Goodbye, Dad

 

My father passed away in February, and I'd planned on writing this tribute to him soon after.  But with issues at work, and moving, I just wasn't able to bring myself to sit down and spend the time to express my thanks to how he shape my life.

I think part of the problem was how he died.  Unlike my mother, who died three years ago after a fall, my father died before my eyes.  He moved back to the Pacific Northwest last year, just before his ninetieth birthday, to live with my brother in Vancouver, WA.  It meant I was able to see him more often than yearly visits in Florida, which were placed on hold thanks to COVID.  He seemed in pretty good health, so my brothers and I thought we had a few years to be with him.  But, as fall and winter set in, and the COVID isolation mandates continued, we could see the toll being locked in the house took upon him.

 At least we were able to celebrate his ninetieth birthday with him.

But, watching his mind and body fail him over time, it was a relief when my youngest brother called me to say he'd passed on, as the last time I saw him, he was just a shell.  No spark to remind me of who he was, just a body breathing on autopilot.  It was difficult dealing with his passing, but wasn't as hard as with my mother, whose sudden death was the result of an accident.

Enough of that.  This is a chance for me to say how he influenced my love for classic monsters, horror, sci fi and fantasy.  And I have to say, like my mom, he couldn't understand where my interests came from.  But he accepted who I was, and made sure I learned things outside my interest.  Dad taught me how to do basic electrical and plumbing, and how to fix a car (before all the computer interfacing required you to take your car to a mechanic), lessons I still use to this day.

But Dad was also instrumental in fostering my love of reading.  When my family moved to the Pacific Northwest in the 70s, he worked cabin maintenance for a major airline.  It was a major step down from his previous job as a mechanic, but he kept working it until he retired.  This was before Kindle, so people brought paperback novels onto airplanes and often left them after the flight.  So he'd always bring home some great stuff for me to read, from "trashy" horror novels and sci fi novels to best sellers like Jaws and The Exorcist.  I also learned he traded "men's" magazines with his co-workers for novels he thought I'd like.  It wasn't that he'd keep them, he just knew, when he found them, he could use them to keep me supplied with books.  And, like my mother, he didn't care what I read, as long as I was reading. 

As for my love of genre, it's always be a point of speculation at the family dinner table.  Now, my brothers and I were able to find that my parents attended the premiere screening of Psycho when she was pregnant with me (yes, I'm that old) and, at one family dinner, I postulated that the rise in adrenaline and other hormones Mom experienced while watching Psycho caused my love of genre.  My mom looked at me and said, "No, it was when Vera Miles turned around Mrs. Bates.  Your father jumped in her lap.  That's what did it."  

My brothers and I started laughing, while Dad just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Yeah, that's basically what happened."

 So, if you're ever watching Psycho with me and I'm smiling at this scene, you know why.

To say my father didn't like horror films would be an understatement.  But I remember the night I was watching Army of Darkness on VHS, and my dad came home from work, as he was working a swing shift.  He sat down, asked what I was watching and to fill him in.  I did, and after Ash retrieved the Book of the Dead, he said, "This is too stupid, I'm going to bed."  This was after laughing as Ash was assaulted in Three Stoogies style by the Deadites (Oh, I should mention he was a fan of the Stoogies and Benny Hill; thank you for that as well, Dad).  But five minutes later, he came out and said, "I have to see how this ends."  I offered to rewind the film, but he was fine with my summery.  And when the Classic came out with the whirling windmill blades, he smiled and said, "You don't see that every day."

 And he was right.  You won't see that on the freeway.

He said the same thing when I brought home the first original Mortal Combat, and Goro entered the picture. But he was fine watching that film, as he loved a good action film.  Which is how I made him a Jackie Chan fan.  Police Story will do that.

And, to his credit, he never had a problem with me switching away from the Wide World of Sports, or some other sports event, during a commercial break to catch a glimpse of the monster movie on Channel 12 at the time.  Though I suspect he was happy when Mom relented and allowed me to buy a small black and white television for my room, so he got to watch sports uninterrupted.

