Rain City in Fremont is a great independent neighborhood video store. Compared to your Blockbusters and Hollywoods, it's obvious that someone who loves movies fills the shelves at Rain City.... More

Rain City in Fremont is a great independent neighborhood video store. Compared to your Blockbusters and Hollywoods, it's obvious that someone who loves movies fills the shelves at Rain City. Previously viewed video sales constantly edit their inventory, making room for new releases while keeping movies with more lasting appeal. Maybe that's why I almost always find what I'm looking for at Rain City, despite the store's small size. Rentals are two-for-one on Wednesdays and a "Staff Picks" area is good for inspiration when you don't know what you want to watch.
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I patronize the Rain City Video (www.raincityvideo.com) in Sunset Hill (in Ballard), but there is one in Fremont...lucky for you! The large inventory of movies is thoughtfully organized and... More

I patronize the Rain City Video (www.raincityvideo.com) in Sunset Hill (in Ballard), but there is one in Fremont...lucky for you! The large inventory of movies is thoughtfully organized and includes categories like drama, comedy, classic, horror, children, etc. I like the section that is organized by film directors. I usually find something inspiring to rent, but when I don't there is generally a young clerk who must have volunteered to skip the summer and miss every ray of sunshine to screen each available title in an effort to make informed rental recommendations. Although I feel conflicted about their lost youth and playtime, I appreciate their sacrifice.
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This video store's strength is its friendly, knowledgeable staff. They always have great recommendation ready to go if you're ever having trouble choosing what to get. Rain City Video should be... More

This video store's strength is its friendly, knowledgeable staff. They always have great recommendation ready to go if you're ever having trouble choosing what to get. Rain City Video should be rewarded for their excellent customer service and support of independent movies. Check out one of my favorite video stores in the Seattle area.
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Rain City Video has an impressive -- and quirky -- selection of movies, arranged in a quirky way. The blockbusters are all here, but so are documentaries, TV shows and culty independent films. ... More

Rain City Video has an impressive -- and quirky -- selection of movies, arranged in a quirky way. The blockbusters are all here, but so are documentaries, TV shows and culty independent films. Lots of little categories can occasionally make it hard to find a movie if you come with one in mind (though the movie-savvy staff are helpful), but are dynamite for browsing. A computer with a browser open to the Internet Movie Database (imdb.com) is available for researching a potential rental. We especially appreciate their Wednesday and Thursday special -- rent one movie, get a second free (only one can be from the "new" shelf). With a three-day rental period, it lets you movie up for the weekend on the cheap.
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Rain City Video is the best video store I have ever been to. It has every movie I have ever even thought of seeing, no matter how obscure. For example, they have not one, but two different... More

Rain City Video is the best video store I have ever been to. It has every movie I have ever even thought of seeing, no matter how obscure. For example, they have not one, but two different versions of “Bartleby the Scrivener”. How strange is that? The have a huge selection of documentaries and foreign films. They have a great section that has videos by famous directors. Their staff picks are well chosen and they give intelligent reviews. They, of course, also have all the new releases. If you don’t have a vcr or dvd player, you can even rent that in a very affordable 3-day rental package. One of my good friends, who is a film student from RISD, was astounded and extremely jealous by how lucky I am to have this resource at my disposal when I took him to check it out. It’s also really affordable as they offer discounted punch cars, and most movies have 3 day rental periods.
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Rain City Video is a small chain of video stores around Seattle. Frankly, ever since getting on Netflix only rarely do I visit video stores anymore. But when I was, Rain City Video was a nice one to... More

Rain City Video is a small chain of video stores around Seattle. Frankly, ever since getting on Netflix only rarely do I visit video stores anymore. But when I was, Rain City Video was a nice one to go to. A helpful staff could make suggestions, or, you could read any of their many handwritten notes next to the selections on the shelves. They also serve movie popcorn, if you want, which I was never a fan of. But it's a nice touch anyway.
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