Kensington Video
Category: Videos and Video Game Rental [Edit]
Neighborhood: Kensington4067 Adams Ave
(between Kensington Dr & Terrace Dr)
San Diego, CA 92116 (619) 584-7725
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 12:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 10:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Sun 12:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
37 Reviews for Kensington Video
Trying to keep up with Filmspotting's weekly 70's Sci-Fi Marathon would normally be a pain in the ass. However, not when you live right down the street from Kensington Video - the best collection of films south of Hollywood. Cruising home, I can think of flick, no matter how obscure, call it in and have it waiting when I walk in for a solid $2.67. Can't beat it. And when they don't have the DVD you want, there's a good chance they ALSO have it on VHS. And now one of those crappy, I gotta buy a VHS Head Cleaner copies - one that's in good of shape as when the tape first was released. Gotta love this place. Glad I live down the street.
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Kensington Video is the first and only place I would think of going if I wanted to get a video. They have everything you could ever want to see, especially terrific movies. Their staff is extraordinarily helpful as well. Kensington Video should be at the top of the list for video stores in San Diego.
I figured, before I sit down to watch the video I just rented from them, maybe I should do a little shout out and give them props for being one of the greatest independent video stores I've ever seen.
Usually, these indie stores are small. As well they should be - most of them limit what they carry and exne almost everything you can find at Blockbuster. But Ken Video is big. And what selection!
To my Anthro Professor, if you are reading this right now, my appologies in advance.
Do you ever have those moments where you are sitting somewhere in body but not in mind, at all? Well that happened to me the other week in class. During a movie. On which I now have to write a paper. I'm waay too proud to ask my proff to borrow a movie I've already seen, so I started in on calling the local video stores to see if maybe, just maybe, somebody would be carrying a Pakistani film by a woman director (!) After 20 minutes of this nonesense, I finally remembered about Ken Video. Lo and behold, not only did they have it, but the guy I spoke with had seen it! Bonus points!
Anyways, many thanks to Ken Video for saving my ass, for being in one of my favorite neighborhoods in SD, for having an amazing collection of films and for being cheap ($10 for membership, $2.50/movie for a whole week).
Oh, and for those of you who were wondering, the movie is called "Silent Waters" and it rocks (from what I remember, at least).
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As the last person on earth who hasn't signed up for Netflix, I can proudly say that as long as Ken Video is around, I'll never have to.
Kensington Video has a jaw-dropping selection of videos for rent. From foreign, to horror, to silent, even obscure old cartoons, you can find it here. Of course, you can find any recent blockbuster as well, if that's what you're in the mood for.
Here, you don't have to put up with the frustration of looking at a wall of 50 copies of A Walk to Remember and then nothing you actually would want to watch being available. Instead, you basically have the entire history of cinema in front of you. It can be intimidating on first visit, but you soon get wrapped up in the excitement of seeing what they have to offer.
In fact, I think I'll stop there later today...
Great Selection of Hard to find Films. Helpful Staff. A fun place to spend an hour or two browsing the titles.
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This place is a movie buff's dream come true.
It's dark, it's dingy, and it has a gigantic wall-to-wall video selection that would take days to comb through.
The first time I visited this place was on a recommendation from one of my old college professors.
I was looking for Melvin Van Peebles' classic 70s film "Sweet Sweetbacks Badassssssssss Song" and when I asked the pimply-faced, 15-year-old boy with a worker's permit manning the counter at Blockbuster for it, he looked at me, mortified, like he was going to cry.
Anyway, that's when my professor suggested I hit up Kensington Video, and sure enough, there were a three copies of Sweetback, shining on the shelf in their badass blaxploitation glory.
Thanks to Kensington Video, I rented the movie and got my paper done (my grade was groovy, funky, 70s "A" of course).
The best part was that I paid about $15 for a LIFETIME Kensington Video membership, which put my Sweetback rental at like $2 and gets me deals every time I rent a movie from there.
This means until I'm old and shriveled I can go to Kensington Video and rent crazy, cult, and foreign films, and watch all the aspiring screenplay-writing hipsters walk through the aisles and get that intense look of indie film inspiration in their eyes.
Awesome.
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Amazing, amazing video store in the heart of a vibrant and standout neighborhood. I love you, Kensington Video!
I first found KV on accident, as I was assigned a rather obscure film for a college religious studies class, and it was the only place guaranteed to have it. In the days before Nicholas Cage's horrific remake, NO ONE had heard of the Wicker Man, a trippy seventies piece involving pagan sacrifices, ultra orthodox Christianity, and a three minute naked dancing witch scene. I certainly hadn't, but teh folks at KV not only had, they had it for me within twelve seconds of my asking for it.
