Attention! Completely remastered episodes of the Dead Mall Series are now being archived in 4K at ruclips.net/channel/UCfCM_TfrSDMkkMpKuLNWuXA. The remasters have gone through an extensive AI Enhancement process as well as proper sound mixing and colorization. This Dead Mall Series Remastered project has been made possible through viewer support on Patreon. Go over now and watch in glorious 4K. ENJOY!
I think the reason the Dead Mall series is so compelling is because malls once represented everything America stood for - a Cathedral of Commerce, a place where rich and poor alike could mingle in a stately Pleasure Dome of glass and chrome, a hopeful portal to a prosperous future, the one promised to us in all of those boldly-narrated, vintage news serials about life in the YEAR 2000!!! But the dream couldn't last. The engine of commerce moved onto the internet, society became atomized, entertainment became something you could get with the click of a button at home, and, most importantly, people just aren't as rich as they once were. The gleaming architecture and the promise of satisfaction with the swipe of a credit card now ring hollow. We can't buy our way to happiness, (not that any of us can afford to now.) Your videos have a very dreamlike quality - as if exploring a magical land that can vanish in a puff of smoke, just like the memories of our youth...
Why do these dead malls invoke so much curiosity? Is it because we know they were once heavily populated and now they are like ghost towns, which makes them eerily interesting? Is it because we've always wondered what having a giant space like that to ourselves would feel like. Is it because of our post apocalyptic survival obsession? Maybe all of these but I'm definitely intrigued by these videos.
Sean Reilly I visited many malls in the early 00s when I was a kid, and they looked pretty much the same as they do in 90s videos. They had a special kind of magic, mainly because of the sensory overload you got as a little child, and how alive they felt. Knowing that such a feel is gone forever makes you miss it even more, even if it was just the wonder of seeing the mundane through a kid's eyes.
People still go to malls. Baltimore was overmalled in the 1990s, but many are still thriving in Towson, Arundel Mills, Columbia, and White Marsh. The others were repurposed. I don't think there is any permanently abandoned site in the Baltimore area. A few are struggling, Marley Station, East Point, and are likely to be repurposed too at some point. Conversion to outdoor malls seems to be a good bet. It worked really well for Hunt Valley.
Late response! But, I wonder if a part of the appeal is that most of us grew up with them being marketed -and openly demonstrated - to be the popular future of shopping and social hubs? So we took their presence for granted and their current state only highlights that difference all the more.
I love the the music you used for this video, Dan it just sets the mood for this series prevue so perfectly. I come back and watch it periodically eventhough I have seen the entire DMS so far.
Living next to the MoA and with my brother working there; Some day won't be any time soon for that one. Even compared to other prospering malls around here, it doesn't exactly have a hard time keeping store fronts full. Would be interesting if he did Southdale Mall one day though. Oldest climate controlled mall in the world, and it's definitely had its ups and downs.
I have seen a lot. A LOT. But this right here. This is the greatest RUclips channel of all time. It strikes the supreme note of art. The melancholy beauty and pathos of Dan Bell's cinematography is simply sublime. And I'm not being sarcastic in the slightest. Dan Bell's work belongs in the Library of Congress.
I remember seeing The Dead Mall Series in my recommendations and I thought "what is so freaking interesting about a dead mall?" Well eventually I watched an episode and I was hooked. I binged watched these depressing, yet intriguing videos. That was the gate way drug for more This Is Dan Bell. I love all of his videos series! The Another Dirty Room is a hard one to watch sometimes, though. I get the ick factor big time. Keep up the great work, Dan. Looking forward to all your new adventures!!! And take Will along with you!!
yes they were especially in slp mode. SP best quality. 2 hours recording time.LP on more late VCR's 4 hours but LP was incompatible with earlier VCRS so almost never used. and SLP. 6 hours recording time. Least quality.
It’s all Amazon now, but I spent decades of my life traveling to the mall and browsing through it. From Christmas to Birthdays or just shopping sprees; I miss those old times.
Feel it all around by washed out DUDE!!!!! I'm loving the dead mall series and really happy I found your channel and then I see this video, as a 90's kid even my inner child got chills, this will forever be the best music video to this song I've seen. Epic Video and good luck out there.
