I love this place. The selection is great, the staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and it's kinda like time traveling. And who doesn't love time traveling. I asked myself, why not support a small business for my home entertainment needs instead of streaming everything? And I replied, yeah! Why not? So here I am. I got the primo membership and go every week. Highly recommend. read more

I've been a member of Cinefile for almost three years and there has been nothing on earth that brings me more joy than going in that store, talking with the helpful clerks who work there about whatever films are divisive these days. My wife was telling me about a 1970s made for TV move she saw as a child, "The Legend of Lizzie Borden". She didn't know where she could find it today. "I bet they'll have it at Cinefile," I told her. And they did! read more

Vibes are atrocious here. If you're not a man of a certain age who's been shopping here for years, do not expect good customer service, or anything beyond a quick welcome and the total of your transaction being read out. On the drive home, I started feeling deep regret about this purchase. Do better, Cinefile. read more

Wow, they have the most obscure films! I'm a monthly member, I get to rent 4 movies at any one time for $30 a month. It's $5 per movie for non-members. They also put on weekly movie nights and sometimes host events with filmmakers! Going to Cinefile and picking out a few movies to watch brings me back the excitement I used to feel as a kid when I would go to the video store. They have SO MANY genres I hadn't even heard of and the people who work there are so passionate and knowledgeable. Definitely worth giving them my $30 as opposed to a streaming service that can remove my favorite content at anytime for prices that only keep going up. read more

Best spot in town. I get all my movies here. Incredible vibes. The woman who runs it has introduced me to a massive number of films that have helped shape me as a screenwriter. Highly recommend. read more

Loyal customers after all these years for film unavailable in modern viewing modalities. Now we're even more loyal due to Cinefile Video's new rewards program (see pic), "Rent four films get the fifth one free"! So long Netflix disc subscription (we'll keep the streaming). Too frustrating when adding to the queue only to find the film we really wanted to see NOW, okay, willing to wait for USPS mail, tagged "availability unknown" or "very long wait". And then there are those damaged discs that do arrive... read more

They DON'T Buy Dvd's/Blu-Rays. It's mentioned very clearly on their website they do, before I even drove there. The lady cashier just said to me "Well No we Don't, We're gonna have to update that then.". We'll that's unprofessional read more

Cinefile Video - Videos & Video Game Rental Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I went to CineFile Video today for the first time ever. I browsed the store. I like the decor in it. I also like their movie selections. What stood out to me also were all the movie posters on the walls. read more

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Best spot in the city, been going here for years! Massive selection and membership price is unbeatable. Stop giving your money to Netflix and other stupid streamers!! read more

I would appreciate if staff were more mindful of the conversations they have while at work. While browsing the stacks I heard the staff having a discussion about negative interactions with homeless people, devolving into calling homeless people scum. I have supported several friends stabilize from homelessness in the past couple of years (including in the last two weeks)--anti homeless sentiment against those who are visibly homeless hurts all homeless people, including those I consider friends and family. Suffice to say, hearing this from staff really ruined my mood. I have enjoyed the deals on DVDs here but I don't feel comfortable visiting anymore. I'll just go to the library. Kyla read more

Unbeatable selection, staff has great recommendations. A third place in a world depriving us of them

Cool retro vibes, very knowledgeable staff, biggest bang for your buck movie subscription by far. They don't make em like Cinefile anymore!!

Honestly 5 stars for the nostalgia alone. There is nothing that compares to walking around a video store and looking for that perfect film. In the age of streaming, it's pretty cool that this place exists. I used to be a monthly subscriber. You pay $30/month and can rent up to 4 movies at a time. No time limit, no late fees. I believe. We took advantage of this and every week we would pick 1 director and watch all the movies made by this director. That's the cool thing, there's walls of director's names and all the films they've made, it's easy to find exactly what you're looking for. I cancelled it right before Covid. They had to stay closed for a while, I'll probably start it back up again now that things are semi-normal. The other side of the shop has categories like horror, super heroes, and anime. There's a whole rom-com section with all the classics. I love walking in here and just getting lost, either through reminiscing on titles I've seen or making a list on films I want to watch. All the people that work there are very nice. They'll give you great recommendations if you ask. They've probably seen every movie in there. Often times we'll look at what they have playing and then end up renting that film. You can also get really cheap used DVDs and they also have some great merch. Love this place! read more

