Cinephile picks: Watch Beyond Video’s Oscars-inspired recommendations

Like many of us, Kevin Coelho and Greg Golinski are casual watchers of the Oscars.

“Am I possibly preparing my taxes at the same time or doing something else? Yes. Do I look up when winners are announced? Yes,” Coelho said. “But I’m not one of those fanatics that goes to Oscar parties.”

But Coelho and Golinski are anything but casual movie fans. They, along with New/Next Film Festival curator Eric Hatch, own and operate Beyond Video, the volunteer-run home video library in a Remington rowhome steps from the Ottobar. Since 2018, the nonprofit with a black-and-white swirl paint job has amassed nearly 43,000 titles of mostly Blu-ray discs and DVDs, which members can rent based on their donation tier.

Beyond Video’s owners hated the idea of movie fans losing the joy of browsing through video stores like Blockbuster and Baltimore’s Video Americain, where they all once worked.

“Any physical media — whether it be books, records — needs a dedicated physical space for people to come and meet other people that have the same passion,” Coelho said.

Lately, physical movie media has enjoyed a modest resurgence, led by Gen Z and other film fans in search of options outside of a streaming service’s buffet.

“I’m surprised that I feel like our demographic is getting younger, not older,” Golinski said.

After last night’s Academy Awards, we stopped by Beyond Video to get some Oscar-inspired recommendations from a couple of local cinephiles — all of which can be found at Beyond Video, which is open 3-9 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays at 2545 N. Howard St.

‘One Battle After Another’

If you liked Paul Thomas Anderson’s epic thriller about a washed-up ex-revolutionary-turned-stoner-dad played by Leonardo DiCaprio, Golinski said to check out a 1988 action comedy about a bounty hunter’s cross-country mission to deliver a wanted man.

“It’s sort of a known thing that one of Paul Thomas Anderson’s favorite movies is ‘Midnight Run’ with Robert De Niro,” Golinski said. “He has said that it was an influence on some of the pacing and style” of “One Battle After Another.”

Coelho’s pick was “Army of Shadows,” Jean-Pierre Melville’s 1969 World War II drama about members of the French Resistance. Coelho called it “a very taut thriller.” It’s “essential to anyone who loves cinema,” he said.

Other recommendations: “The Battle of Algiers” (1966, Gillo Pontecorvo); “Burn After Reading” (2008, Joel and Ethan Coen)

‘Sinners’

One of the biggest feats of “Sinners,” which earned Michael B. Jordan best actor, is a time-traveling sequence that tells the history of music and Black musicians’ massive roles in shaping it. You’ll find similar magic in 1976’s “Leadbelly,” photographer and filmmaker Gordon Parks’ biopic on blues singer Huddie Ledbetter.

“It’s very much in the same universe,” Coelho said. “If the music aspect of ‘Sinners’ interested you, I highly recommend ‘Leadbelly.’”

Golinski recommended 1997’s “Rosewood,” an often overlooked drama in director John Singleton’s catalog. The movie, starring Ving Rhames and Jon Voight, was inspired by the 1923 Rosewood massacre, in which a white mob killed Black residents and destroyed their Florida town.

“It’s sort of a thriller-y action movie, but it has a lot of history and depth to it that I think pays off as an accompanying piece to something like ‘Sinners,’” Golinski said.

Other recommendations: “The Learning Tree” (1969, Gordon Parks); “Fruitvale Station” (2013, Ryan Coogler)

‘Frankenstein’

At this point, Coelho said he’s seen enough adaptations of “Frankenstein.” (Guillermo del Toro’s 2026 version won craft categories on Sunday, including best costume design, best makeup and hairstyling and best production design.)

The exception? Tim Burton’s “Frankenweenie,” his 1984 short film about a dog named Sparky who, after being hit by a car, is brought back to life with lightning.

“It’s the most charming adaptation of ‘Frankenstein.’ It is so cute. This little bull terrier with bolts in his neck!” Coelho said. “You kind of see where Burton’s career is going to be going for the next like 10 or 15 years.”

If you enjoyed del Toro’s adaptation, try the director’s 2015 film “Crimson Peak.” It fell short of expectations at the time, but the gothic romance is a beautifully shot film and compares favorably to “Frankenstein,” according to Golinski.

“It has all of those same things going for it, where it only dips its toe into horror, but isn’t really a horror movie,” Golinski said.

Other picks

When your “KPop Demon Hunters”-obsessed kid becomes a teen, show them “Linda Linda Linda,” the 2005 Japanese movie about a cover band of high school girls and their love of punk rock. “The relationships and the bonding are so heartwarming,” Coelho said.

Golinski loved that the horror hit “Weapons” has put Amy Madigan, winner of best supporting actress, back in the spotlight. Golinski shouted out 1984’s “Streets of Fire,” in which Madigan plays a soldier in “a sort of film noir rock ’n’ roll fantasy movie that’s bizarre beyond belief.”

Finally, for those in search of more familial drama after “Hamnet,” Coelho recommended Robert Redford’s “Ordinary People,” another Oscar winner that explores a family’s grief over tragic loss. “It’s a very moving piece of Hollywood filmmaking, and it’s a type of movie you just don’t see made too much these days,” Coelho said.