When I was a kid, my fondest memories were walking down to the corner plaza on Friday evenings for a pizza, and to search through the seemingly endless video shelves at the local movie rental store. I was twelve years old, and my older cousin Jimmy would drop by my house to pick me up, and together we’d walk the two blocks up the road before the sun went down. It was a prime time in my adolescence, and my cousin’s love for films shaped much of my interests and upbringing. Jimmy loved all of the cult-classic horror and sci-film films. We’d watch movies like the Fly, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Night of the Living Dead, Tron, The Fifth Element, and just about any eccentric movie you could think of.
We saw the weirdest films throughout the late 1990s, and what I remember most was the scratchiness of an aged VHS tape when you rubbed your fingers across the surface, the smell that the covers seemed to emit around the room, and the purplish glow of the forbidden adult section that you were always drawn to like a moth to a flame.
An MC introduces the movie, No Rest for the Wicked at the 2026 Anomaly Film Festival inside the Little Theater in Downtown Rochester, New York.
Whether that was an experience of your youth or not, I’ve got something unique to share. If you’re anything like me (and let’s hope you’re not) then you probably enjoy watching bizarre and experimental films, amusing horror movies, and odd sci-fi flicks. If that piques your interest, then your weekend might have a little more gore, blood and guts, lasers, and nostalgic VHS cassette tapes in store. If you’re still with me, then you’re in luck because Anomaly, the Rochester Genre Film Festival is back again, and there’s still time to check out the show before the end credits this Sunday, November 15.
Now in its eighth year, Rochester’s Anomaly Film Festival showcases films from around the world in Rochester, New York. The festival began on Wednesday, November 11 and runs until tomorrow night. This incredible fest brings independent genre films in horror, science fiction, fantasy, action, “the indescribable”, and dark comedies from around the world to two landmark screens, the Little Theater on the East End and the Dryden Theater at the George Eastman Museum.
A pop-up VHS store at the Anomaly Film Festival in Downtown Rochester, New York.
This year, Anomaly has transformed the Little Theatre into a throwback pop-up VHS store called “Eyeball Video”. It’s a pop-up shop that’s full of nostalgia, reminiscent of a classic video rental store, and they’re selling VHS tapes for $2 each. For those of us who spent our teenage years perusing Blockbuster on a Friday night, it’s a throwback to the old video store experience; an experience where you always seemed to lose track of time, as you searched through endless video shelves for the perfect movies to bring home that night. On some occasions, you might have accidentally kept the copies well beyond their return date, and likely still owe a franchise a few bucks to clear your name. Sorry Hollywood Video and Blockbuster…we’re still cool right?
A themed taboo “smut” section can be found at the Anomaly Film Festival if you’re willing to look for it.
All I can say is this, the Anomaly Film Festival in Downtown Rochester is an incredibly unique experience, one that most cinephiles are sure to find enjoyable. The curated set of short and featured films go beyond your wildest imagination. At times, you might watch something bizarre, maybe even a little sexy, most definitely thrilling, but undeniably there’s always a good time to be had. If you’re looking for something interesting to do this weekend around the city of Rochester, then grab some tickets, browse the VHS section, and do me a favor: Be Weird, Rewind.
