This edition of the Weekly Update is full of great films, stage events, New Years Eve galas, and, yes, screenings of the new Spider-Man movie.

 

You might have noticed a few new movies creeping into the listings as The Shadow Over Portland.  It's not unusual, as I've listed films like The Shape of Water upon their release.  And I listed new releases hitting theaters during the lifting of COVID restrictions.  But now, I've got listings for the latest Spider-Man movie, and I want to explain why it's on the site.

When I started this site eleven years ago, my intent was to ignore first run films (with some exceptions), as the advertising campaign for a major studio release often was about the same amount a studio would spend on a movie.  Everyone knew when Avatar opened in theaters, but a revival screening of The Terminator might go unnoticed.

But as streaming services have grown, locally-owned cinemas have seen their customer base shrink.  Theaters that focus on showing classic or cult films were the first to feel the pinch, as most of the movies that would draw a crowd are easily, and legally, available online.  And now that film studios are releasing films onto streaming platforms in weeks, rather than months, second-run theaters are no longer as popular as they were a few years ago.

What makes you think I'm letting you leave the house to go to the theater, bitch?

In order to keep the doors open, many of these theaters are now showing first run films.  And while this means it will become harder to see classic Horror/Sci Fi/Fantasy Films on the big screen, I still want to support local cinemas.  And one way to do that is to share what new movies they are showing with you.  Of course, the other way is to buy a ticket.  I'm sure the theaters would appreciate that more than what I do on the site.

Marvel movies aside, this edition of the Weekly Update is surprisingly full for the final weeks of the year.  Which is great news, as Pacific Northwest Horror/Sci Fi/Fantasy Fans have a lot of great films, stage productions, markets and MORE to choose from.  And this edition is a bit longer than normal, running through December 31, to give you time to find the perfect New Years Eve celebration to attend.

With 2022 coming up soon, I'm busy adding more great events to the Horror/Sci Fi/Fantasy Calendar, so I hope you check that out as well.

I'll have a new Weekly Update out on Christmas Eve.  See you then!

If you would like to support the site, visit my Ko-fi page.

 

Playing This Week   

 

The current exhibit at Wyrd War Gallery (3505 NE Broadway St in Portland, OR) is No Future by Nathan McKee.  Drawing from classic genre films, McKee re-creates scenes utilizing layers of cut paper in a distinctive variation of the Japanese art of kirie.  The gallery is open Saturdays and Sundays from  3 to 7 pm, or you can schedule an appointment to tour the gallery.  The event runs through the holidays.   

 

Guillermo del Toro's latest film, Nightmare Alley, is playing at the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR), the Broadway Metro (888 Willamette St in Eugene, OR), Salem Cinema (1127 Broadway NE in Salem, OR), Darkside Cinema (215 SW 4th St in Corvallis, OR), The Grand Cinema (606 Fawcett Ave in Tacoma, WA) and Cinema 21 (616 NW 21st Ave in Portland, OR). 

 

The Broadway Metro (888 Willamette St in Eugene, OR) is show the new version of Dune through Thursday, December 23.

 

Calling Dial Code Santa Claus (AKA Deadly Games) simply a crueler version of Home Alone is missing the point of this dark fairy tale.  Sure, the film focuses on a young boy who arms himself with homemade deadly weapons to battle a killer dressed as Santa trying to break into his house.  But it's so much more.  You can see it on the big screen at the Central Cinema (1411 21st Ave in Seattle, WA) through Tuesday, December 21.   You can also read my review here.

 

The St Johns Twin Cinema (8704 N Lombard St in Portland, OR) will screen Don't Look Up, about a planet-killing comet targeting Earth while no one seems to care, through Thursday, December 23.

 

The Academy Theater (7818 SE Stark St in Portland, OR) will show the 1938 version of the classic Christmas ghost story, A Christmas Carol, through Thursday, December 23, in GLORIOUS 35mm!

The Grand Illusion Cinema (1403 NE 50th St in Seattle, WA) will be showing the holiday classic It's a Wonderful Life in GLORIOUS 35mm through the rest of December.  Visit the link for showtimes, which have been posted.

 

Stumptown Stages presents a world premiere musical, A Carol for Christmas, at Portland'5 Winningstad Theatre (1111 SW Broadway in Portland, OR) through Sunday, December 19.  The production takes Dickens classic holiday ghost tale and sets in the Midwest during the 1930's American Depression.  Sounds like the perfect setting for a tale about greed, the callous disregard for humanity and personal redemption.  

