Alternative Cinema - Specializes in direct-to-video sleaze 'n' cheese. You can expect to find titles like Sassy Schoolgirl and The Elegant Spanking here. I'm not kidding. Those are actual titles. Also now "your online store" for studios like Shock-o-Rama and Seduction Cinema. Secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard.
Antisoshal Video - Rare music videos. Email to inquire about online payment.
Atomic Cinema - "Cult and outré cinema" - "We are pleased to present a large selection of off-beat, exotic, controversial or otherwise outré collector's tapes containing material not generally available in America." Everything from David Lynch and Peter Greenaway to European hardcore porn from the '70s. Sleek site, but you need frames capability. Secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, PayPal.
B & J Action Figures and Videos - Some OOP cartoons, some Disney, some horror. Lots of wrestling crap ... uh, I mean "stuff." Their "action figures/toys" page is all wrestling "stuff." Email to inquire.
B-Movie Theater - Multi-purpose site. These guys seem to specialize in Z-budget independent psychotronic cinema; in other words, if you made a horror movie for $1.50 with some friends and want someone to sell it, maybe these guys will. They also offer some used/OOP videos and such. Secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover.
Casa Video - I used to have this up as a place to get used videos, but now apparently they just do video rentals by mail.
CD Cellar - Where to find music-related or concert videos, both official and bootleg. Visa, MasterCard, PayPal.
Chode Brand Video - "Chode Brand Video provides rare video bootlegs of movies, live bands, and TV shows, ranging from horror movies, the occult, cult classics and music like punk, expermental, hardcore, industrial, etc." No online ordering.
Cinefear - "This is the final stop for the educated consumer of ultra rare horror and exploitation cinema on video. We also carry the largest collection of unreleased audio and video of classic rock and folk music from the late 1960's to early 1970's. In essence we are the ultimate provider for the hungry customer in search of previously unavailable material." Visa, MasterCard.
Cliff's Cult Movies - Interesting selection of superhero videos, mostly TV specials or pilots you haven't seen in years or at all; also some horror. No online ordering; email to inquire.
Cool Stuff Videos - "Hard-to-find videos, toys, movie poster reproductions and miscellaneous bizarreness ... Kimba, Isis, Space Giants, Gaiking, Mazinger Z, Spiderman, Dungeons and Dragons, and so much more!" Very heavy on Japanese animation. Also sells stickers and t-shirts. Visa and MasterCard accepted through PayPal.
Critic's Choice Video - Worth a surf just for their exclusives. (2006 update: Um, do they even have exclusives anymore?)
Cult-A-Rama - "Cult, horror, exploitation, blaxploitation, drive-in trash, WIP (Women in Prison), exploitation, rarities, obscurities and anything else deemed good or bad enough to be worthy." I like how they put "exploitation" twice. Site seems to have moved around a lot, from HotBot to Xoom to NBCi.com to Fortune City. I don't know what this means, but to me it doesn't look good for any retailer to have feet this itchy, either in real space or in cyberspace. Judge for yourself. February 2002 note: This is an Australian outfit that deals in PAL tapes. They're still at the link given here, but their "Info" page is a dead link. Hmm.
Cult Flixx Theatre - An iOffer store.
Diabolik DVD - "Dedicated to providing you with the very best DVDs from around the world." Lots of stuff from other regions.
Dralle's Video - This takes you right to the Rare Videos page. Most seem to be foreign films, a bit on the pricey side sometimes, but you may find what you're looking for here. Other kinds of videos also available elsewhere on the site.
Facets Video - I'm including this for completeness' sake. They do sell (or rent) videos and DVDs you won't find at Blockbuster or Suncoast, as well as some Facets exclusives (like the Decalogue DVD set, which I was fortunate enough to snag roughly 12 seconds before it became a rare item). However, pretty much everything they offer is available elsewhere for much cheaper. Secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover.
Festival Films - "Has been in business for over 30 years selling 16mm Films, Videotapes, Movie Posters and now DVDs!" No secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard.
