Now is the time to support your locally owned theaters!

As I'm always checking the screenings at local theaters, I've discovered a few of them are facing severe financial difficulties, and risk being evicted.  The Grand Cinema in Tacoma, WA, is one such example, and others are out there.   

Look, I get that not everyone can just give money to a theater to keep them afloat (or even a video rental place like Scarecrow Video).  Times are tough.  But what you can do is stop paying for the "IMAX Experience," and other bells and whistles offered by chain cinemas, and spend your money at a local theater showing the same blockbuster.  You might not get the special popcorn bucket, but you'll help support a venue that will show classic films, foreign genre films and independent features, as well as the latest Hollywood offering.

I wish others were here to enjoy this film with me.  

Okay, time to get off the soap box.  The Weekly Update is here, full of great Horror/Sci Fi/Fantasy Events across the Pacific Northwest.  And I have more to share at the Horror/Sci Fi/Fantasy Calendar, as I'm loading up events taking place during THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!  As you might expect, I'll be adding more in the next few days, so keep checking back. 

Stay safe, and I'll be back next weekend with more great genre events happening under The Shadow Over Portland!

Happening This Week

Live Attractions 

The cats are out!  Laika Studios commemorates the 15th anniversary of their film Coraline with Coraline's Curious Cat Trail, with 30 six-foot-tall cat sculptures placed throughout downtown Portland.  The cats are hand-painted by local artist and will eventually be auctioned off, with proceeds going to OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital.  The link gets you to the KGW article, which didn't include dates when published.  Here's a link to a recent story from KOIN.

Film Festival and Stage Performance Submission Information 

The Eugene Film Society's 9th Annual 72-Hour Horror Film Competition is open to teams, which must register by 7:59 pm on Thursday, October 17.  You must check in at the Art House (492 E 13th Ave in Eugene, OR) between 4 and 8 pm, to be given the mandated line of dialogue and prop to appear in your 3-minute horror film.  From then, you have until 8 pm on Sunday, October 20, to deliver your finished film.  All eligible films will be screened at the Art House the week of October 25 to 31, and audience members will vote for their favorites.  Visit the link for more details. 

ScareGrounds PDX (7805 SE Oaks Park Way in Portland, OR) is hiring for this year's haunted attraction.  Click on the link for details.

Nightmare Factory (which takes place at the Oregon School for the Deaf, located at 999 Locust St NE in Salem, OR) is looking for volunteers for the 2024 season.  Contact the emails on the above poster for volunteer forms.

The Bleedingham Film Festival is taking submissions through September 28.  The festival will take place from Friday, October 25, to Sunday, October 27, at the Pickford Film Center (1318 Bay St in Bellingham, WA).

The 16th Annual Guignolfest 72 Hour Horror Film Contest is taking applications for 2024 now.  You can also watch the trailer on YouTube, and follow the event on Facebook.

The Seattle 48 Hour Horror Film Project has 13 spaces left (as of Thursday, September 19).  Visit the link for more details. 

August, 2024

Happening This Week

The sci fi/horror film Alien: Romulus is playing at the  Living Room Theaters (341 SW 10th Ave in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), and the Laurelhurst Theater (2735 E Burnside St in Portland, OR; scheduled through Wednesday, September 25).

The Bella Organic Farm Corn Maze (16205 NW Gillihan Rd in Portland, OR) opens today dedicated to Teacher Appreciation.  ALL SCHOLL STAFF members will get free admission if they present their school ID).  The maze is open through Thursday, October 31.