Best video store ever! The guys who work there are always cool when I walk in they have an insane selection movie if you cannot find streaming, this is the place!!! read more

I'm actually glad to have an update of a place I always liked (since I moved to LA) that has improved! I stopped at Cinefile lately a few times and I was pleasantly surprised to find great customer service, genuine nice people working here, helpful, caring, with great manners. It started raining when we were in the store and the nice guy working there looked for shopping bags to protect our purchases, made sure we were taking care of before we left. Keep it up! It such a nice change over the snotty, condescending clerks that used to work here! It does make your shopping experience so much better. It makes you come back more often. Great selection on their New Release wall on not only, cool titles to discover. I like to see cool, new, hip people renting movies. They have decent packages. Also, a nice touch, their salute of wonderful actors, filmmakers that passed away recently, it's sad to see, but it's great to see they're appreciated. As Godard wrote for "Breathless" : "To be be immortal and then die". Rent that DVD, you'll know what I'm talking about! read more

The last of the dying breed for movies...... If you're a horror buff or looking for some weird sub-genres then look no further than Cinefile... You're welcome.. read more

I have been a monthly member here since I moved to the area a few years ago, and since then Cinefile Video has been my favorite spot to go to on the weekends and find my movies for the week or just to browse and have a great time coming across movies or shows I have long forgotten about. The staff is unbelievably nice and helpful, this spot would not be the same without them for sure! One of the main reasons I wanted to leave a review was, not only do I adore this place, but I can't believe there are any negative reviews at all. I read through a few of them and they can easily be disregarded as petty complaints from people who likely have no joy in their lives and live to complain or be critical. Cherish this place you guys! There are not very many places, if any, like Cinefile Video. read more

Such a great experience getting to walk into an actual video store. Walked in to Cinefile looking for some old Mexican wrestling films and the gentleman upfront was so knowledgeable about film. I think knowledgeable is an understatement, but nonetheless, he was very friendly and informative. This is definitely the best place in LA to find literally any film from any genre and any country. Unfortunately, I did not walk out with anything since I was looking to purchase some films but the gentleman was super honest about their purchase policy and their markup policy which I genuinely appreciated and understand that they also have a cost to replace their films. With all of that said, I will definitely be coming back to rent some old films in the near future. I truly appreciate the honesty and friendliness of the employee working on 8/13/2022 around 9:00pm. Cinefile, please give this employee the recognition he deserves. Oh and by the way, playing " Howling II: Your sister is a werewolf" was an excellent choice in film to be playing in store! read more

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A treasure -- LA is lucky to have it. Better selection than any steaming service and cheaper than most of them, too. You can find almost anything here and then actually *talk* to someone about it before or after watching. read more

