Summer is coming, but that doesn't mean the great Horror/Sci Fi/Fantasy events are slowing down in the Pacific Northwest!

The summer season has kicked off.  Kids are out of school, blockbuster films are flooding the multiplex cinemas and we've experienced a few days of warm weather across the Pacific Northwest.  In a couple of weeks, it should be time for beach parties, sunning by a river and picnics.

Just watch out for ants.  They can ruin a picnic in

a matter of minutes.  Especially the big ones!

But if all that outdoor activity just seems like too much work, you know The Shadow Over Portland has you covered with all the great summer movies, festivals, cons, stage events and MUCH MORE to keep you cool and out of the sun all summer long!

Just look at this edition of the Weekly Update.  I've found a bunch of great movies coming to locally owned theaters around the Pacific Northwest (two of them in GLORIOUS 70mm!), several stage productions, a few comic swaps and toy shows, and a convention.  Oh, and I forgot to mention the Portland Horror Film Festival starts TODAY at The Hollywood Theatre! 

And that's just the events for this week!!  If you want to plan out for later in the summer, head to the Horror/Sci Fi/Fantasy Calendar for all the great things to do, both indoor and outside, in the coming months.  Hey, I've got events listed on the page into next year, so you can start making plans now!  Don't forget, I update it every few days, so keep checking back!!

If you want you event listed on the site, just email me at shadowoverportland@live.com with the details and promotional artwork, and I'll to all the rest.  Well, except for sending you a bill, as listings on the site are FREE!

From Ashland, OR, to Vancouver, BC, The Shadow Over Portland has you covered!

Now Showing

The Academy Theater (7818 SE Stark St in Portland, OR) presents the 1951 sci fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still through Thursday, June 6.  For more details, including showtimes, visit the Academy Theater website.

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Godzilla: King of the Monsters is now playing at The Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR).  The film is currently scheduled to run through Thursday, May 13.  For more details and advance ticket sales, visit The Hollywood Theatre website.

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The Broadway Rose Theatre Company (12850 SW Grant Ave in Tigard, OR) presents the Tony Award-winning Into The Woods through Sunday, June 30.  For more details, including showtimes and advance ticket sales, visit the Facebook Event Page.

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The Academy Theater (7818 SE Stark St in Portland, OR) will also be showing Us through Thursday, June 6.  For more details and showtimes, visit the Academy Theater website.

June, 2019

Wednesday, June 5

The Portland Horror Film Festival returns to The Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) tonight.  The scary happenings run through Saturday, June 8.  Tickets go on sale at 10 am on Friday, April 5, 2019.  Mark your calendar and check back here, or at the Facebook Event Page, for more details.

UPDATE:  The festival will present the world premiere of director Dean Yurke's Stay Out Stay Alive (starring Babara Crampton), the West Coast premiere of Fangoria's Satanic Panic, director Larry Fessenden's Depraved, director Julian Richards' Reborn (starring Babara Crampton) and the world premiere of The Funeral (actor Kunjue Li will be present for a Q and A).  Director Mick Garris is scheduled to appear.

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The musical Wicked comes to the Paramount Theatre (911 Pine St in Seattle, WA) tonight.  The production runs through July 7.  For more details and a link to ticket sales, visit the Facebook Event Page.

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It's time for another round of Monster Roulette at tonight's Weird Wednesday at The Joy Cinema and Pub (11959 SW Pacific Highway in Tigard, OR)!  One lucky member of the audience will reach into the Mystic Pumpkin and draw the title of the movie to be shown.  Could be good, could be awful, but IT WILL have a monster!!  Showtime is 9:15 pm and admission is FREE, but you must be 18 or older to attend.  And be sure to support Weird Wednesday by stopping at the concession stand before the film for some tasty treats and beverages.  For more details, visit The Joy Cinema website.

Thursday, June 6

The 5th Ave Cinema and Parkway North Project presents the animated sci fi classic Wall-E today at 5 pm in the Smith Memorial Student Union building (1825 SW Broadway in Portland, OR), Room 101.  Admission is FREE!  For more details, visit the Facebook Event Page.

Friday, June 7

The Annual Goonies Day takes place in Astoria, OR today, as part of the Shot in Astoria celebration that runs through Sunday, June 10.  Details are sparse right now, so check back on the Facebook Event Page, The Goondocks website and the Astoria Chamber of Commerce website later for more details.

