Mick Cleary
Mick Cleary at Good Shit Video
Movie lovers and physical media enthusiasts alike are sure to appreciate Good Shit Video (908 S. Fifth St.), a video store that opened this past fall in Walker’s Point. Owner Mick Cleary’s vast VHS, DVD and Blu-Ray collections have everything from blockbusters to rare finds to cult classics with an emphasis on horror flicks. The store is open Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. while closed Monday through Wednesday.
Good Shit Video (GSV) keeps its movies affordable, sorting them by price and format. Via distribution deals, GSV carries many titles from companies like Criterion Collection, Vinegar Syndrome, Severin Films, Alliance Entertainment and Terror Vision. Rare or more expensive collector’s items are kept in display cases at the counter, which also houses various movie players for sale.
The store is decorated with framed movie posters, horror props, vintage TV sets and even a cardboard cut-out of Agent Dale Cooper from Twin Peaks. Up front is a consignment section featuring goods from local artists, plus puzzles from Found Footage Festival. GSV also sells tote bags, which customers get a 10% store discount anytime they shop with.
Movie Buff
Photo by Ben Slowey
Good Shit Video - Interior and Agent Dale Cooper Cutout
Cleary has been a movie buff his whole life. “I had a cousin who worked at Marcus Theatres, so I’d go see movies all the time,” he recalls. “I always really liked stuff that wasn’t common knowledge, so that’s where some of the collecting started.” Growing up, he frequented now-defunct rental stores like Blockbuster and Hollywood Video. Now, Cleary primarily sources from estate sales or thrift stores.
When Covid hit in 2020, Cleary occupied his time during quarantine by investing more into his collections. In subsequent years, he grew increasingly frustrated by the lack of a dedicated video store in Milwaukee. After doing a few pop-ups at local vendor markets, Cleary ultimately decided to open a store of his own. “I realized there was a very open potential,” he explains. “There’s definitely a market for it and it’s refreshing to see.”
The space that houses GSV had been vacant for three years before the store moved in. Following several months of rezoning and renovation, GSV opened this past October 1. “The first day was chaotic in the best way possible,” Cleary remembers. “A lot of people came in and were so excited this is a thing now.”
Cleary also enlisted help from close friends Richie Murry and Haley Eaglestar Rock to design GSV’s logos and run the shop’s social media, respectively. He plans for Good Shit Video to eventually start doing trades and hosting film screenings.
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