Huntsville film fans vote on LaserDisc cult classics at The Independent

A mystery stack of LaserDiscs and a crowd vote drew Huntsville film fans into Studio 150, where The Independent turned one screening into a live choice between cult classics, forgotten oddities and blockbuster favorites. Big Mix Mystery Laserdisc Night was set for May 28 at 7:30 p.m. at The Independent | Studio 150, 2211 Seminole Dr SW, Huntsville, Alabama 35805, with David from Big Mix Video pulling discs from his personal collection and letting the audience decide what played next.

That format fit the theater’s pitch exactly. The Independent says it is dedicated to indie and foreign films, art house, classics and cult favorites, and it also hosts interactive events such as double features, movie marathons and more. Instead of treating the room like a passive screening venue, the LaserDisc night made the selection itself part of the show, which is the kind of low-barrier, high-participation setup that keeps a small cinema feeling social rather than transactional.

The setting sharpened that effect. The Independent sits inside Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment, which describes itself as the largest privately owned arts facility in the United States. Lowe Mill says the former textile mill has been redeveloped into 153 working studios for more than 300 artists and makers, along with seven galleries, a theatre, a community garden and performance venues. In that environment, a retro format night did not read as a novelty bolted onto a screening schedule; it felt like another piece of Huntsville’s hands-on creative ecosystem.

The theater’s identity has been built carefully. Sandra Kohler, founder of Independent Cinema, told WHNT News 19 that her love of movies started early and that the space grew from a long-running dream to create a cozy movie setting. “We wanted to bring just that vibe of just a cool living room hangout to the theatre,” Kohler said. The Independent also says its cinema lounge allows patrons to bring their own drinks, a detail that reinforces the informal, community-first tone behind nights like this one.

The LaserDisc event also followed an established pattern. The Independent previously partnered with Big Mix Vintage Video on a 2025 Summer Riffs double feature that encouraged audience participation, and the mystery LaserDisc night extended that approach with a more tactile, analog twist. At Studio 150, the appeal was not just what would screen next, but the simple fact that a room full of Huntsville fans got to vote on it together.