This review is long, but I assure you it's well founded. You use Yelp? Well I've been treated worse than ever before, simply for writing my last review. When receiving a bad review there are two ways to go: take it as a chance to improve, or deny it at all costs and take it out on the customer. It's sad times indeed to see Cinefile has decided to go with the latter. The review I wrote was after being treated rudely, with complete lack of respect or appreciation for the business I'd sent their way. I had late fees which I understand, but the negativity and coarseness in how it was presented was uncalled for. I could have hit the RedBox two blocks from my house, started up a Netflix plan, utilized any number of alternatives, but instead I was a loyal customer of Cinefile, purchasing rentals in bulk, spreading the word to anyone who would listen that Cinefile was *thee* place to go for quality selection and service. My last review was short tempered because lets face it, when you give money to a business you hope for at least a shred of decency in the treatment you receive. I was irked after being treated so poorly and I elaborated on that displeasure here on Yelp. Over a year had passed and I've recently tried again, I'm sad to report that not only was I again treated rudely, but I've also been harassed due to writing my previous review. A note was placed on my account detailing one employee's displeasure so now I receive snide comments from the staff. Just this last weekend when I was disputing additional charges yet again with Dean, one of their staff, he took it as far as to smirk and say "Oh well, maybe you should go complain about us on Yelp..." Sure Dean, at your request, here it is. Anyone involved with Yelp knows it's a place for people to spread the word, both good and bad. We want our voices to be heard, no one wants to fear retribution for telling it how it is. It's akin to having your food spit in at a restaurant just because you let the business know their food could use some work. Countless times I've reviewed an establishment and the management would follow-up with me, asking for a chance to make a better impression. I've worked with them to improve where they've gone awry and many times have been thanked for the assistance, yielding a better customer experience. Looking at my numbers on Yelp you'll see I mostly like to spread the good, only 27 of my 559 reviews are one star. Congratulations to Cinefile on being part of the 4% of my reviews written about service *so* poor that I've considered them a one star business. I was told by the staff that maybe Netflix would be the right move for "someone like me" so I crunched some numbers and my god, Cinefile is even a bigger ripoff than I imagined. I could watch 'Drive' on Netflix streaming, the whole plan $8.99 for an entire month. I could rent it from RedBox for a few weeks and it would only be about $15. Shit, I could *buy* the movie for under $20. But say I rent it from Cinefile and keep it around for a few weeks because lets face it, people are busy, can't always jump on a movie that very day, and you know what Drive would cost to rent from Cinefile for two weeks? The total with late fees comes to $35!! That's just plain crazy. I'm always one to help out the little guy and keep my business local, but when those businesses decide they're too important to treat their customers with respect then I guess that employee at Cinefile was right, maybe myself and those like me who appreciate good service should look to other options. As a customer, whether you're looking for quality service, convenience, or plain old saving a little green, I can promise you that you'll find none of the above at Cinefile. I went there for years, I guess I'm just crazy for thinking my business actually meant something. At one point I purchased 40 rentals in advance. But I guess Cinefile is making more money off the DVD rental format from 15 years ago and the sale of used porn than I realized, they don't need my money. Good for them, I guess it'll be Netflix for me from now on. read more

Cinefile Video is truly one of the very last of a breed. One of my 2019 New Years resolutions was less social media and more movies. I did the whole streaming thing, the Red Box thing but once you run through the best of what they have (which is very limited) you are left with renting and watching underwhelming films that you wonder how they ever got made. I had passed Cinefile probably hundreds of times over the 9 years I have lived in LA but last week was my first visit in. My head was spinning by the vast selection. They had EVERY movie I could think of that I want to see and then some. The guy on duty was friendly and helpful. Since my goal is to see one movie a night their $30.00 membership is a steal. You can rent 4 at a time, which works great for me. No great rush to return by the next night. And absolutely NO risk of running out of great films. I already have my list for the next 2 months. Everything about the place just screams "Old School". It is like the land line telephone. The place is so unique I passed a movie being filmed their few weeks back. So, I am a happy camper and very satisfied all the way around. read more

Cinefile Video - Videos & Video Game Rental Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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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. read more

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 read more

Always go here when we're looking for older classic movies that no one else carries. Pleasant service, convenient hours and we get to keep the dvd's for a week. 5 stars read more

I recently rented some movies from Cinefile Video, and my experience here was great! The staff were extremely friendly and helpful, and it made my first experience here so much better. The video selection is also really great at this place! read more

Soooooo when all the blockbusters and Hollywood video closed down, I thought there would be hell on earth when it came to finding Classic movies. I am a serious movie guy so this place is very valuable to my well being. Lol I wanted to watch the entire Harry Potter movie collection in one day and no one had the movies in order. To my surprise Cinefile had every single one and the signing up process was extremely easy. We have been coming here every week since October to drop off 4 movies and grabbing a new set of 4. They have a package to rent 4 at a time for a mere 20 bucks a month. Call in to get more info on that deal. Anyway, the guys here are knowledge about all genres of movies and they among always have what you are looking for. The service is friendly and welcoming to the point that you could probably hang out here and talk movies all day with the team. That's if you have the time lol. Thank you CineFile!! read more

