Video Universe

Whoa… amazing … selection the store truly lives up to it’s name! It’s so nice to actually walk into a «video store» gosh… it’s so nice to actually walk into a store in these days of Netflix and Redbox rentals… this store is a gem. It’s family owned with customer service that’s top-​notch… Huge selection of recent hits to hard-​to-​find older movies, foreign, and animé… I can always ask for a certain movie, and somebody is always willing to help and find it for me… AWESOME! I LOVE browsing their selections and love coming here to locate the perfect movie. The deals here are super which I definitely take advantage of… you can definitely find me here on Sundays renting a movie… it’s a super deal… rent 1 and rent 1 free :)

Video Universe is a phenomenal local business and a great resource for all of your viewing pleasures.
The staff are half the fun of going to Video Universe. They are incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, friendly and, most importantly, absolutely hilarious. They feel like part of our family. (Can Netflix or Redbox offer you that? I didn’t think so…)
They have great deals on their video rentals as well as having all of the new releases every week. Their DVD’s are well taken care of and I’ve never had an issue with the (probably) 100’s of DVD’s that I’ve rented from them.
Their selection is mind blowing and if you find the choices overwhelming, the staff always have great recommendations! (Does Netflix always offer spot-​on recommendations… Yeah, that’s what I thought.)
Did I mention how great the staff are??! How about their extensive selection? Oh, I did? Good. You should check them out!
I would HIGHLY recommend renting your next DVD from this exceptional local business!

I love walking into a video store and browsing their selections for the perfect movie that you either did not know existed or had forgotten that you wanted to see. This is a wonderful family owned establishment that has been renting movies and games in Robbinsdale for as long as I can remember. The staff is friendly and the selection is huge! We all know that there are other ways to see movies, but I really like being able to see all of my options there on the shelf.

Video Universe is kind of one of the biggest treasures of Robbinsdale. One of the very last retail movie rental/​buying stores out there, they have a HUGE and I mean HHUUUUUGGGGEEE selection of all kinds of different genres of movies.
From animé to comedy to drama to horror, and even more risqué selection behind that 18+ door, there is literally something for everyone here. I believe they even still rent out VHS tapes as well. The staff are super knowledgeable about pretty much any title/​genre of movie, and are always more than willing to suggest a movie or help you find any selection, no matter how indie, rare, or collectible, they probably have it here at Video Universe. I love this place I wish I could give it a 10 star review! I would reccomend checking out the ³⁄₅₀ project (It’s not a video, but a project about supporting local business’ and Video Universe is a part of it.) Support local business’ to help out your community!

Video Universe truly lives up to its name. They’ve got hard-​to-​find movies on DVD, Blu-​Ray, and even VHS. Walking through this place made me feel like a kid in a candy store.
I first rented there in hopes of finding an odd little 80’s action flick for my movie club. They had what I was looking for and even more. The first time I rented, it was painless to set up an account. I’ve been there a few times since, and they’ve always had what I was looking for.
Services like Netflix are nice, but nothing can replace the spontaneity of walking through the aisles of a well-​stocked video store and being able to find all of your favorites at your fingertips.
They’ve also got great rental deals during the week, and a program where you can keep five movies for a week if you can’t make it back within a few days.

Stepping into this place feels like time travel. The soulless sameness of blockbuster fades away and you’re back in your childhood video store — if your childhood video store had been jam-​packed with hard-​to-​find art house films, foreign films, kinda-​awful-​but-​nostalgia-​inducing films from your childhood, VHS tapes, and of course everything in between. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and very friendly to boot. Definitely ask them for suggestions… or at least strike up a conversation about whatever movie they’re screening on the TVs above the racks. (A few months ago it was a Lord of the Rings trilogy marathon… I admitted a few geeky secrets I haven’t told anyone in years, haha). So whether you’re looking for Roman Holiday, Primer, the Little Mermaid, or the latest blockbuster, this is your place.
Also: both of the grocery stores close by print off coupons on the back of the receipts — $ 1 rentals, 3 for 3, free kids movies, etc. I don’t think I’ve ever paid full price there.

The previous review from Justin P. is a pretty accurate portrayal of this family owned video store. I immediately felt an intense rush of nostalgia the first time I walked in this place. Everyone is guilty of giving into nostalgia at some point. Did you buy that old TV series that just came to DVD? How about watching those classic re-​runs? This place is stacked with rows VHS tapes and eclectic DVD titles.
Everyone has their opinions of movies and it is fun chatting with the employees about them. I find their suggestions are usually spot on and they are even polite to the customer that thinks «The Customer Is ALWAYS right».
GOOD:
* Incredible VHS selection
* Impressive movie catalogue
* 1^st Amendment supporters with half the store has porn in back
* Decent specials
* Knowledgeable staff
BAD:
* Late fees
* High price video game rentals
* An inconvenience based on its location?
UGLY:
* Smelly man in the trench coat asking you if that have farm porn
* LATE FEES!
You must ask the staff for a movie recommendation based on your interests or check out a truly limited film. The giant foreign film wall may be a good place to start or maybe look through the bootleg movies that may not see domestic release.
You must avoid telling them about their competition, they are aware of it.
Sweet hot spot outside the twin cities! Respect to the employees and movie catalog, but boo to Late Fees and higher prices compared to an online rental service.

Remember that independent video store you went to in the 80s before Netflix ever existed?
You know, the store with wrinkled movie posters on the walls and every VHS tape and 8-​bit Nintendo game you could ever want? You always wondered what was behind that creaky door in the back, didn’t you?
Well, Video Universe is a tribute to that style of video store, one of very few left in the Twin Cites. Video Universe has a stunning collection of old movies and I’ve never been able to stump the staff on where to find even the most obscure title.
It is, in a way, it’s the anti-Blockbuster…and the people of Robbinsdale and north Minneapolis flock there every Friday and Saturday night. The wait is sometimes up to fifteen minutes just to check out.
The antique store clearly values it’s customers far more than the big chains. Why do I say this? Because I almost always return my videos a day late and the nice folks at Video Universe never charge me full the full fine.
«You’ve got a little bit of a late fee for Michael Clayton,» the curly-​haired clerk tells me. «But, I’ll cut that in half for ya…»
They say it every time and I am sure it’s standard procedure, but I know the big chain down the street with the shiny movie posters and flashing lights wouldn’t think twice about making me pay full price.