It’s almost exactly like you remember.
At the Video Underground in Jamaica Plain, there’s the shelves of DVDs ready to rent: the new releases, the oldies, the animated flicks. There’s the individual candy boxes of Raisinets and Whoppers, and the popcorn machine behind the counter. And, of course, there’s the film-buff employees, ready to offer you a movie recommendation — no algorithm necessary. On one recent Wednesday afternoon, the 1978 horror movie “The Swarm” played on an overhead monitor. Movie posters of “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Clueless” adorn the walls.
But at this Egleston Square video rental store — a vestige of what was once a thriving industry — some things are different. There’s a café slinging fare like crêpes, smoothies, flatbread pizzas, and house-roasted coffee. There’s an adjacent 15-seat theater-style screening room, available to book for private events. And the 16,000-plus movies, which customers once rented by the day, can now be checked out only by those who get an annual or monthly media subscription. Monthly, flat-fee, unlimited rental memberships range from $20 to $60, a sliding scale that reflects how many DVDs customers can check out at a time.
“Nostalgia will absolutely make someone come in,” said Video Underground owner Kevin Koppes, but he knew the shop needed more to keep people coming back.
Video Underground, which now bills itself as a “cinema café,” opened in 2002 on Centre Street in Jamaica Plain. Koppes took it over in 2013 when he found out it was in danger of closing, and moved it to its…