Cinefile Video - Videos & Video Game Rental Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Always eyed this place and glad that today I finally got a chance to rent something. Loving the selection (some areas are even sorted by director!) and their tote bags are neat too. Truly in awe that a place like this thrives even in an age where major streaming services have crushed giants like Blockbuster. Going in there made me feel like a young child in a candy store. But yeah very chill movie rental I can't recommend it enough read more

I've never ever seen such great genre labels--Thai-sploitation, sure..but next to Christploitation?! GREAT breakdowns into categories and subcategories.. The only place I know of that rents normal and non region stuff. One side's cult oriented and campy, and on the other side you'll find every autuer that ever existed (and some that don't deserve to be there!)..gems, bootlegs, great employee picks--check out the "HOLY FUCKING SHIT" section!! For movie addicts, they have an all-you-can-rent for 20$ monthly deal, AND they're next to the NuArt! Sure, I'm the target audience, a film nerd..Run next door, order falafel to go, pick out movies, and then take that and your food home! Perfect night in! read more

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film lovers dream store. Classified by director and genre. Love this place. I drive from Granada Hills just to come here.

Surprisingly big selection of films, both indie and big box office. A great place if you want to get really into a director or a theme, - like criterion collection or even Manga. read more

Great customer service they are very friendly and the films are arranged in a nice way

MO'FN clutch. Boif had never seen 'Stepbrothers' so I cruised by on a Thursday and grabbed it from the window. I appreciate their ability to effectively serve the community while also protecting their staff. Super dope spot and excellent customer service. read more

Have been going to Cinefile since moving to the west side a few years ago and would sorely miss it if I ever moved away. The selection is great, prices are fair, and it's just plain fun to go and browse. The monthly membership is so worth it. Staff are both friendly and knowledgeable. They put effort into getting to know their customers, which is rare in LA. read more

One of the video stores of all time. They have movies that you can rent, they also have movies that you can buy. Some of the movies are good and some of them are not. There is simply no other place in West LA I could imagine renting movies from. read more

Let me start by saying I've been going to Cinefile for years and they have an amazing movie selection. This is in fact the only reason I have given them two stars as my recent experiences with their staff has been mildly agitating to put it lightly. I recently stopped by Cinefile to rent a movie when I was told I had incurred a small late fee for a movie I had not returned on time. I was familiar with the movie this hipster d bag Jeremy was referring to and in fact return this movie a day before the due date. I explained to Jeremy that I was certain I returned this movie before it's due and before I could complete my sentence good old Jeremy cut me off, adjusted the beanie that was precariously perched atop his head in the 100 degree weather and begins to tells me that the computer is always right and that I was late. He offered to excuse half of the late fee saying he would do it this one time as though he was doing me a favor. I explained to Jeremy that I didn't think it was a computer error but human incompetence that accounted for this. I walked out and grabbed a bite to eat at the Mexican restaurant over there and walked back into Cinefile where I gave him the amount he was excusing in late fees as I was not interested in his doing me a favor. I returned two weeks later to rent a movie, of course Jeremy being the mature adult that he is walks in the back as soon as I walk in perhaps perturbed by my giving him money for the late fees he was insistent that I incurred I don't know. I'm waiting for someone to help me when some dude with a baseball hat and tons of bracelets on finally emerges from the back and assists me with renting a movie. I of course brought it home only to find out it was unwatchable as it kept skipping. I went back and exchanged the movie. I bring that movie and open the case and noticed the dvd was missing. Cinefile staff you guys suck ass! Conner thanks for the great service. 6/16/16 I return some movies that they say were late. The computer is never wrong. I have the good fortune of talking to the owner. Yes, the owner Sebastian. I ask him what I have incurred in late fees because although the video was due back Tuesday they say it was due back Saturday. An exercise in futility to argue. You all must remember their computer is never wrong. I thought cutting straight to the point would curtail any further discussion but Sebastian had something on his mind that he wanted to share with me and the other two patrons in the store. He says he saw my Yelp review and told me that Jeremy was hurt by my comments of calling him a hipster douche bag. I told him Jeremy was acting like a hipster douche bag when I returned my movies. I asked him if he cared to know what Jeremy said to me to elicit such a response? He wasn't interested but his friend with the baseball hat and vast array of bracelets raising his hand behind him seemed eager to chime in. Just when I think he's going to give me the total for my late fees our friend with the baseball cap who no one knows because they don't wear name tags, comes from behind the desk muttering curse words and hurling insults at me. I asked Sebastian if he thought that was professional? He shrugged his shoulders and said that he was defending his friend that I called out for poor service on Yelp. I'll take that as a yes. I asked for my late fees once more. Sebastian made this awkward dive into human psyche and emotions and energy. Really weird you guys. Really weird. Really weird because this is a video store and I still haven't received my late fee total which is all I wanted from Sebastian. I told him I've only Yelped two times in my life and both times were warranted. I was on trial for my Yelp review. Sebastian reassured me that I was free to Yelp which we all know we are free to do. However, all his words and actions said the opposite. Just when I think Sebastian's customer service couldn't get any better he sees two more customers walk in observing this exchange. He gives me the positive sandwich and says I'm not angry with you but we can no longer do service with you. I asked him if he'd ever had an exchange like this only to have the customer return? A very curious comment that someone would subject themselves to such poor service and disrespect and pay for it. Hmmm. Was it the way I smiled when your employee cursed at me? Maybe Sebastian was mad that I didn't curse back at his friend? Maybe. Oh yeah that's it. I Yelped which Sebastian said all are free to do and feelings were hurt when I commented on a very poor customer service with Jeremy. He said I could come back if I removed my comments from Yelp and essentially lied about how positive and professional he and his staff were. I told him I meant every word and would not erase a word on my Yelp review. I hope this Yelp review outlast time continuum so that all who are interested in decent customer service and respect will avoid this place.Tons of video stores why would anyone deal with this read more

