WILL he be the ‘last kangaroo’? That’s up to you! Guirong Wu of Windsor Civic Video owns the only remaining Civic Video store in Sydney and one of the last few DVD hire businesses left, but he needs your help to keep him going.
He has been in the business for nearly 20 years and has closed down numerous shops – the competition.
The latest news is that the Civic franchise is closing its head office in Alexandria, but Mr Wu has not conceded defeat.
He will keep trading and working towards his mission to be the last ‘video shop’ still standing in Australia. In fact, it’s beginning to look like he’s really in with a chance.
So, what’s good to hire this month at the store? Mr Wu’s top picks include award-winning drama Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, and spy thriller Red Sparrow. He also rates highly The Exception, Rex, and 12 Strong.
Brand new in store this week are Ready Player One, American Pastoral, Aussie flick The BBQ, and Love, Simon.
Sure to be a hit this month is new release Pacific Rim Uprising – worth hiring all-the-more due to its ‘Hawkesbury link’ … the film, a fantasy and science fiction blockbuster, features local 26-year-old Jasmine Newton from Oakville, behind the scenes in the visual effects studio.
(Ms Newton is currently in London working on a high-profile movie being produced at Warner Bros Studios. It’s a sequel for a well-known, very popular film … watch this space as we’ll be chatting with her when she returns.)
In the mood for something a little more ‘classic’? Mr Wu has that department covered, too. This month he’s re-watching one of his all-time favourite films, The Sound of Music – it’s now in store, along with a range of other well-loved video shop staples.
“It’s never boring!” Mr Wu said of the 1965 musical drama staring Julie Andrews. “It never gets old over time. The music is still very good.”
Next time you’re in the store, ask him to give you a rendition of the popular track ‘Edelweiss’ – he let slip to the Gazette recently that he trained in opera singing back in China. He hasn’t had lessons for 20 years, but his voice is still to die for.
So next time you’re looking for something to do, why not check out Mr Wu?
Windsor Civic Video is located at the carpark end of the Old Post Office Arcade off Windsor Mall, and is open Sundays to Thursdays 10am-7pm, and Fridays and Saturdays 10am-8pm.