Film Wizards - "The Original Online Source! Cult movies, Banned videos, Euro-trash Exploitation films, B-movies you won't find in video stores!" In other words, a lot like a lot of other e-tailers on this list. This one has a fun ratings key, though. Secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover.
1st Video - "Your source for rare movies, out of print and hard to find videos. In addition to our new movies, we also have great quality used movies and video games for sale starting as low as $2.99 -- all with the same guarantee as a NEW movie or game, without the NEW price." Secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard.
Five Minutes to Live - Not only does this place carry a fair amount of stuff you won't find elsewhere, it has a section of genuinely insightful essays, interviews, and reviews. Clearly run by someone who cares about cult movies as more than just product, and worth a visit just for the good reading. Also, count me as a satisfied customer. Secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover.
Flix 'n More - Some interesting pre-viewed videos. On other pages they have CDs, DVDs, books, and more. PayPal.
Glenn Graves Rare Video & Music Page - Has three sections: bootleg concert videos, bootleg music, and bootleg movies (mostly workprints). No online ordering.
Gravedigger Video - "Digging up the best and worst in obscure, buried and forgotten videos. We exist solely to provide the collector with videos that remain elusive and unreleased." Paypal; Visa and MasterCard.
Hard to Find Films - A Vendio store.
HKFlix.com - You want the latest Jackie Chan movie on DVD months before the cut version opens in American theaters? This place looks like your best bet. Many DVDs and VCDs; many region-free. They also sell DVD players that can handle discs of all codes and regions.
Hollywood Canteen - "We stock a complete selection of videos that are rare or are no longer in circulation. All copies are used and guaranteed to be in fine condition, and they are still in their original boxes. Videos are offered for sale and rent. Feel free to browse our rental list. If you would rather order a copy of your own, just ask us if it is available, and we will get back to you as soon as possible." Email to inquire.
Horror-Wood Video Sources - A page reviewing quite a few online cult-video dealers (including several on this page). Honest consumer-report-type assessments; pretty useful. Can be reassuring or ominous, depending on whether the dealer you're thinking about buying from (or have already ordered from and not received the order yet) gets a recommendation ... or not.
Inet Video - Someone else wrote in: "Canadian seller of used North American videos. Very good prices." Okay. Check 'em out. Secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club.
Jim's Rare Serials and B-Westerns - What it sounds like. Secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard.
katoman.com - Fans of Bruce Lee or his son Brandon might want to check this out. There used to be quite a few rare videos of/about them available here, but apparently not anymore. Still some merchandise, though.
KineVideo - Vintage television shows from the '50s and '60s. Obscure and inexpensive. PayPal.
Luminous Film and Video Wurks - I've bought through these guys. Pretty customer-friendly. They offer free upgrades and when one of my tapes was defective they replaced it with no hassles. Some say they're slow, but I ordered from them back before I got online and was used to long waits for snail-mail orders, so, who knows. Web site seems to be frequently updated. Last time I checked, they were running a little slide-show for Joe D'Amato's Porno Holocaust (note: this was a while ago; it's not there any more), which kind of puts the site off limits to the kiddies. An attractive and fast-loading site. Check it out. No, I don't know why they spell it "wurks." Secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard.
Midnight Video - "Your #1 PROFESSIONAL source for UNCUT and OBSCURE Imported Horror, Gore and Exploitation films on video. Serving the dedicated and serious collector for over 13 years." On the home page you can choose between NTSC or PAL; click on the format that's compatible for you, and away you go. This site has a really cool (but uncomplicated and fast-loading) frames structure, though I guess it isn't really cool if you don't have a frames-capable browser. I do and I think more of these sites should be constructed like this. Secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover.
A Million and One World-Wide Videos - "A Million and One specializes in the hard to find rare out of print videos and the 90% lost titles, which are inactive and therefore unavailable." It's basically a last-resort search service; you tell them what you're looking for and they scour the earth.
