12 OctOber 16 - 22, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents and actively engaging the Video Crypt com- munity. One idea is to have people come by and film commercials for the faux video store. These commercials can then be edited to- gether, put on VHS, and sold at next year’s Video Crypt. Pierce says anyone with an idea they want to pitch can send a message to the Video Crypt Instagram page. Much like music on vinyl, VHS as a me- dium has had a resurgence in recent years, with people yearning for the old video aes- thetic or just seeking a way to collect and display the films they love. These curios of a bygone era have made the Video Crypt a must-visit exhibit for Dallas cinephiles over the past several years. It has become a retro- active work of community-building, bring- ing people together with movies and a physical space to talk about them and re- member the way things used to be. And if nothing else, maybe just a warm hug from our old friend, nostalgia. Information on Video Crypt’s upcoming screenings can be found on the Texas The- atre’s website. ▼ DALLAS LIFE GATEKEEPER’S GUIDE WE’RE LETTING YOU IN ON SOME OF THE BEST-KEPT SECRETS NORTH TEXAS HAS TO OFFER. BY SIMON PRUITT T here’s a thrill that comes with discov- ering your new favorite spot in the city, whether it’s a restaurant, an un- derground art space or an unsung program. But with that thrill comes a quandary: to share or not to share? Sometimes, the first instinct is to sing the praises of your newfound discovery, invite your friends and spread the word to as many people as you can. At other times, the mere thought of people entering your newly sa- cred space means the loss of its appeal. Of- ten, we’ll recommend our third or fourth favorite things to do, but keep our true favor- ites to ourselves. Today, we’re offering you, and anyone you love, an invitation into the spaces we’ve kept private for far too long. This is the gate- keeper’s guide to Dallas. Khroma Coffee Even the very best speakeasies are so con- trived. A place that’s hidden just to be found. A password created to be given out. To us, Khroma Coffee is more of the essence of a true speakeasy, which is to say a small hidden coffee bar inside of a photography studio, where you’re almost guaranteed to be sipping lattes with the next generation of great Dallas artists. Sure, there’s no pass- word to get in or secret passageway to fol- low, but taking a seat inside Khroma Coffee means that you’re not just in the know, but in with the scene too. 3401 Main St., Dallas Rudra Center If you’re seeking the sensation of being un- derstood in an environment that only you and a few others access, the Rudra Center in Denton might be for you. It’s a temple- like structure surrounded by a beautiful natural area. Just a stone’s throw away from the popular downtown square, a step inside the courtyard of the Rudra Center feels like entering a temple in a faraway land, defi- nitely not Denton. It’s quiet and serene, with beautiful architecture, plants and plenty of seating areas for escape from the outside world. You might have a few on-site yoga teachers approach you, but keep up a smile, and you’ll be just fine. 611 N. Locust St., Denton Area 276 in Royse City Do you believe in aliens? If you do, and if you think the aliens in question know a thing or two about Earth, it’s hard to be- lieve that they’d choose to land in Royse City of all places. But a small orange “UFO” lives in the woods in “Area 276” just off the highway, ripe for photo-ops or as the destination in a sort of East Texas treasure hunt. If you arrive at the right time, the city occasionally hosts free space-themed movie nights near the UFO, featuring food trucks on site. 9573 High- way 276, Royse City Nostalgia From the Crypt The Video Crypt immersive art installation returns to the Texas Theatre throughout October. BY AUSTIN ZOOK A submarine hangs from the ceiling, a Jane Fonda cut-out is promoting fitness tapes by the wall and Leatherface lurks around every corner at the Video Crypt, the Texas The- atre’s annual art installation celebrating classic video rental stores. The Video Crypt is currently in its fourth year at the Oak Cliff movie theater, taking over the venue’s Safe Room gallery for the month of October. In addition to the exhibit itself, Video Crypt is co-presenting screen- ings throughout the month, highlighting seasonally-appropriate selections that har- ken back to the golden age of video. The installation is a labor of love, the brainchild of Texas Theatre employees Vi- anca Vega and Chad Pierce. Eli Luna, the founder of Dallas VHS Swap, is a key collab- orator, helping them fill the exhibit’s shelves with tapes. “The idea was to recreate that feeling of going to a mom and pop shop,” says Pierce. “We all grew up in that age, and it’s not an experience that you really get anymore.” These tapes can range from nostalgia-in- ducing to bizarre or exciting; a couple of shelves are lined with Japanese versions of American films on VHS. Physical media heads know that when it comes to memora- ble, striking cover art, nothing comes close to what the Japanese market produces. Upon entering the space, guests are greeted by one of four VHS displays. Each display has shelves on either side. The in- stallation’s operators loosely theme or cu- rate each shelf face, pulling from their own collections to maximize the breadth of tapes on display. To the right is a checkout counter, com- plete with an old ‘90s-era computer, a rack of plastic bags for any purchases made, and, of course, a clerk. Video clerks were the ul- timate arbiters of taste in the video store era, as they exposed people to new films, passed judgment over purchases and gave prime placement to movies they wanted to rent. Most of the items on display at the Video Crypt are not for sale (or rent), with the ex- ception of a shelf in the corner filled with clearance tapes and some shirts and zines at the register. Pierce says he still gets to enjoy playing the part of a clerk when he mans the exhibit. “Part of the fun of working up here in the Video Crypt is you get to feel like you’re working in a video store,” he says. “People share their stories of all these videos. They’re like, ‘Oh, I remember this tape.’ And, you know, you get fun stories. It’s a good way to connect with people up here.” In addition to the tapes on the shelves, the video store aesthetic of the Video Crypt is completed with classic movie posters on the walls and standees from the era adver- tising then-new releases like Jackie Brown, The Hunt for Red October, and Jane Fonda’s workout series (ranging in difficulty from beginner, low-Intermediate, high-interme- diate and Advanced, for the true jazzercise aficionado). These are also pulled from the curators’ personal collections. A favorite of Pierce’s is a standee for the ill-advised 1992 Stephen King film The Lawnmower Man, advertising a “Watch and Win!” contest. The top prizes? A “Virtual Reality System” valued at $40,000… or a Mazda. This year, Pierce says the team has the space’s layout fully nailed down. Each year, they cycle through different VHS tapes, posters and standees to ensure a fresh expe- rience. The focus now is on finding ways to continue expanding and growing the brand Austin Zook ▼ Culture Michael Barera/Wikimiedia Commons The Futuro house in Royse City. The essence of ’80s and ’90s relics have been resurrected for a limited time.
