The Film Shop

This store is everything a video store should be and more. I feel like I should be walking around inside here wearing a beret and smoking cigarettes with an ivory cigarette holder, making patronizing comments about various film directors in French — it’s that cool. Of course, if I did that I would be a tosser.
The film catalog here is impressive, with many old classics and a very large foreign film section. There is a pretty good handful of blockbuster releases as well so if you are forced to choose some girly romantic comedy starting Matthew bloody McConnaughey because your girlfriend doesn’t want to do a Saw marathon (oops, I mean the Three Colours trilogy, because, you know, I’m learned and all that), you’ve got the option.
The guys behind the counter are very friendly. Every time I’ve been there people have come in with late videos and they’ve never charged a late fee.
A great find, the only problem for me is that it’s quite a long way up Liverpool St. But it’s well worth the walk every time.

Totally agreed with the previous reviewer (who I hope I bump into at this place given her cute pic). This place is exactly what you want from a DVD rental: good selection with a decent indie/​world section. The staff are always great fun and knowledgeable, constantly watching some movie or other on the TV in the corner. £10 monthly and you could basically take as many movies as you likes, officially it’s 3 a day I think but once they know you it’s such a friendly place you can take more. Highly recommended!

The Film Shop is, in a nutshell, how all dvd hire shops should be– As well as the biggest mainstream blockbusters these guys stock huge amounts of foreign films, classics both old and new, indie flicks, tv boxsets of shows like curb your enthusiasm and the wire, etc. The thing I like the most– aside from the guys who work there who never charge for overdue DVD’s and always have a recommendation or five– is the way the store is laid out– you have sections for films from different countries, sections for films by legendary directors, a new release section, mainstream section, new hollywood, classic hollywood, documentary, and so on. They have a special membership thing where you can pay £10 a month and then pay no hire charges for the films, which is INSANE and makes me wish I could give six stars. In fact, I am giving six stars. Six out of five. Good. Amazing.

Not everyone in my family likes this place all that much, there are frequent complaints about them not having anything new or fun and being too intellectual but whatever, I love it. At this Islington branch you can get a film lovers deal which is £10 a month for unlimited rentals which works out pretty well for me as I pop in pretty frequently and get a video whenever as I watch them in all my spare moments. They have a whole world cinema room which is especially good for French and other Western European stuff but also has a pretty good Asian selection. It’s also a one stop go to shop for American and British indie classics and all the slightly more underground new stuff you missed in the cinema.

Great place to rent films, a very large selection including many foreign language gems. Fantastic offer of unlimited film rentals for £10 a month. Nice staff too.