Black Lodge, the remarkable Memphis film library/performance venue/hipster hangout that has defied death as many times as it has defied the sequel monsters in the “horror” section of its video shelves, is closing again—but with the promise of a smaller-scale return at a new location.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce that Black Lodge is closing its doors after five unforgettable years,” said a message that appeared on the company’s social media pages late Tuesday evening.
The message blames “exorbitant rents and the crippling debt we have accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic… We have fought hard, but the reality of a weakening economy means that going out has become a luxury that many can no longer afford.”
“It’s always been a struggle,” said Matt Martin, 50, co-founder and creative director of Black Lodge. “It’s so big and expensive that we just haven’t been able to get enough people out in the post-pandemic economy.”
Founded by cinephile friends Martin and Bryan Hogue (who died in 2020) and named after an extra-dimensional room in David Lynch’s cult television series “Twin Peaks,” Black Lodge opened in 2000 in a converted building at 831 S. Cooper in Midtown and immediately established itself as the area’s premier video rental store, with a collection of cult and classic films that grew to over 32,000 videocassettes, DVDs, Blu-rays and LaserDiscs, including many out-of-print titles and otherwise unavailable rarities.
In 2014, as the video rental business declined in the age of streaming, Black Lodge closed. Five years later, it reopened at 405 N. Cleveland in an 8,000-square-foot strip mall south of Crosstown Concourse.
Black Lodge was reimagined as a bar/restaurant/entertainment space while retaining its core business of movie rentals. The event calendar is packed, featuring concerts, stand-up comedy, drag shows, film festivals and notable events such as the Memphis debut of Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin, the Italian ensemble that composed and performed the music for classic horror films such as “Suspiria” and the original “Dawn of the Dead”; a rock performance by “Goonies” star Corey Feldman; and a show headlining Memphis hip-hop artist GloRilla.
“Despite our modest financial support, we have put our heart and soul into building a venue that stands out in this city,” said the company’s social media message, which Martin said was co-written by the venue’s owners.
“Your unwavering support, especially during the challenges of a global pandemic, has made this trip more magical than we could have ever imagined,” the message continues. “Together we have created something truly special – a place where friends, art, music and memories have been made.”
Still, Black Lodge has always struggled to pay its bills, and occupancy at its Cleveland space has remained uncertain, Martin says — especially after the space’s original owner, Crosstown Arts, sold the building to Kirama Investment Group, a company with several properties in the city.
One glimmer of hope is that Black Lodge’s closure announcement also states that the company intends to move its massive film library to a “new home.”
“For anyone still interested in Lodge’s film library and rentals, the video store is moving to a new location. We will announce the new location shortly.”
Martin said he doesn’t have a new location yet, but is considering returning to the Cooper-Young area.
“The truth is that video stores are doing well in and of themselves,” he said, pointing to the recent opening of self-described “underground video store” Future Shock Video in New Orleans. With studios and distributors choosing not to offer many of their films on streaming services, “we need video stores to keep this art form alive.” He added, “I have so many rare collectibles, it’s ridiculous.”
Martin said Black Lodge will remain open as a video store until the end of August.
