Saturday, December 31, 2016

Suspect Video and Culture (1991-2017)

I first heard about Suspect Video and Culture in September of 1991, a month after the store first opened.

Included in the news given to me by a friend was the prompt to go there since Suspect has an eclectic collection. (I like films off the beaten tape path.)

Toronto's home-video scene was changed forever by the opening of this outstanding store.

Soon after I met Suspect's owners, two personable and knowledgeable guys who I would get to know over years of regular visits: Luis Ceriz and Merrill Shapiro. One of my fondest memories is from 1993: I brought the guys a box of donuts one day; Luis held an extra powdery baked treat as he showed me the store's biker-gang video selection.

I popped in to see the store today. It will close for good in about two weeks. (Honest Ed's, the building which Suspect rents space in, closed today.)

Twenty-five years.


3 comments:

DonaldAR said...

Ah, fond memories of anti-drug propaganda and exploitation film theme days: "Devil's Harvest," "Assassin of Youth," "Untamed Youth," "Debbie Does Dallas"... oh, wait...

Simon St. Laurent said...

You forgot "The Violent Years" and "Beat Girl", and the Republic serial "The Purple Monster Strikes"....

Tibor said...

Man...that is some sad news. They were more than just movies, too.