Morticia's Morgue: Tapes of Terror - "Your source for horror & exploitation on home video since 1983! Over 2,000 VHS videos of: horror, cult, Eurotrash, Eurowesterns, sci-fi, fantasy, bondage, slasher, exploitation, giallo, sexploitation, Hong Kong action, and obscure cinema." I got my uncut copy of Frankenstein: The True Story (yep, the Brit miniseries that might've freaked you out when you were a kid) through them, so they're cool. Secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, PayPal.
Movies Unlimited - A standby. For stuff that's not weird enough to be found on other sites on this page, but not vanilla enough to be found at Suncoast. They've got an out-of-print section, as well.
Nightcrew Video - "Your source for the best and worst in underground and cult videos. From the cheesy to the gory, the boring to the disturbing, and the obscure to the obvious Nightcrew is there to satisfy your hunger for the underground." PayPal.
On the Edge Video - "A service specializing in contemporary exploitation films, principally European and Asian entries. We offer copies of movies currently unavailable in the United States through normal distribution channels." No online ordering. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover. Email, call, or fax your order.
1-World Festival of Foreign Films - Gaudily designed site devoted to, yes, foreign films. Mainly tapes, some DVDs (they say most of them are NTSC or Region 1). Helpful "choose a country" page lets you browse what they have from Africa to Yugoslavia. Some titles are a bit pricey (they have Bad Taste for $49.95 -- you can get it on DVD for half that). Secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard.
Opera Video - "Rare, wonderful, inexpensive, easy to order." They get points for honesty: "Although we do our very best, please note that we emphasize non-commercial, since quality varies Most tapes are second or third generation at best. These items have historical significance, but source materials are not always perfect. This means that the originals were of low quality and no matter what we do, they will not be 'sparkling' and absolutely clear and sharp. All the tapes are a little 'soft.' These are not tapes for 'fussy' collectors. The sound is almost always good, but the images are not perfect." So if you are a "fussy" collector, don't bother; if you're just a rabid opera fan, you probably already know about this site. It doesn't appear to have been updated in a while. No online ordering. Email or snail mail. Visa, MasterCard, American Express.
The Picture Palace - Lots of oldies, serials, etc. on VHS and DVD. Of particular interest to some will be their Mental Hygiene page, which offers old, laughable educational short films ("classroom scare films"), including the legendary highway-safety films Signal 30 and Mechanized Death (among others). Secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover.
R.T.S. - "Rare videos & movies, classic films & soundtracks don't have to be hard to find. We are devoted to collectors who've been frustrated in finding the hard-to-find films on video or their soundtracks." No online ordering. Order by phone or fax. Visa, MasterCard, American Express.
Rare Disney Videos at Library Video - If you're looking for moratorium videos, check them out. Patient Mouse fans can also save their money and wait a few years for whatever video to resurface. Me, I say screw Disney and their goddamn moratorium policy. Secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard.
Rare SportsFilms - "Vintage Video of Sports and Racing Events," if you dig that sort of thing (I'd rather watch a test pattern). Call or email to place order; accepts Visa and Mastercard.
Rare Video Specialists - "If you have difficulty finding a film please contact us. We have a vast knowledge of all types of films and actors. From the silent era right through to the present day. All queries or information needed on any film from any period. Please contact us and we will be only too pleased to help you." They're in England, if that's a problem for you. No credit card orders; email to inquire.
Revok Film Prodigies - I actually can recommend these guys as I've bought stuff through them. They offer the usual wide assortment of weird stuff. They have sister sites offering non-video material as well. Secure online ordering, "all major credit cards."
Scarecrow Video - Finally one of you wrote in to add to this list. "Check out www.scarecrow.com," you wrote; "they're a local video store here in Seattle that people from all over the world order from. They've got an amazing import and out-of-print selection." They sure do. These people will be getting some of my money soon. (Update: They got some of my money recently, and delivered promptly -- the Twin Peaks pilot on DVD. So okay, they'll be getting more of my money soon...) Email to inquire.
