Best Video Comes Out Swinging

Logan Sidle was laying down a tight groove on drums. Lucas Alexander’s bass was bumping. Matthew Mueller unleashed cascades of notes from his keyboard.

Together, The Blind Mice — all students at Hamden High School and participants in its jazz program — held down the 3 p.m. slot Saturday at Best Video Film and Cultural Center’s annual fundraiser, providing an energizing soundtrack for a packed house there to hear music, eat cookies, and support a nonprofit that continues to be a linchpin of the New Haven arts scene for film, music, and community.

The day’s festivities had already begun with a three-hour pajama party featuring an hour of cartoons chosen by Best Video staff, followed by music from Val McKee and Robert Messore. At noon prizes had been awarded to winners of the fundraiser’s student art show, with all entries displayed in the store. That was also when the Caseus Cheese Truck arrived. At 1 p.m. there had been an open mic for those ages 18 and younger. That hour also marked the beginning of a cookie contest, with the best cookie determined by polling the attendees. Bakers were competing for gift certificate prizes. At 2 p.m. Rob Harmon, who works at Best Video, gave people a taste of a new trivia event. The Blind Mice were there to keep things moving through the afternoon — not that the event needed a lot of help.

“What’s really exciting is the community vibe,” said Hank Hoffman, Best Video’s executive director. ​“There’s so many smiles, so many people having a good time — that’s the only reason we’re still around.”

In addition to becoming a nonprofit in 2015 after 30 years of business, Best Video changed with the times to become a full-fledged music venue and cafe while continuing to be a video rental spot and now film archive of movies that really are hard to find anywhere else. It has also become a draw for neighborhood kids, a cross between a soda fountain and a community center — a role Best Video embraces. Hoffman noted that staff and board had planned the day’s activities to cater first to its youngest clientele and, as the day turned to night, then to the over-21 crowd.

“This type of event is a concentrated version of what we do all the time,” Hoffman said. ​“This is meant to be a showcase of the things we do.”

The turnout at the event, Hoffman agreed, was a testament to the goodwill that Best Video had built in its decades of operations as a store, owned by Hank Paper.

“When it was still a store, people were coming in saying, ​‘jeez, I hope you guys don’t disappear,’” Hoffman recalled, as video streaming services took hold and more people could get the movies they wanted without leaving the house. Becoming a nonprofit was Best Video’s test of whether enough people wanted Best Video to survive whether or not they rented videos as often. ​“Would that really be the case?” Hoffman said. ​“And it has been for six years.”

As a nonprofit, Best Video has taken in annual revenues of about $115,000, according to its public 990s from fiscal year 2018 and earlier. Hoffman said that in its current fiscal year, the organization’s budget has grown for the first time. Revenues from the performance space and the cafe are up from last year. Video memberships, however, are down. As of Saturday morning, Hoffman said, Best Video had 463 members. He was confident the number would rise past 500 by the end of the year, but would really like to see Best Video have 700 members. That level of support, he said, would put Best Video on a solid foundation to persist with just a little more fundraising. With the addition of a few new board members, Best Video was also looking into grant opportunities for the first time. But the support the nonprofit received from the community was still its most important asset.

“It means a lot to us to hear from people what this place means to them,” Hoffman said.

Hoffman soon had to attend to the conclusion of the best cookie contest, the results of which were announced as The Blind Mice finished up its set. The culinary victor: David M. Johnson (second from left), for a fluffernutter cookie recipe. ​“It’s one I’ve been messing with for a while, so I’ve got it down.” Most crucial, he said, was calibrating recipe and baking so that the outer edges became crunchy but the interior ​“still has some chew.”

Drummer Sidle noted that he would be playing again at Best Video later that evening. First there would be short films from the 48 Hour Film Project and a set from local favorites Bronson Rock. Taqueria Cinco would show up with its food truck, as would Black Hog brewery with beer. Then New Haven-based Afro-soul maven Thabisa would take the stage. Sidle would be joining Thabisa’s band on a second drum kit, alongside Sam Oliver, also on a drum kit, and conga player Eric Rey.

“It’ll be a fun night,” Sidle said. ​“Just not as many cookies.”

To find out more about Best Video Film and Cultural Center’s ongoing activities, or to donate or become a member, visit its website.