Scarecrow Video
Category: Videos and Video Game Rental [Edit]
Neighborhood: University District5030 Roosevelt Way NE
Seattle, WA 98105 (206) 524-8554
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot, Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
61 Reviews for Scarecrow Video
Scarecrow actually smells like most libraries. It's organized like most libraries too. And has inventory computers... like libraries.
The fact that hipsters and libraries smell the same is riddling the scientific community.
That review about the smell is hilarious, because it doesn't mention actually liking movies, besides porn, at all.
How can anyone have a problem with kurosawa? That like not being that into kissing. Everybody likes kissing. Everyone except the people who are doing it wrong.
That's right, I said it.
You're watching kurosawa wrong.
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My first rental at Scarecrow was a VHS copy of The Garbage Pail Kids that I had to put down a $300 deposit on, it was glorious. I live in New York now and besides my friends and family, Scarecrow Video is the thing I miss most. This place was the reason I first drove out of the suburb that I lived in and it shaped much of my development as a film nerd through high school.
The selection here is mind boggling and the films are ordered the way any self-respecting cinephile haven organizes their films: by director (wow, that makes me sound like such a dweeb). Once you've navigated your way out of the floor of directors, there's room after room of films organized by genre as well. This place is overwhelming to say the least.
My only criticisms are the lack of parking and the fact that they haven't yet relocated the entire store to New York City.
I fell in love when my eyes landed on the laser discs. Back in the day these were presented like vinyl at a record store, and I saw the section title, "Vengeful Acts of a Wrathful God". While the laser disc section has long since been replaced by dvds; and George, the store's visionary and soul, has passed on, it is still our movie mecca.
Beyond being the video store with the greatest inventory, it is above all, a movie store for film lovers, by film lovers, and it promises to offer you new and old fantastic features, keeping your inner cinephile well nourished.
However, and this is frequently overlooked, Scarecrow also offers all kinds of rich treasures that are not for the snooty cineiaste. For example, all of your 80s tv mini-series needs can be met here - from Noble House to Shaka Zulu. Need to rent an entire season of Sledgehammer? Look no further. And, of course, there's the porn.
There is only one draw-back to this magnificent collection, the late fees. That never stopped us. I believe our late fees have probably funded a full room of inventory over the past ten years. And we're kinda proud of that fact.
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And here it is. The first less-than-four-star review for Scarecrow Video ever. I know I'll get some hate mail for this one, but...
My ex used to drag me here, convinced that no matter what, we would find a movie to watch, and I would capitulate, even though I knew that I would be the one taking the movie back a few days later. Honestly, I dreaded going here, but I would. Why? Because they have porn, and Blockbuster does not. In fact, the three stars here are SOLELY because of teh pr0n. Saves the trip to Blue Video, you know?
Oh, it's not great porn, but it's porn, and that's all that matters.
So, why not five stars? Well, a few reasons. One is the smell of the place. It's not quite as bad as The Spaghetti Factory, but it's still nauseating. You could blame it on the age of the building, but I'm going to blame it on hipsters. Because the Apple Store smells EXACTLY ALIKE. And what do the Apple Store and Scarecrow Video have in common? Hipsters. Mold, a touch of body odor, and that scent that hungover people with greasy hair give off.
Yes, Scarecrow is staffed entirely by film snobs. And film snobs are, by and large, hipsters. With really tight jeans, ironic t-shirts, and dirty Converse sneakers. Also, an apparent universal disdain for anyone who does not worship at the feet of Kurosawa.
Now, I've encountered some really nice staff here, and I've encountered some jerkass stupidheads. And the fact that I'm totally content renting Maid in Manhattan (no, not really, but I'm more lamely mainstream than most of y'all smart-asses around here) makes me a worthy target of dirty looks from the film buffs who are forced to fill my order. Even my choice in porn is not well-respected (I don't go for "story lines" or "1970s Classic Monster Bush").
The other thing that throws me here is the Easter egg hunt involved in locating the film that you want to see. Like, some movie rental places organize by genre. That makes sense to me, I guess. Scarecrow does that, sorta, and has WAY more genres than anyone else. So, you're thinking that a certain movie might fall under "Action" but instead it falls under "Ultra Haitian Blaxploitation Old Western Samurai". Or maybe they've categorized it under the director's name! Or the country of origin! Who knows? You don't. You have to ask, or use one of the computers to look it up. IF the computer is functioning., which it frequently is not.
