Before most people knew what an indie was, there was 'Tapeheads,' shot in a now-gone Los Angeles

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Set us as preferred The ongoing explosion of revival screenings in Los Angeles is an opportunity not just to revisit accepted classics, but also to give a spotlight to undersung oddball picks deserving of broader attention.Take for example 1988’s “Tapeheads.” An offbeat comedy about two friends trying to break into the then-emergent world of music videos, the film stars John Cusack and Tim Robbins just as their careers were starting to take off.A snapshot of a specific moment in Los Angeles — some shots of downtown’s skyline at sundown have an unexpected beauty — the film has never been lost exactly, but it is deserving of renewed interest.The movie will show on Monday as part of the American Cinematheque’s Cinematic Void program at Los Feliz Theatre, screening from a rare 35mm print provided by the UCLA Film & Television Archive.

Director and co-writer Bill Fishman will be there along with producer and co-writer Peter McCarthy, producer Eric Barrett and production designer (later turned director) Catherine Hardwicke.Movies Deluxe prints and special guests await at August’s best screenings in Los Angeles, along with essential theatrical experiences like “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol.”Cusack and Robbins star as Ivan and Josh, friends since childhood now working as nighttime security guards until they figure out their future.

Cusack’s Ivan has ambition and drive while Robbins’ Josh is sensitive and creative.Together they launch a music video business and take it upon themselves to revive the careers of their favorite soul singers, the fictional Swanky Modes (played by real-life soul legends Sam Moore and Junior Walker).

Josh and Ivan soon find themselves accidentally wrapped up in a blackmail scheme involving a sex tape and a conservative politician, complicating everything.“It was a hu...