Portland Movie Club

1. Just like a book club, we watch the movie before we meet.
2. We'll meet at Lucky Lab at 4pm (Map) on the scheduled day & date. We typically have a sign at our table(s), but even when we don't, we try to be obvious and identifiable. Our favorite spots are the meeting room and the (heated) back patio.
3. Grab some food and drinks and spend some time socializing and discussing this movie with us!

A few notes about Tár:
2022’s Tár stars Cate Blanchett as a world-renowned, queer concert director at a moment of moral reckoning. Here, director Todd Field (In the Bedroom (2001), Little Children (2006)) minutely examines the meaning of sound, the interaction of celebrity, ego and identity, and the ways that lines between mentorship and exploitation can disappear. Both praised and pilloried for its more-than-flawed viewpoint character, its icy cool, and its unapologetically highbrow approach, Tár is sure to provoke a memorable discussion.

Trigger Notes: This film does contain depictions of bullying, gaslighting, suicide, and other material that may cause issues for some viewers. For a more granular breakdown of the film's potential triggers, please see its entry on DoesTheDogDie.

Viewing Options:
Streaming options reportedly include: YouTube, Apple TV, Hulu, Fandango at Home, Amazon Prime, and a few others. For those who prefer physical media, the film is also available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and 4K UHD from Movie Madness and other sources.

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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!

Some of the films previously viewed and discussed in this series of PMC Meet-Ups have included: The Handmaiden, Portrait Of A Lady On Fire, But I'm a Cheerleader, Sleepaway Camp, I Saw The TV Glow, Tangerine, Dog Day Afternoon, Gus Van Sant's My Own Private Idaho, the documentary Paris Is Burning, and Gregg Araki’s The Doom Generation, Mysterious Skin, and Nowhere.

The Portland Movie Club is on Discord!
Are you on Discord? Join the PMC Discord!

Political 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!

1. 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!)
2. 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.
3. 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!