The Ghost with the Most is back!  Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is playing at the Empirical Theater at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (1945 SE Water Ave in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), the Joy Cinema (11959 SW Pacific Highway in Tigard, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), the Academy Theater (7818 SE Stark St in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), the Liberty Theatre (315 NE 4th Ave in Camas, WA; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), the St Johns Twin Cinema (8704 N Lombard St in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 25), Cinema 21 (616 NW 21st Ave in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), The Grand Cinema (606 Fawcett Ave in Tacoma, WA; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), the Kelso Theater Pub (214 S Pacific Ave in Kelso, WA; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), the Laurelhurst Theater (2735 E Burnside St in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), the Mount Hood Theatre (401 E Powell Blvd in Gresham, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), Studio One (3945 SE Powell Blvd in Portland, OR; scheduled through Wednesday, September 25), the Yelm Cinema (201 Prairie Park St SE in Yelm, WA; scheduled through Sunday, September 29), the Skyline Drive-In (182 SE Brewer Rd in Shelton, WA; scheduled Friday through Sunday, September 20 to 22, with Trap), the Sandy Cinema (16605 Champion Way in Sandy, OR; scheduled through Wednesday, September 25), the Ark Lodge Cinemas (4816 Rainier Ave S in Seattle, WA; scheduled through Sunday, September 22), the North Bend Theatre (125 Bendigo Blvd N in North Bend, WA; scheduled through Sunday, September 22), the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), Metro Cinemas (888 Willamette St in Eugene, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), and the following McMenamins theaters: the Anderson School (18607 Bothell Way NE in Bothell, WA: scheduled through Wednesday, September 26), the Bagdad Theater (3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd in Portland, OR; scheduled through Wednesday, September 25), the Grand Lodge (3505 Pacific Ave in Forest Grove, OR; scheduled through Monday, September 23), the St Francis Theater (700 NW bond St in Bend, OR; scheduled through Wednesday, September 25), the Power Station (2126 SW Halsey St in Troutdale, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), and the St Johns Theater (8203 N Ivanhoe St in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26).

The film is also playing at the Cameo Theatre (304 E 1st St in Newberg, OR; scheduled from Friday, September 20, through Monday, September 23), the Granada 3 Theatre (1311 Adams Ave in La Grande, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), the 99W Drive-In (3110 Portland Rd in Newberg, OR; scheduled from Friday, September 20 through Sunday, September 22, with 1973's The Exorcist, a rather interesting choice), the Living Room Theaters (341 SW 10th Ave in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), the Salem Cinema (1127 Broadway St in Salem, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), the Pickford Film Center (1318 Bay St in Bellingham, WA; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), the Tracyton Movie House (1520 NE Riddell Rd in Bremerton, WA; scheduled through Wednesday, September 25), and the SIFF Cinema Downtown (2100 4th Ave in Seattle, WA; scheduled through Thursday, September 26).

The Fear PDX Haunted House (12219 NE Glisan St in Portland, OR) is open, and plans to deliver the scars through Friday, November 1.  Visit the link for more details and advance ticket sales.  You can also follow them on Facebook. 

The psychological horror film Speak No Evil is playing at Metro Cinemas (888 Willamette St in Eugene, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), the Yelm Cinemas (201 Prairie Park St SE in Yelm, WA; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), the Sandy Cinemas (16605 Champion Way in Sandy, OR; scheduled through Wednesday, September 25), the Tracyton Movie House (1520 NE Riddell Rd in Bremerton, WA; scheduled through Wednesday, September 25), and Studio One (3945 SE Powell Blvd in Portland, OR; scheduled through Wednesday, September 25).

The Olympia Film Society Kids Club is screening the fantasy classic The Princess Bride at 1 pm on Sundays through Sunday, September 29, at the Capitol Theater (206 5th Ave SE in Olympia, WA).  Kids 12 and under are admitted in FREE.  Sorry, that doesn't apply to the young at heart.

The Substance, starring Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid, is playing at Cinema 21 (616 NW 21st Ave in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), CineMagic (2021 SE Hawthorne Blvd in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), the Laurelhurst Theater (2735 E Burnside St in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday September 26), the Grand Cinema (606 Fawcett Ave in Tacoma, WA; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), the Metro Cinemas (888 Willamette St in Eugene, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), the Sandy Cinema (16605 Champion Way in Sandy, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), the Living Room Theaters (341 SW 10th Ave in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), the Ark Lodge Cinemas (4816 Rainier Ave S in Seattle, WA; scheduled through Sunday, September 22), Studio One (3945 SE Powell Blvd in Portland, OR; scheduled through Wednesday, September 25), the Darkside Cinema (215 SW 4th St in Corvallis, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), the Kiggins Theatre (1011 Main St in Vancouver, WA: scheduled through Tuesday, September 24), and SIFF Cinema Uptown (511 Queen Anne Ave N in Seattle, WA; scheduled through Thursday, September 26).

