Twenty-five years ago, California Super Video (now Calif. Video) opened in the Linda Mar Shopping Center. Back then it was all VHS, but as the film format changed to DVD and Blu-Ray, they changed with the times. But what has never changed at the shop is the “motion picture” knowledge of the folks behind the front desk.

“I probably watch a couple of hundred films a year,” said Bob Roh, Calif. Video owner. “I can talk movies. Although how we define a movie now is sometimes different than it was even 10 years ago. For instance in the horror genre, I really need to talk to the person and see what it is they are looking for. Some people are talking about ‘thriller’ when they say horror. Others are looking for old ‘thrillers’ which are now listed as dramas. Today’s definition of ‘horror’ tends to be more blood splashing. But we have all the film genres from horror, to thriller, to drama, comedy, romantic-comedy, horror-comedy, indie, musical, action-adventure, children’s films, foreign films and some classics.”

Recently their shop at 1289 Linda Mar Shopping Center had signs displayed in every window. All merchandise for sale: closing. The place was packed as much with people buying films as it was with longtime customers telling Roh, and manager Tom Tollefson, “say it isn’t so.” Spin forward from March 1 to April 11, and the store is sitting pretty further north along the parking lot at 1223 Linda Mar Shopping Center (between Starbucks and Radio Shack.)

“The lease was up on March 31,” Roh said. “The reality is this business is changing constantly. It is very different from the film rental industry of five years ago and certainly from when my father (Choong Roh) originally opened the store.” Roh and his family additionally own Calif. Video in Half Moon Bay.

“With our 6,000 square foot store up for lease, the decision to close the Pacifica store was something my family has discussed for a while,” Roh said. “Our plan was to sell a good portion of our inventory and send the remaining films to our Half Moon Bay store. Suddenly we were offered 1,000 square feet of space at the northern end of the Center and here we are.”

Calif. Video is still selling their older films at $4.95 a picture. Their goal is to dedicate their smaller space to new and relatively new releases and to, of course, talk films with customers.

“People like movies, actually they love movies, and of course that is true for both Tom and for me,” Roh said. “Movies have really been my life for a long time. So if you are a film fan and like to support your hometown businesses — we are still here.”

Pacifica Tribune correspondent Jean Bartlett can be reached at editor@jeansmagazines.org.