Scorched Earth Productions - "Animated, black artists, comedy, crime, documentaries, drama, exploitation, foreign, horror, musicals, sci-fi, serials, silent films, sports, sword and sandal, TV programs, war movies, westerns." They also carry horror film trading cards, "Tijuana bible" reprints, and '70s porn (and newer porn). They offer indie films by people like Ronnie Cramer (Even Hitler Had a Girlfriend, etc.), who I think runs the site. I could be wrong, though. No online ordering. Checks or money orders.
Shocking Videos - "Whether you're looking for horror movies, b movies, drive-in movies, exploitation, sexploitation, women in prison, martial arts, grindhouse sleaze, Euro Trash, or something even weirder you've come to the right place." Cool site, and they even have a Bill Hicks quote on the homepage. They also offer DVD-R copies of some of their more popular titles. The guy who runs this one is hilarious. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover.
Something Weird - Distributor of off-the-wall, nudie, horror, vintage porn, etc. They now carry some DVDs as well (H.G. Lewis and Doris Wishman!). No online ordering. Visa and MasterCard accepted. Phone/fax/snail-mail orders.
Trash Palace - "Monsters! Exploitation! Rock 'n' Roll!" They offer videos, CDs, LPs, posters, lobby cards, books and magazines, and "toys and crap." Apparently cozy with Jess Franco. Text-heavy pages take a while to load. Secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, PayPal.
Tropic Twilight - Hawaiian outfit offering "6,000+ titles of horror, gore, sci-fi, exploitation, xxx, spies, sword and sandal, spaghettis, and obscure B-movie rarities." The site is simply designed and easy to navigate, which I always like to see. Too bad the videos aren't categorized though.
Truegore Video - "Hard to find vomit inducing Gore, Obscure Horror, Asian Action, and European Filth." Secure online ordering or PayPal. "All major credit cards accepted."
TVideo - "Your favorite vintage films and television programs on video!" Lots of stuff for nostalgic boomers here. Any place that sells the walking-tree-monster movie From Hell It Came is all right with me. No online ordering; checks and money orders by snail mail only.
The Twonky Video Collection - "THE LEGENDARY TWONKY VIDEO COLLECTION comprises over 6000 cult, classic and HARD TO FIND videos. The Twonky Video collection is dedicated to the movie and film FIEND! Everything from STARBLAZERS to BLAZE STARR, from THE BRAIN FROM PLANET AROUS to ZONTAR, THE THING FROM VENUS. From Fellini to Rinse Dream. From Seven Samurai to Kung Fu of Eight Drunkards. Plus plenty of cartoons, TV shows, serials and foreign films." Most are available only for rental, though some are for sale. PayPal.
Undergroundfilm.com - "Undergroundfilm.com's mission is to create an online film community. We are committed to showing and selling the work of independent filmmakers, a sector of the creative community that has little or no access to the traditional tools of distribution. Undergroundfilm.com is the next wave of the independent film industry, streamlining distribution and exhibition in a single web space that allows filmmakers to take their work to the industry and the audience at once." A bold statement. Check 'em out.
The Video Beat - "Since 1984 The Video Beat has been servin' up vintage 1950s and 1960s rock n roll, teen, and JD movies, documentaries, and TV shows to hipsters all over the world." It's the ginchiest, daddy-o. PayPal. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express.
The Video Den Collection at rarevideo.com - "We are specialists in acquiring for the serious collector the finest in rare, hard-to-find and out-of-print original VHS prerecord video, DVD and laser discs. We are also professional dealers in original theatrical movie posters and Hollywood memorabilia." Email or call to inquire.
Video Screams - "Crazed cinema from around the world. Award-winning source of rare and hard to find uncut gore, horror, sleaze, sci-fi, exploitation, schlock, foreign, classic horror, obscure, XXX, independent films, concerts, and more. All titles $11 or less!" Online ordering, but not secure as of 10-18-02.
