
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 (4+)
See all- LGBTQ+ Cinema Discussion: SLEEPAWAY CAMPLucky Labrador Brew Pub, Portland, OR
Movie Spotlight on "Sleepaway Camp"
Join Movie Club Member Elliot J. for the next movie in their series highlighting LGBTQ+ films featuring "Sleepaway Camp" from 1983. It’s a low-budget slasher that has become somewhat of a cult film among the LGBTQ+ community. Its popularity has inspired at least two sequels, numerous home video releases and fan websites.
Here's how The Portland Movie Club Meet-Ups work:
- Just like a book club, we watch the movie before we meet.
- We'll meet at Lucky Lab at 4pm (map) on the scheduled day & 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 and spend some time socializing and discussing this movie with us.
Eight years after a traumatic boating incident, the only survivor Angela Baker (played by Felissa Rose) returns to Camp Arawak as a shy and lonely 13-year-old. She becomes the target of a lecherous cook, a stuck-up cabinmate and other insensitive tormentors who take advantage of her shyness and morbid fear of the water. Honoring its cinematic role models, the perpetrators meet increasingly violent and gory fates at the camp.
Sequels to Sleepaway Camp have included “Sleepaway Camp II: Unhappy Campers,” and “Sleepaway Camp III: Teenage Wasteland.” These aren’t required viewing for the purposes of the Meet-Up, but the actual titles themselves are amusing enough we couldn’t resist mentioning them here.
Viewing Options for "Sleepaway Camp"
Streaming options appear to be plentiful and reportedly include Amazon Prime, Peacock, Screambox, The Roku Channel with additional for-purchase options at Apple TV and Fandango-At-Home, and free with ads options at Pluto TV and Tubi.
LGBTQ+ Portland Movie Club Meet-Up Cinema Series
LGBTQ+ characters and themes have been present throughout film history dating back to pre-Hays Code era. The relationship between film and the LGBTQ+ community has had its ups and downs over the years and has been continually changing. This discussion group will highlight some key films that mark these changes and shed light upon the vast selection of LGBTQ+ films which cinema has to offer.
Tips:
- Haven't seen the movie in a while? You're in for a treat - try to watch the movie sometime before we meet. 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!
Some of the films previously viewed and discussed in this series of PMC Meet-Ups have included Gregg Araki’s “The Doom Generation” and “Nowhere,” “But I’m A Cheerleader,” “I Saw The TV Glow,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” Gus Van Sant's "My Own Private Idaho" and the documentary “Paris Is Burning.”
- Cult Films Meet-Up: BARBARELLALucky Labrador Brew Pub, Portland, OR
Portland Movie Club Meet-Up - Spotlight on "BARBARELLA"
Let's talk about movies! Join Movie Club Member David J. and Special Guest Co-Host Victoria Garcia for the next discussion in our cult film series, featuring our second selection derived from French Science Fiction – this time the 1968 space opera “Barbarella,” starring a young Jane Fonda and based on a wildly popular and boundary pushing French comic.Here's how it works:
1. Just like a book club, we watch the movie before we meet.
2. We'll meet at Lucky Lab at 4pm (map), there will be a sign at our table, or at the least we will make it as obvious as we can who we are (watch for that rowdy bunch waving hands and wearing movie themed T-Shirts) and where we are saving tables and chairs.
3. Grab some food and drinks and spend some enjoyable time discussing this cult movie masterpiece with us.A little about BARBARELLA
Adapted from Jean-Claude Forest’s adult SF saga, produced by a giant of the Italian movie industry, Dino DeLaurentiis, scripted by the noted satirist from Texas Terry Southern (“Dr. Strangelove,” “The Magic Christian and a contributor to “Easy Rider”), directed by Roger Vadim, who was at the time Jane Fonda’s husband and famous for helping to turn his first wife Brigitte Bardot into an international superstar with his French art-house hit “And God Created Woman” – “Barbarella” was a truly international concoction which honors its source’s pop-art blend of sex, humor and psychedelic space travel.Anyone expecting a realistic approach to Science Fiction ala “2001: A Space Odyssey,” released the exact same year, should check that attitude at the door. Filled with colorful, eye-popping special effects and a production design that might be described as “early lava lamp,” there’s even a bouncy pop-driven musical score credited in part to Bob Crewe, known for “Big Girls Don’t Cry.” This is just about as far away from Kubrick as you can get.
