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
Political Films MLK Day Meet-Up: I Am Not Your Negro
Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR, USPolitical Films Meet-Up: I Am Not Your Negro (2016)
Let’s talk about movies! Join movie club member Clay Vaughn for the next film in our Political Films series with Raoul Peck's I Am Not Your Negro (2016), an essay-style documentary based on James Baldwin's unfinished manuscript Remember This House. The film explores the history of racism in the United States, focusing on several prominent civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., whose federal holiday is one day after our meet-up.
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:
Raoul Peck is a Haitian director known for politically focused films, both documentary and nonfiction. I Am Not Your Negro received critical acclaim, was nominated for the best documentary Oscar, and won at the BAFTAs and César Awards. Peck later received a Peabody Award for his HBO documentary miniseries Exterminate All the Brutes (2021).
Viewing Options for the film:
For streaming, the film is available for free on Tubi, Xumo, Pluto, and Roku. It is also available on Kanopy, which can be accessed by anyone with a Multnomah County Library card. And, as always, physical copies of the film are 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, we 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 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.
Previous films viewed by the Political Films group have included: 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!27 attendees
Noirtini Hour: Gun Crazy
Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR, USDetails
Film Noir Meet-Up: Gun Crazy (1950)
Let’s talk about movies! Join movie club member Jenna M. for Gun Crazy, starring Peggy Cummins and John Dall in a story about the crime spree of a gun-toting husband and wife.
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:
Gun Crazy was directed by Joseph H. Lewis and produced by Frank and Maurice King. The screenplay by blacklisted writers Dalton Trumbo (credited to the pseudonym of Millard Kaufman) and MacKinlay Kantor was based upon a short story written by Kantor that was published in 1940 in The Saturday Evening Post. The film was originally titled Deadly Is the Female when it premiered in January 1950 until March 1950, when the King brothers changed the title to Gun Crazy to more accurately reflect the character of the film.
Viewing Options for the film:
For streaming, the film is available for free on Tubi, 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. I will continue to check Kanopy and Hoopla to see if it becomes available before the meetup and will update this posting. 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!56 attendees
First Roles: "Pride and Prejudice" w/ Carey Mulligan
Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR, USJoin Portland Movie Club members Kyle and Elsa 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 Joe Wright's 2005 adaptation of the Jane Austen classic "Pride and Prejudice," which along with an Oscar-nomiated performance from Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennett and a career breakout role for Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy, also includes the debut on-screen performance of Carey Mulligan as Kitty Bennett.
Here's how it works:
- Watch the movie on your own (or with friends!) Steeaming options include Amazon Prime and AppleTV.
- We'll meet at Lucky Lab at 4pm (map) There will be a Portland Movie Club sign at our table.
- Grab some food and drinks and we'll spend some time discussing this masterpiece with us.
Movie Spotlight: "Pride and Prejudice"
Joe Wright’s 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic novel follows the five Bennett sisters as they navigate the pressures of family expectations, social class, and the search for meaningful connection in rural Georgian England. At the center is Elizabeth Bennett, whose sharp wit and independent spirit set her apart in a society where marriage often determines a woman’s future.
When wealthy newcomers arrive in the neighborhood, the Bennet household is thrown into a swirl of excitement, misunderstandings, and shifting impressions. The film balances romance, humor, and social observation, all wrapped in lush cinematography and a grounded, lived‑in period aesthetic.
This adaptation is also notable for marking the first appearance in a feature film by Carey Mulligan, where she plays Kitty--one of the younger, more excitable Bennett sisters.
On Discord? Join the Portland Movie Club!30 attendees
The Camera Eye discussion: BLADE RUNNER
Breakside Brewery, 12675 SW 1st Street Beaverton OR 97005, Beaverton, OR, USJoin Movie Club member Jake Brown for the next film in his series highlighting great cinematography in motion pictures: 1982's sci-fi juggernaut that challenges what it means to be human, Blade Runner. Legendary director Ridley Scott helms the film, based on the 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by author Philip K. Dick and written for the screen by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. The film stars Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Daryl Hannah, incorporating the cinematography talents of Jordan Cronenweth (father of David Fincher DP Jeff Cronenweth), who captured every moment on Anamorphic 35mm in a wide 2.39:1 aspect ratio.
About Blade Runner
From Letterboxd: "In the smog-choked dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, blade runner Rick Deckard is called out of retirement to terminate a quartet of replicants who have escaped to Earth seeking their creator for a way to extend their short life spans."
Viewing Options for Blade Runner
Streaming options are unfortunately lacking, but for-purchase/rental options can be found through Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and physical copies through Movie Madness. All three sources have both the American Theatrical Cut and the Final Cut, with Movie Madness offering even more options.
Which version should I watch?
There are 7 different versions of 1982's Blade Runner, with the most favored being the Final Cut and the least favored being any version with Harrison Ford's voice-over narration and alternate ending added by the studio without director Ridley Scott's approval (originally, the American Theatrical Cut):
- Workprint (1982, initial unfinished version screened for test audiences, screened again in the early '90s as the unofficial "Director's Cut," available in the Five-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition, NO voice-over, NO alternate ending)
- San Diego Sneak Preview (1982, early iteration of American Theatrical Cut but with 2-3 additional scenes, voice-over, alternate ending)
- American Theatrical Cut (1982, studio edited without Ridley Scott, available in the Five-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition, voice-over, alternate ending)
- International/European Theatrical Cut (1982, aka "Criterion Edition" (LaserDisc), international iteration of Theatrical Cut but with 3 additional scenes, available in the Five-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition, voice-over, alternate ending)
- U.S. Broadcast Cut (1986, television broadcast of Theatrical Cut but with cropped frame and heavily censored, voice-over, alternate ending)
- Director's Cut (1992, official "Director's Cut," additional unicorn galloping forest scene, available in the Five-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition, NO voice-over, NO alternate ending)
- Final Cut (2007, definitive edition, aka "25th Anniversary Edition," Ridley Scott had more control than Director's Cut, inclusion of the 3 international cut additional scenes, extended unicorn galloping forest scene, available in the Five-Disc Ultimate Collector's Edition, NO voice-over, NO alternate ending)
“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, editing, 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 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.
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