Video Search of Miami - "Specializes in providing Cult Cinema, Exploitation Flicks, and other Bizarre Video Productions to our members. There are over 4,000 titles in our Online Video Catalog." Secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express. $10 initiation fee.
Video Store Cult - "A videostore dedicated to the movie and television lovers of the world. In our store you'll find the latest movie news, great Kiseki Japanese animation, KidzVidz, Collector sets of Paradox Films, Sexy Wicked videos, heaps of prizes and giveaways, plus heaps more for the keen movielover." This sounded good until I found out they're in Australia. Still, good for you Aussies out there. NOTE: They also now carry Region 1 and region-free DVDs. Secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard, Bank Card.
Video Vault - USA Today said, "Video Vault's hook is their remarkable collection of psychotronic or cult videos." Secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard, American Express.
Video Wasteland - "Movie posters, collectibles, t-shirts, out of print videos, autographs & more. Thousands of rare, out of print and hard to find horror, exploitation and cult films." They also have a rent-by-mail service. Secure online ordering. Visa, MasterCard, Discover.
W.A.V.E. Productions - "Welcome to W.A.V.E. Productions. Our videos are inspired by the horror and exploitation movies of the '40s, '50s, '60s, and '70s. Many of our movies contain violence and some nudity. These videos are intended for ADULTS 18 or over." Their ad in Fangoria was more succinct: "Damsels in distress, slasher films, babes, blood and boobs." HA! I love that. Anyway, after getting past the "Enter only if you're 18 or over" intro page you can browse through such films as Slave Girls on Auction Block 1313 and Gagged & Spanked.
The Weird World
of '70s Cinema -
Pretty eclectic selection from the decade of polyester. Inquire for online ordering.
Witching Hour Video - You have to jump through a "yes, I'm 18
or older" hoop to get to the catalog (because they carry
XXX films, but so do a lot of outfits that don't make you do that).
Aside from the usual cult videos, mondo videos, and adults-only
videos, they carry merchandise like posters, books, lobby cards,
photos, soundtracks, "wicked gargoyle scupltures," "bloody
snowglobes," t-shirts, and "shock clocks" (the
usual home-crafted scans of various cult movie images pasted into
a plastic wall clock). You'll probably be there a while surfing
just to see what all this merchandise is. They also have a pretty
funny "deadbeat" page dissing a few customers who stiffed
them, and a page where they encourage underground horror filmmakers
to submit their films for possible distribution. Secure online ordering.
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Paypal.
Wizard Video - An iOffer store.
Xploited Cinema - "Specializes in Import European DVDs and rare Import European Videos." VHS titles are NTSC, many of the DVDs require a player that can handle stuff outside Region 1 NTSC discs. Secure online ordering and PayPal. Visa and MasterCard.
The following are online video sellers that for whatever reason no longer seem to have a web presence. I took them out of the mainstream of the listings, but keep them here in case they go back online at some point (I rely on you, constant reader and cult-video watchdog, to keep me posted). It's possible that a few of these have re-emerged somewhere under another name at a different address. I check the listings every so often to see if they're still active (or have significantly changed policies) but have neither the time nor the inclination to do it 24/7.
Ape X Comics - "Find TV Episodes of your favorite shows, and rare films transfered to VIDEO, and many soundtracks transferred to CD for possibly the first time. All of the items were recorded personally by me, either off the TV or transferred directly from the film footage, and are from my personal collection. These are NOT 'convention' copies of poor quality. Each video comes in a plain 'non box art' box." Right now they have the Planet of the Apes TV series, Superboy, Human Target, and Green Hornet. I didn't see any soundtracks though.
Beatles Video Extravaganza - Rare videos of the Fab Four, including TV appearances, the TV cartoon, and movies. PayPal.
BNP Rare Videos - Lots of superhero-oriented television stuff, some Star Wars rarities, extended versions of the first three Superman movies. He takes PayPal.