Thank you for this incredible series Dan Bell. I never would have gotten into Urbex/Dead Retail media without this initial series. I think everyone small channels like Unicomm Productions and The Proper People to major series like Bright Sun Films to Retail Archeology to even big names like SAL and Ace's Adventures all got some influence from this initial series. So I wish you luck with whatever projects you decide to do in the future.
Excellent closing music and throwback VHS style flickered video montage. Spooky neat. Heard much about Scranton, the town or maybe it did also go totally bankrupt. Great gobs of rust belt, but being a relatively late built mall maybe it's in the aluminum oxide belt.
nice! i guess in a way this shows that many of these malls haven't really moved on from really the period of when they where built in the 70s-90s ,any-ways keep up the great work dan and tbh i cant wait for your next vid in the dead malls series, hope you have a great day. jack
Jack Frazer thats because many older malls can no longer afford or feel the need to remodel since shops are moving out poor attendance why waist money trying to save something that isn't work if your going to remodel it change it into something that will work for the area maybe office space maybe buy rights to popular franchises and put them in the empty stores the mall in our area has recently been remodeled but I live in a populated area and the mall here is still doing very well very packed they are actually adding on to it adding strip buildings to the lot mostly in rural areas or low population areas thanks to the internet Wal-Mart etc malls are a thing of the past
Personally I don't think mass scale consumerism and partaking in the sort of entertainment on offer in most malls should be a part of 'our culture'. Sure in the past it has been marketed to us as a fun recreational activity (rather than something thats done out of necessity), but all it does in reality is continue to condition us within the late stage capitalist system. I'm far from sad about the death of the mall. I hope through it we may see greater levels of civic engagement and community activity once again
Wow! I am obsessed with dead malls (and empty fairgrounds and old hotels and movie houses) and other crazy creepy shit). Love love love. Imma go check out the rest of your stuff.
So I’ve been watching your channel for a while now and the nostalgia overwhelms me so we have started going to our local malls-in the Portland metro area we have 2 major malls that are still thriving. I wanted to show my teenage daughter where I spent my youth. Going there yesterday we spent the whole day fighting crowds and standing in long lines and when we got done I told best friend.....this is why the mall is dying.....it’s a huge pain in the rear!!!!! 😂😂😂😂 you should come check out our malls. Aside from sears leaving the rest of the mall is very much alive.....no teens hanging out though as they took out the skating rink and arcade......and the food court isn’t nearly as good.
Watched all 30 episodes over a couple days. Great series. Wish you could have documented, say the Regency Mall in Augusta SC, or Shannon Mall in south ATL (I think both were plowed in the last couple years).
Absolutely love this! Very creative. I've watched some of your mall videos so far and really enjoyed them. Very informative and well put-together especially with the camera angles. I have a mall that is struggling in my city, it's called The Village Shopping Centre. It's not dead yet but has been struggling for a number of years. I'll try and make a movie of that mall to show you. There's also a dead mall down the street from it that used to have a major grocery store and a Zeller's Dept Store. Both have closed down and in their places are call centres. The only thing left that's worthwhile in this mall is a movie theatre.
Attention! Completely remastered episodes of the Dead Mall Series are now being archived in 4K at ruclips.net/channel/UCfCM_TfrSDMkkMpKuLNWuXA. The remasters have gone through an extensive AI Enhancement process as well as proper sound mixing and colorization. This Dead Mall Series Remastered project has been made possible through viewer support on Patreon. Go over now and watch in glorious 4K. ENJOY!
I'd love to watch a full length feature documentary on the dying mall culture by Dan Bell. That'd be rad as hell.
I think that's kind of what this is. Just click "Autoplay" below the video
Argonaut Video you’re a poet and didn’t even know it!
A lost part of our teen years
Groovy and far out, dude!
i love that you always find old footage of these malls.
The Portlandia intro music - 'Feel It All Around' by Washed Out - fantastic :)
Pete Stean Thank you!!!!