Want to rent a new release? Here's how you go about it. Wait outside of Scarecrow on the exact day that the DVD is released. When the store opens, dash in and grab your selection pushing aside old ladies, if need be. Otherwise, it'll be months before you get to see that "new release", when it'll be shunted to the "not-quite-new-but-not-really-old-yet" section (or the director's section! Who knows?!?).
So, yeah. Scarecrow makes me feel kind of inadequate, I guess. Does this mean that my rating is based more on my own insecurities than Scarecrow's ACTUAL inadequacies? Maybe. Shut up.
I do love their punch cards. Their t-shirts are cool, but don't come in sizes for women with a rack like mine, so I can only look and dream of a day when I am surgically reduced back to a B cup.
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Scarecrow Video is the video store that can actually call itself a true video store. This place has every obscure movie you could ever think of and then some. The foreign film selection is superb. Having lived in Southern California, I would say the selection is even better than most of the best video stores in Hollywood. The only less than great thing I've experienced there is the parking. The lot is pretty small and can fill up fast. Other than that, I would go to Scarecrow Video over any other video store any day.
I concur with Rick M. & Blake D. Best video store I've ever been too. I was skeptical at first. I didn't think they'd have what I was looking for, but to my surprise they did. (National Geographic: In The Womb) They also had an alarming amount of foreign films. And when I say foreign, I don't just mean Latino/Hispanic titles. I'm talking, India, Syria, Iran, etc. I fell in love with this store from the first time I stepped inside. Definitely a diamond in the rough.
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Great place for hard-to-find and obscure titles. The staff is nice and knowledgeable and are willing to forgive your first set of late fees!
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Awesome place to rent videos. Long live the anti-Blockbuster.
The selection of movies is great, with unique and hard-to-find titles. There are classics, dramas, foreign, adventure, TV shows, and.....porn. Yes, you can see the room with the XXX titles tucked away. Just ask.
Prices are fair, the staff is very helpful and the location is great.
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Scarecrow Video has one of the widest selections of videos of any video store I've been to. All of the movies are organized well -- each genre has its own room! -- and the people who work there have given me good movie recommendations in the past.
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Scarecrow is positively the shit. Movie stores in my dreams aren't even this cool. I'm so immensely glad that such an amazing local business is thriving.
Are you looking to rent Birth of a Nation? Having trouble finding films by your favorite director from when you lived in Russia? Maybe it's that one really obscure semi-non-trashy pin-up girl porn circa 1960 you're after? How about old episodes of Rocko's Modern Life? Or that one film you saw at SIFF last year and want to show to your friends?
Scarecrow has it all, and even if it only exists in a funky format like Laserdisc or PAL they have the players for rent, too!
Prices are about what you'd pay at one of those stupid chains with not even half the selection (just avoid the late fees), Wednesday rentals are 2-for-1, the staff is groomed to be exceptionally movie-savvy (so even if you don't know the title of what you're looking for, chances are someone there can figure it out), and their rental catalog is available on their website, so you can check to make sure something isn't checked out before you go!
Rad rad rad rad. Renting videos anywhere else is just shameful.
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The question to ask yourself after going to Scarecrow video for the first time: Are there any other video stores in Seattle? Answer: No.
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Best reason to dump netflix.
AWESOME selection and service. You make winter more bearable.
Wednesdays are 2 for 1 movies!
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Scarecrow. Legendary. Splendiferous. Awe-Inspiring. You remember that movie with that guy who had that one line that went: "Hey, wait up!" - Yeah. They know it and they've got it. If you want to snuggle up with a loved one and sip on a hot cocoa and watch GG Allin "Hated"? They got it. Someone should make a movie about THIS place!
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This place is great! They have just about every movie imaginable and I like how they organize the store by category, drama, comedy, mystery, scifi, animation, kids, new releases, etc. The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful and they have their own parking lot which is nice. When season 6 of the Soprano's came out, we of course wanted to rent it but we knew it would sell out fast so we called before we went to see if they had any left. They had one left and offered to hold it for us. When we got there it had already been rang up (since they keep your credit card on file)! It was awesome! He just handed it to us and we were good to go! It was all taken care of before we even got there, that's what I call service! If you're looking for a great place to rent, this is it!