That's when I first fell in love with KV and Kensington in general. Some days I would just go and sit in the little park on Adams near the library, unaware that years later I'd live down in the area and could visit much, much more often. I still take out my license and look down fondly at the Kensington Video sticker on the back, a habit I used to partake in when living in South Africa; that sticker was like a little reminder of home--that I could make it back someday.
And so I have. Thanks for your great vids, awesome service, and homey location. Love ya, KV.
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As a Netflix enthusiast, rarely do I need to venture past my mailbox to find movies. When I do, though, Ken Video is my first and only stop. If you don't find the movie you're looking for here, then you can pick up something better that you didn't even realize you wanted to watch. Their foreign film selection is tremendously varied and extensive, and I give a star just for labeling the spine with the country of origin- so helpful!
Your rental lasts one week and if by some chance you lagged, they'll charge your credit card. There's a few parking spots in the back and that small strip of Adams Ave is probably the worst to find parking, keep that in mind.
I once inquired about a movie they didn't carry (The Harder They Come) and a simple "no" sufficed for me; but the indie-lookin' dude helping me (a lovely, muffy-haired person who always has great film recommendations) did a full store and storage search, in addition to looking up the film online to see its availability for purchase. Next thing I knew, the Criterion Collection edition was on its way to being bought.
The question is: How do they find room to fit more videos and dvds?? It's like livin in a shoe!
I highly recommend becoming a lifetime member (for only $10), then you can take advantage of the member price for films, which average between $2.50-$5. You'll also be supporting an old local business and getting access to hard-to-find films instantly.
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This is such a great place, it's a shame that I have Netflix now and haven't set foot in a video store in years. The employees love movies, and it's obvious based on the extensive selection of cult and foreign movies they carry.
I lost my DVD remote. Seriously.. Where is it?
Kensington Video still has most movies on VHS, thank you! But what's even cooler is that everyone that works here is a walking Movie Encyclopedia.
Ok, so now I just need to find my rental card..
Oh, that's right, it's that little sticker on the back of my Drivers License!
They close early so you need to plan your movie nights in advance.
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Kensington Video is the best place to spend your money in San Diego, if not the state... country? WORLD! Okay, well, maybe not for you, but for a huge movie geek who basically watched every worthwhile tape or DVD Blockbuster had to offer before the days of online rental agencies (Netflix, I'm looking at you), this little gem allowed me to keep watching movies.
It has everything. Well, maybe not everything. But it does have a better library than any archive I've ever visited. I've had friends who've worked for resource centers calling them for tapes because they're simply not available anywhere else. In essence, if it's on tape or DVD, Kensington has it.
And the people, my God, the people. You will fall in love with this family. They talk to you, comment on your weight, your hair, ask you how school is going, and how nice it is to see you again. Even the employees are cool - actually recommending quality flicks. No shit!
Again, these are just the ramblings of a real movie lover, someone who will always be grateful to this place and these people for allowing me to continue my education and see almost (Bigger Than Life notwithstanding) every movie that I ever wanted to see. And when somehow you do stump them, and they come back from the racks empty-handed, just remember, nobody else has it either, and they wouldn't care if your tape or disc wouldn't play.
With Kensington, it's a family; this amazing environment where you're actually psyched to shell out more than 15 dollars a month for movies. The hardest thing about going up north has been sitting with my thumb up my ass waiting for Netflix to get here. I do so miss the 90 mph trips down to the store spending $20 bucks a week on absolutely anything I could think to watch. Kudos to their amazing store. Hopefully you go and check it out.
Love, Jonathan.
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one year...maybe it was back in 2003, blockbuster pissed me off on several occasions. they mischarged my account, claiming i lost a movie which was actually on the shelf. they charged me weirdly for previously unmentioned late fees. lastly, they stopped placing vhs tapes on the shelves. the last bit was the last fucking straw. call me a luddite...back then, all i had was my vhs player. i was so friggin pissed you wouldn't believe. it was like....blockbuster was trying to force me into buying a dvd player, and my friends...i wasn't having it! (i do now own a dvd player and a few dvd's)
i have ken video to thank for quelling my homicidal rage. they had every video i could dream of...i was quite the frequent customer back then. dude, i was on a hitchcock binge one month. another delightful surprise i discovered at ken video was the vhs collection of my all time favorite tv show "mystery science theater 3000." i was in pure heaven, friends.
somewhere along the line, i don't know when, but i stopped going to ken video as frequently. maybe i was on my rag or something, but one day, while happily browsing the anime section, i became overwhelmed by what i thought was "old people's stench." it pains me to type this friends, but i was seriously about to vomit due to the odor of the place. perhaps it was a figment of my imagination. just this past year (07) i had a hankering for red licorice in a neat little plastic bag, and three old time movies. i trudged down to the place, and lo and behold....no geriatric aroma.
i totally sing the praises of ken video...vhs, dvd, they got it. it wouldn't surprise me if they had a small collection of super 8's. it is old school in a good way, like the other yelper mentioned. definitely a staple and anchor of the area.
i only have one request....i think that suggested movie listings should be created...like, a top 25 list of schlocky b movies....or a listing of cold war scare movies. something like that. i would really dig and appreciate that.
