Cinefile Video

One of my favorite spots in LA. These guys always have what I’m looking for — even stuff I can’t find online.

It’s been over three years since I had to breakup with Cinefile and since then it seems our wounds have both had time to heal. Earlier this year the new owner reached out to me with genuine concern for the underwhelming customer service I received on the previous owner’s watch and said he thought we could make another go at our relationship. He mentioned some of the less friendly employees from the Cinefile of old had moved on and I’d likely find it a bit more relaxed these days. Six Cinefile visits later and I can say it’s been nothing but smooth sailing.
I never really wanted to leave, the film selection is ridiculously expansive and I’m ashamed to admit I was scared away by a few pissy prima donna employees who seemed to enjoy pissing people off. But that’s all in the past now, the new owner cares a bit about the mood of his shop and has put in work to elevate the place. The membership rental program is genius, for an extremely cheap rate of $ 25 per month you can have 4 movies out at a time for up to 30 days. Or if you’re a cine-​fiend you could do 4 a day which is crazy to me but if you have the free time go for it, hey, it comes to like $ 0.29 per rental. Film students get some sort of free hookup which just goes to show that Cinefile is committed to not only the gems from the film industry but also those up and comers who will carry film forward.
It’s convenient (right off the 405), it’s collection is through the roof, and the employees know their movies/​directors/​genres. It’s good to be back.

i walk in with the titles of the movies and they usually go in the back and just get them. good service should take around 5 – 7 minutes. i have been a member here for years and the only thing that is really frustrating is that sometimes when i walk in i will ask for a movie and then they will tell me «yeah that movie is in the Almodóvar section» or «its in the horror section» now i have to spend another 10 – 15 minutes looking for the DVD case in a small section located somewhere in the store and even if there is no case for that movie they usually will look on the computer and pull it up (basically its a waste of my time). sometimes i can be in there for 20+ minutes and it sucks. overall most of the employees that work there do a great job and wont have me jump through so many hoops to get a movie and they do have a tip jar but i never carry cash on me, if they could have you tip on the receipt that would be better. the pros is that they do have parking in the back about 3 spaces and you can keep most rentals for a full 7 days but it is pricey around 4.91 per movie, i would not mind 1 day rentals for 1.99 or even 2.99 since i watch the movie the same night anyways.

High marks for having very hard to find movies. At Cinefile I’ve found all of the obscure classics that Netf*cks doesn’t have a clue about.

Knowledgeable and friendly staff who also have great suggestions. Vast collection of titles including some really hard to find films.

Cinefile is awesome. They have everything, I haven’t been unable to find a movie I wanted there no matter how obscure. The way they organize things is also great, I particularly love the Holy Shit section and the adult film section under the red curtains. The staff is always nice and helpful, once I even came when it closed and they let me in to rent a movie. Great place!

nice people. good selection.

I read a few reviews on Unilocal and decided to call Cinefile. They actually had a copy of the whacky documentary, «Genghis Blues,» available on VHS. There are so few movie stores left now with a decent selection. I’ve been to Vidiots in Santa Monica several times, but the staff there is just too snooty.

Friendly staff, great selection, cheaper than anywhere else you could rent! Support your local businesses! I miss movie stores!

Incredible selection, knowledgeable staff, great hours. Got a disc that wouldn’t play once, brought it in, and the cashier cleaned it and gave me an extra week with it for free.

They have just about everything you want or need. Easy to find what you’re looking for, and if not, the staff is very helpful. I’ve had many a late night run to Cinefile when I need to show rare or random clips to students in my writing classes. I wish they could clone this store further east!

Great eclectic catalog, very knowledgeable, helpful staff.

This is a sanctuary for film and television lovers. The staff is super knowledgeable, and friendly, and they are really great at working with you, and recommending titles. I initially came to this store to get my hands on some older, hard to find films, while I was doing research for a play, and ended up becoming a monthly member because I love the vibe and community so much. This place is the last video store of it’s kind on the west side, and we gotta keep it going! I love the feeling of being able to support a shop like Cinefile, and maintain a live community around the films that we love! As an actress, I don’t like the idea of downloading TV shows, or movies online. It feels much better to me to support a store like this. They really value their customers, and most of their staff members have been to film school, and are currently working in the industry. Shout out to Greg for always being so friendly, and recommending me some great titles. I love you, Cinefile!