Viewing Options
Streaming options are reported to include Apple TV, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Fandango, YouTube and Google Play - and I can confirm it is currently on The Criterion app in a special Terry Southern collection. You might also find it on Paramount Plus since it is a Paramount film. Over the decades the studio has released it on VHS, LaserDisc, DVD and Blu-ray. Arrow Video offers a spectacular boxed edition on 4K UHD Blu ray with a deep well of extra features.About Cult Films
Sometimes good, almost always interesting, and only somewhat definable, this very special category of cinema can be known for its dedicated fanbases, high-camp kitsch, transgressive ideas, counterculture perspectives, polarized reception, and sometimes for artfulness, but far more often for obscurity. Many cult films exist at the borderline between art and exploitation.While Cult Films typically defy mainstream criticism, they are rich candidates for open-minded entertainment and interpretation, viewed through a lens that emphasizes their unique perspectives regardless of their financial success or failure.
Some of Portland Movie Club Organizer Nick’s favorites are The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Big Lebowski, Plan 9 From Outer Space, Birdemic and Office Space. There's a great writeup of the genre on Wikipedia.
Tips
- Haven't seen the movie in a while? You're in for a treat - try to watch the movie sometime before we meet. You don't have to watch the movie to join us, but it'll be more fun if you can
- Some PMC members casually take a few notes while watching to keep from forgetting the most interesting stuff. If you think of some interesting discussion topics while you watch, bring 'em with you!
Previous films viewed by “Cult Film” Meet-up members for group discussion have included “Fantastic Planet,” a double feature of “The Brain That Wouldn’t Die” with “The Man With Two Brains,” Takashi Miike's "Audition," “Daisies,” “Jennifer’s Body,” Dolemite in “The Human Tornado,” David Cronenberg’s “Videodrome” and "The Brood," David Lynch’s “Eraserhead,” “Switchblade Sisters,” “The Love Witch,” Ed Wood's “Plan 9 From Outer Space,” Tim Burton’s “Ed Wood,” and Brian DePalma’s “Phantom of The Paradise.”
Coming soon, but not necessarily in this order: a depraved Doris Wishman double feature, early David Cronenberg, a controversial Cannes Film Festival winner, Jess Franco (eventually, I promise!), Italian films that are not giallo, more David Lynch, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Hong Kong cinema and many surprises!
- The Camera Eye discussion: 28 DAYS LATERBREAKSIDE BREWERY - BEAVERTON , Beaverton , OR
The Camera Eye discussion: 28 DAYS LATER
Join Movie Club member Jake Brown for the very first film in his series highlighting great cinematography in motion pictures: 2002's "28 Days Later." The movie reignited the zombie genre, kicking off Cillian Murphy’s extensive career in the process. It's also renowned as a monumental leap in cinematography, utilizing low-resolution, standard definition (SD) digital camcorders for all scenes…except two (can you spot them both?), an unheard-of approach to storytelling on this scale. (For reference, traditional 35mm films of the past century—and modern 4K movies—were a whopping 24 times the resolution of this risky, new format. Don’t worry, it looks breathtaking.)Please note a change from both our typical location and time and day. This will be our inaugural West Side Meet-up occurring in Beaverton instead of Central or East Side Portland. More will shortly follow!
Here's how The Portland Movie Club Meet-Ups work:
- Just like a book club, we watch the movie before we meet.
- We'll meet at Breakside Brewery in Beaverton (GOOGLE BREAKSIDE BREWERY BEAVERTON - Search) at 2pm on the scheduled day & date. We'll have a sign at our table(s), but we'll also try to be obvious and identifiable.
- Grab some food, some drinks, and spend some time socializing/discussing this movie with us!
A few Notes about '28 DAYS LATER"
From Letterboxd: “Twenty-eight days after a killer virus was accidentally unleashed from a British research facility, a small group of London survivors are caught in a desperate struggle to protect themselves from the infected. Carried by animals and humans, the virus turns those it infects into homicidal maniacs – and it’s absolutely impossible to contain.”The film was directed by Danny Boyle, written by Alex Garland, and captured by cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle. While the sequel “28 Weeks Later” was helmed by a slightly different team, Boyle, Garland, and Mantle are all back for 2025’s third release in the series, “28 Years Later.”
Tips:
- Haven't seen the film in a while? You're in for a treat! Try watching it sometime before we meet. Just like a book club, we don't watch the movies at our meet-up, just discuss them. You don't have to watch one to join us, but it'll be more fun if you can.
- Taking notes can help to remember the most interesting things. If you think of some good discussion topics while you watch, bring 'em with you!
Viewing Options for “28 Days Later”
Streaming options include Pluto TV (with ads), along with additional for-purchase/rental options at Apple TV, Amazon Prime, YouTube, and the Microsoft Store.“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 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!