What we’re about
It's like book club, but for Movies!
Want to talk about movies with other movie nerds? Saw a great movie you gotta tell others about?
The Portland Movie Club meets regularly to talk about a movie we all watched, recommend great movies to each other, and decide on what to watch for the next discussion. We're open to all fans of film.
Membership is free, just join us for a beer or two and hang out!
Upcoming events
5
A Very Merry Political Films Meet-Up: IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR, USPolitical Films Meet-Up: It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Let’s talk about movies! Join movie club member Clay Vaughn for a very special meet-up discussing the joy, and the politics, of Frank Capra's beloved holiday classic It's a Wonderful Life, starring the legendary Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey of Bedford Falls.
Here’s how The Portland Movie Club meet-ups work:
Just like a book club, we watch the movie on our own time before we meet.
We'll meet at Lucky Lab on SE Hawthorne at 4pm on the scheduled date.
We'll typically have a sign at our table(s) but at least we'll try to be obvious and identifiable.
Grab some food and drinks to support our generous hosts and spend some time socializing and discussing this movie with us.
A Few Notes about the film:
It's a Wonderful Life was the first feature directed by Frank Capra after his service in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in WWII, for which he made a series of propaganda films shown to soldiers and the general public. Although it's known today as a heart-warming holiday classic, upon its release some suspected the film to be clandestine communist propaganda, which prompted the FBI to investigate the filmmakers.
Viewing Options for the film:
For streaming, the film is available for free on Amazon Prime, Hulu, Plex, YouTube, AppleTV, and others. There are also several copies available to rent from Movie Madness. And as of the moment I'm posting this there are still tickets available to see the film at 3pm on Saturday 12/20 at the Hollywood Theatre.
About the Political Films group:
This series is based on the New Republic article, "The 100 Most Significant Political Films of All Time" ([https://newrepublic.com/article/173376/100-political-films-new-republic-list] published in June 2023 and is a comprehensive list of films that speak to our relationships with government, war, bureaucracy, politics and politicians, crime, propaganda, classism, and more. The list is not intended to be a collection of the 'best' films, but the most significant (although many of them are also very good). Some of these films can be a challenging watch, I'd suggest www.doesthedogdie.com for content warnings.
Tips:
Once again, we do not watch the movie at the meet-up. All members watch the movie on their own time before we meet to discuss it. You don't have to watch the movie to join us, but it'll be more fun if you do.
Some people like to take notes or find books and articles related to the film and its subject matter, feel free to bring those things along if there's something you'd like to share with the group.
At the end of the discussion we'll pass around a ballot where we can vote on a slate of options for the next discussion. Lately we've been alternating documentaries and fiction films. So if you come to a meet-up to discuss a documentary, you'll vote on a ballot of fiction films for next time, and vice versa.
Previous films discussed in the Political Films group have included: Reds, Soundtrack to a Coup D'État, The Conformist, The Fog of War, The Zone of Interest, Harlan County USA, Judas And The Black Messiah, Medium Cool, The President’s Analyst, Marat/Sade, On The Waterfront, The Great McGinty, Seven Days In May, The Candidate, The Act of Killing, The Battle Of Algiers, All The President’s Men, How To Blow Up A Pipeline, Do The Right Thing, Malcolm X, A Face In The Crowd, and Dr. Strangelove.
The Portland Movie Club is on Discord!
Are you on Discord? Join the Portland Movie Club!27 attendees
The Camera Eye discussion: BRAZIL
Breakside Brewery, 12675 SW 1st Street Beaverton OR 97005, Beaverton, OR, USThe Camera Eye discussion: BRAZIL
Join Movie Club member Jake Brown for the next film in his series highlighting great cinematography in motion pictures: 1985's dreamy dystopian dark comedy, Brazil. The film was directed by Monty Python alumnus/admirer of the abstract Terry Gilliam and written by Gilliam, Tom Stoppard, and Charles McKeown. It boasts an all-star cast with Jonathan Pryce, Robert DeNiro, Kim Greist, Ian Holm, Bob Hoskins, Michael Palin (my personal favorite Python), and many more, incorporating the cinematography talents of fellow collaborator Roger Pratt, who captured every moment on 35mm film with magnificent ultra-wide-angle imagery in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio.
About Brazil
From Letterboxd: "Low-level bureaucrat Sam Lowry escapes the monotony of his day-to-day life through a recurring daydream of himself as a virtuous hero saving a beautiful damsel. Investigating a case that led to the wrongful arrest and eventual death of an innocent man instead of wanted terrorist Harry Tuttle, he meets the woman from his daydream, and in trying to help her gets caught in a web of mistaken identities, mindless bureaucracy and lies."