LOVE THIS PLACE! Not only is it one of the few remaining video (blu-​ray/​dvd) stores left, but the reason it’s left is that IT’S AMAZING! Not only does it have almost everything you are looking for but it’s also highly entertaining to wander through the store, covered in cool posters and movie action figures, plus the different sections of the store are awesome. GO THERE!

In an age where these such stores are bastions of a long-​ago era (or what seems like), I can really appreciate a video store that has that «feel» you’ve been missing — and didn’t realize you’ve been missing it. It’s nostalgia, it’s magic, it’s for cinephiles.
They’ve never been out of my movies (huge selection), the staff is friendly and fun to chat with, there’s convenient parking behind the building and on the street.

I write this with some nostalgia toward Cinefile because I have frequented it on and off since I moved to LA, more than 10 years ago. I used to love this place, a film person’s dream, with rare movies you can’t find anywhere else and great organization.
We used to drive from the Valley to Santa Monica just to rent from them!
Lately, I’m disappointed with this store. We stop by when we’re in the area, here and there and had some bad experiences.
I want the store to still be around, since it’s a cinema cultural gem and there aren’t too many left around. But they need to make some changes. The new release selection is poor, there are too many subcategories for movies, their prices are high and my number ONE complaint is the poor customer service. People who work here are snooty, they have an attitude, like they’re better than you. Last two times we went in, it was bad. We overheard the entire personal phone conversation of one of the people working behind the counter, the whole drama in his life while he didn’t pay any attention to us (somebody could steal something during this time).
Next time, we weren’t greeted either, just got looks when we got it like «Who are you?» and heard their conversation about food places in the area. We felt like we were intruding in someones house we weren’t invited.
Please, stop with this attitude! It’s LA, guys, other people love and know a lot about movies besides you! We don’t need to be treated like we’re some ignorant idiots coming in! You never know who stops by, what they know (we actually have some movies we made on your shelves)! Despite that, show some manners and consideration toward your fellow cinephiles! Or just regular customers. This is tough love toward this store.
Parking is difficult, metered on the streets around.
I’m giving it 3 stars just out of nostalgia toward the old times, otherwise, my rating would be lower!

I don’t rent from here, living in Orange County and all, but as a film geek this is the kind of place I could still spend an inordinate amount of time at. This isn’t the local Blockbuster; these guys know their shit.
Love the t-​shirts for film directors parodying famous band logos. There are too many to mention, but they do a great job of making the director’s name match the band logo their riffing on. And from what I hear, they have more great designs on the way.
Whether you’re looking for a place to rent from or not, any fan of film owes it to themselves to stop in and give this spot a gander. If nothing else, it’ll take you back to a time when mom-​and-​pop video shops were a place of refuge.

They have a September promotion right now for $ 40 for 20 rentals or $ 25 for 10 rentals!
How rare and precious to find a video store nowadays. This place is well organized and the people are so nice.
I stopped in with not a clue on what I wanted, and the lady was so patient and gave me numerous suggestions to go with. Her little pudgy dog is super cute/​sweet too. She made sure to give me the low-​down on everything, and said if I ever think I’ll return a video late, just to call in to re-​check the movie and avoid a penalty.
They have a great selection of quirky movies, documentaries, mockumentaries, foreign films, etc. I ended up getting their promotion of $ 40 for 20 rental card. Older movies are due in 7 days, and new arrivals in 2 days. I plan on renting some more to prepare for my Carmageddon weekend. :)
My only recommendation is that they have a list on their website of favorites & recommendations by category

