more. 

• Interview – Justin LaLiberty (OCN Distribution): A great nearly 23-minute interview with Justin LaLiberty of OCN Distribution/Vinegar Syndrome/Cinematographe in which he discusses his history with Video Headquarters, what makes Video Headquarters stand apart from other video stores, what video stores mean for a community, his feelings about the store’s closure, the legacy of the store, how boutique labels pick up the slack in terms of access, and more. 

• Interview – Doug, Faulkner, Dave: An 84-minute interview with Doug Johnson, Faulkner Wright, and Dave Mast conducted in 2020 by Brantley Palmer that allows these key figures to relay a ton of colorful anecdotes about the store that is well worth watching if you are a fan of the film. 

• Radio Interview with Director: A 41-minute talk radio interview from August 2023 in which Dan Mitchell interviews director Brantley Palmer about the documentary and the legacy of Video Headquarters. 

• Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here. 

• Photo Gallery: A selection of archival photos from the store are provided here. 

Final Thoughts

Everything to Entertain You: The Story of Video Headquarters is a pleasant look at a very special video store and the importance of having such a space within a community. While there is a myth that “everything is at your fingertips” in the age of digital media, the truth is that there is so much lost when the tactile experience is sacrificed – both from a curatorial aspect as well as basic availability. The documentary is a bit shaggy in its execution, but the way it uses this one store as an avenue into video store culture and history at large works well. It does not upend the form, but it delivers on its promise. ETR Media has released a Blu-Ray featuring a very strong A/V presentation and an impressive assortment of special features. If you have fond memories of video stores, this is a great addition to your collection. Recommended 

Everything to Entertain You: The Story of Video Headquarters is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: ETR Media and OCN Distribution have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.