But, my favorite story about Dad took place several years ago in Florida.  I was staying in my parent's guest bedroom, filled with all their trinkets and several antiques.  I'd spent a lot of time painting their kitchen and living room, and as payment, my mom told me I could pick something from the room to take home with me.  I spent a few seconds looking over the room, than came out with a resin figure of Honest John from Disney's Pinoochio, which he'd purchased it as a kid after seeing the film.

"So," Mom asked, "why'd you pick that?"

"Well, it's kind of link with Dad," I said.  "I buy figures from films I like, and this is the only one he ever bought.  So it's special in my eyes."

Dad nodded.  "Good choice, son.  I love that figure.  Give it a good home."

"It's not going on eBay, right?" Mom asked.

"Hell no," I replied.  "I'm displaying it with some of my figures."

A few weeks after I got home, I was on the phone with my parents.  "So," Dad asked me, "did you look up what the figure's worth?"

"Yeah, I was curious," I said.  "I could get up to $500 for it."

"And..." Mom said.

"It's staying right were it is, next to my figure of Boris Karloff as The Mummy."

And it's still there today, though Angela is hanging out in the shadows.

 Good bye, Dad.  I love you and I'll miss you.  I hope you and Mom are dancing on a beach somewhere.

 My parents and I on a trip to Silver Springs in Florida, so I could see where they filmed Revenge of the Creature.

Cons and film fests in the time of COVID

Okay, I don't want to ruin anyone's summer.  Not that the airlines aren't doing their best to mess with summer travel plans. But, as I follow a lot of events online, I came across some distressing news about a local con, which took place last month.

Although the organizers did their best to minimize the risk to attendees, they reported on Facebook that a few people tested positive for COVID after attending the convention.  More disappointing, they found a few people had positive tests before the con and still attended the event.

Okay, put the torches and pitchforks away!  That's not why I'm writing this!!

Sure, it's tempting to simply blame such people, but that won't do any good.  We all know people can be that selfish.  What's important is to minimize YOUR risk of contracting the disease, and we all know how to do that.  We've been doing it for two years now, and a little longer isn't going to hurt anyone.

Social distancing is fine, but in a crowded con or film festival, it will be impossible.  So, if you're going to head out this summer to an event, bring a mask, even if you tested negative.  Not only will you be protecting others should you have the virus and not know it (false negatives are possible), but it might also keep you safe should you be around a maskless person who has the virus.

And if you haven't been vaccinated yet, please get the shots.  Sure, the possibility of an adverse reaction exists, but it's rare.  I've been fully boosted for months, and haven't had any adverse reactions aside from the day after the injection.

Look, we all want things to get back to normal.  I know I do.  But I also know the virus is still out there, and will be for the foreseeable future.  We still need to keep our guard up and do everything we can to keep ourselves safe.

So please, stay safe, mask up around crowds and get vaccinated.  No one wants another large spike in cases during the fall.

Enough doom and gloom.  Time for the best part of the Weekly Update, all the great events coming to the Pacific Northwest this week.  As with last week, this update has more than just great movies.

You'll find even more great stuff at the Horror/Sci Fi/Fantasy Calendar, allowing you to plan out your spring and summer fun.  I wasn't able to updated it much this week (life and work decided to become complicated, hence the reason I'm late again this week), so expect a bunch of events to show up in the next few days.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week and I'll be back next Friday (or so) with more great thing happening under The Shadow Over Portland!

If you'd like to support the site, please visit my Ko-fi page.  Thank you!

Happening This Week   

 

Michelle Yeoh fighting to save the multiverse?  I'm SOLD!  Also starring the amazing James Hong and Jamie Lee Curtis, Everything Everywhere All At Once continues this weekat the Darkside Cinema (215 SW 4th St in Corvallis, OR), the Kiggins Theatre (1011 Main St in Vancouver, WA), the Academy Theater (7818 SE Stark St in Portland, OR), the St Johns Twin Cinema (8704 N Lombard St in Portland, OR), The Grand Cinema (606 Fawcett Ave in Tacoma, WA), the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR), the Broadway Metro (888 Willamette St in Eugene, OR), the Salem Cinema (1127 Broadway NE in Salem, OR), Cinema 21 (616 NW 21st Ave in Portland, OR), the Pickford Film Center (1318 Bay St in Bellingham, WA), the Laurelhurst Theater (2735 E Burnside St in Portland, OR), Studio One Theaters (3945 SE Powell Blvd in Portland, OR),

 

"If Boogie Nights and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre had a baby, X would be their demonic love-child!"  Well, just shut up and take my money!!  The latest from director Ti West (The House of the Devil, The Innkeepers), X continues at the Broadway Metro (888 Willamette St in Eugene, OR) through Thursday, May 19.