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If they don't have it at Scarecrow, it doesn't exist.
That's my philosophy.
Visit and be amazed.
I don't think there is anything bad that could be said about this place. And I've spent a lot of time there, so I think I would know about the badness, were it to exist.
It's the biggest video rental place in the history of the world.. or at least, of my life. Videos are arranged in such a manner that you always end up renting something you've never heard of before, and when they have their Used Inventory Sale, you can get such gems as "A Land Before Time en Espanol" for a quarter- A QUARTER, I say!
Their adult selection is friggin awesome, and the one time I went in there and said "I really want to watch a good western" I got a twenty minute private tour through the Directors section by one of the employees and ended up with a list of about twenty movies I "needed" to see.
They have an amazing video guide (a huge tome of a book), and one of the staff members wrote a pretty excellent unofficial guide to the tv show 'Firefly', which impressed the hell out of me. They also sponsor a ton of great film events, like All Freakin Night in Olympia, and different goings on at The Grand Illusion. Their blog (you can find it through their homepage) is a pretty good read as well.
The only downside is that I am often too embarrassed to rent crappy new releases, because my simian brain wants to "impress" the video geeks who work there... or, if I can't impress them (I would imagine that would be pretty hard), then at least save myself from abject humiliation. So I usually end up going else where to rent horrible movies that I end up falling asleep while watching ('Sahara' anyone?)
They also now have a "Two for the Price of One" rental night (Wednesdays) and have extended the length that movies can be checked out (I think everything other than new releases can be out for a week??). I've heard rumors that they will ship movies to people out of state as well, but no one I know has tried that out yet.
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Love the place & selection - hate the late charges!
I'll stick with netflix..
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The first time I walked into Scarecrow, there were scores of people behind rope barriers, many in black trench coats. I thought I was going to have to wait hours in line just to rent my first video. I walked up to a green-haired kid standing in line and asked him if he was waiting in line to rent a movie.
"No", he said, with a tone somewhere between annoyed and amused. "Bruce Campbell is over there signing autographs."
I looked over and sure enough, there was Ash himself - sans chainsaw, alas, but cracking jokes and signing all sorts of Evil Dead memorabilia for his fans.
Scarecrow has the best selection of rental videos I have ever seen. Movies are organized by genre and by director/producer. The international selection is enormous. There are individual rooms dedicated to music, documentaries, comedy, etc. They even have rare and out-of-print movies that require a credit card deposit. Any place that has an entire section dedicated to Psychotronic is okay in my book.
The staff are definitely dedicated to film, very friendly and knowledgeable. There's a staff pick shelf so you can see what they recommend.
I spent hours in the place, browsing oddball stuff and finding old films I had long since forgotten. That day I set up my account, went home and cancelled my Netflix account.
Just make sure you bring your film back on time or call and renew it, or they automatically charge your credit card, which can sting if you're not expecting it.
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Wow! Love at first rental! They've got just about everything! This place is like Kim's Video in NYC, which I miss passionately. It's got the funky aura, the beat-up chairs, the welcoming "stay awhile and browse" atmosphere, the disaffected hepcat film buff guys behind the counter (yeah, they've mostly guys - we've noticed a distinct dearth of women behind the counter here), the excellent selection of films from all times and all nations, the carefully considered categories from which to choose.
And, huge bonus: there is a stuffed parrot sitting on top of the shelf above the Monty Python DVDs. No sign, no comment, it's just up there, covered lightly with dust, lying on its side. The day we noticed it Russell and I almost PEED ourselves laughing.
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Holy batshit. I have lived in Seattle for over three years and have just this weekend gone to the Scarecrow. My hubby loved that they had all the Planet of the Apes movies, I loved how they have sections entitled "Psychotronic," "Sexploitation," "Natural Disasters," etc.
They have a huge adult film section. Not that I'm big into adult movies or anything, but something about browsing it here doesn't feel sleazy but rather like looking at an interesting exhibit at a museum. I just want to tell all you others who were in the "Sexploitation" section when I came in--you don't have to leave just because somebody else comes in! We can all look at the dirty movie covers together!
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What can I say that hasn't been said...Scarecrow is the best video store in the city, without equal....sorry to all the rest, but come on, who can compete with the selection, the knowledge of the staff...more regions than I knew even existed...if you have yet to get a region free DVD player, do it now, yr missing out on ALOT, and guess what, Scarecrow sells them...
