On most nights of the week, especially on weekends, addicts meet at clubs and bars in Bloomington for their "fix." At all hours of the night, these junkies wait in lines, red-eyed and anxious, to fork over their cash for what they crave.\nThese addicts' hits aren't measured in liters, grams or ounces, but by millimeters -- usually 35. These addicts live for stale popcorn and DVD bonus features. These are film fiends, and like any addict, not just any movie will do. It seems that these cinephiles need more and more obscure selections to feed their appetite.\nFortunately, these "filmoholics" have plenty of options in Bloomington. Although it may not have the abundance of art house theaters that New York or Chicago can claim, this small town in Indiana boasts quite a few hot spots for those looking for good independent films.
KEEP THEM CAMERAS ROLLIN'\nIt's Aug. 27, and it's the Cinemat's grand opening night. It's right before midnight, and the sounds of drunken college students on Kirkwood can be heard. After students file in for a showing of the documentary "Outfoxed," Cinemat employee and IU graduate Colleen Jankovic tells store owner Steve Volan how business is doing.\n"A flood of people came in," she says as she snacks on Swedish Fish. "There's like 19 people in there."\nFor a major chain like Kerasotes, Loews or AMC that wouldn't be an impressive crowd, but for a new business showing lesser-known films late at night, this is quite a feat.\nVolan, member of the Bloomington City Council, IU chess instructor and movie buff, recently made his dreams a reality with the addition of a screening room to his local video store. For almost two years, Volan had tried to find the niche of his business. Formerly home to several bars, Volan tried to convert the space one block south of Trojan Horse into an independent video store and coffee shop.\n"One problem was -- I don't drink coffee," he said. "So you can imagine how that turned out."\nBut a successful experiment showing some of the Ryder Film Series in one-half of the rental facility led Volaan to the construction of his screening room, which opened to audiences on Aug. 6. In only his second month, Volan has scheduled such films as "The Triplets of Belleville," "Good Bye Lenin!" and "Dogville" for his September marquee. \nKirkwood followers may also have a reason to flock into this theater too as a hearing will be held on Oct. 6 for a liquor license, which means students could drink until they understand the foreign films.\nVolan's hope is that audiences will come away with a new perspective on the movies played.\n"I am a radio programmer for WFHB, and I always say you can take even the schlockiest music and make it interesting in the way you present it," he said. "I feel the same way about movies. I can put together a series of movies and put it together in a way that you think differently about the films than you once did."\nOne tradition here on campus for those looking to catch independent films before they hit rental shelves is the Ryder Film Series. Ryder founder Peter Lopilato, originally from New York, wanted to bring to Bloomington the kinds of art house films he could see there everyday. Today students can watch Ryder Films at numerous location including Bear's Place, Laughing Planet, the Cinemat and IU's Fine Arts building.\nFrom "Zabriskie Point," the first film Lopilato showed at Bear's 25 years ago to some of his upcoming showings such as "The Fog of War" and "Coffee and Cigarettes," Lopilato has kept his same attitude toward his picks.\n"I trust my instincts," he said. "I'm kind of like (Arizona senator) John McCain. When he was a POW, he had to learn how to trust himself, and I do the same."
MENTAL FOR RENTALS\nOne of Bloomington's strengths when it comes to films is the proliferation of independent video stores. In addition to the Cinemat, less than a block away is Plan 9 Video on E. 6th Street and Classic Pyx in Fountain Square Mall. With only so much screen space for independent films, this is the next resort for film fans.\n"We're pretty fortunate to have three great video stores within a few blocks of each other," Volan said. "And to be honest, I really don't consider myself in competition with these guys. I see it as us being in competition with Blockbuster."\nAlthough all three stores put a priority on independent films, each owner has a different philosophy on how to build their library of titles.\nVolan strictly believes employees at his store shouldn't stock films just because they'd like to see them, but because customers would be interested in these titles.\nPlan 9 co-owner Dave Walter expressed similar thoughts, but added that mainstream movies do find their place on the shelves next to lesser-known films.\n"We're not snobs. We like big budget movies too," Walter said. "Plus, some titles will be loss leaders for others. I'll purchase a film I know will be rented 50 times so I can stock a film that may only be rented once or twice a year, but is still pretty important. But at the same time, I can't be like, 'If we don't buy this film I know will do well, then we can get another French film from the 1940s.'"\nClassic Pyx owner Kevin Beauchamp started out two years ago with 12 titles on a folding table and now has over 2,000 DVDS in his collection. Unlike Plan 9, Beauchamp excludes the blockbusters from his purchasing orders.\n"Stocking the usual films isn't good for my business," he said. "My customers come to my store to find really interesting films that can't find at most places. I try to stock things they need to see."
THE MORE OBSCURE, THE BETTER\nAlthough many would say the independent movie scene is prevalent in Bloomington, sophomore John Landis feels the town could do better. That's why he started Cinephile, a forum for local filmmakers and movie buffs that meets Thursday nights, from 7:30 to 10 p.m. in the Indiana Memorial Union's Redbud Room. In addition to being a network for local moviemakers, the group has begun screening old B-movies midnight Sundays at the Cinemat. During their Sept. 4 showing of "Them," Landis and Jankovic threw plastic ants at the audience to create "ant-o-vision."\nDespite the fact that it's "really fun," Landis said showing these movies is a good way to add film variety to a town that needs it. He said he thinks Bloomington's offerings are pretty good for a small town in Indiana, but not so great for a college town. He said most of the art films that are shown in Bloomington are usually already critically-acclaimed and were screened at Cannes and Sundance Film Festivals. He said he wishes the town had an art house theater that would really take a risk on films, such as the one he used to frequent in Yellow Springs, Ohio near Antioch College.\nLopilato also said Bloomington isn't the best place for indide film and said campuses such as University of Michigan-Ann Arbor attract a better variety since their school attracts a greater urban population.\n"Bloomington has more students from rural areas, but at the same time, a lot of these students have never seen anything close to an art film," he said.\nLopilato said he hopes to reach out to these students to be able to expand their viewing tastes beyond summer blockbusters.\n"I think of the summer blockbusters like eating a package of M&Ms," he said. "I enjoy eating a bag, but afterwards I'm not fully satisfied. I want more. Blockbusters are fun. I enjoy many of them, but afterwards I feel empty."\nLandis described his feelings in the same way, saying he wished people would step outside of their comfort zones to watch films they've heard little about. He thinks if people had a broader taste in movies, maybe they'd think differently.\n"More than people realize, movies affect the way we frame our own lives," he said. "The greater variety of films you see, there's a greater likelihood that you'll be a well-rounded person. If all you see is film with stock characters, than soon that's all you'll see in your life is stock characters"
