If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go (or keeping Helter Skelter at bay by making America great again):

This election has been on my mind to a nauseating degree as I'm sure it has for everyone. The shell shock of Trump isn’t that he is bring racism, misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia back, they’ve sadly never went anywhere. What is troubling about Trump is that he is undoing the mainstream perception that these things are for the most part publicly frowned upon. You can see the fallout of this with Clint Eastwood’s “Pussy Generation (http://www.avclub.com/article/clint-eastwood-thinks-pussy-generation-needs-fucki-240590)”, the new significance of the word Cuck (http://www.gq.com/story/why-angry-white-men-love-calling-people-cucks), or Tim Burton’s Brady Bunch reasoning (http://www.indiewire.com/2016/09/tim-burton-lack-of-diversity-miss-peregrines-home-for-peculiar-children-1201732236/). I’m writing this the day before the election and regardless of the outcome I honestly don’t know how I am going to explain any of this to my son when he is older on top of the racial stigmas that he already carries.

Even though this theme will start after this election ends, for somewhat better or a lot worse, I feel that the discussion of what has and will transpire is only the beginning. I’m far from the smartest or most insightful person in the group about politics, film, or anything else for that matter but I have a lot of feelings on what is happening (as I’m sure all of you have) and hope to use this theme to explore those thoughts and emotions. In this theme I want to explore the rhetoric of "Make America Great Again" along with what time in America is actually being referred to. I will be bookending this theme with two films exploring the persona of people like Trump that inspire this kind of personality cult with such a rabid fervor.

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1974

2.35:1

93 Minutes

USA

This showing will be a held at the Headquarters which is smoke free, intimate environment with limited space. Since space is limited I would appreciate some notice (when possible) if you have rsvp'd but are not able to attend the showing. It would allow others to rsvp who might be able to attend.

The films in the group are shown in their original language, aspect ratio, and the filmmaker’s preferred edit. There are always expectations to the rule. An example would be that I would prefer to show the theatrical cut of Apocalypse Now over Redux even thought Redux is Coppola's preferred version of the film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=987L5nDBID4

A warning for anyone with bad allergies, we do have a dog residing here. Hopefully her presence won’t be too much of a deterrent.

Learn how you can help keep this group going. (http://www.meetup.com/Cinema-Paradiso-PDX/pages/Donations/)

I look forward to seeing you there.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Organizer,
Damon

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Damon Smith

Cinema Paradiso: Portland Film Discussion Group

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Cinema Paradiso: Portland Film Discussion Group

Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles

Cinema Paradiso: Portland Film Discussion Group

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