More than a video store: Seattle's Scarecrow Video has big plans for next 30 years

1988: Die Hard premieres in theaters. Nirvana plays their first show. Sub Pop Records forms, and a few hundred video tapes are offered for rental in the back of a record store where George Latsios greets customers with his familiar call of, “Hello, my friend!” 

2018: Scarecrow Video celebrates 30 years of being one of the most important film and television resources in the country! The original stock of 600 tapes has grown to over 131,000 titles and is one of the largest publicly available video collections in the world. 

This beloved Seattle institution is currently positioning itself to be the leader of making videos relevant in our digital age. Scarecrow established its world-renowned reputation during the video revolution, and is continuing to reinvent itself by undertaking the challenge of how we think about videos.

With a staggering collection of titles nearly three times the number offered by major streaming services that puts them in league with the likes of The American Film Institute and The UCLA Film and Television Archive – they are well positioned to do so.

Scarecrow Video is now a non-profit. By 2014, the collection had grown to become so significant that a non-profit was formed to continue its stewardship. This change in model has allowed Scarecrow to not just remain a Seattle icon, but also to develop unique outreach programs to connect more people with film. Foremost in their mission is that these cultural assets remain accessible for current and future generations.

As Scarecrow moves forward, they will continue to develop new and innovative ways to engage with the community and connect people with their next favorite films as well as continue to advocate for the essential role that videos and physical media has in our digital age.