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Scarecrow Press Coverage

Seattle’s Scarecrow Video fights for its future, and the future of film

KNKX Public Radio, July 18, 2024

Scarecrow Video, which has operated as a member-supported nonprofit since 2014, sent out an SOS – “Save Our Scarecrow” in June. They said efforts to keep the renowned Seattle video store alive had stalled, and outlined their goal to raise $1.8 million by the end of the year.

Scarecrow Video's SOS in the Press

Here's where you can find all the press about our ongoing SOS campaign!

Scarecrow Video celebrates 35 years of movie magic

Seattle Channel, October 31, 2023

Creature Feature: Scarecrow Is Building the World's Largest Collection of Sasquatch Cinema

The Stranger, October 30, 2023

Learn all about Leo's trials, tribulations, and triumphs in his quest to grow our Bigfoot section to be the largest in the world. 

What Place Does Physical Media Have in Our All-Digital World?

Gizmodo, September 30, 2023

Gizmodo dives into the launch of our expanded Rent By Mail program - and lovingly compares us to the Paris Catacombs!

In the Era of Streaming, Seattle Keeps the World's Largest Independent Video Store Alive

CNN, January 26, 2023

In this segment of Quest’s World of Wonder, Matt Lynch takes Richard Quest on a tour of Scarecrow and explains why physical media still matters in a world dominated by streaming.

Seattle Is Home To the Largest Video Rental Store in the World

The Travel, October 4, 2022

The Travel sings Scarecrow’s praises as the largest publicly available video archive in the world, detailing the history of the store and our eventual transition into becoming a nonprofit in 2014.

How Seattle’s Scarecrow Video Plans To Share Its Vast Library Nationwide

Seattle Times, Aug 10, 2021

Seattle Times arts critic Moira Macdonald talks with Scarecrow’s Kate Barr about the launch of our rent by mail program. 

Seattle is home to one of the largest video collections in the world

Seattle Refined, January 14, 2020

“For Seattleites, Scarecrow offers unmatched freedom of choice to watch whatever they want, not just what the streaming services choose to serve up.” Matt Lynch gives a tour of all the many weird and wacky sections at Scarecrow, highlighting some of our especially unique titles and formats.

Watching The Unstreamable Christmas Movies

NPR, December 15, 2019

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks to Chase Burns and Jasmyne Keimig of Unstreamable about the charms of movies you can't find on streaming services.

REEL Northwest Special from Scarecrow Video in Seattle

King 5, August 23, 2019

King 5’s REEL Northwest films at Scarecrow, where host Kim Holcomb highlights some of the movies that have been filmed in the Pacific Northwest over the years (all of which we have available to rent, of course).

Scarecrow Video Has Survived This Long. Can It Hang On?

New York Times, March 18, 2019

The New York Times covers the history of Scarecrow and our first 5 years as a non-profit. “We will fight to the death to keep this open.”

Iconic Seattle video store celebrates 30-year anniversary

Daily Mail, May 31, 2018

The Daily Mail dives into the history of Scarecrow, our transition to nonprofit status, and what makes our approach to archiving film history so unique.

Eric's Heroes: Those Who Keep the Magic of Scarecrow Video Alive

KOMO News, May 30, 2018

This segment of Eric’s Heroes champions Scarecrow as a haven for movie lovers everywhere and shines a spotlight on the scope of our massive collection.

Seattle’s iconic Scarecrow Video uses vast catalog to stay in the fight against streaming

GeekWire, May 16, 2018

GeekWire checks in with Scarecrow on our 30th birthday and pays tribute to the value of our vast and unparalleled collection.

Say goodbye to the video store, hello to the non-profit foundation

Ars Technica, May 27, 2017

“The for-profit video rental store is clearly no longer sustainable as a business, which is why we’re trying this new thing.”

What “new thing” is left in the world of video rentals? Netflix’s answer, after mail-in envelopes, was a focus on digital streaming—setting off an industry-wide tidal wave of similar apps… For Scarecrow, the only sensible direction was to run in the opposite direction and find a way to keep the building open in spite of lack of profit. Lack of profit? Non-profit! That's it!

Scarecrow Video, 2015 Stranger Genius Award Nominee in Film

The Stranger, June 10, 2015

“What is the major difference between a rental store and a website? Physical browsing. And with a video store as packed as Scarecrow, browsing becomes an art itself.” Charles Mudede covers the art of browsing in his article on Scarecrow’s nomination for The Stranger’s 2015 Genius Award.

"So much better and more important than Netflix it isn't even funny, you guys."

This Legendary Video Store Is Going Out of Business to Save Itself

Vice, August 20, 2014

Vice Motherboard talks about Scarecrow’s rebirth as a nonprofit, our super successful 2014 Kickstarter campaign, and musings on the future of physical media.

How Seattle's Scarecrow Video Is Like A Kung Fu Movie

KUOW, August 20, 2014

“Scarecrow Video has undergone its own transformation, from a visionary mom-and-pop operation to a cultural institution.” KUOW celebrates Scarecrow’s 2014 Kickstarter campaign success with a metaphor.

Saving the World's Largest Video Library

Huff Post, August 19, 2014

“For any true lover of film -- whether you're a scholar, an aspiring filmmaker or a video nerd with esoteric taste in B-movies -- walking into Scarecrow Video is a religious experience. The store is the world's largest, most-comprehensive video library.” Wes Hurley discusses Scarecrow’s transition into being a nonprofit and the importance of keeping our extensive and comprehensive catalogue alive. Not to name drop or anything, but Thelma Schoonmaker and Trent Harris totally agree.

The Business Podcast: The Scarecrow Project

KCRW, August 16, 2014

This episode of KCRW’s The Business features a short interview with Board President Kate Barr on Scarecrow’s mission of uniting people with film.

Scarecrow Video Seeks Second Act As A Nonprofit

Seattle Times, August 12, 2014

An overview of Scarecrow’s transition to a non-profit: “Several of its employees, with a little help from a friendly neighborhood cinema, are spearheading a drive to convert the store to nonprofit status.” 

Keep Home Video Alive: Scarecrow Project Tries to Save Thousands of Home Videos with Kickstarter Campaign

IndieWire, August 12, 2014

Read all about the 2014 Kickstarter campaign that saved Scarecrow from extinction, and check out the mini featurettes on some of our more rare and difficult to find titles.

An Inside Look At the World's Biggest Independent Video Store

/Film, December 11, 2013

In this 2013 video essay by David Chen, Matt Lynch gives us an in-depth tour of Scarecrow’s many, many (many) rooms and subsections, and shares what makes Scarecrow’s collection so valuable in the age of streaming.

We can’t do it without you.

Scarecrow Video relies on the generous support of our members and donors. Please join us and become a Physical Media Champion today!