This Filmmaker Frequents Kim's Video in the East Village

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New York City has more stores than anyone could physically tackle, but somehow we always keep returning to the usual suspects. To break out of the rut, we've asked some local shopping and fashion gurus to provide their hidden retail gems—those unique stores around our fantastic city that we might not all know about. Cue the Beatles: We're about to get a little help from our friends.

Image via Yelp

Jake Davis, a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, has worked with industry powerhouses like Kanye West, 50 Cent, and Snoop Dogg creating music videos, live performances, and documentaries. He's a constant collaborator with international skate/streetwear brand Supreme and is developing the feature film script Coolhunter, inspired by his work for Nike. But when he wants to channel his days as a film student, he checks out Kim's Video, a spot in the East Village where browsing will also grant you a short education in the history of rare cinema.

Not too long ago before the convenience of Netflix and Apple TV took over as the dominant distributor of home entertainment, there were incredible video stores in New York City. Kim's Video was an institution for all cinephiles. The store on Bleecker Street was my video store in the early days. If you were looking for something really rare, a visit to Mondo Kim's on St. Mark's was your destination. We've seen Tower Records and Virgin Megatore disappear but one Kim's still remains in the East Village. Films are categorized by directors, mostly auteurs, the way it's supposed to be. I still buy my DVDs and Blu-Rays there. Kim's has been just as much a part of my film education as NYU and for that I will always be thankful and pay my respect.

· Jake Davis Films [Official Site]
· All Shopping Confidential Posts [Racked NY]

Kim's Video

124 1st Ave New York, NY 10009