I swear I don't work for them....
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Two things about Scarecrow:
1) Go there on Wednesday it is 2 for 1 day until closing.
2) DO NOT RETURN ANYTHING LATE! I have never gotten any late fees due to my special power of knowing what day a movie needs to be returned (I don't get to use it much but when I do it is quite fulfilling).
In closing: I love Scarecrow so much I want to take it behind the middle school and get it pregnant.
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If 2 words could describe this place, I have them: Humungous selection. Just when you thought you found every movie in the country here, their selection from other countries is also just as impressive. Ho-ly crap! Everything from here in the States to China, Brasil to Russia, and practically all inbetween.
For some reason, the rather unique, subtle funky-ness gives it a certain character, too. Whatever gripe someone may have would probably be eased by the mere fact that the selection this place boasts is probably among only a few worldwide, I think.
Selection. Collection. Cool. Unique. Wow factor.
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I have a netflix account, and even when I have a movie at my house to watch, I absolutely cannot resist taking a trip over to this place simply to be overwhelmed by the overflowing shelves.
Granted, it is a tad more expensive than your average movie store, but it is worth it to be able to rent....pretty much any movie you've ever imagined to exist. They even have a copy of the ever-sought-after film "Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe."
As a person who loves both libraries and movies, this place is heaven. Quite literally. When I die, I want to haunt Scarecrow Video.
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love this place! Anything you're looking for, they'll have! Knowledgable and friendly staff. I just wish there were more parking spaces.
I got an awesome shirt here for only 9.99. Be forwarned tho it's american apparel (at least the ladies blue ringer) and the size runs way smaller then what you'd normally wear. But the nice guy working the counter let me try out different sizes in the restroom. nice.
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Come on, I could write about how awesome Road House, Cannonball Run II, and Transformers the Movie are instead of a review and it wouldn't matter. Why? Because if you're reading this, you're already going to go to Scarecrow. That's how totally awesome it is. IT's way cool. A huge selection, not just region 1 stuff either. They also sell new DVDs and used ones (alas, poor barista stand, I knew it Yelper). If I had to find one bad thing, it's that it's hard to return a movie without coming out with a handful. Yeah, this place rocks harder than Mudhoney. Quit reading this and go there... Rent Red Dawn or something.
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Everything. Everything ever. I have this picture book starring Grover called Everything in the Whole Wide World Museum where Grover goes to the Everything in the Whole Wide World Museum and it looks just like this place. Awesome.
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scarecrow video is amazing. love the way they organize by director... and the quantity of old & rare stuff they have is amazing! scarecrow is great -- brings me back to the old days when you could actually browse videos on a shelf (this is one aspect of netflix that falls short...) all in all, makes me wish i didn't get rid of my VCR so that i could play to vast quantity of great old VHS stuff scarecrow carries!
I get lost here. Literally.
My girlfriend and I meet here fairly regularly to pick up movies after work. I always end up calling her on her cell to find where she is in the store.
Well mapped out sections from comedy to anime, to foreign, to mystery and horror. You want it? I bet they've got it. Movie rentals last a week,and if you need an extra week just give them a call. The best bet is the rent one get one free Wednesday. I adore getting 2 full seasons of tv shows for the price of one.
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This place is worth going to even if you don't intend on renting a video. It's that cool to behold. The store is an industrial sized version of my bedroom growing up with movie posters from classic/cult classic films adorning every wall. When I'd got to Scarecrow as an undergrad I'd land up locking eyes with Chow Yun-Fat for minutes car as he stares out f from the poster of Hard Boiled. They have a ridiculous selection. I've been looking for a flick called 'Too Tired to Die' for seven years and finally found it at Scarecrow without breaking a sweat. The staff are true movie afficionados that actually appreciate cinema--I think it's easy to find vid stores with staff that love movies, but harder to unearth ones that think about them too. I once heard that Bernardo Bertolucci said that Scarecrow was the best video store in the world.
I do wish their return policy was cooler, but it is a breath of non-corporate air to have an actual person calling to bitch at you for having a late movie instead of a computer that can't pronounce 'hello' --it always sounds like 'hal-low'.