Thank you for finding this song. I was wondering. 😎🌴🤘📸
I think the reason the Dead Mall series is so compelling is because malls once represented everything America stood for - a Cathedral of Commerce, a place where rich and poor alike could mingle in a stately Pleasure Dome of glass and chrome, a hopeful portal to a prosperous future, the one promised to us in all of those boldly-narrated, vintage news serials about life in the YEAR 2000!!! But the dream couldn't last. The engine of commerce moved onto the internet, society became atomized, entertainment became something you could get with the click of a button at home, and, most importantly, people just aren't as rich as they once were. The gleaming architecture and the promise of satisfaction with the swipe of a credit card now ring hollow. We can't buy our way to happiness, (not that any of us can afford to now.) Your videos have a very dreamlike quality - as if exploring a magical land that can vanish in a puff of smoke, just like the memories of our youth...
Beautifully worded :)
Wow! Excellent synopsis!!
Awesomeness
Why do these dead malls invoke so much curiosity? Is it because we know they were once heavily populated and now they are like ghost towns, which makes them eerily interesting? Is it because we've always wondered what having a giant space like that to ourselves would feel like. Is it because of our post apocalyptic survival obsession? Maybe all of these but I'm definitely intrigued by these videos.
Sean Reilly
I visited many malls in the early 00s when I was a kid, and they looked pretty much the same as they do in 90s videos.
They had a special kind of magic, mainly because of the sensory overload you got as a little child, and how alive they felt. Knowing that such a feel is gone forever makes you miss it even more, even if it was just the wonder of seeing the mundane through a kid's eyes.
People still go to malls. Baltimore was overmalled in the 1990s, but many are still thriving in Towson, Arundel Mills, Columbia, and White Marsh. The others were repurposed. I don't think there is any permanently abandoned site in the Baltimore area. A few are struggling, Marley Station, East Point, and are likely to be repurposed too at some point. Conversion to outdoor malls seems to be a good bet. It worked really well for Hunt Valley.
Late response! But, I wonder if a part of the appeal is that most of us grew up with them being marketed -and openly demonstrated - to be the popular future of shopping and social hubs? So we took their presence for granted and their current state only highlights that difference all the more.
Thank you for this video Dan, I love everything from the music to the VHS effects. It made me feel a bit old but very nostalgic. One of your best.
I love the the music you used for this video, Dan it just sets the mood for this series prevue so perfectly. I come back and watch it periodically eventhough I have seen the entire DMS so far.
YESSSSS THE FEEL IT ALL AROUND WASHED OUT INTROOOOOOOO omg i love you for this. FAVORITE SONG EVER.
everytime i go to the mall this song plays in my head
imagine doing this some day:
DEAD MALL SERIES: Mall of America
That's a two-parter. :-)
That will be the case sooner or later.
Living next to the MoA and with my brother working there; Some day won't be any time soon for that one. Even compared to other prospering malls around here, it doesn't exactly have a hard time keeping store fronts full.
Would be interesting if he did Southdale Mall one day though. Oldest climate controlled mall in the world, and it's definitely had its ups and downs.
How did I miss this hidden gem during my binge watching of The Dead Mall series. I love it!!!
D E A D M A L L W A V E
Is it ridiculous that I watch the first 20 seconds of this intro almost every other day cause it's soothing?
I love your series! I just binged watched it. Please do more :-)
Leslie Hermes Thank you, Leslie!
This is Fantastic man! Really holds up, editing in on point.
I like the old VHS effects!
A E S T H E T I C
+Lemanic89 I was looking for this. Thanks.
+Lemanic89 Ooh jesus you're right.
Great video.. nothing says 80's Mall culture more than someone playing the air saxophone.
BuccaneerBruce Hahaha!! SO TRUE!!!
BuccaneerBruce I’m going to bring it back!
one of my favorite songs- IM LIVING
I love the dead mall series and I love this music video specially the music
I have seen a lot. A LOT. But this right here. This is the greatest RUclips channel of all time. It strikes the supreme note of art. The melancholy beauty and pathos of Dan Bell's cinematography is simply sublime. And I'm not being sarcastic in the slightest. Dan Bell's work belongs in the Library of Congress.
