America lost a noble soul last December, a man whose legacy extends from the Big Apple to La-La Land, even though he stationed himself humbly in between. On his own time, however, Laughlin served as consultant and advisor of Beyond Our Control , a wild, experimental, award-winning program produced entirely by teenagers, which ran locally from 1968 to 1986. Simply because his dedication to unfettered independent production encouraged the careers of many major-league industry professionals who now churn out work alongside such disparate luminaries as Tim Burton, Elizabeth Shue, David Chappelle, KISS, and the cult of Heathers . It's a kick to discover that staunch proponents of grassroots productions like Laughlin are not as sparse as one might think. While other shops around town feature sections for independent or bizarre projects, these two encourage you to borrow one of these tapes for free, provided you also take home a paid rental.
Investigation proves that gems and horrors in equal measure await the innocent borrower.
But that's not necessarily such bad company. Clearly, the spirit of innovative production is far from dormant, and Cinefile co-owner and filmmaker Hadrian Belove is quick to sing its praises. Belove is about the most unpretentious authority you're likely to meet. That probably got us started in the free rental section. Our store started off 15 years ago at a third the size, and we're packed now, but we're happy to offer a limited shelf life for the free tapes.