What are we?

La Dolce Video is an independent video rental store in Arcata, California, a 5-minute walk from Humboldt State University. We boast the largest, most diverse selection of films in Humboldt County under one roof. Many of our titles are classics, imports, and cult classics that are not available even on Netflix, but we also carry all the popular new releases. Our main focus is on quality and hard-to-find entertainment: independent, foreign, classics, documentaries, cult, art house, BBC tv, Canadian tv, sci-fi, anime, etc. The store is arranged for easy browsing, with films separated by countries, genres, featured directors, and featured actors.

Where did we come from?

We opened in August of 2009, after buying all of the inventory of the oldest video store in Arcata, Video Experience (VX). VX closed down due to their building being sold, and we wanted to keep their amazing collection of films intact and available for the public.

Who are we?

The owners of La Dolce Video are Merrick McKinlay and Aimee Hennessy, both HSU alumni. Aimee Hennessy has a B.A. in Film Production. She co-directed the Humboldt Film Festival for 2 years while attending HSU, and she has worked on various local film productions. Merrick McKinlay's other job is making music with critically acclaimed experimental band Starving Weirdos.