By Gordon Anderson | gordon@rantnc.com
Spring Lane Cinemas has built a reputation under the management of Jared Campbell for not just showing film, but also preserving it.
In addition to the first run films that play at the theater each day, Campbell has helped the facility — which is already faced with challenges that come with an aging building and an uninterested landlord (we profiled Spring Lane’s approach to these obstacles in August of 2025) — make a name for itself with weekly “Wayback Wednesdays” and “Throwback Thursdays” that involve getting folks through the door to see showings of older, and sometimes cult films for the low price of free with a concession purchase.
Now, Campbell and a partner, Terror Tapes Home Video owner Justin Keller, are taking that line of thought a step further by opening a video store — yes, a physical video store with physical videos on VHS, DVD and Blu-Ray — inside Spring Lane Cinemas.
Spring Lane Video will celebrate with a grand opening from 2 to 7 p.m. on February 13 inside the theater, located at 1351 Plaza Blvd. The opening will be followed, naturally, by a screening of iconic horror film Friday the 13th (again, free with a concession purchase).
Campbell runs Spring Lane Cinemas because he loves films, and that love extends way beyond his day job. He directs independent movies of his own and, of course, has a huge personal collection. He’d had his eye on a space for a while that in recent years was mostly used for storage — it once served as a place inside the theater that was used for things like children’s parties — as a possible location for a revival of what he and Keller refer to as “the old school, mom and pop video store.”
Spring Lane Video, when open, will be a place people can come to rent — up to two at a time will be free for a seven-day rental period; adding more comes with a hefty price tag of $1 apiece — or even buy old films in formats you don’t see a lot of anymore (he’ll also have VCRs available for those that no longer have one). Keller has stocked the room with many movies from his own collection, and intends to “curate” a unique collection that will change from visit to visit. Beyond that, Keller and Campbell hope the space can serve as a gathering location for the community of film fans who have already sprung up to support the theater’s “Wayback” and “Throwback” offerings.
“A lot of younger people never got to do this,” Keller said of the video store experience. “It’s a lot different than sitting on the couch and scrolling and trying to find something to watch. There are so many movies I would have never seen if it wasn’t for someone at a video store saying ‘oh, you like that movie? You should check this one out.’”
Campbell met Keller through the theater and the two clicked quickly. Keller and his wife Emily began making the trek to Spring Lane from their home in Erwin for the theater’s film festivals and other events, and the shared love of all things film quickly brought them together with Campbell. By early 2026, the Spring Lane Video project was nearing completion. While there are always last minute tweaks to be made, especially in business, the store is as ready to open as it can be.
“We just want to shower everyone in culture,” Campbell said. “The idea at first was to make it more like one of those little free libraries you see for books, but then the donations started coming in and — oh my god.”
Keller already has work from North Carolina filmmakers in the shop, and he plans to continue that effort. He also hopes the store will serve as something of a curiosity for folks who are at Spring Lane to see a movie on the big screen.
“Maybe you’re here for a show, but you’ve got ten minutes to look around before,” he said. “Some of my best memories are of going to the little mom and pop video stores. We want to create that vibe here.”
Memberships to Spring Lane Video will be free with a credit card on file, and members must be at least 18 (although those younger will be welcome to use a parent’s membership to make rentals). For more information, follow Spring Lane Video on Facebook or Instagram.