A resurrected video store in Belleville’s downtown offers more than just a blast from the past.

Bill Lucas and Nigel Hartwell took ownership of Jumbo Video and reopened a new store at 318 Front Street on Thursday.

Lucas said he and Hartwell took the business on as a way to provide other options to people besides expensive streaming services, allowing them to rent physical copies of movies and shows at more affordable prices.

“On top of that, I really think that people are coming in here, not just for the physical videos, but also a little bit of personal interaction,” he explained in an interview inside the store on Friday.

“You don't get that on Netflix, you don't get that on any streaming sites. Also, you're going to have that cable package that you're paying hundreds of dollars for to flick through for hours on end, and still not have anything to watch."

Both co-owners are also ‘children of the ‘80’s’ that grew up with video stores as a part of the city’s fabric.

“We remember going into a Jumbo video and we got the popcorn, and we got the videos,” said Lucas.

“The nostalgia of it alone is something that we enjoy.”

The new location also offers collectibles of characters from Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Disney, among others, as well as video games, retro lunchboxes, posters, lightsabers, and wrestling belts, acting as a mini ‘fan-expo’ of sorts.

As an independent filmmaker, Hartwell also will use the store as a way to promote and sell his own films.

“We see those fans just soaking up that kind of stuff. We’re thinking, ‘why can't we bring that kind of atmosphere to Belleville, where we both grew up,” Lucas said.

Lucas and Hartwell took over the business from the previous owner, which closed late last summer, and Lucas added the timing felt right to reinvent the store.

“I like to think that we're taking a little bit more unique approach with the collectibles as well to really keep it (to) a movie fanbase,” he explained.

“There are definitely people that are in our age group, possibly older, possibly younger, that want that. It’s just fun having something to hold on to.”

The co-owners say good word of mouth has already gotten out, as multiple customers strolled into the store to browse and rent.

One customer even bought a Stormtrooper helmet from Star Wars.

They say they hope to see the business expand to be more than a nostalgic novelty.

Frequent customers can sign up for subscription models, which allows them to rent movies they may not be able to find on streaming sites and drop them off when they’re finished.

The store takes over the space left by Bazaar Artisan Market, which moved to 267 Front St.