About us
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
Noirtini Hour
Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR, USFilm Noir Meet-Up: Sudden Fear (1952)
Let’s talk about movies! Join movie club member Jenna M. for Sudden Fear, starring Joan Crawford, Jack Palance, and Gloria Grahame, a tense film noir about a successful playwright who begins to suspect her new husband may be planning her murder.
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:
Sudden Fear was directed by David Miller and released in 1952. The screenplay by Lenore J. Coffee and Robert Smith was based upon the novel of the same name by Edna Sherry. Filmed in atmospheric black & white and making striking use of San Francisco locations, the movie builds tension through shadowy cinematography and escalating psychological paranoia. The film was both a critical and commercial success, earning four Academy Award nominations, including acting nominations for Joan Crawford and Jack Palance.Viewing Options for the film:
For streaming, the film is available for free on Kanopy (MultCo. Library) and Fawesome, 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.About the Film Noir group:
This meetup explores classic and neo-noir films, focusing on shadowy visuals, morally gray characters, doomed romances, and crime stories where nobody’s hands are clean. We’ll watch a mix of essential noirs and modern films inspired by the genre, paying attention to themes like fate, corruption, obsession, and alienation. These films often deal with violence, crime, and heavy subject matter, so content can be intense at times; checking a site like www.doesthedogdie.com is encouraged if you prefer 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.Films previously discussed in the Film Noir group:
Gun Crazy, Dial M for Murder.The Portland Movie Club is on Discord!
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Cult Films Meet-Up: "Possession" (1981)
BREAKSIDE BREWERY - BEAVERTON, 12680 SW Farmington Road,, Beaverton, OR, USDetails
Portland Movie Club Cult Films Meet-Up - Spotlight on:
Andrzej Zulawski's "POSSESSION" (1981)
Let's talk about movies! Join Movie Club Members David, Victoria and Cat for a Meet-Up to discuss the nightmarish and subversive “Possession.” Polish born director Andrzej Zulawski has inspired a significant cult following for his extreme, avant-garde cinema, often featuring politically driven stories. Here, he gives birth (figuratively, and within the context of the film, literally) to this dark and challenging exploration of what happens after a fiery marriage separation. “Possession” explores heavy, twisted, deeply psychological terrain, so “Kramer Vs. Kramer” this is not.Here's how a Portland Movie Club Meet-Up works:
1. Just like a book club, we watch the movie before we meet.
2. We'll meet at Breakside Brewery in Beaverton in Beaverton, OR at 2 pm on a Saturday. We'll have signs at our tables, but we'll also try to be obvious and identifiable. Please note that this is a change in venue from many of our scheduled Sunday Meet-Up events.
3. Grab some food and drinks and spend some enjoyable time discussing these masterpieces with us. (The Breakside in Beaverton has a full-service bar and a quality assortment of food carts in the outdoor patio area.)A little about Zulawski's “Possession.”
Isabelle Adjani – who won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival for this role - and Sam Neill play the couple. He’s a spy who returns home from one of his prolonged absences, to discover his wife having an extramarital affair. He presses her for a separation but can’t quite stop himself from being involved in her life and hires a detective to keep tabs on her and their young son, Bob. What the detective discovers is that there is a mysterious figure hiding in her shadow. Something far removed from normal. Since it’s been created by Carlo Rambaldi (“E.T” and the 1976 “King Kong”), you know it’s going to be something out of the ordinary.This film was notoriously edited into incomprehension by its American distributor for its brief run in cinemas, treated like a tossed away cheap horror import. They had no idea what they had on their hands. The director’s cut is what circulates these days – so be sure the version you watch is the full length 124 minute version.
Trigger Notes: We tend to watch edgier stuff in the Cult Films Meet-Up than in other Meet-Up Events, and you definitely might not want to consider this as an appropriate viewing option for children – especially for its intensity and occasionally horrific imagery. We recommend reviewing this site for reported trigger warnings: Posession (Movie, 1981) - DoesTheDogDie.com.
Viewing Options
Include - at the very least - Amazon Prime and Apple TV. You should be able to find a Blu-ray (there have been US and foreign releases loaded with extras) at Movie Madness.About Cult Films
Sometimes good, almost always interesting, and only somewhat definable, Cult Films defy mainstream criticism and are noted for their obscurity and dedicated fan bases. Many cult films exist at the borderline between art and exploitation and are rich candidates for open-minded entertainment and interpretation.We recommend viewing them for their uniqueness, regardless of their financial success or failure, and their often lack of adherence to a shared mainstream cinematic language. Some consider Cult Cinema to be Oppositional Cinema, always inhabiting a space outside of mainstream trends and popularity.
Tips
- Haven't seen the movie in a while? You're in for a treat - try to watch the movie sometime before we meet. As with a book club, we don't watch the movie at our meetup, we just discuss it. You don't have to watch the movie to join us, but it'll be more fun if you do.
