
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

Political Films Meet-Up: SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D'ETAT
Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR, USPolitical Films Meet-Up: “SOUNDTRACK TO A COUP D'ETAT”
Let’s talk about movies! Join movie club member Clay Vaughn for the next film in our Political Films series with Johan Grimonprez's "Soundtrack to a Coup D'etat" (2024), a film about the 1960s Congo Crisis which received critical acclaim and was nominated at the Oscars for Best Documentary Feature.
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:
Johan Grimonprez is a Belgian multimedia artist, curator, and filmmaker. The genesis of the project was Grimonprez's fascination with Nikita Khrushchev's alleged shoe-banging incident at the UN. The film is unconventional in that it consists entirely of archival footage, and relies upon music, newsreels, and other sources to narrate the story. It features excerpts from books by African writers Andrée Blouin and In Koli Jean Bofane, and from the audio memoirs of Nikita Khrushchev.Viewing Options for the film:
For streaming, the film is available for free on Kanopy (if you have a library card, you can access it). It's also available via rental or subscription on YouTube, Amazon, Apple TV, The Roku Channel, or Fandango at Home. There is also a Bluray of the film available to rent at Movie Madness.About Political Films:
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 viewed by “Political Films” Meet-up members for group discussion have included: "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
Cult Films Meet-Up: TITANE
Breakside Brewery, 12675 SW 1st Street Beaverton OR 97005, Beaverton, OR, USPortland Movie Club Cult Films Meet-Up - Spotlight on TITANE
Let's talk about movies! Join Movie Club Members David J. and Victoria G. forTitane, Julia Ducournau's disturbing and provocative international sensation of 2021.Here's how it works:
1. Just like a book club, we watch the movie before we meet.
2. We'll meet at Breakside Brewery in Beaverton, OR at 4pm. 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 previously scheduled Sunday Meet-Up events.
3. Grab some food and drinks and spend some enjoyable time discussing this masterpiece with us.A little about TITANE:
The winner of the 2021 Palme D'Or, Titane is both deeply beloved and deeply controversial. It is a careful and nuanced exploration of gender, care-giving, and the creation of chosen family. And it also an explosively bloody body horror film about serial murder and sex with cars. By turns luminous and pitiless, with occasional stabs of sharp hilarity, Titane is beyond unique, and is likely to provoke a spirited discussion.
Trigger Notes: Given the above, it should come as no surprise that Titane contains a substantial quantity of potentially triggering material, especially as regards intrafamilial violence, intimate partner violence, surgery, and pregnancy. For a more granular breakdown of the film's potential triggers, please see its entry on DoesTheDogDie.
Viewing Options
Streaming options are reported to include Amazon Prime, Tubi, YouTube, AppleTV, Fandango At Home, and Kanopy. It is also available for purchase or rent on Blu-Ray through numerous sources, including Movie Madness.About Cult Films
Sometimes good, almost always interesting, and only somewhat definable. This very special category of cinema is 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.
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!
Previous titles viewed by our Cult Film Meet-up members for group discussion have included 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.
The Portland Movie Club is on Discord!
Are you on Discord? Join the PMC Discord!12 attendees
Giallo spotlight: "The Girl Who Knew Too Much"
Dot's Cafe, 2521 SE Clinton St, Portland, OR, Portland, OR, US## Details
Join 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, October 5 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:
Set against the moody backdrop of Rome, "The Girl Who Knew Too Much" is stylish thriller that follows Nora Davis, a young American tourist whose vacation takes a dark turn after she witnesses a violent crime. As she tries to convince the authorities of what she saw, she’s drawn into a chilling mystery involving a string of alphabetically targeted murders. With no one believing her story, Nora must navigate a web of suspicion, danger, and psychological intrigue—questioning what’s real and who she can trust.Often credited as the first true giallo film, the direction by Mario Bava blends noir aesthetics with suspense, laying the groundwork for a genre that would later explode in Italian cinema. The film balances eerie atmosphere, romantic tension, and a touch of dark humor, all while keeping viewers guessing.
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!
17 attendees
The Camera Eye discussion: SUNRISE: A SONG OF TWO HUMANS
Breakside Brewery, 12675 SW 1st Street Beaverton OR 97005, Beaverton, OR, USThe Camera Eye discussion: Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
Join Movie Club member Jake Brown for the next film in his series highlighting great cinematography in motion pictures: 1927's twisting tale of deception and forgiveness, Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans. Directed by renowned silent film legend F.W. Murnau and written for the screen by Carl Mayer from the 1917 story, The Excursion to Tilsit, by Hermann Sudermann, the film stars George O'Brien and Janet Gaynor, who delivers an Academy Award-winning performance. Sunrise also showcases Academy Award-winning cinematography from the talents of Charles Rosher and Karl Struss, who capture every moment on 35mm film in William Fox's (of Fox Film Corporation) new Movietone aspect ratio of 1.19:1, resulting from the image frame squeezed in slightly to fit in optical sound. Through this revolutionary Movietone system, Sunrise is arguably the very first professionally produced, feature-length film to incorporate an optical, synchronized soundtrack.About Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
From Letterboxd: "A married farmer falls under the spell of a slatternly woman from the city, who tries to convince him to drown his wife."Viewing Options for Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
Streaming options include Archive.org (cleanest, clearest, best option), Tubi (slightly cropped/lower quality), and Plex (slightly cropped/lower quality/fuzzy audio), with an additional for-purchase/rental option at Apple TV (cleanest, clearest, best option as well).“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 10-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!
25 attendees
Past events
135

