Portland Movie Club

Film Noir Meet-Up: Dial M for Murder (1954)

Let’s talk about movies! Join movie club member Jenna M. for Dial M for Murder, starring Grace Kelly, Ray Milland, Robert Cummings, Anthony Dawson, and John Williams, a Hitchcock thriller about a husband’s carefully plotted plan to murder his wife and inherit her fortune.

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:
Dial M for Murder was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and released in 1954. The screenplay by Frederick Knott was adapted from his own successful stage play, which premiered in London in 1952 and later ran on Broadway. Shot largely in confined interiors to preserve its theatrical tension, the film was originally released in 3D and endures as one of Hitchcock’s most meticulously plotted suspense films, built around betrayal, manipulation, and the illusion of the perfect crime.

Viewing Options for the film:
For streaming, the film is available for free on Kanopy, Plex, Fawesome, Flixhouse, Xumoplay, and available to rent through Amazon Video, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV, and Fandango. There are also two copies available to rent from Movie Madness, and a few at the public library. If anyone knows of any other streaming/viewing options, please comment on the event.

Join Movie Club member Jake Brown for the next film in his series highlighting great cinematography in motion pictures: 1982's sci-fi juggernaut that challenges what it means to be human, Blade Runner. Legendary director Ridley Scott helms the film, based on the 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by author Philip K. Dick and written for the screen by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. The film stars Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Daryl Hannah, incorporating the cinematography talents of Jordan Cronenweth (father of David Fincher DP Jeff Cronenweth), who captured every moment on Anamorphic 35mm in a wide 2.39:1 aspect ratio.

About Blade Runner
From Letterboxd: "In the smog-choked dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, blade runner Rick Deckard is called out of retirement to terminate a quartet of replicants who have escaped to Earth seeking their creator for a way to extend their short life spans."

Viewing Options for Blade Runner
Streaming options are unfortunately lacking, but for-purchase/rental options can be found through Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and physical copies through Movie Madness. All three sources have both the American Theatrical Cut and the Final Cut, with Movie Madness offering even more options.

Which version should I watch?
There are 7 different versions of 1982's Blade Runner, with the most favored being the Final Cut and the least favored being any version with Harrison Ford's voice-over narration and alternate ending added by the studio without director Ridley Scott's approval (originally, the American Theatrical Cut):

• Workprint (1982, initial unfinished version screened for test audiences, screened again in the early '90s as the unofficial "Director's Cut," available in the Five-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition, NO voice-over, NO alternate ending)
• San Diego Sneak Preview (1982, early iteration of American Theatrical Cut but with 2-3 additional scenes, voice-over, alternate ending)
• American Theatrical Cut (1982, studio edited without Ridley Scott, available in the Five-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition, voice-over, alternate ending)
• International/European Theatrical Cut (1982, aka "Criterion Edition" (LaserDisc), international iteration of Theatrical Cut but with 3 additional scenes, available in the Five-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition, voice-over, alternate ending)
• U.S. Broadcast Cut (1986, television broadcast of Theatrical Cut but with cropped frame and heavily censored, voice-over, alternate ending)
• Director's Cut (1992, official "Director's Cut," additional unicorn galloping forest scene, available in the Five-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition, NO voice-over, NO alternate ending)
• Final Cut (2007, definitive edition, aka "25th Anniversary Edition," Ridley Scott had more control than Director's Cut, inclusion of the 3 international cut additional scenes, extended unicorn galloping forest scene, available in the Five-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition, NO voice-over, NO alternate ending)

“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, editing, and most important of all, the story? Let’s discuss!

Here's how the Portland Movie Club Meet-Ups work

Join Movie Club Member Kyle C. for the next movie in his giallo series.
Here's how it works:

1. We will be meeting at Dot's Cafe, 2521 SE Clinton St., on Sunday, January 11 from 4-6pm
2. 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:

A Blade in the Dark is an Italian giallo thriller directed by Lamberto Bava. The story follows a young film composer who retreats to a secluded villa to work on the score for a horror movie. What begins as a quiet creative getaway slowly turns unsettling as strange noises, unexpected visitors, and fragments of the film he’s scoring start to blur the line between his work and the reality around him.

The movie builds tension through atmosphere rather than constant action — long shadows, eerie spaces, and a sense that the villa itself is keeping secrets. As Bruno digs deeper into the house’s past and the people connected to it, the mystery tightens, creating a classic giallo blend of suspense, style, and psychological unease.

Tips: