Eddie Brandt’s Saturday Matinee

Been on my mind ever since I visited back in December. It’s basically an antique shop/​video store since it feels like those 2 kinds of places. Browsing around and seeing all the great VHS tapes made me smile. There was so much more I wanted to see, but I had very little time left on my Hollywood visit. I’ll be going here again soon hopefully, and just maybe I’ll join to be a member. I mean, I gotta rent these tapes! These tapes are amazing. Also, the murals on the building are so cool. Mount Rushmonster? Classic.

The best place for old movies maybe in the whole world. Amazing collection and wonderful helpful people.

One of the last great video stores. Huge selection of hard to find VHS and a DVD as well as memorabilia. The hours are the only limitation so check their site but this is the Sierra Madre of Video treasures.

my favorite hole-​in-​the-​wall in LA. i still have a VCR and i swing by here to de-​stress, chat film with the staff, and get used VHS tapes from my childhood for super cheap! great fun place for a date or a fantastic way to kill an afternoon wandering through the aisles and reliving movie and TV history.

I will tell this story because I believe the owner still works there:
Back in 1996 I visited the store. I asked if they had a website and the owner said «Over my dead body».
Well I looked today and she is still alive and they have a website.
The selection of movies is great but I could do without the attitude.
I wanted to write this story because some people are just so short sided.

If you’re a true ‘old schooler’ like me, than you’re probably not trying to keep up with all the teenage Hip-​hoppers and Beboppers who think they know movies. Companies like Netflix and Redbox have eroded the tradition of going to the «tape store» and renting a movie. Thank God for Eddie Brandt’s! There are not many places left where you will see classic archived titles as well as memorabilia; not to mention, a seemingly unlimited library of old movies– both DVD and VHS. IF you prefer older titles like myself, you have to check out Eddie– I can’t say enough good things about this place; its an experience just going there.

Best. Video. Resource. Ever.
Nice people, exceptionally knowledgable, *very* helpful. They’ll even recommend alternate sources, if by some rare event they don’t have what you want.
Very highly recommended!

Not only does Eddie Brandt’s have a remarkable selection of movies, they’ve got files upon files of classic posters and movie stills! This place rocks! And the best part? Donovan and Tony are two of the nicest guys around — the staff there couldn’t be friendlier and more helpful as well as knowledgeable. If you haven’t checked this place out yet, what are you waiting for!!!

I came in for the first time today with my roommate. We are both avid movie collectors (especially when it comes to old horror movies on VHS). This place was even more incredible than the reviews on Unilocal led me to believe. Their selection was immense, and unlike a library which can be boring to sift through the collection, I had a blast looking at all the different titles. I found nearly every rare VHS movie I came to look for, and was told that even if they didn’t have it, they could easily track it down. Alex, the clerk who checked us out with very helpful and friendly. I even bought a handful of rare VHS tapes for $ 2 each. Looking forward to stoping by weekly.

It is unbelievable that I live a few minutes away and in my 14 years in Los Angeles (and gone through film school), was the first to ever visit on this dreary Saturday. The place is the type of video rental place you imagine if you grew up in the 80’s. It smells musty. Has faded labels. The shelves are a mishmash of repurposed space. There are movie memorabilia stuck in every orifice. The counter had an old fashion register. And everything is more or less handwritten.
To get a lifetime membership is $ 15. Now that may sound lame, but, here’s the thing… say you had a television show back in the day you use to watch. And they cancelled it say…6 episodes in (yes, that’s «Police Squad»)…guess what… they have it. Now you tell me how much that’s worth.
I went in and bought a special edition «Road House.» Patrick Swayze’s last great movie (I fondly remember my father watching this movie and shaking it as he handed the VHS to me and said «this isn’t for children.» And «Devil’s Rejects». Both costs me less than going to the AMC. AND I am convinced this movie will find a new audience. I mean, I can’t even imagine that production meeting. The movie has EVERYTHING a teenage boy digs. Chicks with big racks. Karate. Bars. And MONSTER TRUCKS. This movie will have so much life on TNT or TBS or whatever block of awesome dude movies.
Eddie Brandt’s makes me miss the days of walking around a video store and crackin’ trivia with REAL film fans. RedBox isn’t going to argue with you about which Herbie movie is the best. And NetFlix, no matter how database intelligence goes… the human element can recommend «Gator Bait» when they see that you’ve rented «Southern Comfort.»
PLEASE PLEASE visit this place. It is one of the last great video stores.

This place is fantastic. I went in the other day looking for a hard to find video nasty that they didn’t have. Dominic called a friend of his who had the movie and they rented it to me. True movie lovers who will bend over backwards to find whatever you need.

A real gem. If you’re a geeky movie lover like I am, you’ll love it here. Lots and lots of movies. If you’re looking for for hard to find horror movies… you must go here.

I’d seen it on TCM before i moved here but didnt realize it was literally right around the corner from me. These guys are great and if they dont have it/​cant get it, it doesnt exist. And you can go in there and say things like, it was a movie, with a thing, and a dude, and they know what you mean and get it. Its a little pricier than other rental places (a 1 time membership fee, 3 bucks a rental i think) Its a little overwhelming your first time in because they just have a massive collection of movies and movie related stuff but by your second trip youre like one of the family.

One of the best Video Stores in LA. In this day and age of online movies, Eddie Brandt’s still is a good place to get your hands on hard/​impossible to find titles, and other films, you never knew about. Some great titles have never been released on DVD, and you can find them here, along with movie Stills.
The store has a real «Mom and Pop» feel to it, and let’s just say that the cleaning lady doesn’t come as often as she should? But aside from that that, the store staff is VERY knowledgeable.
Stop in on a Saturday afternoon with a list, and see what you can find!

