Why Grindhouse Video, a worldwide hub for weird and wacky horror films, moved to Knoxville

Horror movie fans all over the world rely on Grindhouse Video to find the best, weirdest and most niche scary movies out there.

Knoxville horror movie fans are getting an added bonus this Halloween after the industry leader relocated to Knoxville and opened a video store here.

For fans of old school video stores, horror movies or physical media, Grindhouse Video has just about everything you might want.

Originally based in Tampa, Florida, owner Mike Sandlin quit his job and started selling used DVDs at a flea market. He opened a retail space in 2014 and Grindhouse Video was born.

Sandlin moved to Knoxville in May to be closer to his daughter, Kortney Sandlin. He brought Grindhouse Video with him and set up shop at 7212 Kingston Pike. It's a bigger space than the Florida location, which Sandlin never thought would happen.

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"Horror has always been a consistent sell," Sandlin said. "There's more horror collectors, people that will buy physical media, for the horror genre, just because streaming doesn't necessarily carry everything."

Spreading horror worldwide

Grindhouse Video has a global presence. That's partly because it's just so odd to see a video store these days, not to mention one focused on horror.

Sandlin focused on selling scary movies because his store in Tampa had limited space, and he loves the genre.

"People from all over the world were coming into that (Tampa) store," Sandlin said. "But I've had people come in … like traveled to Tampa and now Knoxville from Australia, Europe, Germany - I think I had somebody from Japan - Canada, like all over the country, all over the world and have come to wherever I was for Grindhouse Video."

The website is the real draw, however. Sandlin closed his Tampa store for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the website "doubled in sales the first year and then doubled again on top of that in the second year."

Essentially, he said the "website pays for everything" and it allows for the store to operate.

Including Sandlin and his daughter, six people work at Grindhouse Video, running the store and geeking out with horror enthusiasts.

"I definitely want this to be a hub for people," Sandlin said. "The guys that I've hired to work the front are really good at talking to people. They love talking about movies. So I don't mind if people are here for two hours just talking."

What you can buy at Grindhouse Video

The business name comes from quick, low-budget horror films and the theaters that showed these films. That's about what you can find at Grindhouse Video.

The main section of the store is almost all horror, including classic films, b-movies and underground flicks. All of the videos and DVDs are newly packaged and start around $20, but can reach up to $150 for collections or premium offerings.

Along with the main horror selection there is a used DVD and Blu-Ray section alphabetized without genre labels. These also range in price, with a few rarities in the movie shelves. The store also has VHS and LaserDiscs sections for old school collectors looking to fill in any gaps in their collections.

Grindhouse Video has movie merch for sale, including T-shirts, pins, magnets, action figures, socks, rugs, books and more. The store is modeled after old mom-and-pop video shops Sandlin remembers growing up.

"We're also pretty much one of the only movie stores, not necessarily horror stores, but movie stores," Sandlin said. "There's a lot of record stores that carry movies. There's a lot of bookstores that carry movies. Like, we are a movie store."

Grindhouse recommends horror movies for Halloween

Looking for a classic horror film or hoping to branch out? Sandlin has some suggestions.

Classic horror films to watch:

• "Friday the 13th" (1980)

• "Halloween" (1978)

• "Carrie" (1976)

• "Night of the Comet" (1984)

• "Nightbreed" (1990)

• "The Thing" (1982)

• "Re-Animator" (1985)

Lesser-known horror films to watch:

• "The Suckling" (1990)

• "Microwave Massacre" (1983)

• "Frankenhooker" (1990)

• "Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama" (1988)

• "Nightmare Sisters" (1988)

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A sponsor of this fall's Knoxville Horror Film Festival, Sandlin hopes the physical store becomes more popular than the online store, and he'd love to outgrow the space.

"I never thought I'd be open, let alone still around," Sandlin said. "I don't plan on opening another store. So this will be the store at least for the next few years or so."

The store is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Grindhouse Video Knoxville sells horror movie DVDs and VCR tapes