Story by Frances Figart | Photo by Sarah Jones Decker
Marc McCloud is a man of few words. But when he speaks, people listen. Like some of his favorite directors, he seems to succeed in encouraging those around him—from regular customers to long-time employees—to expand their horizons and try new things.
This tendency to facilitate growth in others may be partly a result of McCloud’s own dissatisfaction earlier in his career. After receiving a degree in music business from Middle Tennessee State University, he spent two years working on Nashville’s Music Row during the height of the country music boom, but quickly became disenchanted. He and his wife, Debra, tried several other places before settling in Asheville 20 years ago.
McCloud managed a Blockbusters franchise from 1999 to 2003. “During that time, I became frustrated in their movie selection,” he says. “We could not stock the stores ourselves to cater to Asheville’s eclectic tastes.”
A vision of a unique video store with a community vibe that could meet the discriminating film expectations of savvy creative types began to take shape. “I took matters into my own hands,” McCloud says. He opened Orbit in October of 2003.
As it turns out, a wide spectrum of film choices is only part of the business. Over the years the store has “expanded to include vintage video games, comics, books, t-shirts, toys and whatever else we think fits the Orbit mold.” All the rental movies are also for sale and subscription plans start at $7.99 per month.
McCloud has an avuncular relationship to his employees, representing more of a mentor or big brother than just a boss. Matt Evans, now a budget analyst for Buncombe County Government, worked at the store for eight years, starting at age 20.
“Marc was then—and remains—one of my favorite people,” he says. “I had an interest in business early on and Marc was always transparent with me about the business and anything I wanted to learn. Orbit had a workplace culture that not only supported my—and other employees’—art and music, but demanded that we do it.”
For current employee Kayla Jean Bott, finding the store a decade ago was “like a kid stumbling upon Disneyland. The discovery of most of my favorite films and TV shows came directly from Orbit. As a college student I had unlimited access to all this hard-to-find media for less than $15 a month—way better than Disneyland.”
Bott says McCloud teaches customers and employees alike to “seek out exposure to things that make you uncomfortable and challenge you in your safe space. Media doesn’t have to be about lulling entertainment; it can be about confronting your greatest fears and questioning your beliefs in absolutely everything.”
He concedes, “We have convinced customers to watch films that are out of their comfort zone. A good example is Let the Right One In, a Scandinavian teenage vampire movie. People resisted, we were insistent, and many came in afterwards saying it’s the best film they’ve ever seen.”
Influenced by some of the world’s edgiest film directors, McCloud says his greatest inspiration is his wife, who has a job in patenting. “Most marriages do not last for small business owners,” he says. “She has been patient with me and helped us traverse the peaks and valleys that naturally come with a brick-and-mortar store.”
McCloud says he doesn’t expect people to drive 30 miles just to rent a movie anymore, yet some do. “There are two great video stores in town that have selections that you cannot find online,” he says, “and there are major metropolitan areas that do not have any video stores anymore, so take advantage of the unique resources for film in our area.”
Why does he love this job? “There has never been a day where I did not want to go into work. Being Asheville, every day can bring a new surprise!”
Owner Picks: Top 5 Favorite Movies of All Time
(“You would ask me this one. I think it changes weekly.”)
- Goodfellas (Martin Scorsese)
- The Devils (Ken Russell)
- Fantasia (Walt Disney)
- Evil Dead II (Sam Raimi)
- Walkabout (Nicolas Roeg)
Orbit DVD is located at 781 Haywood Road in West Asheville, across from Wells Fargo and Universal Joint. Learn more at orbitdvd.com or by calling 828.251.1337. McCloud says they are also available to bother on Facebook and Instagram.