Viewing Options for Brazil
Streaming options include Watch TCM (TV service provider login required), with additional for-purchase/rental options at Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and Movie Madness (physical rental).
“The Camera Eye” Portland Movie Club Meet-Up Series
Whether 35mm film, 70mm, 16, Super 8, or digital, we want to celebrate the greatest shots in cinema history. This isn’t just about cameras and lenses, though. It’s framing, lighting, blocking, acting, makeup, costumes, location, set design, and so much more. Of course, cinematography is just a jumping-off point. What about sound design, characters, and most important of all, the story? Let’s discuss!
Here's how the Portland Movie Club Meet-Ups work
- Just like a book club, we watch the movie before we meet. (Try watching it even if you've already seen it before. You don't have to watch one to join us, but it'll be more fun that way. Also, try taking notes to help remember the most interesting parts, and bring 'em with you if you can!)
- We'll meet at Breakside Brewery in Beaverton at 2pm on the scheduled date. We'll have signs at our tables, but we'll also try to be obvious and identifiable.
- Grab some food, some drinks, and spend time socializing/discussing this movie with us! We'll begin by going around and introducing ourselves. Then, we'll kick off a fun 5-question trivia round on the film (with a custom prize for the winner). Finally, I'll give a quick summary of the film's development, and we'll dive into the group discussion from there.
Are you on Discord? Join the Portland Movie Club!
40 attendees
GIallo spotlight: "Last Night in Soho"
Dot's Cafe, 2521 SE Clinton St, Portland, OR, Portland, OR, USJoin Movie Club Member Kyle C. for the next movie in his giallo series.
Here's how it works:
- We will be meeting at Dot's Cafe, 2521 SE Clinton St., on Sunday, January 11 from 4-6pm
- Grab some food and drinks and we'll spend some time discussing this masterpiece. (NOTE: Just like a book club, we watch the movie before we meet, streaming links below)
Movie Spotlight:
Last Night in Soho is a psychological thriller directed by Edgar Wright that immerses viewers in the allure and danger of 1960s London. The film is a story about a young woman whose fascination with the past draws her into a glamorous yet unsettling world. It is less about straightforward horror and more about atmosphere, identity, and the risks of romanticizing bygone eras. Through its use of music, fashion, and vivid cinematography, the film creates a dreamlike experience where beauty and menace coexist, blurring the line between nostalgia and nightmare.
The film’s style deliberately echoes Italian giallo cinema, a genre that flourished in the 1960s and 1970s. Giallo films were known for their bold use of color, heightened melodrama, and stylized depictions of mystery and violence. Directors like Mario Bava and Dario Argento pioneered this approach, combining glamorous settings with unsettling tension. Last Night in Soho borrows from this tradition by employing saturated lighting, subjective camera work, and surreal sequences that disorient the viewer. Its nightclub scenes, mod fashion, and heightened emotional performances all recall the genre’s fascination with glamour as a mask for darker truths.
By channeling giallo, Wright situates his film within a lineage of cinema that explores the tension between beauty and horror. Just as Italian thrillers used dazzling style to conceal menace, Last Night in Soho uses its lush 1960s aesthetic to lure both its protagonist and the audience into a world where glamour hides danger. In this way, the film is not only a modern thriller but also a contemporary homage to giallo, reinterpreting its visual and emotional language for today’s audiences.
Tips:
- Haven't seen the movie before? You're in for a treat - try to watch the movie sometime before we meet (Streaming Options). Just like a book club we don't watch the movie at our meetup, just discuss it. You don't have to watch the movie to join us, but it'll be more fun if you can.
- I usually take a few notes while I watch to keep from forgetting the most interesting stuff. If you think of some interesting discussion topics while you watch, bring 'em with you!
- We'll decide on our next giallo movie to watch! Come with suggestions.
Are you not that familiar with the giallo genre? Read the Wikipedia entry to learn more. Is there a giallo you'd like to propose the group watch and discuss next? Here's a comprehensive list of Italian giallos along with films influenced by the genre. Maybe there's a film you've heard about but needed an excuse to watch--come join us for discussion & make a suggestion!
Coming to the group for the first time, but interested in movies previously watched & discussed? Here's a list of all previous giallos watched and discussed by the group (with group rating)!
On Discord? Join the Portland Movie Club!15 attendees
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