The Video Station

This local video store has been in Boulder. . forever!(???) Staff is always friendly and helpful, plus knowledgeable about their inventory. If you want to sidestep Netflix and those other mainstream ‘selections,’ go to the Video Station. I have been going here for years.
If nothing else, just stop in and browse. Plus, they sell your movie treats there too. One of Boulder’s Best!
Hooray for Video Station!

If you are looking for a title, it’s most likely here. Also, the knowledge from the employees (and their willingness to share it in a friendly manner) is priceless… I’ve discovered so many amazing films/​shows from the suggestion of the employees. If you are a cinephile or enjoy obscure film/​shows, this is a place you don’t want to skip.

I love being able to rent from a LOCAL video store. Where I grew up, the only thing for miles were weird chains of corporately owned stores that never seemed to satisfy. But here, the employees are extremely smart and play that nerdy-​but-​weirdly-​cool role you want your local video station employees to play.
I have asked the most random questions or made wacky requests I never though would be fulfilled, but have never left the place disappointed.
They care about the quality of the disc more than any other store I have seen as well.

After becoming annoyed with their steaming/​DVD subscription fee split, their recommendation engine continually suggesting children’s and obscure for a reason films, and the fact they index movies they don’t actually stock, I canceled my Netflix subscription. Upon moving back to the Front Range, I was pleased to reacquaint myself with Video Station, an independent video rental place staffed by people who are knowledgeable about films. This is evident when you note their cataloging system, with classic films arranged by actor and foreign films by country. They have hands-​down the best foreign film collection I’ve seen anywhere and a whole room for documentaries.
Helpful hints:
— You don’t bring the DVD case to the front; just tell them the title.
— They have a large selection of higher end chocolates at the counter, including my favorite Ritter Sport flavor (cornflakes).
— Get a free rental if you sign-​up on their email list.

Just about anything you could want — and then some
There’s no arguing that Video Station has the best selection in town and with 2 floors of discs, I’ll bet you can find something here that you want to watch. Even with new releases, they always seem to be able to find a copy for you if you ask nicely.
Employees are pretty helpful and make some spot-​on recommendations if you have the time to chat with them.
If I’m in the mood to watch movies (I don’t do Netflix) Video Station is definitely my first stop.

It’s all about selection here. A little cheaper to go to Blockbuster, but I would rather support a place that has this variety, WOW! On the other hand, management needs to do a few things: clean and brighten it up, and do something nice for your employees… like cleaning and brightening the place up!

As a recent graduate of the University’s film school, I must say, having a video store in the viscinity with such an incredible range of films on hand is the greatest gift one could ask for. No matter what your tastes, from obscure foreign films, to blockbuster Hollywood explosion flicks, to television shows… it’s all there. I’ve certainly missed a few screenings in my college career, and being able to find things here that I would not be able to find anywhere else was life saving.
I do have one complaint: I have (and I have a couple of friends with the same experience here) returned a few DVDs here, only to get a call from Video Station a few weeks later, claiming that I have not yet returned them. When I protest, I have been told that there’s nothing they can do, and that I am to be charged quite a bit of money for the lost films. I hate to claim that the employees are using the late-​return drop box as their own personal Free DVD Bin, but it’s either that or extreme negligence.
However, this seems to be a common trend at all video stores in my experience, so I can’t count it too much against them specifically. That being the case, the unbelievable selection more than makes up for it. Video Station, thanks for saving my college career on multiple occasions.

This is the best video store I’ve ever visited! They have every video I could name, even the crazy obscure ones. The prices are reasonable and the staff will help you pick out something if your’e just browsing or find exactly what you want if you come in with a specific title/​actor/​director in mind. Really, top notch!

The video station is about as good as it gets for rental selection of DVDs in the state. They have a very impressive collection of cult and gay films and everything else in between. They have obscure film maker films (or at least non-​mainstream) such as director Kenneth Anger. The selection is so big that the staff seems more than eager to help you flesh out what you are looking for. I give the Video Station my highest possible recommendation!

Went to the Video Station with my husband and a friend a little while back when we couldn’t figure out what to do one evening. Seems like the place is fairly well organized, but kind of confusing in the rental process (I can’t even remember why now, but it was). They do have lots of indie titles and movies you’d NEVER find at a chain like Blockbuster. The price is a bit high for a rental (this from someone who is a Netflix maniac), but I do like supporting the local businesses. I’ll go here if I need a movie in a pinch, but generally am going to stick with Netflix for everything else.

