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| - When Suspect Video's Queen West location burnt down in February 2008, I was heartbroken.
It was not only a blow to the neighbourhood and the store owners, but it was a tragic end to a great collection of forgotten celluloid gems. I'm unsure as to how long they were located at the Queen and Bathurst but it seemed like it had been there for years. They were infamous; one of the most popular, unique and well-respected independent video stores in the downtown core, or at least to me and my friends. If you wanted to see a rare Bettie Page skin flick or a cheezy zombie movie with cheerleaders, you could find it at Suspect.
Like any Hollywood blockbuster, there's a happy ending to this story. In late 2008, Suspect was reborn as Eyesore Cinema. It took up residence above Rotate This and Eyesore began to slowly to collect some of its gems back. Since the fire, neighborhood folks and friends from other movie rental stores have donated various items to help them rebuild their business. Having spoken to one of its owners recently, they haven't fully gained what they have lost but they're having fun collecting it back. They're actively searching, scouring the interwebs for rare movies so that we, the patrons, can enjoy them again. They regularly update their newly acquired items and list them on their blog.
At the new location, you can still buy collectible books and magazines. If you're looking to buy tickets to the latest weekly flick at the Trash Palace, you can get them here.
So if you were a Suspect fan, go out and support your local business at Eyesore Cinema. Despite losing so much it's nice to know that Suspect Video is back.
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