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
Cult Film: Riki-Oh, the Story of Ricky
BREAKSIDE BREWERY - BEAVERTON, 12680 SW Farmington Road,, Beaverton, OR, USPortland Movie Club Cult Films Meet-Up - Spotlight on RIKI-OH: THE STORY OF RIKI
Let's talk about movies! Join Movie Club Members David, Victoria, and Alex for Riki-Oh: The Story of Riki.
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 RIKI-OH: THE STORY OF RIKI:
Riki-Oh is an absolutely unhinged Hong Kong prison martial arts film from the legendary director of 1992’s The Cat. Based on the manga of the same name, this joyfully punchy, vaguely science fictional gore-fest has been compared favorably to the works of Sam Raimi, and to Peter Jackson’s zombie films, and has a score of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes.Trigger Notes: This movie is basically a water balloon full of gore, so those with special sensitivities around blood and violence may wish to tread carefully here. (And if that means that watching and discussing it won't be fun for you, then we'll miss you, but please take care of yourself!) Find out whether this movie contains stuff you'd rather avoid at DoesTheDogDie.com.
Viewing Options
Viewing options for this one are more limited than usual. It can be streamed on the Criterion Chanel, on Dailymotion.com, and on archive.org. It has been released on DVD and Blu-ray, but it is currently out of print, and prices on the secondary market are currently quite high. Movie Madness does have physical copies to rent.
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: 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.
The Portland Movie Club is on Discord!
Are you on Discord? Join the PMC Discord!13 attendees
Political Films Meet-Up: The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR, USPolitical Films Meet-Up: The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
Let’s talk about movies! Join movie club members Clay Vaughn and Seth Wolf for the next film in our Political Films series with Luis Buñuel's The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972), a French surrealist satire of the beliefs, lifestyles, and social mores of the European upper class.
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:
A French production, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie was a critical and box office success in Europe and the United States, and received a number of awards including the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Some film scholars regard it as Buñuel's masterpiece.Viewing Options for the film:
The film is available to stream for free on Tubi, and can also be rented on YouTube and elsewhere. And, as always, physical copies of the film are available to rent at Movie Madness.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:
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!
Are you on Discord? Join the Portland Movie Club!30 attendees
Noirtini Hour: Dial M for Murder
Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR, USFilm 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.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.
The Portland Movie Club is on Discord!
Are you on Discord? Join the Portland Movie Club!30 attendees
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