Glen Fuhl is not very interested in movies.
Despite not being very interested in movies, Glen Fuhl decided to take a risk and become the owner of Video King, a successful independent rental store, when given the opportunity by an acquaintance.
Because his father had his own business, Fuhl knew he would do the same.
After many years, Fuhl is very familiar with the business both in terms of knowledge and statistics.
Fuhl can give detailed information about the first Blockbuster video rental store in Winnipeg, the number of copies of “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” he sold, and the number of new theatrical releases last year.
However, Fuhl is closing Video King for good early next month.
In an interview, Fuhl expressed mixed emotions about the closure, mentioning the record days they've had and feeling sad about the end of an era.
Video King began in the mid-’80s in the Transcona neighbourhood, just as the video rental industry was expanding across Canada.
For many years, the small family-owned shop offered a place for families and movie enthusiasts to browse for movies on Friday nights.
Even with the decline of chain rental stores like Blockbuster and Rogers Video, Video King continued to attract customers with its knowledgeable staff and diverse selection.
While the store faced challenges with the rise of movie streaming, Fuhl realized that it was time to close after the difficult years during the COVID-19 pandemic and a Hollywood strike.
Fuhl stated that the Hollywood strike was the final blow for the business, as months went by without new movies.
Although the strike has ended, Fuhl feels it's too late as people are not returning to support the business.
Fuhl used to bring in about 36 new movie titles each month, but last year, he only had 14, due to the impact of the strikes.
“That’s how bad it was with the strikes,” he said.
In 1988, Fuhl, a businessman and councillor in a rural municipality, invested in the business. It also involved distributing movies to other vendors, like convenience stores across the province.
At one point, Fuhl supplied movies to over 400 dealers in rural parts of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and northwestern Ontario, where reliable high-speed internet access is limited.
Leila Dance, from the local business district, recalls visiting some of these places as a child to pass time on rainy nights at the lake.
She expressed surprise upon realizing that the videos rented from a corner store were from Video King, and considered it a cool realization.
“It was kind of a cool little aha moment.”
Customer Bud Smith estimates that more than half of his extensive movie collection comes from Video King.
“(Fuhl’s) always had B-movies, the classics, your A-list movies. I’ve always been able to get a variety, but he always seems to have the unusual or slightly hard to find ones,” Smith said in an interview.
Smith spent a lot of time in the store over the years talking with employees about new releases and suggestions. It’s those moments that he said he will miss the most.
“They’ve been kind to me over the years,” he said.
Inside Video King, yellow paper signs are attached to the shelves with red letters printed across them advertising $5 movies and other discounts.
In the back, movie posters are stacked by the hundreds on pallets. Fuhl has documented the 7,500 titles from children’s movies to blockbusters with the hopes of selling off the stock.
When asked if he has kept any for himself, he said the poster from the original “Ghostbusters” hangs in his home.
Fuhl plans to continue the distribution side of the business for now, recognizing that it also has a “timeline.”
Video King is scheduled to close its doors on April 6.