- Some members enjoy researching the films and sharing what they find with the group. Others prefer to engage with the films in a more casual way. Both approaches are absolutely fine! Most PMC members land somewhere in the middle.
- You may find it useful to take notes as you watch but definitely don't feel obligated. At the end of the day, we're here to socialize and have fun.
Previous titles viewed by our Cult Film Meet-up members for group discussion have included: Titane, Barbarella, Fantastic Planet, Eraserhead, Daisies (aka, Sedmikrásky), Jennifer’s Body, The Human Tornado, The Love Witch, Plan 9 From Outer Space, The Brain That Wouldn't Die, Phantom of The Paradise, Takashi Miike's Audition, and David Cronenberg’s Videodrome and Rabid.
Are you on Discord? Join the PMC Discord!
35 attendees
Political Films Meet-Up: Judgment at Nuremberg
Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR, USPolitical Films Meet-Up: Judgement at Nuremberg (1961)
Let’s talk about movies! Join movie club member Clay Vaughn for the next film in our Political Films series with Stanely Kramer's star-studded Judgement at Nuremberg (1961), starring Spencer Tracy, Judy Garland, Burt Lancaster, Marlene Dietrich, Montgomery Clift, William Shatner, Richard Widmark, and Maximilian Schell. This film is a capital-e Epic at 3 hours, so don't put it off too long.
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:
Adapted from an earlier teleplay of the same name, Judgement at Nuremberg is a fictionalized depiction of the Judges Trial, one of the 12 subsequent war crimes tribunals of Nazi leaders held by the Allies following the better-known trial of the 24 highest commanders. The Judges Trial dealt with the culpability of Judges and other legal officers in the Nazi regime.Viewing Options for the film:
The film is available to stream for free on Tubi, Plex, and Pluto TV. Physical copies are available to rent at Movie Madness and the Multnomah County Library.About Political Films:
This series started out focusing on the New Republic article "The 100 Most Significant Political Films of All Time" published in June 2023, but we've since expanded well beyond the list. Both the documentaries and narrative fiction films we discuss tend to include difficult imagery and subject matter, we suggest the website "Does the Dog Die?" 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 make more sense if you do. Feel free to bring along any notes, books, or articles 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.
Films previously discussed in the political group:
The Gleaners and I, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, I Am Not Your Negro, It's a Wonderful Life, 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!
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RESCHEDULED: World Horror: La Llorona (1933)
Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR, USPortland Movie Club Global Horror Meet-Up - Spotlight on: LA LLORONA (1933)
Let's talk about movies! Join Movie Club member Victoria for the next installment of our exploration of Latin American horror with La Llorona (1933).Here's how it works:
1. Just like a book club, we watch the movie before we meet.
2. We'll meet at The Lucky Lab - Hawthorne OR at 4pm. Unless there's a competing reservation, we can be found in the side room. If we're not there, check out back on the patio.
3. Grab some food and drinks and spend some enjoyable time discussing this masterpiece with us!A little about La Llorona (1933):
La Llorona (1933) was the first horror film produced by the Mexican film industry. An ambitious, gothic melodrama, it interrogates Mexican identity by examining the connections between La Llorona, the ubiquitous, weeping, filicidal ghost from folklore, and La Malinche, the enslaved Nahua woman who served as Hernán Cortés's intermediary and advisor during his conquest of what is now Mexico.
At the time of its release, La Llorona (1933) was considered a technical triumph. However, despite its historical importance, the film was thought lost for approximately half a century, until a recording of an old television broadcast was uploaded to YouTube. It has since been restored.
Trigger Notes: Though La Llorona (1933) is not gory or graphic, child murder and maternal suicide are at the heart of the narrative. In addition, Hernán Cortés is an onscreen character, so colonialism, and the intimate, interpersonal violence involved in that, are key elements of the film. If any of that is going to be rough viewing for you, please take care of yourself! Find out more about whether the film contains elements you'd rather avoid at DoesTheDogDie.com.
Viewing Options
Viewing options for this one are far more limited than usual.The restored version was released on Blu Ray in 2022, and copies of that are easy to find at relatively low prices. It is also available to rent at Movie Madness.
For streaming, the best option currently seems to be YouTube. A complete (albeit rough-looking) copy with English subtitles can be found here.
Tips
- Haven't seen the movie in a while? You're in for a treat - try to watch the movie sometime before we meet. As with a book club, we don't watch the movie at our meetup, we just discuss it. You don't have to watch the movie to join us, but it'll be more fun if you do.
- Some members enjoy researching the films and sharing what they find with the group. Others prefer to engage with the films in a more casual way. Both approaches are absolutely fine! Most PMC members land somewhere in the middle. You may find it useful to take notes as you watch, but definitely don't feel obligated. At the end of the day, we're here to socialize and have fun.
- If you come up with any discussion topics you'd like to explore with the group, bring them with you! We love fresh eyes and new voices!
The Portland Movie Club is on Discord!
Are you on Discord? Join the PMC Discord!29 attendees
Past events
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