Cincinnati’s
only independently-owned arthouse video rental store – Bughouse
Video - had its grand opening in Northside at 4170 Hamilton Avneue on
Saturday, December 4, 2004.
While large chain video stores dominate the industry, Bughouse Video
expects to fill the niche for less mainstream films that are off the
beaten path according to owners Brian and Jessica Andrews-Griffin. In
fact, Cincinnati is one of the few major U.S. cities without their own
independent video rental store.
The Bughouse Video owners see themselves as people who know movies –
Jessica developed a strong customer base with her film and actor recommendations
at an independent video store she worked for in Chicago in the early
90s. Brian has over 20 years of theatre experience as playwright, actor,
and director at the Ensemble Theatre, Performance Gallery and Dad’s
Garage Theatre in Atlanta.
What makes Bughouse different than mainstream chain video rental stores?
The owners’ knowledge of films and their collection of art, cult,
and spoofy documentary films will provide customers with new opportunities.
Bughouse will rent mainly DVDs but will have some VHS for non-conversion
films.
Bughouse Video has a large collection of films with a strong focus on
cult films such as Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women (directed
by Peter Bogdonavich under a pseudonym). Several foreign films include
the more popular Blue, White and Red to the more obscure such as Little
Otik. Expect to find some films you probably haven’t run into
before such as Okie Noodling about Oklahoma catfishermen and Tales from
the Gimli Hospital.
Northside was chosen as the ideal location for Bughouse Video since
the eclectic community has a diversity of residents as well as its being
the home of the Andrews-Griffins.
questions can be directed
to: bughousevideo@yahoo.com