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The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) will screen a 4K remastered version of Dario Argento's giallo classic Deep Red tonight at 11:30 pm.  For more details and a link to advance ticket sales, visit the Facebook Event Page.

Saturday, June 8

The Greater Wenatchee Toy Show comes to the Wenatchee Convention Center (121 N Wenatchee Ave in Wenatchee, WA) today from 8 am to 3 pm.  Standard admission is just $3 from 9 am on, with children 10 and under admitted FREE.  Early Bird admission from 8 to 9 am is $10.  For more details, visit the Facebook Event Page.

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Frankenstein's Comicbook Swap 16: Best Friends Day! takes place today at the East Portland Eagle Lodge (4904 SE Hawthorne Blvd in Portland, OR).  Early bird admission is $5, and gets you in starting at 11 am.  Regular admission is just $1 (kids and elders are admitted for free) starts at noon.  The event also accepts cans of food for the Oregon Food Bank.  For more details, visit the Facebook Event Page.

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Torchsong Theater Company presents The Ripper: Gothic Rock Musical opening tonight at the Peninsula Lodge #128, IOOF (4834 N Lombard St in Portland, OR).  Based on the poems of Geoffrey Charles Pate, this take on the the tale of The Ripper promises to be much, much stranger than the story you know.  The production contains strong language, violence and mild sexual content, and is recommended for ages 16 and older.  The show runs through Sunday, June 23.  For more details, including showtimes and a link to advance ticket sales, visit the Facebook Event Page.

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Celebrate 35 years of bustin' ghosts at Ghostbusters Day at the Nerd Out (3308 SE Belmont St in Portland, OR) from 4 to 7 pm.  The Portland Ghostbusters will stop by for a raffle and trivia, plus check out the Cocktail for a Cause, as they help raise money for the Lupus Foundation of America!  For more details, visit the Facebook Event Page.

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The Family Film series at The Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) will show the Don Bluth animated classic The Secret of NIHM tonight at 7 pm and tomorrow at 2 pm in GLORIOUS 35mm.  For more details and advance ticket sales, visit The Hollywood Theatre website.

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The Olympia Film Society celebrates the 15th anniversary of Howl's Moving Castle with screenings of the film on Saturday, June 8, 15 and 29.  The show starts at 11 am at the Capitol Theater (206 5th Ave SE in Olympia, WA) and admission for kids 12 and under is FREE!  And no, it doesn't count if you consider yourself a kid at heart!!  For more details, visit the Facebook Event Page.

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The Comix Thing: Small Press Fest/VHS Swap takes place from 9 pm to midnight tonight at the East Portland Aerie and Auxiliary 3256 (4904 SE Hawthorne Blvd in Portland, OR).  Admission is just $1.  For more details, visit the Facebook Event Page.

Sunday, June 9

As part of Italian Day on the Drive, the Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) will present a FREE, family friendly screening of The Wizard of Oz today at 1 pm.  Doors open at 12:30 pm, so arrive early for the best seats (and to make sure you get inside!).  For more details, visit the Facebook Event Page.

Tuesday, June 11

Burlynomicon takes over the stage at the Lovecraft Bar (421 SE Grand Ave in Portland, OR) at 9:30 pm tonight.  You must be 21 or older to attend.  Doors open at 8:30 pm.  For more details, including a list of performers and a link to advance ticket sales, visit the Facebook Event Page.

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The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) will screen Jordan Peele's Us tonight at 9:10 pm.  For more details and a link to advance ticket sales, visit the Facebook Event Page.

Wednesday, June 12

The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) invites The Gentlemen Hecklers to take on Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers tonight at 9:30 pm.  For more details and a link to advance ticket sales, visit the Facebook Event Page.

Thursday, June 13

Queer Horror at The Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) kicks off Pride weekend with a screening of Resident Evil, in GLORIOUS 35mm, tonight at 9:30 pm.  The screening, hosted by Portland's premier drag clown Carla Rossi, opens with Night of 1,000 Millas, a pre-show featuring Portland drag superstars as the super-powered action star!  For more details and advance ticket sales, visit The Hollywood Theatre website.

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The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) presents a Suspiria Double Bill starting tonight at 6:45 pm with Dario Argento's colorful horror classic, followed at 8:45 pm with Luca Guadagnino's 2018 re-imagining.  You can buy tickets for one, or see them both for one sweet price.  For more details, including a link to advance ticket sales, visit the Facebook Event Page.

