However, we are well aware that many people are not too thrilled with all of the changes. Why couldn’t we just stay a video store? How are people supposed to pick out a movie without being able to browse them all on the shelves?

To our loyal customers who have been with us anywhere from a few months to several years, let me just say this: we hear you.

A couple years ago, it became terribly obvious that a video store in this day and age was not something that could flourish on its own anymore, especially in New York City, let alone Williamsburg. We tried a lot of different things, some that were successful (No Late Fee Plans!), others not so much (delivery… a valiant effort). But in the end it came down to a singular decision: change or close.

With a collection of over 30,000 movies and many regular customers, shuttering our doors was not an option. So we came up with a plan. It was risky and expensive and we could be running ourselves even further into the ground, but there was nothing left to lose. Times had changed. Netflix and iTunes and Amazon and Redbox… well, they became our direct competition and that was a tough battle. So we decided we’d offer something that they can’t: a movie lover’s paradise, right here in Brooklyn.

During the course of our construction and figuring out the new business, the one constant that was always clear was that we would not stop video rentals. We wouldn’t squander our collection. Unfortunately, there just isn’t much room for browsing, so we continued to adapt. iPads started popping up a number of months ago and development of our new website began. The primary focus with the site was to offer as strong a replacement for physical browsing as possible. And in the end, it will be even stronger. You will always be able to ask our knowledgable staff, but pretty soon you’ll be able to get the kind of information with a couple taps that you couldn’t get by just looking at the DVD.

Here’s a quick preview of some of the major features.

All of our sections are now back in virtual form. And as time goes on, they’ll be broken down even more. We’ve had a lot of requests over the years of specific subcategories (classic television, British films, etc.) and the new browsing will reflect those. Even better, we’ll be able to add categories and keywords on the fly. Want to see all of our Christmas films in one place? You got it!

And what about searching? That’s getting quite an upgrade with intuitive features to help you get to your choice faster. There will be more advanced options as well, to narrow things down by year, genre, actor, and more.

And finally, a preview of the wealth of information available to you from the DVD pages themselves.

All of the most important film information, right there. You can even see quick scores from Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes, or watch the trailer. And, as always, you can see if things are checked in or out with real-time availability.

There are a lot more features in the works, like:

• Customer-curated categories!
• Email/SMS reservations!
• Full dynamic listings of upcoming new releases – including notifications!

As you can see, we’ll be working extra hard in the new year to make sure that our DVD rentals don’t catch any more slack.Best of all, as the new business grows, so will our collection! There have been a lot of requests that we’ve amassed, from the rare and culty to blu-rays of older favorites to some that have simply escaped from our clutches.

So come by, take in a movie, have a drink, rent something special and keep checking back on the website, because it’s gonna be awesome!

2012 – directed by Rick Alverson – starring Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, James Murphy, Gregg Turkington, Kate Lyn Sheil

PRODUCER MIKE S. RYAN IN PERSON FOR Q&A FOLLOWING THE 7:00 SHOW ON FRIDAY, DEC 14

On the cusp of inheriting his father’s estate, Swanson (Tim Heidecker, “Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!”) is a man with unlimited options. An aging hipster in Brooklyn, he spends his days in aimless recreation with like-minded friends (“Tim & Eric” co-star Eric Wareheim, LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy and comedian Gregg Turkington a.k.a.“Neil Hamburger”) in games of comic irreverence and mock sincerity. As Swanson grows restless of the safety a sheltered life offers him, he tests the limits of acceptable behavior, pushing the envelope in every way he can. Heidecker’s deadpan delivery cleverly masks a deep desire for connection and sense in the modern world. THE COMEDY wears its name on its sleeve, but director Rick Alverson’s powerful and provocative character study touches a darkness behind the humor that resonates with viewers long after the story ends. An official selection of Sundance, SXSW and BAMcinemaFEST, the film was shot largely right here in Williamsburg, BK.

92 minutes – presented on blu-ray – A Tribeca Film release

“The most culturally relevant movie I’ve seen all year. Heidecker’s performance [is] a fearless, incredible exhibition of tightly controlled, passive-aggressive rage turned in on itself.”

- Grantland

“By far one of the most wildly inappropriate and pitch black comedies I’ve ever seen in my life.”

– Film Threat

Comedy Trailer7.25 from rick alverson on Vimeo.

2012 – directed by Caveh Zahedi

DIRECTOR CAVEH ZAHEDI IN PERSON FOR Q&A’S AFTER ALL SHOWS ON FRIDAY, DEC 7 & SATURDAY, DEC 8.

Commissioned by a Middle Eastern Biennial to make a film on the theme of “art as a subversive act,” independent filmmaker Caveh Zahedi (I AM A SEX ADDICT) goes overboard. Told that he can do whatever he wants except make fun of the Sheik, who rules the country and finances the Biennial, Zahedi decides to do just that. With his trademark mixing of documentary and narrative techniques, he turns his camera on the Biennial itself and gleefully presses every culturally sensitive button he can find. But his court jester antics fail to amuse. Zahedi’s film is banned for blasphemy and he is threatened with a fatwa. An official selection of SXSW, THE SHEIK AND I is an incendiary, essential and hilarious exploration of cultural taboos and the purpose of art in the modern world.

104 minutes – presented on Blu-ray – a Factory 25 release

“Flagrantly subversive”

– Dan Schoenrbun, Filmmaker Magazine

“A daring work made with reckless abandon – in other words, both irresponsible and necessary”

– Eric Kohn, Indiewire

BUY TICKETS HERE

While we’re closed, all late fees are suspended, so if you rented a couple dozen movies in preparation for the hurricane, don’t worry, you can keep them until Friday with NO ADDITIONAL LATE FEES! We’ll resume renting DVDs at 6pm on Friday, so stop by and rent a movie, see a show, or just hang out and have some drinks! We can’t wait to see you!

Tabloid

Trespass

Cars 2

Water for Elephants

Magic Trip

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

An Invisible Sign

The Last Mountain

Rejoice and Shout

The Tree of Life

The Trip

Terri

Zookeeper

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead

Beautiful Boy

The Princess of Montpensier

Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer

Mr. Nice

Lucky

Septien