Contact: Lisa Brennan, owner, Four Star Video Heaven
Email: buyer@fourstarvideoheaven.com
Phone: 255-1994
Fax: 255-8806
Downtown video store Four Star Video Heaven, noted for its diverse selection and active involvement in the community, is celebrating its 20th year with in-store specials November 3rd -11th and a party at the High Noon Saloon on Tuesday, November 8.
_Four Star History_
On November 11, 1985, Four Star Fiction & Video opened for business as a specialized bookstore with a few hundred videos (on VHS and Beta) available for rent. Four years later the store expanded into its current two storefronts, one side for books and one for videos. Later both spaces were combined to make Four Star Video Heaven, with the bookstore moving to upper State Street (where it unfortunately suffered a major fire in 1993 and closed for good).
The video store thrived, growing to its current library of 20,000 titles on DVD and VHS. Recently added is a collection of import DVDs (both all region and off-region formats) to provide access to films that have late or non-existent domestic release dates, and all-region DVD players both for rent and for sale. The store also stocks some locally-produced documentaries and other films purchased directly from independent filmmakers. The FSVH web site (www.fourstarvideoheaven.com) provides an easily searchable (and up-to-date) rental and sale inventory and has extended the reach of Four Star well beyond Madison by offering easy online ordering.
Roger Ebert visited in 1995 and offered the quote, “Four Stars to Four Star.” He returned for another visit in 2003, when he spoke with staff and customers about the need for independent video stores to carry films that the chains won’t, whether due to a lack of widespread commercial appeal, censorship, or political controversy. Current owner Lisa Brennan notes, “We believe in providing a wide variety of information and encouraging people to make their own choices, and we’re committed to protecting our rights to maintain access to controversial materials. A great deal has changed in the last twenty years, but one thing has remained constant: our commitment to art, quality, pluralism, and diversity of ideas.”
_Community Involvement_
In 1989, Four Star held its first condom giveaway to promote AIDS awareness and encourage safer sex. The following year store founder David Smith conceived and helped organize the first “You Make a Difference Day,” a highly successful fundraiser for the Madison AIDS Support Network that continues to raise money each year. Four Star Video Heaven continues to support a variety of community and non-profit organizations, including those promoting sexual health. Last year, concerned about an increasingly repressive political climate surrounding issues of sex education, reproductive choice, and non-traditional families, the staff joined with Planned Parenthood, Sex Out Loud, and the AIDS Network to provide condoms and information about clinics, sexual health, and opportunities for political action.
The store took another, more controversial, political stand with the
1989 display of an American flag with the words of the First Amendment burned into the white stripes, in protest of elder President Bush’s proposed Constitutional amendment to prohibit flag desecration. (It also celebrated Constitution Week and Banned Books Week). Four Star Video Heaven’s political involvement has continued through the present—last year they teamed with filmmaker Michael Moore to provide free rentals of his documentary /Fahrenheit 9/11/ and also offered half price rentals on other political documentaries to encourage people to be as informed as possible when they headed to the polls.
Reaching out to those in the academic community, the Four Star Video Heaven Research Grant Program was kicked off in 1999, allowing Communication Arts students free video rentals for use in their academic work. Many student organizations, such as the Wisconsin Union Directorate and Campus Visitor’s & Information Center, also benefit from regular FSVH donations.
_A Fresh Start_
Lisa Brennan bought the business from founder David Smith in the fall of
2003 after managing the store for almost three years. Despite a major flood that occurred only a few months after she bought the store and forced a seven week long closure for repairs, Four Star has recovered and is doing well. “Though the flood was pretty traumatic, it gave us the chance to update the store with new carpet and fixtures,” Brennan commented. She attributes the long term success of the store directly to its customers, who have supported it through good times and bad. In a recent letter to customers, she remarked, “For the past 20 years, Four Star has been much more than just a video store—it has provided a forum for discussing important issues, a place for meeting friends, a place to relax and find an evening’s entertainment, and a resource for learning more about film and world around us. For me, the past two years since I bought the store have been a couple of the most challenging and rewarding of my life. Please join us in celebrating an extraordinary experience and a wonderful group of customers and staff.”
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The Celebration_
Four Star Video Heaven’s 20th Anniversary Party will be held at the High Noon Saloon Tuesday, November 8th from 6-10pm. There is no cover charge, but the event is restricted to those 21 and older. The event will include:
6-7pm – Gift packages for anyone showing their Gold Membership Card or vintage red Membership card.
7-8:30pm – Three rounds of movie trivia, with prizes awarded to the top three trivia teams.
8pm – Jury and Audience prizes awarded to best film character costumes. (Jury consists of Kent Williams, Isthmus movie critic; Aaron Yonda, WisKino co-founder, Tom Yoshikami from UW Cinematheque, and other local film enthusiasts.)
9pm – Movie-themed karaoke to live music with The Gomers!
The in-store celebration runs November 3-11 and includes two-for-one rentals, a two-for-one special on all used DVDs and VHS, deals on t-shirts (including new 20th anniversary designs) and DVD players, and a drawing to win a year of free rentals. The store is open daily 8am-1am.
