Akron's shrine to the VHS era just got a lot more room to grow. Killer Video, the museum and video store tucked into the lower floor of Selle Generator Works near downtown, announced it has blown past its $35,000 fundraising goal, pulling in $37,319 from 235 backers to fund a major expansion of its museum, rental library and event space.
Signal Akron reported on September 29, 2026, that Killer Video had already taken over the building's entire first floor before launching its Kickstarter campaign in October. The Akron Beacon Journal reported plans to use the whole floor. That includes space recently occupied by an insurance company, which will roughly double the footprint of a business that's been running for nearly two years. Founders Jonathon Carmichael and Erika Fritz had set the $35,000 target when they launched the push, as the Beacon Journal reported in an earlier story about the fundraiser.
What's Coming to the Expanded Space
The plans call for an expanded rental library, a microcinema and a boutique storefront, according to Signal Akron. The outlet reported that the rental collection has already grown from 600 titles to more than 10,000 movies and TV shows under the Totally Killer Video Rental banner, which rents DVD and Blu-ray titles for a monthly membership fee and plans to expand that service further as part of the buildout.
The relocated and enlarged Killer Video store will sell DVDs, Blu-rays and nostalgic items, plus records, CDs and cassette tapes of film soundtracks. A micro cinema is planned for movies and occasional talks, alongside a concession stand and small lounge, with the expanded museum also set to provide more room for rotating exhibits. Spectrum News 1 described the planned screening room as a 20-seat micro-cinema that would show weekly flashback screenings across all genres, per Spectrum News 1.
Founders Point to Grassroots Support
Carmichael said the support demonstrated a belief in preserving the VHS video-store era, and he framed the rental model as a deliberate counterpoint to streaming algorithms. “We want to make the algorithm human again,” he said, a sentiment the Beacon Journal captured in its earlier coverage of the campaign. He added that physical media still matters and that grassroots support means everything, crediting local residents and film lovers across the country for pushing the campaign over its goal.
The business describes itself as an Akron museum and store dedicated to 1980s video store nostalgia, and Cleveland.com has reported that Killer Video first opened in November 2024 at 453 S. High St., suite 102, matching Signal Akron's report that the shop opened that month. The Beacon Journal's latest report notes the business has been operating for nearly two years.
Timeline for the Buildout
According to the Beacon Journal, the new rental space and relocated store are planned to open in March 2027, with the expanded museum and microcinema slated to follow at a later date. Cleveland.com's earlier report also noted the museum's expansion plans alongside its announcement of an Akron Independent Horror Short Film Festival, underscoring how the business has leaned into community programming beyond just renting movies.
For now, the campaign's success gives Carmichael and Fritz the runway to move forward on converting the rest of the Selle Generator Works first floor into the full-service video destination they've been pitching to backers since October. Whether the microcinema becomes a venue for filmmaker showcases, private events or educational workshops, as some reports have suggested, will likely become clearer as construction plans take shape.
