Scarecrow Video, the iconic Pacific Northwest-based nonprofit and home to the world’s largest publicly accessible physical media collection, has purchased its longtime home in the University District, marking a transformative turning point for the organization and the city’s creative ecosystem.
In mid-2024, the community heeded the S.O.S. call and supported Scarecrow in historic numbers, with nearly 7,600 individual contributions and over $1M raised. This transformative support not only allowed the world-renowned media library to remain accessible to the public but also strengthened the cultural institution’s capacity to fulfill its mission.
Variety.com
Scarecrow Video has named Jonathan Marlow as executive director. The Scarecrow archive of more than 150,000 physical film and television items makes it one of the largest publicly-accessible physical media libraries in the world.
KIOS 91.5 FM Omaha Public Radio
Something that has changed drastically about our relationship with screens over the course of the past few decades has been the shift from reliance on physical media to streaming. With the click of a button and an internet connection, you now no longer need the middle man of DVDs, Blu Rays, or rental stores. You have it all. Or do you?
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.
Seattle Channel, October 31, 2023
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.
Gizmodo dives into the launch of our expanded Rent By Mail program - and lovingly compares us to the Paris Catacombs!
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.
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.
Seattle Times arts critic Moira Macdonald talks with Scarecrow’s Kate Barr about the launch of our rent by mail program.
“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.
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.
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).
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.”
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.
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.
GeekWire checks in with Scarecrow on our 30th birthday and pays tribute to the value of our vast and unparalleled collection.
“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!
“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.
Vice Motherboard talks about Scarecrow’s rebirth as a nonprofit, our super successful 2014 Kickstarter campaign, and musings on the future of physical media.
“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.
“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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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