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Hands down the best video store in San Diego. They have a great selection of indie, foriegn movies and documentaries as well as any other movie you might be looking for.
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I like the area because you're right next to the Ken which has shown indie movies and hosted live bands, from time to time runs "Midnight Movies" for the cult classic fans, and a block from the library and 2 coffeeshops.
With all the video stores carrying DVDs exclusively, they have a LOT of movies that have NOT been released on DVD. The library is the alternative, but these videos are in better condition. Miniseries fans will find a lot of shows they haven't seen since they've been aired, plus British TV and movie fans will find a healthy stock of BBC shows and British films.
The Genres that they have a great selection on: Foreign films, without a doubt. Horror, Sci-Fi, Martial Arts, Anime, Classics, and Cult Classics are pretty comprehensive. Experimental and shorts have one shelf, but they're films that would never be carried in any chain store.
I would love to see the Music section stocked with more, and the Westerns.
Kensington in general is not the greatest place to find parking, but there's usually enough parking in the back, but because they allow double parking, you might be blocked in.
DVD might be the best quality compared to videotape, but I have videotapes from the early 80s that can still play fine, but DVDs I've bought from a few years ago that are unplayable.
Amazing Selection! Very knowledgeable and friendly staff, who actually know what they are talking about
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Hands down the best video store in Southern California. They have every film I've ever walked in there looking for. They get new movies every week so if you really want a film that's not in stock, you can just make a suggestion and I'm sure the staff will order it.
One time my friend wanted to watch a crazy episode of the Twilight Zone and they called Guy at home and described the episode so we could rent it. This place is the best.
I just wish they would update the website.
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They have every video you could ever imagine... Its ten bucks to become a lifetime member and it is sooo worth it. I rented Troll 2 and Body Rock last month and still havent returned them, I hope they don't come after me.
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I thought all video stores were the same. I'm used the usual Blockbuster but after walking in here, my opinion's changed. This is the best video store. They have every video under the sun! Everything you wanna watch but cant find anywhere else... you'll find it here!
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Helpful staff, great selection of hard-to-find movies.
They seemed pretty intent on getting me to sign-up for a paid membership, but when I pressed them on it, they did have an option to just rent a movie.
best independent video store in san diego (are they the only one left?); incredible selection of foreign and small-distribution films. when i call to see if a particular film is in stock, i usually get Winnie, and she has me call back when "one of the boys" gets to work. their employee's knowledge of their stock and availability is enyclopedic, and it has to be--as Winnie says, "we don't put our information in the computer." awesome, huh?
i was really impressed when i was trying to track down this particularly hard to find film--the employee called me as soon as they had it back in stock. i almost fell over when i got the follow up call--no business follows up with customers these days. they're old shcool in the best way!
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Love this place, a must for any die hard foreign or indie film fanatic. I am a HUGE Almodovar fan, and they carry all his movies, including his early work. The staff is really friendly and they KNOW the title to practically any movie..
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This is the DVD rental store of my dreams. I seriously never thought a store with this wide of a selection would exist! I've tried Netflix and Peerflix to try and satiate my hunger for independent & foreign movies, but nothing holds a candle to Ken Video.
On top of their fantastic selection, they also offer all of their (non new release) DVDs for a week rental period and the employees are very friendly and helpful. It's a family run business with a couple generations working there currently. The whole vibe is very casual and a bit dated. How cool is that? It's like they are the exact antithesis of a chain video stores.
The downsides are the 6PM rental return time, and the Comedy and Drama sections being put together in one big section. I generally don't ever find myself in the Drama section, and having to sort through those films to find Comedy is a bit annoying. Please resort, Ken! It would also be cool if they used a computer rather than writing everything down. It leaves too much room for error and is more time consuming for patron and employee. These "problems" aside, I still wouldn't even dock them a star. Their selection and customer service is too darn good. Long live Kensington Video!
Also, they are located next door to one of (if not THE) best indie cinema in SD county. I never buy the junky snacks at the video store, but in the theater you can get vegan cookies. Makes snacks and a movie one quick trip. Score.
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Our ONLY video store patronized. It is ALL here....
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If you need a video on VHS that no one has ever heard of, Kensington Video is the place to go. They have everything you could possibly need. I needed to obscure WWII videos for a class I was taking and they had both of them. I did not even try going to Blockbuster, that and I also lived about 5 blocks away from Ken video at the time.
The staff actually know movies. Great place for film buffs. Go early because the people who work there like to be home before 8 pm.