The Reel Oddities series brings David Cronenberg's Videodrome to the Capitol Theater (206 5th Ave SE in Olympia, WA) at 7 pm on Wednesday through September 25.

The Realms Unknown Festival takes place through Sunday, September 22, at the Lewis River Golf Course (3209 Old Lewis River Rd in Woodland, WA).  This all-ages fantasy festival includes camping, whimsy, cosplay, historical re-enactment and adventure quests.  Visit the link for details and to purchase tickets.  You can follow the event on Facebook.

Red Rooms, a psychological thriller about a Montreal-based model obsessed with a serial killer trial to the point she finds herself on a road towards destruction, is playing at SIFF Cinema Uptown (511 Queen Anne Ave N in Seattle, WA; scheduled through Thursday, September 26).

The sci fi film Omni Loop, starring Mary-Louise Parker as a quantum physicist in a time loop, with a black hole growing in her chest (YIKES!) is playing at SIFF Cinema Uptown (511 Queen Anne Ave N in Seattle, WA; scheduled through Thursday, September 26).

The subtitled version (at least, the cast list leads me to believe so) of Princess Mononoke is playing at The Beacon (4405 Rainier Ave S in Seattle, WA; scheduled through Wednesday, September 25).

My Neighbor Totoro is playing, in both dubbed and subtitled versions, at Central Cinema (1411 21st Ave in Seattle, WA; scheduled through Wednesday, September 25).

In tribute to the late James Earl Jones, the Pickford Film Center (1318 Bay St in Bellingham, WA) is showing the original Star Wars Trilogy , with one film each night through Sunday, September 22.  RIP, Mr. Jones.  You will live on, as Darth Vader and your many other unforgettable roles.

The horror classic The Silence of the Lambs is playing at the Academy Theater (7818 SE Stark St in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26).

Alexandre Aja's latest film Never Let Go, starring Halle Berry, is playing at the Yelm Cinemas (201 Prairie Park St SE in Yelm, WA; scheduled through Thursday, September 26), and the Sandy Cinema (16605 Champion Way in Sandy, OR; scheduled through Thursday, September 26).

The Babadook is playing at the Sandy Cinema (16605 Champion Way in Sandy, OR; scheduled through Tuesday, September 24).

Sunday, September 22

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane is playing at The Beacon (4405 Rainier Ave S in Seattle, WA) today at 2 pm, and Thursday, September 26, at 4 pm.

The Absolute Anime series at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre (508 S Main St in Moscow, ID) presents Ninja Scroll today at 4 and 7 pm. 

The Garland Theater (924 W Garland Ave in Spokane, WA) is showing the 1986 horror classic Night of the Creeps, starring the great Tom Atkins, today at 5 pm.

Woah!  Fathom Events is bringing The Matrix back to theaters nationwide for a 25 anniversary screening today.  Visit the link to find a theater near you.

Tuesday, September 24

The Portland Horror Trivia Massacre takes place tonight at Home; A Bar (719 SE Morrison St in Portland OR) tonight at 7;30 pm.

Wednesday, September 25

Matthew Bourne's dance version of Edward Scissorhands is playing at the SIFF Film Center (167 Republican St in Seattle, WA) tonight at 7 pm, and on Sunday, September 29, at 1 pm, and the Liberty Theatre (315 NE 4th Ave in Camas, WA) tonight at 7 pm, and on Sunday, September 29, at 4 pm.

Thursday, September 26

It's Battlestar Galactic Back to Back!, tonight at the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR).  The first will be an episode from the 1978 series, with the next from the 2004 series.  Both share a similar plot, but the execution is quite different.  The show starts at 7:30 pm.

Fathom Events brings Studio Ghibli's Howl's Moving Castle back to theaters nationwide through Thursday, October 3.  Visit the link to find a theater near you, and to find which screenings are subtitled and which are dubbed.

Friday, September 27

Frighthouse Station (626 E 25th St in Tacoma, WA) opens for the Halloween season tonight.  Details and schedule to follow.  You can follow the attraction of Facebook.

Killer Burlesque: A Horror Parody promises to reinvent horror movies with a burlesque twist.  This 21 and older show is on stage at the Alberta Abbey (126 NE Alberta St in Portland, OR) through Sunday, October 27.