 

Artist Repertory Theatre brings The Children, a look at climate change and what, if anything, one generation owes the next, to the Portland Center Stage: Ellyn Bye Studio (128 NW 11th Ave in Portland, OR) through May 15.

 

The latest adaptation of Stephen King's Firestarter opens this week at the Yelm Cinemas (201 Prairie Park Ln SE in Yelm, WA), the Sandy Cinema (16605 Champion Way in Sandy, OR) and Studio One Theaters (3945 SE Powell Blvd in Portland, OR).

 

 

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness continues next week at the Mt Hood Theatre (401 E Powell Blvd in Gresham, OR), the Cameo Theatre (304 E 1st St in Newberg, OR), the 99W Drive-In (3110 Portland Rd in Newberg, OR; plays after Encanto), the Yelm Cinemas (201 Prairie Park Ln SE in Yelm, WA), the Columbia Theatre-Saint Helens (212 S 1st St in Saint Helens, OR), the Blue Mouse Theatre (2611 N Proctor St in Tacoma, WA), the Academy Theater (7818 SE Stark St in Portland, OR), the Granada 3 Theatre (1311 Adams Ave in La Grande, OR), the Liberty Theatre (315 NW 4th Ave in Camas, WA), CineMagic (2021 SE Hawthorne Blvd in Portland, OR), the Broadway Metro (888 Willamette St in Eugene, OR), the Laurelhurst Theater (2735 E Burnside St in Portland, OR), Studio One Theaters (3945 SE Powell Blvd in Portland, OR), the St Johns Twin Cinema (8704 N Lombard St in Portland, OR), the Kelso Theater Pub (214 S Pacific Ave in Kelso, WA), the Sandy Cinema (16605 Champion Way in Sandy, OR), and the following McMenamins locations: Anderson School (18607 Bothell Way NE in Bothell, WA),  the Bagdad Theater (3702 SE Hawthrone Blvd in Portland, OR),  Grand Lodge (3505 Pacific Ave in Forest Grove, OR), Old St. Francis School (700 NW Bond St in Bend, OR), the Olympic Club (112 N Tower Ave in Centralia, WA), the Edgefield Power Station Theater (2126 SW Halsey St in Troutdale, OR), and the St Johns Theatre (8203 N Ivanhoe St in Portland, OR).

 

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore continues at the M-F Drive-In (84322 Oregon-Washington Highway in Milton Freewater, OR), the Sandy Cinema (16605 Champion Way in Sandy, OR) and the Yelm Cinemas (201 Prairie Park Ln SE in Yelm, WA),

McMenamins Kennedy School (5736 NE 33rd Ave in Portland, OR) will continues showing The Batman through Tuesday, May 19.

 

The Bleedingham Horror Film Festival is taking submissions through September 1, 2022.  The event takes place on Saturday and Sunday, October 22 and 23, in Bellingham, WA.

 

Metalesque Fest will be taking performer applications through June 18.  The festival takes place from September 30 to October 2 at locations in Portland, OR.

 

May, 2022

 

Saturday, May 14

 

The West Coast Halloween Convention takes place this weekend at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Portland (1000 NE Multnomah St in Portland, OR).  Click on the link for tickets and a list of events.

McMenamins 22nd Annual UFO Fest takes place today and tomorrow at McMenamins Hotel Oregon (310 Evans St in McMinnville, OR).  You can find more details on the Facebook Event Page.

 

 

The Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) will screen Troma's latest film, Shakespeare's Shitstorm, tonight at 7 pm.  A demented adaptation of The Tempest, director and star Lloyd Kaufman will be in attendance for a Q and A after the film.  Kaufman will also be at Movie Madness (4320 SE Belmont St in Portland, OR) from 3 to 5 pm today for a signing/meet and greet.

 

The Grand Illusion (1403 NE 50th St in Seattle, WA) presents Frog Dreaming (AKA The Quest), directed by Ozploitation auteur Brian Trenchard-Smith (who will be in attendance) tonight at 6:30 pm. 