Yes, they have a good selection Yes, they have probably the most unique and fun sorting system in the city. So why 1 star? Because their staff was terrible. I say "was" because I stopped going in a few years ago. Over and over again, any time I went in I was made to feel like I was intruding on a private club (and having witnessed actual sex going on behind the counter during a late night return, so must the staff). In addition, the manager is a smoker, so most of the staff does too. Yep, in the store. No, apparently they don't give a s***t about you or the state law against it. Also, if you are the type who knows the titles you'd like to find, it's frustrating having to ask someone to find them for you, especially if they are in the middle of their Thai takeout and seem very annoyed you are interrupting their attempts to shovel pad Thai in their mouth. So, if you are a UCLA student with plenty of time and a high tolerance for clique-ish behavior, then enjoy. If not, I'd suggest Laser Blazer. read more

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 yelp it." So I'm now "yelping" it. read more

I've had a list of movies I've wanted to see for years... yet for some reason they were impossible to find. Well Cinefile has 95% of them.... Started a membership a month and a half ago for 30/month and I've rented at least 10 movies a weekend since. This place has it all! - Great Service - Perfect Selection and Categorization - Knowledgeable Workers (yes they know more than you, but don't make you feel bad about it, lol) If you love movies and hate crappy Netflix selection... start getting your money's worth! read more

The staff is the stereotypical nerdy film geek. They condescended me for not knowing the director of dumb and dumber. That's my story, haven't gone back since. read more

One of the greatest, if not the greatest video store I've ever been to. I won't deny that, like everybody else, I do enjoy the perks of Netflix and streaming services, but as a cinephile born in 1988, I'm part of the very last generation that go to enjoy the wealth of video stores. Renting VHS tapes before we could dream of DVDs/Blu-Rays, having long, memorable conversations with the cool video store clerk, and even sharing the frustration of waiting for that one VHS copy of a film you desperately wanted to see. That is the priceless aspect of video stores, and I'm so happy that there are a few remaining places like Cinefile where you can still have "the video store experience." Cinefile also stands out among all the other video stores; can you think of many - if any - places where you could find a copy of, say, Roger Vadim's 1959 "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" AND... "Xuxa in Crystal Moon"?! Well, this place does exist :) read more