You can take Fred's Video off the Hill ...

by Sandra Miller
Beacon Hill Times
Fred’s Videos on Charles Street may be only a nice memory, but Fred Rose is still kicking around the Hill, doing real estate and still sharing his Fred’s Picks.
We thought we’d ask him what the best movies of 2008 were.
“I generally go for more offbeat or indie films, but this seemed to be the year when some of the more obvious, commercial films really shined - definitely, ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Iron Man’-- two genre pictures that really transcended their comic book origins and delivered on every level. A ‘popcorn’ movie, if done right, not only grabs the box office but also attracts A-list stars, like Robert Downey, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Heath Ledger. It kind of legitimizes popular films, and can help merge commerce and art.”
For a "popular" comedy, he chose “Tropic Thunder,” which he said was “another example of having zero expectations, and pretty much being blown away.”
For drama, he chose “Doubt” and “The Reader”.
For DVD reissues, he was thrilled to get “LA Confidential” and “An American In Paris,” while the 2008 DVD release of “American Gangster” tops his list for a "new" release.

He also recommends the 2008 books by Harlan Coben, Linwood Barclay, Robin Cook, Dean Koontz, and Jeffery Deaver; and for music, he really likes the new Killers CD, as well as Bruce Springsteen’s "Magic," new releases by old grade-school faves the Pretenders, B-52s and Debbie Harry. He also discovered online Gaslight Anthem, a new band, and Great Big Sea out of Newfoundland.

A new release
He still has the old Fred’s Video sign that was taken down when he shut the doors in 2007 when cable, Netflix and rising rents started rolling him the closing credits. He had bought the store 11 years before, the former Beacon Hill Video on Charles Street, where he began working while an Emerson College student. He continued to work part-time after graduation, and bought the store in 1996. When times got tough, he moved from Beacon Hill to Quincy to save on rent, so he could continue working in the neighborhood.
“The year-plus since I closed my store has been a definite transitional period for me, and I miss being part of what was a destination spot for so many people in the neighborhood,” he said.
He turned 40, got a tattoo, tried dyeing his hair black again, took up listening to country music, started writing a novel – a psychological thriller -- and eventually began selling real estate for Marston Voss a year ago this past fall, so he’s still connected to the neighborhood.
“The switch to real estate was a logical jump, neighborhood-wise, and I love that I am still Beacon Hill-centric, despite living in Quincy these days,” he said. “Business has been good, despite the ups and downs inherent in this market. I sold three places over the summer, and do lots of rentals throughout the year.”
Beacon Hill “is my favorite place on earth,” he said about the place where he lived and worked for nearly 20 years. “It still feels like home to me, and it always will … It’s a thrill to introduce potential new residents to this wonderful enclave, and I love hearing feedback from clients I have placed here.”
Does he miss the video store? Not so much. “I miss seeing all the old familiar faces that were my ‘regulars’. I would have people come in and shoot the breeze for 10 or 20 minutes, constantly. I miss talking movies with people, and turning people on to films I loved. The ‘Fred's Picks’ section of my store lives on in my apartment. I started stealing from myself once I realized I would be closing up shop.”
He also misses playing hide and seek behind the counter with the neighborhood kids, but not the feeling of working in a dying industry. “I did very well for much longer than many other ‘brick and mortar’ shops, but that last year was pretty scary,” he recalled. “Of course, the economy now is such a huge question mark, so there are some flashback moments to that period, definitely...”
And in a weird twist, his old store is now a real estate office, albeit not his.
Fred Rose is now blogging about his favorite movies and other cultural obsessions at http://fredspicks.blogspot.com/.