CultFilmStore.com - "Cult and indy films, weird black comedies, sexy vampire videos"
Hard to Find Video - "Your one stop for finding unreleased/extended-version movies and TV, Animation, imports, pilots and all those rarities you've heard about, but could never find. We have thousands of tapes in almost every genre. If you see what you're looking for or just something you'd like to have, email us and we'll set up a trade." Another site with frickin Java and scrolling text.
Theatre One - "PLEASE NOTE: We are in the process of upgrading our site and will not have movies available for purchase directly from the site until further notice. Please check back in a few weeks." That was as of August 23, 2000, the last time they updated. Must be a long upgrade.
Video Vamp - "Your source for uncut, European, and cult video." Categorized by actors, actresses, and directors. Heavy emphasis on Euro stuff.
Vintage Music Videos - "Extremely rare hard to find 80's 90's Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Punk, New Wave, Modern Rock, Grunge, Alternative, Gothic, Glam, Electronic, Rave, Techno, House, Latin, Freestyle, Hip Hop, Rap, Dance, Disco, Pop, Country, R & B, Blues, New Age, Jazz music videos! All of your favorite vids, groups, and one hit wonders!" Sounds great, but I have no idea how you order them. Maybe you're supposed to email him.
- If you have any to add to the list, email me and I'll check it out and see if it's list-worthy. If a link doesn't work any more or has changed, tell me that too.
- If you run one of these sites, feel free to bring me up to date on any changes in credit-card policy, address, etc.
- If you run a site and don't see it listed here, let me know about it! What am I, a mind-reader?
- I don't provide links to places that sell primarily hardcore porn. Nothing against porn, but providing links to predominantly X-rated material will get my Angelfire account deleted, and I don't feel like hauling all my shit here to another webspace provider, okay? Sellers that deal in porn rarities as well as non-porn rarities are okay, or at least I assume they should be; otherwise places like DVD Empire (which has an adult wing) and even Amazon.com (which sells books that could be construed as pornographic or at least erotica) would be off-limits for links.
- I don't provide links to websites that just do trades. Too often those damn things are annoying -- "Ha ha, here's all the cool stuff I have, and you can't have any of it unless you have some of this ultra-rare stuff I want." I prefer the simplicity of "They sell it, you buy it."
- I am not your personal Video Search of Miami. Don't bother writing to me asking where you can get some obscure video (or anything else, for that matter). If I have time I may look into it, especially if it's something I myself am interested in buying, but the same search engines (I recommend Google) are available to you and me. There are online places that get paid for doing the same legwork you're asking me to do for free!
- If you had a problem with a place you see listed here, don't tell me, because I don't care. After some recent experience, I don't really listen to people who write in saying that such-and-such a place shafted them, sells bad transfers, etc. Take it up with the people you sent money to. For all I know, someone who writes in to complain about Rare Video Place A might actually work for Rare Video Place B and is trying to discredit their competitor. Fuck it, leave me out of e-tailer politics. Unless I say that I've personally done business with a place and was satisfied, I offer this listing as purely a neutral collection of links to places. I have no idea whether they're on the level or not. Do not take a place's appearance on this listing as an automatic recommendation! Caveat emptor, caveat emptor, caveat fucking emptor! Clear enough?
- If you run one of these sites and are mad at me for making fun of your page design, you can direct your complaints to that brick wall over there.
I can hear you saying, "Dude, I have a DVD player. Why am I looking at a page of links to places that sell videos?" Well, not everything is out on DVD yet. And probably a lot of stuff -- the rarities, the obscurities -- will never be out on DVD. Some of the coolest, most interesting movies are available only on VHS, on bootlegs sold from collector to collector, and will probably stay that way. So, don't toss your VCR just yet. Also, a lot of these places are starting to sell their wares on DVD-R -- sometimes exclusively.
