When you and your buddies are having a friendly discussion of classic movies and hit TV shows, self storage is the last thing that comes to mind. Your favorite celebrities, movie scenes, and sitcoms are hot topics but self storage…not so much. Hold on; you may be surprised to know that self storage has been appearing in movies since 1931 and most recently in some very popular cable TV shows.

Self Storage on TV

Ozark

The acclaimed Netflix hit “Ozark” has been getting alot of attention for the last few years. In case you haven’t heard of it, the series follows a family that is forced to relocate from Chicago to the Ozarks so that they can continue laundering money for a drug cartel. Jason Bateman’s character, Marty Byrd, visits a storage facility in Episode 2. The property owner shows him a boat storage unit that is full of abandoned police evidence from a defunct meth-smuggling operation, but that won’t work for laundered drug money.

Dead To Me

This dark comedy stars Christina Applegate as Jen, a recent widow who lost her husband in a hit and run accident. During her quest to solve this crime, she bonds with Judy in a support group. These two women each have shocking secrets that could destroy their lives. Without being a spoiler, let’s just say that there are numerous visits to a storage facility; vehicle storage keeps this drama interesting.

Shameless

Another hit where self storage plays a big part is “Shameless.” The series portrays the dysfunctional Gallagher family. The alcoholic patriarch Frank (William H. Macy) is a single father who is supposed to be raising his six children. In reality, Fiona, the eldest sister, has been raising her siblings and holding this crazy family together for years. When Fiona leaves Chicago for greener pastures, she leaves her young adult sister, Deb, with $5,000 to take care of the family. Deb uses the money to buy high-end designer clothing, shoes, and accessories for her new “career.” She keeps this clothing in a self storage unit that looks like a cross between a walk-in closet/dressing room, complete with carpeting, lighting, and garment racks. Your teenage daughter needs this.

Shameless

Project Runway

Project Runway is typically a crazy show, but Episode 11 of Season 13, was one of the most unique. The designers were given the challenge of creating high-style outfits from items bid on at a storage auction. They had to work with couches, kids toys, sports equipment, ugly artwork, and any other unusual item that you can imagine. They were ingenious in their use of random junk to produce unusual outfits.The soccer ball dress with the winner!

Soccer Ball Dress

Self Storage in the Movies

M

No, I didn’t forget to type the rest of the word. The name of the movie is “M,” and it took audiences by storm in 1931. Fun fact: “M” went on to become the benchmark for all serial killer movies. In a climactic scene near the end of the film, the serial killer is finally caught hiding inside a storage unit. This movie paved the way for a number of gruesome films, including “The Silence of the Lambs,” another thriller to make good use of a storage unit.

The Silence of the Lambs

“The Silence of the Lambs” is actually the true story of serial killer Gary Heidnik, who keeps his victims captive in his basement. Dr. Hannibal Lecter, who plays the part of Gary, tells Detective Starling to look “deep within yourself.” Her instincts to her that this was an uncharacteristic comment coming from Dr. Lecter. After connecting the dots, she looked in a Baltimore phone book and found a Your Self Storage facility in the downtown area. She discovered that a unit in this facility had been leased for 10 years, pre-paid in full, in the name of Miss Hester Mofet – an anagram for Miss The Rest of Me. When she breaks into the unit, she makes some creepy discoveries. Looks like management wasn’t paying attention to that property.

Silence of the Lambs

Self Storage

Yes, the actual name of this 2003 movie is “Self Storage,” and it’s not exactly a classic. In fact, it falls into the category of “most forgettable” movies of all time, full of stereotypical characters and bad acting. It takes place at a highly-secured self storage facility; there couldn’t be a better location for a party. Innocent mischief turns a naughty night of fun into an evening of horror. Some things are meant to stay under lock and key.

Is your facility ready for Hollywood?

Self storage has made it big in the entertainment industry, and I expect to see more roles at facilities in the future. Who knows, maybe your humble little unit will be tapped for the starring scene in an upcoming moving or TV show.