ver dreamed of a comfy living room complete with plenty of seats for you and your pals, cheery food and beverage service and a television with the square footage of a decent-sized horse van? Well, Santa brought you something: Video Monster.

Naomi Adams and Duran Bodasing are the live-in owner-operators of Video Monster, a deli/snacketeria/wireless café/screening room/club/DVD rental space deep in the Gastown suburbs just east of the Gassy Jack statue. There are movie screenings for members Monday to Thursday at seven, Sunday at six (membership is $8). As well, they have introduced the popular multimedia Living Room Comedy series on certain Friday nights, when you want to watch real live people, you freak, you.

Out front the poison green neon sign greets you; once you open the door it’s usually Odie the pitbull continuing with the salutations. The front area is a busy deli-café that fills up at lunchtime with busy local professionals. The menu is standard neo-yuppie: savory paninis, home-made soups, the whole latte family, salads, and pastries as well as your classic popcorn and movie snacks.

I can confirm that the food is tasty and the coffee strong and fresh, and I luv me something strong and fresh! Bodasing and Adams hope to have both a full dinner menu and a liquor license early next year; there’s nothing like sitting on your butt watching some decadent flick that cost more than the GNP of Luxembourg while someone brings you pasta and an intoxicating beverage.

The back room, which also serves as Adams and Bodasing’s living room, is a spacious private screening room, eclectically decorated with old arcade games, local art, mod tables and fake fireplaces. It’s the former home of Blinding Light Theatre, although the floor-to-ceiling bleachers have gone, replaced by comfy sofas and armchairs.