What began as a labor of love has garnered the attention of many in and around the San Francisco Bay Area, including the local film communities and news publications. Le Video has received a variety of accolades and awards over the years, and here are some of them.
As we dig through our archives, this page will be updated.
SF Gate "Best Video Store" (2010)
Bay Guardian Best of the Bay "Best Place to Rent Movies" (2008)
Sup Mirakami Proclaims Le Video Day (2005) text from Cine101
Yesterday
Le Video celebrated it's 25th birthday with cake, champagne, and popcorn for all. Supervisor Mirakami was on hand with an official
San Francisco Board of Sups proclamation naming June 24 LEVIDEO Day. Why? Because, as Mirakami said, in an age of nationwide chains, and Blockbuster Video, one video rental business with a vision is actually making money. Le Video's mantra has always been "to provide a comprehensive film selection that also features esoteric, underseen, underappreciated, and hard-to-find films that deserve to be seen" Take note gang, it's mission was NOT to "provide whatever the customer is willing to pay for". If you've never been there, it's on 9th between Irving and Lincoln, and is guaranteed to blow your mind.
Le Video's Certificate of Honor from the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (click on link to see the official certificates)
SF Weekly's Best of San Francisco "Best Video Rental" (2003)
CitySearch's Best of San Francisco "Best Video Store" (2000)
SF Gate "Best Video Store" (2000)
SF Weekly's Best of San Francisco "Best Video Rental" (2000)
The Chronicle's Readers' Choice "Best Video Store" (1999)
SF Weekly's Best of San Francisco "Best Video Rental" (1999)
- Marin County 7/21/2006 Pacific Sun Article by Jacob Shafer
GARRISON LYON LOVES movies. He loves them so much that he’s got an active account at five different video stores. In Marin, Lyon picks up DVDs at Video Droid, Silver Screen, Blockbuster and the tiny Forest Knolls outpost Video West. When he’s on the other side of the Golden Gate, he stops off at
the famous emporium Le Video, known for its huge inventory and expansive collection of hard-to-find cult and foreign films. "
- San Francisco Chronicle 10/5/1997 by Edward Guthmann
In the Bay Area, a growing number of alternative video stores are serving that need and proving that Blockbuster, with its limited selection, bland-looking stores and Top-50 mind-set, is missing the boat.
Le Video, the venerable San Francisco store, has generated such a large audience for offbeat movies that it recently opened a second outlet, two doors away from the original, to accommodate the demand.
Le Video is San Francisco's first, largest and most prominent alternative video store, this retail success story now boasts two locations, two doors apart, and offers 40,000 titles.
"Our ultimate fantasy is to be another Le Video,'' as quoted per another video store owner...
Note: This was written before Gordo's snagged our lease and the landlord gave us 30 days to vacate... Thankfully our second and current location was much larger!
