CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- One of the last video rental stores in Chicago has announced it will not be re-opening when the stay-at-home order is lifted.
Odd Obsession Movies announced Tuesday that it is closing its shop in Bucktown amid the coronavirus shutdown and in the wake of other challenges.
Odd Obsession Movies, at 1830 N. Milwaukee Ave., had a cult-like following, packed with films you wouldn't find on streaming services. It was a favorite of film buffs and staffed by volunteers.
But between the stay-at-home order amid the coronavirus pandemic and other financial problems the video store had faced way before that, Odd Obsession Movies announced on its Facebook page that it has decided to shutter its store.
“Hello everyone. We hope you, your families, and friends are healthy, and remain vibrant during these difficult and strange times. As you can imagine, nothing about this ordeal has made anything easier for OOM, considering that after our campaign fell short of its goal we had an investor commitment which quickly ended up on shaky legs from divided visions, and regrettably divisive actions at the shop. We had hoped something could be figured out, but surely the above, coupled with the shutdown, has delivered a quite conclusive verdict for the time being," the store wrote on Facebook.
"We are unspeakably sad to announce that there’s no choice but to shutter the shop at this juncture, as ownership and management cannot continue to cover the shop’s losses, nor ask for patrons to bear more weight of supporting Odd Obs in a volunteer-staffed iteration which has proven to not be sustainable for the bulk of the store’s 16+ year existence. There is hope with the caveat of having generous storage options, that the collection can go into hibernation while our world gradually settles into its new normal, and possibly have a not-too-distant-future-life in partnership with more profitable entities. Please reach out with any questions, thoughts, as well as campaign or membership related concerns to: membership at oddobsession dot com (written this way to avoid spam)."
An online fundraiser last year fell short, and things did not work out with a potential investor. The campaign had sought $25,000 and ended up with only $11,473.
Odd Obsession Movies was found in 2004, and was initially located in the basement of a graystone building at 1659 N. Halsted St. across from the Steppenwolf Theatre in Lincoln Park. It then moved to Bucktown a couple of years later, first to 1822 N. Milwaukee Ave., then to a larger space up the block at 1830 N. Milwaukee Ave.