If you visit enough of these sites you'll notice a lot of them offer much of the same material. Throw a stick and you'll hit ten places where you can get the unreleased 1994 live-action Fantastic Four movie, the complete works of Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci, the Star Wars Holiday Special, or the "uncut" version of Last House on the Left (most places will claim to have a more complete version than anyone else). You really just have to comparison-shop, use your instincts, and figure out which of the five places offering your long-sought-after video you want to do business with. If they offer a secure credit-card ordering form, points for that. It usually means they're established and aren't some guy blasting shitty bootlegs out of his parents' basement. I wouldn't put too much stock in customer testimonial pages, which can easily be faked.
I would also take it easy. Most of these videos are obscure by definition, which means you'll be buying them sight unseen most of the time. These are not videos you can test-drive first by renting them at Blockbuster. So don't go crazy. Don't be buying the entire set of Coffin Joe videos because you read somewhere that Coffin Joe is cool. Then you might end up watching the first one and finding out you hate it. (Or you might not.) Point is, dip a toe in. Use common sense. Buy one video from a given store. If you're happy with the transaction, buy another, or try another place. You should know this anyway, I shouldn't even have to tell you, but I can see how some cult-film fans might go hog-wild when they find a site that has a bunch of what they've been looking for since forever.
All links on this page will open in another window. This is for your convenience. You're welcome.
NOTE: The following links are for your information only. The author of this website does not endorse any of these online retailers (unless otherwise noted) or take responsibility for any bad transactions that may result from patronizing them (even if I recommend them). These are simply places that look to me like they have cool selections. Caveat emptor. See my policy re: complaining to me about bad retailers.
ANOTHER NOTE for the prudish: You will notice that some, perhaps many, of these online shops offer X-rated material. The author of this website neither endorses nor condemns the viewing of sexually explicit material that involves consenting adults. If your taste runs to weird and offbeat movies, you will have a tough time finding a cult movie online store that does not have a triple-X or fetish section. I imagine this is for the same reason that your friendly neighborhood mom 'n' pop video rental store has a special porn room behind a curtain: sometimes sales and rentals of the naughty stuff are all that keep a place afloat in the face of competition from Blockbuster, Amazon.com, and other megaliths. I say, as long as it isn't child pornography, bestiality, or snuff, let 'em do what they have to do. Most of these places offer enough good non-porn stuff to mitigate whatever misgivings you might have about the fact that they have a page of XXX films from the '70s or latex spanking videos. See my policy re: porn retailers.
A THIRD NOTE about online auctions: You take a chance buying any video on auction, though it helps if the seller has good feedback (although feedback can be faked). Still, for videos that none of the below places are going to carry because they're only out of print (a lot of places will just sell bootlegs of stuff that hasn't been available in North America at all), you will probably need to haunt some auctions.
eBay is your obvious first stop; I've gotten I don't know how many weird titles there (try finding a copy of Walker or Sonny Boy at online places that mostly deal in European bootlegs or rarities from the '70s). If you're registered at Yahoo you can always try Yahoo Auctions. Amazon.com also has auctions, but I don't especially want you to go there. Besides, I got burned on a used DVD I bought from an Amazon Marketplace seller. Marketplace isn't the same as Auctions, and Amazon wasn't responsible for the sleaziness of this seller, but still. I will say that the few purchases I made through Amazon zShops came out okay. In any event, Amazon.com doesn't deserve your money. For more details go here and here.
Also, don't underestimate Half.com. I did, for too long. I figured the sellers on there would only offer shit for $2 that nobody would want anyway (otherwise why sell it?). That was before I found someone on there selling The Sure Thing for $10 and a Robyn Hitchcock video for $5 (both very out of print, or at least The Sure Thing was at the time). It's also a great place to score used DVDs for excellent prices (not to mention books and CDs), and you'll even see the occasional laserdisc on there if you still have your LD player and like to scoop up lasers that now sell for around five bucks because no one wants them any more. If you have an hour or two to kill, Half.com is well worth browsing. I strongly recommend checking out the Just In Bin. That's where you can grab the best stuff at the best prices before anyone else sees it, minutes after it's been posted.
I think that's enough notes for now.