There’s still hope that Premiere Video’s jaw-droppingly large and important film library will find a new home, but Dallas movie-lovers should continue to mourn the death of the city’s last great video store, which closed its doors last week. Tributes to Premiere Video, most touchingly described by one former employee as a support group for film geeks, have poured in on social media. The most moving tribute may be a 2007 short film, One Week Rental, by Jeff Turner and Jun Kang.
Premiere Video is one of the most compelling characters in the film, a weird 22 minutes about modern love and old movies. Turner uploaded the film online this week after Premiere’s closing. Here’s the note he added on YouTube:
I made this short film, One Week Rental, in 2007 and as you’ll see, Premiere Video has a starring role from start to finish. It seems the right time – or the last time – to share it. An ode to my friend Sam and a memorial to Premiere Video on Mockingbird. Here’s hoping Premiere will find a new home, at least for the precious film collection if not a new location where we can again browse the aisles and take home something inspiring.
My short film, One Week Rental, has never been posted online, existing only for the past 10 years as a DVD, shared with friends… as seems fitting. I am not unaware of the irony of posting this video online now, because of course now no one can stumble upon the DVD since Premiere is gone. We miss you already, Premiere Video.
Watch One Week Rental, which manages to capture much of what made Premiere special, below.
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