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| - I seem to be the grim reaper of Junction business reviews. Big Daddy's DVD shop, with it's 1951 _The Day the Earth Stood Still's_ Gort robot's ray "frying" us will be no more. As a Junction resident over the past decade, I enjoyed seeing this quirky artsy store on the main drag.
But alas, I'm part of the reason this store will be no more. As a local resident that lived mere seconds away from the store, I never darkened the place. I studied Cinema at the University of Toronto, and still didn't visit this Mecca to film. Like any good cinephile, my personal library of Laserdiscs, DVDs, and Blu-rays is extensive and I rarely need the services that Big Daddy provided.
But why am I sad about a business I never went into or supported financially? Well the Junction was an artist enclave for the past 20 years, and this place survived on a population that had an eclectic, educated taste in film. The area has changed, gentrified, less an artistic community, more professional. This meant that the tactile need to touch and bring back the medium to one's home became less important.
I admit, if it is a new release from Hollywood, I'll watch it on iTunes rather than rent a DVD or Blu-ray disc. However, this store gave the area a vibe that we took culture seriously--ironically at least. The Junction will be poorer without Gort on guard.
"Klaatu barada nikto. "
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