Pros: Great selection, local
Cons: Just about everything else.
If a wide selection is what you’re looking for, this is the *only* place in town to get it. I appreciate them for that, and I also appreciate the fact that this is a long-​time Boulder establishment and I really wish I could give my support to them without reservation — but local does not equal undying-​support for me if it also includes the following:
Attitude:
If you don’t mind your rental served up with a dose of disdain, suspicion and entitlement, this just might be the place for you. At least 4 out of 5 times I’m there (and I’m a high volume renter that went there exclusively for over a year), I’ll leave feeling a little bruised. Most of the time I’d laugh it off, but honestly, the staff as a group are the most singularly unpleasant, unjustifiably superior people this side of an inner-​city post office. It sorta has that feel too — you know when there are only two of six registers open, a line out the door, and four extra employees yucking it up to each other, yapping on the phone, looking intently at a piece of paper, anything besides acknowledging and helping the people waiting there in front of them. I managed the snootiest indy video store in all of Hollywood — the place where producers, directors, actors, production companies get their rentals — my employees (and I) were the real thing — we knew our obscure movies, AND acted in those films to boot, and the attitude there couldn’t even hold a flame to this place.
Cost:
Overpriced — same price as the chains, but late fees as well. I did like the $ 1 Wednesdays for TV (it’s a one-​day rental).
Convenience:
This is a minor point, but entering/​leaving Video Station from any direction besides a south-​bound approach on 28^th is difficult and involves at least a ¼ mile of winding parking lot driving. There are two narrow driveways into the parking lot directly off of the busy, fast-​moving 28^th, and although they are marked «entrance» and «exit» — for whatever reason the signs are not clearly visible. I often find myself either entering/​exiting out the wrong one, or face-​to-​face with a car that is in the wrong.
So to recap, if you’re an occasional renter looking for that obscure foreign flick, this is probably the only place in town to get it. I’m probably over-​principled when it comes to business, but as a small business owner myself, I’m very conscious of my patronage — I like to support places that I think do good business and have a really hard time stomaching places that are disrespectful, underhanded or take their customers for granted, even if I have to go a mile out of my way, or trade-​off another «evil» like supporting a chain — I do the math, figure out which is better according to my principles and stick by it.
If you, like me, are a high-​volume renter, mostly TV on DVD, new releases, SciFi and cheesy romantic comedies (I’m dying inside a little even recommending this but.), you may want to look into Blockbuster’s $ 25/​month unlimited in-​store rentals. I just don’t see another option that doesn’t involve horribly unpleasant interactions or waiting for the mail.

Whoa, 2 Unilocal in a row?!? I guess that’s because all my friend’s are out of town with the exception of Johnnie. That’s Mr. Walker, to all of you who don’t know him. Well, seriously, Video Station is as good as it gets on the rental front. With all these cookie-​cutter US movies that are being released, I’ve had to start looking internationally for something better. I mean seriously, Mr. Woodcock? Made of Honor? Beverly Hills Chihuahua? Saw V? SAW V??? So Video Station gives you the choices I need, and the employees aren’t pretentious at all, which one might expect with a place like this. Look beyond the US, there are some nice things happening around the world in the realm of film. And again, I’m not knocking the US because there are wonderful films like The Visitor that keep the faith, I’m just saying, extend your pallette so that you don’t have to settle one night by choosing National Lampoon’s «Robodoc».

I was happy to discover that the same people who worked at the Video Station when I was 8 years old still work there (as of last winter). What commitment! That really counts for something in my book.
Since I was raised as a true Boulder girl, I have never once rented a single flick from a chain-​video store. I am as committed to the Video Station as they seem to be to me, even after all these years.
Do recall that there was always a funny odor on the main level (back right), and always wished they had an outdoor return system that didn’t require me to get out of the car. Have they figured that out yet? Eh. Don’t care.

The single entrance is too narrow. I’m afraid to go in because how would everyone get out if there were a fire? I frequented this place when they had the largest Laserdisc (remember those) selection in the state. Do people still go to stores to rent movies?

im going to have to disagree on this one…
I went into Video Station twice, maybe not enough, but im not going back.
I understand Boulder is a college town, I just graduated last year…, but working at Video Station doesn’t give you the right to be a dick to people because your movie knowledge is so much more superior.
I went in here to rent The Aristocrats. I’d already seen it, but wanted to show my friend, i love that shit.
They were out, its popular, thats totally fine. I said thanks and went to leave… then the chick goes «but its better that way, that movie fucking sucks… its sooooooooo dumb» and the guy next to her at the counter reading a magazine chimes in «yeah, shes right»
The other time, not as exciting, but they also didn’t have what i was looking for and the people were NOT helpful.
I don’t know what im missing

