[BizHanKook] There used to be a term called "Video Kid." It referred to those who would stop by a video rental shop at every spare moment, renting tapes to watch movies late into the night, nurturing a deep love for cinema. In the 1980s and 90s, when it was truly the age of video, rental shops sprouted up in every neighborhood, and I was one of those Video Kids who frequented them. Those numerous rental shops and tapes have faded into history, and so have the Video Kids. Now, you can only verify their existence in the words of "old-timers" who habitually use expressions like "it’s as good as seeing it on video."
Why am I dragging on about videos for so long? Because there is news that will light a fire in the hearts of those former Video Kids. The protagonist is the ‘So Many Movies Video Shop,’ a pop-up opened by ‘LIFEPLUS TV,’ the YouTube channel of the Hanwha financial joint brand ‘PLUS,’ to commemorate reaching 1 million subscribers. Inspired by the video store in the movie ‘Scream,’ it offers the chance to encounter a vast array of films on videotape. Beyond this, there is a rich program including an exhibition of personal collections from film critic Lee Dong-jin, broadcaster Ahn Hyun-mo, and science communicator Gye-do, who lead the channel’s flagship content ‘LAPL Weekly,’ as well as mini-audience events and a gacha shop. It is noteworthy that the space is designed to go beyond a simple viewing experience, allowing visitors to explore analog tapes themselves and gain cultural inspiration in an offline setting.
The pop-up is located at ‘Dreamplus Yeonnam’ in Yeonnam-dong, a spot that will likely feel especially welcoming to subscribers since it is also the filming studio for ‘LAPL Weekly.’ Let’s first explore the main space on the 2nd floor, the ‘VHS Shop’ (VHS stands for Video Home System). Walking past posters of nostalgic films like ‘Die Hard,’ ‘E.T.,’ and ‘Jaws,’ you are greeted by the ‘Special Selection’ zone, where the collections of Lee Dong-jin, Ahn Hyun-mo, and Gye-do are displayed. While Lee Dong-jin’s ‘Jaws’ figure signed by Steven Spielberg and the ‘My Girl’ frame reflecting Ahn Hyun-mo’s affection stand out, the ‘Nuri-ho Gye-do Humidifier,’ which features Gye-do’s face mounted on the Nuri rocket and brings a sense of bizarre humor, has a truly undeniable presence.
Beyond the selection zone, the space features video racks and used VHS tapes curated into various categories such as ‘IMAGINATION,’ ‘IDENTITY,’ ‘EMOTION,’ ‘RELATIONSHIP,’ ‘SURVIVAL,’ ‘TIME,’ ‘CULTURE,’ and ‘WORK.’ A highlight is the ability to freely take out, play, and watch the tapes, offering the fun of seeing which films were chosen. If you pride yourself on being a cinephile, you’ll likely find yourself counting how many of these films you’ve seen. In one corner of the space, you can also see the real ‘1 million Gold Button’ received by LIFEPLUS TV and the limited-edition archive book. The archive book is a volume that curates 100 films related to 10 keywords connected to ‘LIFE’ from the 900+ items covered by ‘LAPL Weekly’ over the past two years. This, too, can be picked up and read freely. Try choosing a film from the archive book, finding its corresponding tape, and taking a special moment to watch it on the spot.
In the ‘Private Screening Zone’ on the 2.5th floor, designed for those with advance reservations, you can enjoy a movie on video in a private setting for 2 hours, just as the name suggests. While you can watch videos on the 2nd floor, it is shared with other visitors, allowing only for short viewings; here, however, you can enjoy a full movie in comfort on a sofa in a separate space. It is only accessible to those who made advance reservations via the link in the profile of the LIFEPLUS TV Instagram (@lifeplus_h), but unfortunately, due to its explosive popularity, it is currently fully booked. You have no choice but to wait and see if any cancellations open up.
Finally, head down to the 1st floor to the ‘Reception & Gacha Shop.’ If you share the pop-up space and content on social media, you get a chance to try the gacha. The interesting part is the method of drawing: instead of inserting a coin and turning a lever, you pick one of the displayed video cases, play the tape in the VCR, and receive a prize based on the result that appears on the screen. Various rewards are provided, including archive books signed by Lee Dong-jin, Ahn Hyun-mo, and Gye-do, and since it’s a "no-lose" draw, it’s definitely worth looking forward to.
This LIFEPLUS TV pop-up is a free exhibition and can be visited without separate reservations, so it’s well worth a visit for anyone who regularly enjoys ‘LAPL Weekly’ or simply loves movies. The ‘So Many Movies Video Shop’ pop-up will run until November 1st (Sun). Note that on October 29th, the three MCs of ‘LAPL Weekly’ will visit the pop-up in person to host a small public recording program, so entry will be restricted to invitees only.