I remember seeing The Dead Mall Series in my recommendations and I thought "what is so freaking interesting about a dead mall?" Well eventually I watched an episode and I was hooked. I binged watched these depressing, yet intriguing videos. That was the gate way drug for more This Is Dan Bell. I love all of his videos series! The Another Dirty Room is a hard one to watch sometimes, though. I get the ick factor big time. Keep up the great work, Dan. Looking forward to all your new adventures!!! And take Will along with you!!
Washed Outs rework of Gary Lows 1983 Italian disco hit "I want You" + Dan's live photography = glorious legendary ａｅｓｔｈｅｔｉｃ!!
Dan Bell please take more photos of 90's architecture. I'll buy more.
That mall entrance . . . seriously, the DMV.
All I can think of when watching these videos is: Future indoor skate parks.
this is so aesthetically pleasing.
How do you fix the tracking on this thing?
pointlessfailure Haha.
+This is Dan Bell. throwback with the tracking
VCRs weren't that bad!
LizaVP
lol
yes they were especially in slp mode. SP best quality. 2 hours recording time.LP on more late VCR's 4 hours but LP was incompatible with earlier VCRS so almost never used. and SLP. 6 hours recording time. Least quality.
It’s all Amazon now, but I spent decades of my life traveling to the mall and browsing through it. From Christmas to Birthdays or just shopping sprees; I miss those old times.
The dead mall pioneer! You are a legend Dan! I absolutely adore the dead mall series and I hope you release some more soon....
so nostalgia :') perfect dan !
Feel it all around by washed out DUDE!!!!! I'm loving the dead mall series and really happy I found your channel and then I see this video, as a 90's kid even my inner child got chills, this will forever be the best music video to this song I've seen. Epic Video and good luck out there.
Dan, you deserve waaaaaaaaaaaaay more views and Sub's. You Rock! 😎 -Sincerely, A Fan.
Thank you for this incredible series Dan Bell. I never would have gotten into Urbex/Dead Retail media without this initial series. I think everyone small channels like Unicomm Productions and The Proper People to major series like Bright Sun Films to Retail Archeology to even big names like SAL and Ace's Adventures all got some influence from this initial series. So I wish you luck with whatever projects you decide to do in the future.
Honestly, it’s one of the best shows I’ve ever watched
Happy Birthday Dan! Hope you have a great day! :))
Washed Out - Feel it all around. / My boy, Dan, has great taste in music. 👍🏻
Washed Out- "Feel It All Around"
Love these videos the mall looks spooky
I absolutely adore the dead mall series but it’s dark
Love your dead mall series and hope to see more
Feel it all around...awesome song!!!!
Thanks Dan Bell...I'm hooked
I love your series. It's like documenting the slow death of a nation. Depressing and entertaining at the same time.
Excellent closing music and throwback VHS style flickered video montage. Spooky neat.
Heard much about Scranton, the town or maybe it did also go totally bankrupt. Great gobs of rust belt, but being a relatively late built mall maybe it's in the aluminum oxide belt.
nice! i guess in a way this shows that many of these malls haven't really moved on from really the period of when they where built in the 70s-90s ,any-ways keep up the great work dan and tbh i cant wait for your next vid in the dead malls series, hope you have a great day. jack
Thanks, Jack!
Jack Frazer thats because many older malls can no longer afford or feel the need to remodel since shops are moving out poor attendance why waist money trying to save something that isn't work if your going to remodel it change it into something that will work for the area maybe office space maybe buy rights to popular franchises and put them in the empty stores the mall in our area has recently been remodeled but I live in a populated area and the mall here is still doing very well very packed they are actually adding on to it adding strip buildings to the lot mostly in rural areas or low population areas thanks to the internet Wal-Mart etc malls are a thing of the past
It's sad how these malls have died off 😔😔
Why?
Daniel
Because it’s proof that our culture is dying as well. Technology makes us zombies 🧟♀️🧟♂️
Personally I don't think mass scale consumerism and partaking in the sort of entertainment on offer in most malls should be a part of 'our culture'. Sure in the past it has been marketed to us as a fun recreational activity (rather than something thats done out of necessity), but all it does in reality is continue to condition us within the late stage capitalist system. I'm far from sad about the death of the mall. I hope through it we may see greater levels of civic engagement and community activity once again
Love the music!! I keep listening to it over and over. Lol
Why do I feel like I was born in the late 1970s watching this video?