I totally agree that Video Station has the best video selection of any Video Store in the area, if the videos one wants to rent are in stock, and is a decent place to rent movies when the employees there treat their customers decently. Unfortunately, the chances of the above occurring during any given visit are roughly ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ lately.
Our family has been loyal to this store since the very beginning when they were in a small storefront near 34^th and Arapahoe, back in the 80’s.
The reason my review is 3 stars rather than 5 is because of an incident of particularly rude customer service by an employee there last week. Her rudeness seemed so inappropriate, and was not really necessary. As annoying as we customers can sometimes be, the good ol’ policy that goes something like «the customer is always right» still works wonders.
Because Video Station has their superior collection of movies, I will have to continue to patronize them, but after the way I was treated just because the employee last week had to be right and could not compromise, and felt she must humiliate me in front of other customers as well, I won’t enjoy the Video Station experience as much as I had for the past 20 years or so.
And so it goes…

This is one of those places where any review is just preaching to the choir. They’re the best place around, and everyone knows it. Anything less than four stars would just be retaliation.
Size of their movie library? Huge. While I *have* found things that they don’t have (most recently it was Public Enemy, the South Korean cop drama, which I got from Netflix instead), that’s very rare. They have online access to their library, so go to their website and search it. You’ll probably have difficulty «stumping» them.
Knowledge of the staff? Top notch. They’re virtually all movie geeks, so while I sometimes think I’m going to throw ‘em a zinger with some obscure foreign or cult flick, they come back with other recommendations or comments on the movie in question. Cool folks indeed.
There was a time not too long ago when rental time was shorter, but I think competition finally forced them to increase non-​new releases to 4 days (from 2, IIRC). And at least for my habits, that’s more than enough… I only go to a brick-​and-​mortar store when I need a movie for *that* night (or the next, at the latest). I’m lazy, but not so lazy that I can’t get stuff back the next day.
Prices are average, but certainly fair. And frankly, I have no desire to give my money to Blockbuster or Hollywood. I already feel bad enough doing the Netflix thing like everyone else, but it’s just too convenient to resist. Blockbuster company stock is what? Five bucks a share? Times are tough all over for movie rental joints due to Netflix, but it’s natural selection at work I guess.
So yeah, I’ll still patronize Video Station from time to time, and hope they survive the Netflix fallout somehow. It’s a Boulder institution, after all, just like McGuckin’s…it’s hard to imagine this town without either.

Video Station is sweet, as the high reviews will let you know. The main reason is fairly simple: the selection is incredible. Of course there are other perks as well: for instance this isn’t a blockbuster or a hollywood video… well, this is true I suppose. Local is good.
Anyway, I am giving this place 4 stars instead of 5 since price-​wise and how long you are allowed to keep the movies is not exceptional… you pay $ 4 or so for your 3 – 4 day rental. Pretty standard.
I have one word: Netflix. Seriously, Netflix rocks my world and is better than Video Station by price, selection, and the fact that I don’t have to get off my fat lazy ass to go to the store. Word internet.
Still, if I want to be old school and go get a movie right away… then it is video station, fo sho

It’s true: If you can’t find it at The Video Station, you don’t need to see it. Whether it be obscure 70s horror flicks like The Funhouse, the latest blockbusters, animé, erotica or biography, they’ve got it. More than that, they’ve got someone at the front desk who can philosophize about it for hours.
As a cult film fanatic, I’m especially impressed with their wide selection of quirky old-​time cult classics, like Russ Meyer’s and those delightful 70s exploitation films.
My favorite Video Station anecdote: Two acquaintances of mine rented the remake of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre (shame on them) and were appropriately looked down upon for not renting the original. They came to me looking for sympathy and got a further talking to. Classic films should never be crapped on by making remakes, and they get this at The Video Station.

video killed the radio star with this rental place. considering i can NO longer rent at blockbuster (eddie murphy raw was worth it), this place takes the cake.
after watching mulholland drive and having NO CLUE as to what was going on, our fated due date had approached. So when we went in there to return it, we inquired as to what was going on in the movie. The guy there said, «no, I will not tell you… now. Keep it for another 6 days and then see if you can figure it out.» Granted at the time we didn’t figure it out, it was amazing that this guy let us keep it for SIX MORE DAYS! now that’s what i call movie buff dedication. and i thank him for that.