Portland Movie Club

The Camera Eye discussion: THERE WILL BE BLOOD
Join Movie Club member Jake Brown for the next film in his series highlighting great cinematography in motion pictures: 2007's vicious portrait of greed, faith, and opportunity in the early-20th-century American West, There Will Be Blood. Written and directed by renowned visual storyteller Paul Thomas Anderson, the film stars Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano, incorporating the cinematography talents of longtime collaborator Robert Elswit, who captured every merciless moment on eye-popping anamorphic 35mm film in a wide, 2.39:1 aspect ratio.

About There Will Be Blood
From Letterboxd: "Ruthless silver miner, turned oil prospector, Daniel Plainview, moves to oil-rich California. Using his son to project a trustworthy, family-man image, Plainview cons local landowners into selling him their valuable properties for a pittance. However, local preacher Eli Sunday suspects Plainview’s motives and intentions, starting a slow-burning feud that threatens both their lives."

Viewing Options for There Will Be Blood
Streaming options include Kanopy, Hoopla, and a low-quality version on Archive.org (which I obviously wouldn't recommend for that very reason), with additional for-purchase/rental options at Amazon and Apple TV.

“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

Join Portland Movie Club members Kyle and Crystal for the First Roles group discussion! This group focuses on the initial on-screen appearances of celebrated Hollywood icons. For this meeting we will discuss Milos Forman's 1975 classic "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," which along with an iconic performance from Jack Nicholson also includes the onscreen debut of Brad Dourif--who received an Oscar nomination--and Christopher Lloyd.

Here's how it works:

Political Films Meet-Up: THE CONFORMIST

Let’s talk about movies! Join movie club member Clay V. for the next film in our Political Films series with Bernardo Bertolucci's The Conformist (1970). Based on a 1951 novel of the same name, the film is set in 1930s Italy and focuses on mid-level Fascist functionary Marcelo Clerici (Jean-Louis Trintignant) whose job is to violently suppress left-wing activism. The film won honors at several European festivals, was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 44th Academy Awards, and launched the international careers of director Bertolucci (The Last Emperor, Last Tango In Paris) and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now).

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 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 to support the Lucky Lab and keep us in their good graces.

Viewing Options for the film:
Streaming is currently available via a 7-day free trial of the Kino Film Collection, on their site or via Amazon Prime. It can also be rented for a small fee from Youtube, Google Play, Fandango at Home, or Apple TV. And, as always, you can rent a physical copy of the film from the mighty Movie Madness collection.

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 list of films that speak to our relationships with government, war, bureaucracy, politics and politicians, crime, propaganda, classism, and more. We've now been through many of these films, so we now regularly choose our own options, and all are welcome to suggest future titles for consideration.

Films in this group often deal with difficult subject matter, those concerned about a particular film should consult www.doesthedogdie.com for content warnings.

Tips:
Make sure to find adequate time to watch the film before the discussion. Just like a book club we don't watch the movie at our meetup, we just discuss it after we’ve seen it.

Many of us take a few notes while watching to keep from forgetting the most interesting stuff, feel free to bring those along.

Typically, at the Meet-Up we'll decide on our next political film to watch! Take a look at the list linked above for options to consider for the next film.

Previous films viewed by Political Films Meet-up: 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.

Join Movie Club Member Kyle C. for the next movie in his giallo series.
Here's how it works:

1. We will be meeting at Dot's Cafe, 2521 SE Clinton St., on Sunday, October 5 from 4-6pm
2. 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:
The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail is a stylish 1971 Italian giallo thriller directed by Sergio Martino. Set against the backdrop of international travel and high-stakes intrigue, the film follows a mysterious chain of events triggered by a sudden death and a large life insurance payout. As investigators and opportunists converge across cities like London and Athens, the story unfolds through a web of deception, hidden motives, and escalating danger.

With its lush cinematography, suspenseful score by Bruno Nicolai, and a cast led by George Hilton and Anita Strindberg, the film blends classic noir elements with the razor-sharp tension of the giallo genre. Expect elegant visuals, unexpected twists, and a slow-burning mystery that keeps its secrets close until the very end

Tips: