New York film critic and journalist, Aaron Hillis needs your help! Aaron and his wife, Jennifer, took on the enormous undertaking of renovating the video store, Video Free Brooklyn in the neighborhood of Cobble Hill in Brooklyn, New York.
It seems like a fool’s errand in this day and age of online digital streaming, Netflix and iTunes but what Aaron and Jennifer Hillis want to do with this seemingly failing business model is very admirable. They want to build a safe haven for cinephiles and families. A place where people in the neighborhood can come together and share and learn about the art of cinema.
Aaron and Jennifer Hillis need your help to make their dream a reality. With the help of IndieGoGo.com, they are outsourcing their dreams to the people of Brooklyn and the Internet. Their goal is to raise $50,000 for a Video Free Brooklyn renovation and expansion.
When you visit their IndieGoGo.com page, you’ll first see a very clever intro video from Aaron and Jennifer describing their background, plight and expectations for Video Free Brooklyn. It’s a very compelling and funny video, full of smart wordplay and inventive use of movie titles. And might I add, all done in one continues shot!
By contributing to their IndieGoGo.com page, you can receive plenty of perks from free video rentals to tote bags to Oscilloscope Laboratories DVD releases to guaranteed seatings for all of their upcoming screenings. Oh, did I mention they want to curate movies for screening previews? I think this is the best part of their plan for Video Free Brooklyn. A place where people can come together and talk about movies in one of the places cinephiles revere, a video store.
Aaron and Jennifer Hillis have already received support from comedians Patton Oswalt, David Cross, Bobcat Goldthwait, filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. and film distributors Oscilloscope Laboratories. Wouldn’t you like to see your name on this rogues gallery of names?
On a personal note, I live in Brooklyn, New York and often go to Video Free Brooklyn to buy DVDs now and again, naming Criterion Collection and Oscilloscope Laboratories releases. Yes, I still buy physical media! I would love to see a place like Video Free Brooklyn flourish into something more than just a neighborhood video store. In this digital age, it’s easy to simply consume as many movies as possible but there is a need to digest and use what has been consumed and consider what the art of cinema can give to you.
by @Rudie_Obias