Oh yeah and their hours are kinda weak. During week days only open till 11 pm i think, but it's indie owned, so i can deal....
Oh yeah. if you're gonna return a vid late here call them. They won't charge you the automatic price based on additional rentals. This can get pricey if it's a new release and you're a few days late, so just give them a call--returning vids late is like an addiction for me.
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Musty? Yep.
Crazy mad selection? Yep.
As mi amiga might say: "It's the diggity bomb".
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Any true film fan cannot honestly give Scarecrow less than 4 stars. They have every movie you've ever thought to rent, movies that you never imagined existed. No, not pornos silly, although they have those too, but you have to climb the stairs and go into a cordoned off room.
Horror fans will delight in finding every Lucio Fulci film ever made, including his bizarre spaghetti westerns. Ditto with Dario Argento, Jorg Buttgereit, Stuart Gordon, and so on.
That's part of the problem. If you go into a "normal" video store you can find pretty much anything you want ... if they have it. You check the Drama section, the Comedy section, the Horror section, Action/Adventure, and then you just give up.
At Scarecrow they have everything divided into the most aggravating sections. They have director sections, so if you want to rent Lucio Fulci's 'The Beyond' you can't go to their Psychotronic section which has all the zombie movies. (Don't ask me what Psychotronic means). You need to specifically find the Lucio Fulci director section.
Of course even in the Psychtronic section they have categories like Zombies, Euro Horror, Cannibal, Giallo, and German Shit-Eating Cannibal Vampires (okay, I made that last one up). You can forget about any normal movie descriptions like Comedy, Drama, etc.
If you don't know who directed a film, tough shit. Good luck getting one of the smart-ass film dorks that work here to help you. Another issue I have is that they'll charge you a $200 deposit for some of their movies. Yeah, yeah, they're rare movies, but give me a fucking break! Also, the layout of the store is stifling. I can just feel my skin start to crawl from paranoia and claustrophobia the second I walk into the building.
Otherwise, it's a film lover's paradise.
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What can I say about Scarecrow Video that hasn't been said by all the other yelpers? Not much. This is the video store I have been dreaming about since my Dad moved us to Hicksville, New Hampshire. A place where a video store is usually comprised of two dusty shelves in the back of a gas station. Now I can get whatever I want, and keep it for a week!
I was particularly fascinated by the christploitation and post-apocalypse sections.
Oh yeah, and they have stuff that netflix does not.
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They really do have just about everything!
I always expect the staff to be condescending (because if this store were in LA, they certainly would be), but they are always very helpful and nice. I love this place! It's a good thing I don't live closer or I'd be in there all the time.
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Why have I not moved in 19 years? Because this place opened and I can walk there. It rains in Seattle. A lot. Movies in theaters better be worth the price of the ticket. When in doubt, rent. And Scarecrow lets you rent.
My son has a fascination for deep sea vent creatures. Scarecrow had a movie about them. And not just one. There were 5. There is a shelf of surfing movies, even Jack Johnson's. Remember Man from Atlantis? They've got him. Tony Jaa fan? Him too. Even without English. If you need a movie, a television show, or you don't know, go. The staff is great at offering suggestions based on what you might be in the mood for.
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This place is awesome. They have a copy of everything, including stuff that never made it to DVD. [Yes, that means they have VHS]. Well worth a visit if you like more obscure movies.
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When moving to Charlotte years ago, I couldn't fulfill my indie/obscure/foreign movie fetish easily (the closest that came to satisfying that was a place called Visart off 7th, for you Charlotteans)... Netflix helped sort of, but it just didn't always work when I am feeling like an ADD/OCD-moody-girl who just doesn't know what is going to strike my fancy at that moment. To the rescue comes Scarecrow, now that I'm back in the Seattle area! I get quite entertained just browsing through here. It's a trip & educational to boot.
They also rent & sell region-coded DVD players that will play any and all formats (NTSC,PAL) to accomodate those that want to take advantage of the ginormous import selection here.
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times three!! of course any one would say incredible!!!
xoxox
overwhelming, awesome, gnarly, sophisticated, amazing, the best video store ever, maybe in the running for the best store ever.
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The only place I can think of outside of online to find rare films. Plus who doesn't love the entire upstairs room of obscure porn?
I like that all the efforts are concentrated into one location because really you can't duplicate perfection.
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