Well, to be honest I really couldn't care less about Duke's Overpriced Cycle (as a business- of course my heart goes out to the Duke family), but I am absolutely devastated by the loss of Toronto's greatest video store. Truly the Mercury Espresso Bar of video stores, Suspect Video can never be replaced.
Why, you ask? Because, despite the alternate Mirvish Village location, and the probability of a new Queen location once the insurance is settled, it will never be the same. You see, Suspect was more than a place to get amazing obscure foreign films, weird action figures, and far out sex mags. Yeah, I know I can get films by Jean Luc Godard and Imamura Shohei at places like Queen Video and Bay Street. Who cares? Suspect on Queen was one of Toronto's very few Real Places. Now, you, dear reader, don't need to ask me what a Real Place is, because you (better) have already experienced the realness of Mercury.
I'll miss the rotting bricks, the weird smell, the subterranean feel, and the sticky notes all over staff pick flicks. I'll miss the guy saying 'what's your password?' and me saying 'lemon'. There isn't anything, anything, anything, anything, anything, that I won't miss about it.
From one end of Queen Street to the other, I genuflect for thee, Suspect. May you rise like a Phoenix from the ashes of your material demise.
3 comments:
But Duke's is "how I roll".
hey! Thanks for the high praise! Weird smell? Maybe I just worked there to long to notice it anymore.
My name is Daniel, the former Manager and "Head" Buyer at the Queen St. location of Suspect Video. I sm attempting to resurrect the collection and open a new store a.s.a.p.! Don't worry, there be "realness" aplenty on hand! You can follow the progress and pitfalls at:http://www.500wattbrain.blogspot.com/
Do you know Mr. Breakfast? Is he still haunting Toronto? He used to show his videos at Yammy The Cat. Those days are gone.
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