I don’t even know where to begin. Cinefile has a real problem with its customer service. I rented a movie and, as life can get busy, forgot to return it. I was reminded 30 DAYS LATER when I got a call from Cinefile telling me that I was late returning the movie and that I now owed them $ 80. Yes, you read that correctly … $ 80 for a movie that would cost $ 6 to replace with a brand new copy. I know it was my fault that I was late, no denying that. But why didn’t Cinefile give a courtesy reminder in less than 30 days? Why wait 30 days while I racked up enormous late fees? Could it be that they maybe wanted me to rack up all the late fees or just didn’t care? I don’t like that.
Not only that, but then the way their owner, Philip, handled it was aggressive, disrespectful, demeaning, and derogatory. I have never been more verbally abused as a customer than from Philip. The only thing that came close to that was the way I was then dressed down and attacked by Cinefile employee, Dean, for daring to ask why I was being charged $ 80 for a movie that can be replaced for $ 6 with a brand new copy.
Funny thing was, after I left the store in disbelief and $ 80 lighter in the pocket, I called my good friend to share with him what happened. He told me the same thing happened to him at Cinefile… that he was charged an exorbitant late fee and then aggressively attacked and humiliated in the store when he came to the store to shore up the bill.
Cinefile has an attitude … as one can clearly see from the other reviews here. I really recommend that you think twice before giving them your business. Their tactics should not be rewarded. Use Netflix, Redbox, or ANYTHING OTHER THAN CINEFILE. They will rip you off in the end, I assure you.
DON’T SUPPORT CINEFILE. I’m writing this review because when I told Dean this was not a nice way to treat a customer, he said, «Go Unilocal it.» So I’m now « Unilocaling» it.

Greatest option for video rentals EVER. This place is the mecca of all movies. If they were a national chain and in convenient locations for everyone, we wouldn’t need Netflix or their more-​to-​be-​desired streaming selection.
I came here in search of some older musicals on film. Not on Netflix streaming, and if I looked for it on their online list (a service I don’t pay extra for), it would take a few days. After every Blockbuster that Google led me to was closed or closing, I came to Cinefile, after remembering a film TA from UCLA coming here to get our class movies. I’m so glad I discovered them! This is why I think they’re AMAZING:
— It’s a small shop, but they squeeze EVERY single movie you can think of there. Documentaries. Classics. Sports on video. Made-​for-​TV movies. Foreign films. Concerts. Adult films. That last one isn’t in another room or clearly marked… it’s kind of a «surprise» when you’re perusing the stacks of horror and sports films and come across it. But it’s categorized and labeled just as well as the other movies, whether you’re feeling cheerleaders, women in prison, or anything else that evening.
— Everything is clearly labeled with signs posting the director, classic lead actor, the type of movie, etc. Some of the categories included «Evil Children,» «Hospital Horrors,» «Animal Attacks,» Romantic Comedies,” and soooo many more. So much of it is cross-​referenced that if you can’t find what you’re looking for, the staff should be able to easily grab it from the back room.
— T-​shirts, memorabilia, pins, and other cool stuff for sale.
— They have VHS! That’s right, VHS!
— Staff is very nice and helpful, and your typical film geeks, as other reviewers have mentioned. That’s what I truly miss about the demise of video stores, is getting to converse with a real life cinephile who KNOWS their movies and is excited to talk about them with you and give you opinions. I might feel a little self-​conscious to rent, say, Glitter or Gossip Girl from them, but people don’t realize how much these people lent to the movie-​borrowing experience.
If you’re a new member, you pay a $ 5 flat rate and get a card, then each movie is just under $ 5 for 7 days (though I think it depends on the movie, too). They also have a program with a $ 25 monthly fee to borrow 2 movies at a time, any time, and keep them for as long as you’d like… sorta their answer to other membership programs that Hollywood and Blockbuster have tried.
This store has so much to offer that as I mentioned before, I wish they had more locations and were the main source of DVD rentals. But then again, the non-​chain, quirky charm is what makes it what it is… someone obviously puts a lot of time and TLC into making the labels (all with photos) and keeping it so well-​stocked and organized. Go here! You won’t be disappointed.