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Cinema 21 (616 NW 21st Ave in Portland, OR) will screen the star studded zombie movie The Dead Don't Die through Thursday, June 20.  For announcements about showtimes, and advance ticket sales, visit the Facebook Event Page or the Cinema 21 website closer to the premiere date.

Friday, June 14

Tonight's Friday Late Night Movie at the Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) is the hallucinogenic, bloody as all hell Mandy, starring Nicholas Cage at his craziest.  Showtime is 11:55 pm.  For more details and a link to advance ticket sales, visit the Facebook Event Page.

Saturday, June 15

The Washington State Summer Con takes place today and tomorrow at the Washington State Fair and Events Center (110 9th Ave SW in Puyallup, WA).  Guests include Billy Dee Williams (Star Wars), Carl Weathers (Predator), Puppeteer Dave Barclay (The Empire Strikes Back, The Return of the Jedi, The Dark Crystal, Little Shop of Horrors) and Pom Klementieff (Mantis from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War).  For more details and updates, visit the Facebook Event Page or the Washington State Summer Con website.

UPDATE: Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead, The Punisher) and Carl Weathers (Rocky, Predator) are scheduled to attend.

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The Olympia Film Society presents The Rocky Horror Picture Show at midnight tonight at the Capitol Theater (206 5th Ave SE in Olympia, WA).  Doors open at 11 pm.  The event features the Dungeons and Dragonflies Shadow Cast performing during the show.  Of course, costumes are encouraged and prop bags can be purchased at the concession stand (sorry, no outside props).  For more details, including information on advance ticket sales, visit the Facebook Event Page.

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The Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) will show Tobe Hooper's batshit crazy (in all the best ways) space vampire movie Lifeforce tonight at 9:30 pm in GLORIOUS 70mm!  I saw this a couple years ago and it looks AMAZING, so don't miss out!!  For more details and advance ticket sales, visit The Hollywood Theatre website.

Sunday, June 16

Scary Home Companion LIVE in June takes place at 6:30 pm tonight at the Star Theater Portland (13 NW 6th Ave in Portland, OR).  The show features live horror-themed audio dramas, comedy sketches, radio commercials, local celebrity interviews hosted by Screamvina, the Second Most Evil Woman in Portland, and MUCH MORE!  For more details, including a link to advance ticket sales, visit the Facebook Event Page.

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The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) presents the 1911 Italian silent film L'Inerno, with a live score by Maurizio Guarini (of Goblin) tonight at 8 pm.  For more details and a link to advance ticket sales, visit the Facebook Event Page.

Monday, June 17

The Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) will show the sci fi classic 2001: A Space Odyssey tonight at 7 pm in GLORIOUS 70mm!  I saw this a couple years ago and it looks AMAZING, so don't miss out!!  For more details and advance ticket sales, visit The Hollywood Theatre website.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

American movie studios have tried to create a franchise based on Godzilla.  While it might seem easy, the past two attempts have fallen short because the filmmakers miss what makes the Japanese kiaju formula work.  First, giant monster mayhem.  Second, a human story that ties into the giant monster mayhem that enhances the story, not just feel like an addition to get the audience's attention.

Dean Devlin's misguided Godzilla (1998) turned the atomic breath blasting behemoth into an irradiated Galapagos Island iguana, reducing the mythical beast to a rampaging lizard protecting its nest.  And, let's be honest, the human characters are just too bland and stupid to survive a giant monster attack.

Gareth Edwards' 2014 Godzilla returned the big guy's original design and powers, but was saddled with a plot involving a rather bland human character trying to rescue his family as the battle between Godzilla and the MUTOs reaches San Francisco.  Why he told them to wait for him in the city targeted for a massive attack, rather than racing out of danger and meeting him in, say, Portland, Oregon, is one indication of how boneheaded the character was written.  And Edwards' decision to shoot the battles between the monsters from a human perspective reduced the scenes of monster mayhem to a flurry of giant stomping feet.

Meanwhile, Toho rebooted Godzilla on their own with Shin Godzilla, which was not only a great monster movie, but (to my surprise) a taut political thriller.  It showed how American studios hadn't figured out how to write a compelling human story within a giant monster movie. Perhaps it's trying reach too broad an audience, or a lack of political agency, but Japanese scriptwriters continue to make their monsters more a commentary on regional events, rather than just add vanilla characters into the movie in the hopes of connecting to an audience.