Had this song on my Chillwave playlist for the longest time and knew this would be perfect for your series!
I love your stuff...GOSH! I could listen to this music all day long!!
"Feel it all around" has got to be the most perfect track for this 😂👍
Great vid! Love it!! The 80's clips really set it off. :)
notsoseriousmoonlight Thanks!
I love my signed keychain!!! Thank you!!!
If ever mascot again, this would be my intro song.
This video is a masterpiece.
I miss adjusting the tracking on the VHS tape lol. I LOVE THE STATIC!!!
These videos are addictive
Wow! I am obsessed with dead malls (and empty fairgrounds and old hotels and movie houses) and other crazy creepy shit). Love love love. Imma go check out the rest of your stuff.
fantastic
I LOVE THAT SONG
The Vaporwave is strong in this one!!!
Reminds me of the theme song of "Portlandia".
Music from better times
So I’ve been watching your channel for a while now and the nostalgia overwhelms me so we have started going to our local malls-in the Portland metro area we have 2 major malls that are still thriving. I wanted to show my teenage daughter where I spent my youth. Going there yesterday we spent the whole day fighting crowds and standing in long lines and when we got done I told best friend.....this is why the mall is dying.....it’s a huge pain in the rear!!!!! 😂😂😂😂 you should come check out our malls. Aside from sears leaving the rest of the mall is very much alive.....no teens hanging out though as they took out the skating rink and arcade......and the food court isn’t nearly as good.
Really cool video Dan! I love your dead mall series and its a real shame to see indoor shopping malls become a dying breed.
91myroc Thank you!
I am so pleased, I love this song lmao. Now I'm going to think of dead malls every time it comes up on shuffle lol
This is fab. Love all the 80s footage too.
Thanks, Kim. I'm obsessed with the VHS filters now. I'll add them to everything!! Haha!
Waiting for Carrie and Fred to show up.
Nice song choice, Dan, looove Washed Out.
Beautiful
Points for using Portlandia song......you win yay.
Feel it All Around by Washed Out. you should check out all of his music, it's quite good.
Yeah! I instantly recognized that too! Great that someone knows the artist in this comment section. Great work all around.
You did a fantastic job here!!
Oh fuck yes aesthetics
there are so many dead malls in the outskirts of London it's so aesthetic
This is great!!!!
My first modeling gig was in a mall.
Strictcoaster brought me to these series and they are
Nice video! Please make more of it :) Thumbs up 👍🏻
I want the sound tracks at the beginning on almost all your dead mall series. all cheeseb and mixing funk.
its called vaporware/vaporwave. itsa genre tons of it. check out saint.pepsi
love your vaporware influence
Dan Bell IS Mall Wave!
Feel it all around haha. The feels
Love the Portlandia themesong
This made me think of Step by Step.
Feel It All Around - Washed Out
is the song name if anyone wants to know
lol I thought that my iPod came on when this started playing. Lmao. I love this song.
this is awesome
Watched all 30 episodes over a couple days. Great series. Wish you could have documented, say the Regency Mall in Augusta SC, or Shannon Mall in south ATL (I think both were plowed in the last couple years).
I read that the Regency was stripped down to the bare walls with the entrances covered by cinderblocks, while the Shannon was razed in 2014.
Really special
thanks man
oh the days when our money was worth something .
Fiesta mall in Mesa AZ., is closing soon. only a couple stores open now. I think after the New Year it's closing.
my favorite music video lol 😄
How has this happened? Malls are super popular everywhere else
Absolutely love this! Very creative. I've watched some of your mall videos so far and really enjoyed them. Very informative and well put-together especially with the camera angles. I have a mall that is struggling in my city, it's called The Village Shopping Centre. It's not dead yet but has been struggling for a number of years. I'll try and make a movie of that mall to show you. There's also a dead mall down the street from it that used to have a major grocery store and a Zeller's Dept Store. Both have closed down and in their places are call centres. The only thing left that's worthwhile in this mall is a movie theatre.
love it
This looks pretty tight, might give this a look!
Dan, any chance you might be able to go back to these malls -- those that're still standing, that is -- and give us an update?
Mmm Portlandia!
Washed Out - Feel it All Around