The South Korean horror film Sleep is playing at the Grand Illusion Cinema (1403 NE 50th St in Seattle, WA; scheduled through Monday, September 30).

The Exorcism of Saint Patrick, about a pastor performing conversion therapy on a gay teen, resulting in the teen's death and the ghosts of the camp's victims returning for revenge, is playing at the Grand Illusion Cinema (1403 NE 50th St in Seattle, WA) tonight at 9:15 pm.  Writer/director Quinn Armstrong is scheduled to be in attendance for a post-show Q and A.

Jinkies!  Mondo Trasho at the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) is showing 2002's Scooby-Doo tonight at 7:30 pm.

A 4K restoration of Tobe Hooper's horror classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is playing at the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, October 3).

Dario Argento's The Bird with the Crystal Plumage is playing at the Academy Theater (7818 SE Stark St in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, October 3).

CineMagic (2021 SE Hawthorne Blvd in Portland, OR) is teaming up with Gift Bar for one week to expand snacking options, and they sponsored fills that pair nicely with cheese sauce, including Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, Vampire's Kiss, and Event Horizon (not sure that last one is as cheesy as they think, but to each their own).  The series runs through Thursday, October 3.

The World's End is coming to Central Cinema (1411 21st Ave in Seattle, WA; scheduled through Wednesday, October 2).

Peter Weir's ecological horror film The Last Wave is playing at The Beacon (4405 Rainier Ave S in Seattle, WA) tonight at 7 pm, and on Tuesday, October 1, at 7:30 pm.

The animated feature The Wild Robot is playing at the Liberty Theatre (315 NE 4th Ave in Camas, WA; scheduled through Thursday, October 10), the Blue Mouse Theatre (2611 N Proctor in Tacoma, WA; scheduled through Monday, September 30), and the Metro Cinemas (888 Willamette St in Eugene, OR; scheduled from Thursday, September 26, through Sunday, September 29).

The film opens on Thursday, September 26, at the Laurelhurst Theater (2735 E Burnside St in Portland, OR; scheduled TBA), the Sandy Cinema (16605 Champion Way in Sandy, OR; scheduled through Thursday, October 3), the Ark Lodge Cinemas (4816 Rainier Ave S in Seattle, WA; scheduled through Sunday, September 29), the North Bend Theatre (125 Bendigo Blvd N in North Bend, WA; scheduled through Sunday, October 6), SIFF Cinema Uptown (511 Queen Anne Ave N in Seattle, WA; scheduled through Thursday, October 3), and the Yelm Cinemas (201 Prairie Park St SE in Yelm, WA; scheduled through Sunday, September 29).

A 4K remastered version of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is playing at SIFF Cinema Downtown (2100 4th Ave in Seattle, WA; scheduled through Wednesday, October 2).

Saturday, September 28

The Bella Organic Farm Haunted Corn Maze  (16205 NW Gillihan Rd in Portland, OR) opens tonight, and is open every Friday and Saturday in October (except for Halloween night; that's a bit of a bummer).  

Fright Factory Haunted House (2000 Collins Rd in Buckley, WA) opens tonight and will deliver the scares through Friday, November 1.  You can also follow the attraction on Facebook.

The Portland Retro Gaming Expo brings the 1995 film Mortal Kombat to the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR), with a pre-show Q and A featuring actors from the original game, tonight at 7 pm.

The French sci fi animate film The Time Masters is playing at The Beacon (4405 Rainier Ave S in Seattle, WA) today at 4 and 7 pm.

The Palouse Cult Film Revival brings Big Trouble in Little China to the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre (508 S Main St in Moscow, ID) tonight at 8:30 pm.

Hundreds of Beavers invade the SIFF Cinema Egyptian (805 E Pine St in Seattle, WA) through Monday, September 30.

And insects invade The Beacon (4405 Rainier Ave S in Seattle, WA) with screenings of The Hellstrom Chronicle scheduled through Monday, September 30.

Sunday, September 29

The Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) will show Dario Argento's Giallo classic Deep Red, with a pre-movie concert by The Bavannaires highlighting Giallo and European horror scores, tonight at 8:30 pm.