What, their Godzilla films are still dealing with 

current events?  That's too hard.

Let's just write a bland protagonist and hope it works out.

Not willing to give up on a MonsterVerse, and the potential box office income, Legendary got things back on track with Kong: Skull Island, an insane, monster-heavy smackdown with a decent human subplot and some great actors playing their stereotypical characters to the hilt.  And the follow up, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, follows the same formula and delivers a rollicking monster mash featuring Toho Studio's heavy hitters.

The human storyline is pretty simple.  Paleobiologist Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga, Bates Motel), is studying the Titans, giant monsters like Godzilla that once ruled the Earth, for Monarch, the government agency dealing with giant monsters.  She has perfected a device called the Orca, which emits frequencies that can aggravate or calm the creatures.  Using it on a Titan dubbed Mothra, she is able to calm it to a point that her daughter, Madison (Millie Bobby Brown, Stranger Things), can reach out and touch it.  Well, until a group of eco-terrorists lead by Alan Jonah (Charles Dance, Game of Thrones) attack the base, killing most of the personal and kidnapping Emma and Madison.

Once Monarch hears of the attack, they approach Emma's ex-husband, Mark (Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights), to help them track down the device and his estranged family.  But Jonah is able to release Monster Zero, a three-headed dragon (okay, we all know it's Ghidorah, but it's one of several nice homages to the original films), which becomes the alpha Titan and starts awakening the other monsters.

Doctor Ishiro Serizawa (Ken Watanabe, reprising his role from Edwards' Godzilla) believes only Godzilla can take down Ghidorah, and the rest of the movie involves the Monarch scientists trying their best to aid Godzilla, with Mark tagging along to help, giving his advice about pack mentality and alphas, with the hope of rescuing his ex and daughter.

And, as expected, mayhem ensues.  A lot of awesome monster mayhem.

I'm not kidding.

It's AWESOME!

I grew up watching the old Godzilla films, and I really enjoy watching actors in rubber monster suits battling amongst miniature cities.  But I have to admit, the CGI in this film is just amazing.  Ghidorah's heads look terrifying and the multiple epic battles scattered throughout the film were the best I've seen since the first Pacific Rim.  Director Michael Dougherty promised to focus more on the giant monster battles, and he does.  But he includes enough scenes to give us a human perspective to the Titan's battles to remind audiences of the scale of the ongoing mayhem, without keeping the battle to stomping monster feet.  Had Edwards' Godzilla film contained the sweeping camera panning from a human to the monster mayhem around them, I might have liked that film more.

Oh holy Hell.  This would have given me more 

intense nightmares as a kid.

The human story is compelling enough, with a few nice surprises.  Though a couple of scenes are obviously lifted from the "How to Write a Stereotypical Monster Movie for Idiots" book, the script by Dougherty and Zach Shields is engaging enough to keep one's interest, despite those missteps.  The acting is good, despite the limitations imposed by the script, and the family conflict plays out well, and even manages to generate some tension in a few moments.

It's obvious the filmmaker's have a deep love for the kaiju genre, as it contains plenty of Easter eggs that echo back to the Toho films for fans to geek out over.  I really like how Monarch scientist  Dr. Ilene Chen (Zhang Ziyi, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) figures out Ghidorah's name name and origins, and I am intrigue how she and her twin sister might figure into Mothra's role in the next movie.  Also, the inclusion of an Oxygen Destroyer, though obvious fan service, still made me smile.  Oh, and did I mention the amazing monster mayhem?  Yep, think it did.

And while you might think the final credits, which set up a world with the Titan and the potential conflict between Kong and Godzilla (coming to theaters next year), wait until the end to find a potential spoiler for how that upcoming battle might end.  Just saying, stay until the end.

Yeah, it's that smile when you know the possibilities,

you just hope the next film delivers.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters isn't a perfect film.  The human story isn't as good as Shin Godzilla, but the monster mayhem is awesome and the plot is engaging enough to allow you to overlook the obvious missteps.  And damn, the film delivers on the monster mayhem.  It's going to make you salivating for the Godzilla vs. Kong film coming next year, because the buildup is so good.  To be honest, it's the best buildup since Marvel Studios launched the MCU.

Going to say it right now, if the Jaegers show up in Godzilla vs Kong,

I'll  be taken out of the theater on a stretcher.