"I'm a very lucky person. Anybody who can do what they enjoy and be successful at it, I think, is a very lucky person."
-- Tom Leach, Owner of Video To Go
I have a great, yet bittersweet episode for you today. I was fortunate enough to sit down with a longtime family friend, Tom Leach, the owner of Video To Go, which is a great and longstanding video store here in Lansing. I say bittersweet because, if you live in Lansing, you may have heard that Video To Go has recently decided to close it’s doors after nearly 35 years in business. Tom was kind enough to let me interview him, not just about Video To Go and everything it’s meant to this community, but also about how the film industry has evolved over time; going from film reel to beta max to VHS through Blu-ray and streaming services like Netflix that have changed everything.
This is great episode to tune into. Even for those of you who aren’t in Lansing or even Michigan, you probably have your own local video store or a similar store that you grew up with. The amazing thing is that through all of the changes, Tom is very positive, and sees this more as the end of an era.
Tom is involved in so many throughout the Lansing community, which we go into, like film festivals and movies on Michigan State University’s campus. He also has quite a few current aspirations, including, perhaps, screenwriting, so I have a feeling we’ll be seeing more of Tom’s other projects in the future.
Phenomenal guy with a great story. Without further adieu, enter Tom Leach:

Listen to this episode on iTunes!

Hidden Gems
Here are some of the hidden gems from the interview with Tom:
Vintage Commercial
Video To Go Commercial from the 1980s

This is a GREAT vintage Video To Go commercial that we discuss during the interview.
Favorite Movies
Harold and Maude

The Court Jester

White Christmas

A Christmas Story
Where You Can Reach Tom Online
Email: filmfacts@aol.com

Video To Go on Facebook