 

The Inland NW Toy Show Classic takes place from 10 am to 4 pm today at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center (404 N Havana St in Spokane Valley, WA).  Admission is $5, with kids 12 and under admitted free.  Early Bird tickets are available for $10, and get you in an hour early.

Tacoma Hip Hop presents A Journey to Oz, a dance recital, at 7 pm tonight at Edison Square (5415 S Tacoma Way in Tacoma, WA).  Follow the link for tickets.

The Blue Mouse Theatre (2611 N Proctor St in Tacoma, WA) presents The Rocky Horror Picture Show tonight at midnight.  The Blue Mouseketeers will provide a live shadowcast, with any donations going to the production of Little Shop of Horrors in July, in collaberation with Friday Night Frights.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show will be shown tonight at the Clinton Street Theater (2522 SE Clinton St in Portland, OR).  This screening is designed for virgins curious about checking out why this film plays every Saturday at the theater.  Doors open at 11 pm, movie starts at midnight.

Sunday, May 15

Market of The Beast, a traveling dark art market for the weird, wild and occult, will be at Old Nick's Pub (211 Washington St in Eugene, OR) from 1 to 6 pm.  $1 donation is suggested.  This is an all ages event.

The Church of Film presents the North Korean monster movie Pulgasari at 8 pm tonight at the Red Fox (5128 N Albina Ave in Portland, OR).  The film's director, Sang-ok Shin, and his wife were supposedly kidnapped by DPRK dictator Kim Il Sung and forced to make films, including this one.  The screening is outdoors in a covered and heated area and admission is FREE.

Fathom Event's Studio Ghibli Fest 2022 brings Ponyo back to the big screen on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday, May 15, 16 and 18.  Monday's screening is subtitled, the others are dubbed.  Visit the link to find a theater near you.

 

Monday, May 16

 

Jujutsu Kaisen 0: The Movie will play at the Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) tonight at 6:30 pm and on Sunday, May 22, at 1:35 pm.  Both screenings are in Japanese with English subtitles.

 

Pagan May continues at the Clinton Street Theater (2522 SE Clinton St in Portland, OR) with Ingmar Bergman's The Magician, starring Max von Sydow, tonight at 7 pm. 

Tuesday, May 17

Repressed Cinema series at the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) will show the 1969 Larry Buchanan film It's Alive, starring Tommy Kirk, in GLORIOUS 16mm tonight at 7:30 pm.  And no, it's NOT the 1974 film from Larry Cohen!

The Darkside Cinema (215 SW 4th St in Corvallis, OR) will screen the 1950 sci fi film Rocketship X-M tonight.  The show starts at 7 pm, and be aware, heckling is encouraged.

 

Norwegian filmmaker Eskil Volgt's supernatural thriller The Innocents will screen at the Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) tonight at 6:20 pm, and Wednesday, May 18, at 9:15 pm.

Thursday, May 19

Alex Garland's (Ex Machina, Annihilation) latest horror film, Men, opens tonight at the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR),  the Laurelhurst Theater (2735 E Burnside St in Portland, OR), and Cinema 21 (616 NW 21st Ave in Portland, OR).

Jack Hill's 1967 classic Spider Baby; or, The Maddest Story Ever Told, starring Lon Chaney Jr, will be screened at 7 pm tonight at The Beacon (4403 Rainier Ave S in Seattle, WA).

Friday, May 20

This Mother's Day, take your mother to the Blue Mouse Theatre (2611 N Proctor St in Tacoma, WA) as Friday Night Frights screens 1980's Mother's Day tonight at 10 pm.  Mom's gonna love it!

Crypticon Seattle takes place this weekend at the Doubletree Hotel Sea Tac (18740 International Blvd in Seattle, WA).  Bill Moseley (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2, The Devil's Rejects), Noah Hathaway (The NeverEnding Story, the original Battlestar Galactica), The Chiodo Brothers (Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Critters), William Katt (Carrie, House) and Phil Fondacaro (Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Troll, Willow) Dana DeLorenzo (Ash vs. Evil Dead), Christine Elise (Child's Play 2, TV's Chucky), Alex Vincent (Child's Play, Child's Play 2) voice actor Roger Jackson (Scream, The Powerpuff Girls) and Fiona Dourif (TV's Chucky, Cult of Chucky) are scheduled to attend.