I discovered this place with the help of a friend who had heard about it through another friend which is the way I like to hear about good things of merit. Anyways, this place is nothing short of amazing. Practically every obscure film from the era that I like which would be films from the seventies and early eighties, this place carries. Lots of rarities and diamonds in the rough for practically every genre and other «time-​frames» than the one I just mentioned. And the VHS tape quality is rock solid, usually in stereo-​phonic sound.
I’m a newcomer to Eddie Brandt’s Saturday Matinée so I can’t do the whole compare/​contrast thing that I see other people are doing here. But, I haven’t experienced anything subpar as to the way the staff treats it’s customers. I’ve noticed everyone who goes here is a regular and usually have chats with the staff as they check out their videos and I like that. I like that a lot actually. Plus, the staff are very knowledgable and will commend you if they like your selection.
The only gripe I have would be merging onto Vineland where people can be driving pretty fast and then having to make an illegal u-​turn at the fork. Hint, please do not make a right onto Magnolia if you’re trying to catch the 101 N. or S. off of Vineland cause it’s one hell of a wait to wrap around your car to merge back onto Vineland, either from the street itself or from the shopping plaza with Ralph’s and Carl’s Jr. But the store has nothing to do with that.
It’s a pitch perfect store for this movie nut. Check em out.

This place is just amazing. If u ever find urself searching for a movie everywhere… and i mean EVERRRRYYYYHEERRREE… even online, and u just cant find it, come here!
There is always that one random thing that my dad will tell me he’s seen as a kid, that will interest me enough to try and find it somehow, but its absolutely nowhere to be found. But alas, there it is… sitting on one of the shelves at Eddie Brandt’s. There is no other place in LA like this… not even in santa monica, where all the weird stuff is.
and fyi… staff is really cool!

Eddie Brandt’s is a real life, tangible form of IMDb. It’s a glorious stockpile of film and Stills dating all the way back to the 1890s. They have over 100,000 titles, mostly on video. However they are steadily working on DVD conversion.
Membership info:
$ 15 for a lifetime membership, and rental amounts are unlimited.
$ 3 for 3 days or $ 6 for 1 week rental.
$ 1 for every day late.
$FREE rental of a VCR player if you are without.
++++IMPORTANT++++
Reviews of EBSM are either commonly an A+ or an F. There’s rarely an in between. To make sure you have an A+ experience, please read this extremely beneficial information.
The Staff:
The staff consists of Claire (owner), Donovan (manager), Tony (Clerk) and a different clerk that usually changes once every 1 to 2 years. Donovan is almost never in the store and Claire deals mainly with Stills. There are only 1 –2 clerks who deal with the onslaught of customers. Patience runs thin in this store if you catch them at the wrong time.
Q: Why are they so rude?
A: They’re not really that rude. Just remember that their usual clientele
are movie peddlers, ex-​actors and people who can’t figure out
which side to place the disc in the DVD player.
Advice: You’ll win their hearts with extreme patience and courtesy.
Calling on the phone:
— When calling to see if they have a movie available, ONLY ask up to 3 movies at a time. Just by standing in line you’ll noticed that they just don’t have time to rent to people, do normal clerk stuff AND check a list of 10 – 20 titles.
— When calling for basic information that seems normal for us to ask, be patient and quick. Don’t ask for hows or whys.
Q: Why not hire more people then?
A: You’re getting a 1 time membership, dirt cheap rentals, FREE rental
of a VCR and lots of other bonuses for loyal fans. If you don’t want
all this, then they’d gladly put their money towards staffing.
Beware of Claire:
Claire calls the shots. Try not to piss her off. Val Kilmer made an ass of himself once in the store and Claire decided to make an example of him. (In Claire’s defense though, Val’s a bit of a prick.)
Claire is old school preferring Westerns and American Classics. Her taste reflects her personality. If you do not share it, I suggest avoiding Claire. If you do share it, you’ve got a strong ally.
Sorry for the novel, but as a former employee, I feel obligated to help as much as I can. Please email me if you have any questions!
Happy film hunting!

Where to begin…
An oasis in the middle of the wasteland.
Donovan has suggested so many incredible movies for me to watch.
I was there early every Friday afternoon for my weekend fix of old black & white movies. So many movies so little time. Now if I can just get him to find and return my copy of «Come fill the cup» that would be amazing. :):):):):)

Reading reviews here lead me to believe I would be able to find Sonny Chiba’s «Sister Street Fighter» there. I was not disappointed. Because the copy of the movie they have came in a two disc compilation, I got 4 movies for the price of 1 — $ 3!
Everybody who works there is a gem. Sure, it’s not fancy by any stretch — but I would bet you could find ANYTHING there.
Heads up, there is a $ 15 initial lifetime membership fee, but I think its worth it. The first purchase has to be made with a credit card…

Here’s how the conversation went when I called to check if they carried a movie I was looking for as a gift:
Me: Hi there, I’m looking for an old movie, was wondering if you could help check to see if you carry it
Older guy: What’s the name of the movie?
Me: It’s called «Tamarind Seed.»
Older guy: OK, with… Omar Sharif and Julie Andrews?
Me: That’s it.
Older guy: OK, hold on lemme check.
Me: Thanks a lot.
–Six minutes pass, according to my cell phone–
Younger guy (picking up the line): Who’s this?
Me: Uh. The other guy was looking for a movie for me… I thought.
Younger guy (yelling in the store): Hey were you checkin’ on a movie for this guy?
Older guy (from the distance): Oh YEAH.
Older guy comes back on the phone: What’s the name of the movie again?
!!
And after all that, they didn’t have it.
There’s six minutes I’m never getting back. I’m giving an extra star solely because the dude knew what «Tamarind Seed» was.