Rediscover retro videos and vinyl at Videotheque

In the heart of South Pasadena lies a hidden gem chock-full of thousands of films for movie lovers of all ages.

Videotheque is a unique video rental store containing close to 30,000 films ranging from comedy stand-ups to Sci-fi and fantasy movies.

With a variety of hard-to-find films, it’s no wonder that Videotheque has such a loyal following of customers. At Videotheque, film buffs can rent their favorite classic horror films, including those starring the legendary Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff.

Videotheque not only carries the huge blockbusters as soon as they come out on DVD, but they also carry rare movies that can’t be found on Redbox or Netflix.

“We also carry a lot of experimental and art films. A lot of professors from PCC come here to rent films for classes,” Mario Zamarripa said.

Zamarripa has worked at Videotheque for over eight years, and noted that about seven years ago, the store relocated from a smaller space it outgrew down the street.

Videotheque also carries numerous foreign titles with international films from Scotland, England, Germany and Japan.
Aside from DVDs, Videotheque also carries Blu-rays, VHSs, and vinyl records.

“We started carrying vinyls now, which is bringing in a new kind of customer,” Zamarripa said. Music lovers have a wide variety of vinyls to browse through, including many selections from David Bowie.

Videotheque employee of seven years, Martina Moreno, has a deep love of film and is inspired by her work environment.

“I’m constantly finding things here you normally wouldn’t know about. I was a customer before I started working here,” Moreno said.

The atmosphere that Videotheque provides for its customers is one-of-a-kind. There are eye-catching posters for classic movies like “Lolita” and “Citizen Kane” suspended on the deep blue walls, while overhead looms giant round lanterns.

Oftentimes, customers encounter Pepe, the Videotheque dog. He freely roams the aisles of movies while greeting people with a tail wag.

Pepe’s owner, Melody Carrillo, recommends the 2008 drama “Let the Right One In,” out of the myriad amount of flicks to choose from.

“I love that movie so much, the Swedish version,” Carrillo said.

The employees at Videotheque are always willing to recommend a movie to those struggling to make a decision. They have a film playing in the background on a TV with the DVD case featured prominently on the counter by the registers.

Videotheque offers a variety of rental packages to help their loyal customers save money. They have a pre-paid option, where rentals don’t expire and they stay on the account until redeemed.

For more information on Videotheque, visit their website.