UPDATE:  Cassandra Peterson (Elvira, Mistress of the Dark), author/director Matt Shaw (Monster), Eugene Clark (Big Daddy in George Romero's Land of the Dead), David Tennant (Doctor Who, Good Omens, Jessica Jones) Eileen Dietz (The Exorcist and local film A Haunting in Ravenwood, which will be screened at the con), actor Phil Fondacaro (Troll, Willow, Return of the Jedi) and author/filmmaker John Skipp (Tales of Halloween) are scheduled to attend.  And Northwest filmmaker Joe Sherlock's latest film, Dark Zone Thirteen Part Two, will be screened at the con at midnight on Saturday, May 21.

 

The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) will screen Cowboy Bebop: The Movie tonight at 11:15 pm.

 

The Grand Illusion Cinema (1403 NE 50th St in Seattle, WA) will show Gaspar Noe's Lux AEterna, through Thursday, May 26.

Central Cinema (1411 21st Ave in Seattle, WA) will show Studio Ghibli's Howl's Moving Castle at 4 and 7 pm through Wednesday, May 25, and a 5 pm showing on Thursday, May 26.  The 4 pm screenings are English dubbed, the 7 pm in Japanese with English subtitles.  No word on the 5 pm show yet.

 

Get to da chopper!  Er, I mean get to Central Cinema (1411 21st Ave in Seattle, WA) for screenings of the original Predator through Wednesday, May 25.

 

Guilds of Manzoa: Fantasy Rock Musical takes the stage at the Samaritan Odd Fellows Lodge (10282 SE Main St in Milwaukie, OR) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 20 to 22 and May 27 to 29.  The Torchsong Theater Company production follows a group of D and D players transported to a fantasy world when they start playing a mysterious RPG called Guilds of Manzoa.  Dragons, meta humor and musical numbers ensue.  You can listen to some of the songs from the score at the link.

The 7th Street Theatre (313 7th St in Hoquiam, WA) will show the shot-in-Oregon favorite The Goonies today and tomorrow at 7:30 pm. 

 

Saturday, May 21

 

The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) will screen Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away today at 2 pm and on Monday, May 23, at 1:30 pm.  Both screenings are English dubbed versions.

 

VHS Uber Alles presents a Teen Zombie Thriller in GLORIOUS VHS at 9 pm tonight at the Grand Illusion Cinema (1403 NE 50th St in Seattle, WA).  Don't know the title of the film, but a plot summery is available at the link.

 

Pagan May continues at the Clinton Street Theater (2522 SE Clinton St in Portland, OR) with screenings of Gaspar Noe's Lux AEterna, at 7 and 9 pm.

 

Stunt Rock, about an Australian stuntman developing pyrotechnic magic tricks for a rock band's show, will be screened at the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) tonight at 7 pm.  Legendary Ozploitation director Brian Trenchard-Smith (Turkey Shoot, Leprechaun 4: In Space) and star Margaret Trenchard-Smith (AKA Margaret Gerard) will be in attendance for a Q and A after the film.

 

The Mid Valley Comic Art Expo takes place today from 10 am to 6 pm, with a cosplay contest from 6 to 7:30 pm, at the Oregon State Fairgrounds Columbia Hall (2330 17th St NE in Salem, OR).  You can follow the expo on Facebook.

 

The Whiteside Theatre (361 SW Madison Ave in Corvallis, OR) will show the animated sci fi film Home today at 3 pm. 

 

The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) will show The Rocky Horror Picture Show at 11:30 pm tonight with a live shadowcast from the Geekenders.  Costumes and audience participation is encouraged.  Doors open at 10 :45 pm. 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show will be shown tonight at the Clinton Street Theater (2522 SE Clinton St in Portland, OR) with a shadowcast from the Clinton Street Cabaret.  Doors open at 11 pm, movie starts at midnight.

 

Sunday, May 22

 

Fathom Events brings the director's edition of Star Trek: The Motion Picture to theaters nationwide today, on Monday, May 23 and Wednesday, May 25.  Follow the link to find a theater near you showing the film.