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my bf started going to ken when he started looking for more hard to find videos. ken is great and its one of a kind in san diego! we have had to occasionally go up to cinephile in la when ken didn't carry a movie we desperately needed but that was only maybe once or twice and it was something very obscure.
the staff is very, very, very helpful, willing to help and knowledgeable about film. if they don't have the movie you're looking for, they're willing to order it just for you.
it doesn't hurt that their membership/rental prices are much, much cheaper than blockbuster or other video shops.
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Kensington Video is the last of a dying breed... the independent, family-run video store. The staff is knowledgeable and extremely friendly and accommodating. We went in to rent a movie one night and found ourselves short on cash- they simply re-wrote our receipt so we could pay the next time we came in. You'd never get this kind of service @ Blockbuster!
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A flim snobs wet dream.
Quasi-perfect... including odd ball film buffs meandering myopically through the stacks.
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This is the only video store my Vis Arts TAs would recommend. It is also the only video store my film snob friends swear by because it has the rarest collection of DVDs or VHS in San Diego.
Nowadays, video stores are a bit obsolete with the advent of Net Felix, but if you have a spur of the moment urge to watch a film from likes of Lars Von Trier or Jean-Luc Godard, then Kensingston Video is the only video store you should check out.
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You could write a television show about this place. All the clerks they hire seem to fall along an archetypal continuum. Whenever the arty guy with obscure taste in film and encyclopedic knowledge of emerging directors from the Pacific Rim quits, they hire a new one. He's not to be confused with the arty, musician chick with obscure Eastern European directors tattooed on her left eyelid or the guy with long hair, ah, but you get my point. They do happen to have a great selection of all sorts of movies and shows on DVD and VHS, but man, they ding me all the time for late rentals. I'm sorry I have a kid now and sometimes it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to watch a disc in one evening. I try to only rent stuff here that they'll let me have for a few days otherwise I end up owing them half a kidney in late fees. Seriously. They have all the stuff that Netflix is too vanilla to have, so hats off to them, but they close too early and always eat up my extra Hamiltons. Darn you Kensington Video, you are too good to quit.
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i lived a block from this place for three years, but only went in twice. i never understood all the hype. it's tough to find what you're looking for and the membership formality sucks. and what's up with putting a kensington video sticker on the back of your drivers license?
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Great, great, great. If you're really *into* movies (to a level I only strive for), this is the spot for you.
Also happens to be acros the street from a great theater. Independent film heaven!!
I hate the blank stare I usually get from Blockbuster employees when I ask about available films. If you do too, head to mecca of indie/obscure film passion, Kensington Video. Their catalogue is deep...
Jesus, this place is great. They have a section organized by director, which I love, and they have a huge foreign film section, which I'm learning to love.
There is only one problem with Kensington Video; they close way too early! They close at 7 p.m. on weekdays. I've hurried from work to the video store and been met with a locked door on more than one occasion. They still get five stars though, mainly because I love the people who work here. They are film nerds who are friendly and willing to help you pick out a good flick.
The owners are pretty weird, but the young employees seem knowledgable. I was planning to rent "Five Easy Pieces" there and show it to some friends who were coming over. The DVD of "Five Easy Pieces" was already rented out, but they had one sitting in the "Used videos for sale" rack. I asked the owner, Richard Hanford, if I could rent that copy of it for one night, but he refused to let me rent it. It was not a brand-new copy, it had been rented many times and they were trying to sell it. I had noticed it sitting on the sale rack for over one year. He bluntly refused to rent that copy to me. It's still sitting there now, three weeks later, so obviously nobody bought it. How would it have hurt them to rent it to me for one night? The copy that had been rented so many times before? So instead he screwed up my plans because of his own internal mind-freeze. Some people should retire before they screw up their own business by alienating their own customers. His wife, Winnie, has terrible taste in movies and is always recommending complete duds to us. It's gotten to the point that whenever we hear Winnie say, "It was cute, I liked it," or tell someone, "You'll like this one," we automatically put that title on our "do not rent" list. In fairness, their daughter, Pam Cisneros, is always friendly, helpful and considerate, and willing to serve her customers. Make sure to deal with Pam or one of the younger employees - don't deal with Richard or Winnie.
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very friendly and helpful staff and a great selection. this place pretty much owns any mainstream indie video type place like tower movies, but i think they're all gone now anyway.
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This place is in my neighborhood and is convenient to grab a DVD or video. They appear to have been around a while and have a large and diverse space and inventory, including foreign and indie films. The store has a bit of worn infeel and I think its family run. They get newer titles, listed on a white board. I haven't been to Blockbuster or Hollywood Video lately, but it may be easier to get certain things there or through Netflix or whatever. Convenience is key and I'm not a big renter, so this place works cause its close to me. They also sell movie foods like popcorn, licorice and twinkies.
reminds me of the awesome video store back in new haven!
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