 

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (15 S Pioneer St in Ashland, OR) presents the World Premiere of It's Christmas, Carol! on the Angus Bowmer stage through Sunday, January 2, 2022.  This "Play with Lots of Songs" skewers Dickens, holidays and Shakespeare with a dose of the Marx Brothers, fractured carols and DINOSAURS!  'Cause everything is better with DINOSAURS!!  

 

The Academy Theater (7818 SE Stark St in Portland, OR) will be showing the horror film Antlers through Thursday, December 23.

 

The Granada 3 Theatre (1311 Adams Ave in La Grande, OR) will continue screening the new Disney animated film Encanto through Tuesday, December 21.

Edgar Wright's gallio infused ghost story/thriller, Last Night in Soho, opens at the Academy Theatre (7818 SE Stark St in Portland, OR) runs through Thursday, December 23.

 

Sure, you'll have no problem watching Spider-Man: No Way Home at some big corperate multiplex.  But why not support local and independent theaters like the Joy Cinema and Pub (11959 SW Pacific Highway in Tigard, OR), the Granada 3 Theatre (1311 Adams Ave in La Grande, OR), St Johns Twin Cinema (8704 N Lombard St in Portland, OR), the Kelso Theater Pub (214 S Pacific Ave in Kelso, WA), the Blue Mouse Theatre (2611 N Proctor St in Tacoma, WA) and the Cameo Theatre (304 E 1st St in Newberg, OR).

 

The film is also showing at the following McMenamins locations: the McMenamins Anderson School (18607 Bothell Way NE in Bothell, WA), McMenamins Bagdad (3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd in Portland, OR), McMenamins Olympic Club Theater (112 N Tower Ave in Centralia, WA), McMenamins Old St. Francis Theater (700 NW Bond St in Bend, OR), McMenamins Grand Lodge (3505 Pacific Ave in Forest Grove, OR) and McMenamins Power Station Theater at Edgefield (2126 SW Halsey St in Troutdale, OR).

 

The Central Cinema (1411 21st Ave in Seattle, WA) is showing Will Ferrell's holiday comedy Elf through Thursday, December 23.

 

 

The Portland Underground Cinema Expo is looking for short (15 minutes or less, including credits) for a short film showcase taking place at the Chapel Theatre (4107 SE Harrison St in Milwaukie, OR) on January 8, 2022.  Filmmakers must be based in the state of Oregon, and Vancouver, WA.  This is not a festival; no prizes, no judges and no submission fees.  Just a chance for your experimental, bizarre, highly unconventional short film to be seen by an audience of film lovers and filmmakers.  Deadline for submissions is December 20, 2021.

      

December, 2021 

Friday, December 17

The Finnish holiday classic Rare Exports opens tonight at the Darkside Cinema (215 SW 4th St in Corvallis, OR) and will play through Thursday, December 23.

The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) will present a Stephen King double feature, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining and Mike Flanagan's Doctor Sleep, tonight starting at 6 pm.  Writer/Director Mike Flanagan (Doctor Sleep, Gerald's Game, Midnight Mass) will be in attendance to introduce the films, speak on adapting King to the big screen and answer questions about the task of following Kubrick's work.  That's going to be an AMAZING evening.

Calling Dial Code Santa Claus (AKA Deadly Games) simply a crueler version of Home Alone is missing the point of this dark fairy tale.  Sure, the film focuses on a young boy who arms himself with homemade deadly weapons to battle a killer dressed as Santa trying to break into his house.  But it's so much more.  Check it out on the big screen at the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) tonight at 9:45 pm.   You can also read my review here.

The Liberty Theatre (315 NE 4th Ave in Camas, WA) will show Will Ferrell's holiday comedy Elf on Friday, December 17, at 5:30 pm,  on Saturday, December 18, at 2:55 pm and on Tuesday, December 21, at 1 pm.

The Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) will be showing a digital restoration of the holiday classic It's a Wonderful Life tonight at 7 pm, and at 2 pm on Saturday, December 18.

Friday Night Frights presents that wintery classic, Stanley Kubrick's The Shining at 10 pm tonight at the Blue Mouse Theatre (2611 N Proctor St in Tacoma, WA).

Saturday, December 18

 

Wyrd War and the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) will screen Maniac Cop and Maniac Cop 2, with actor Laurene Landon in attendance, tonight only starting at 7 pm. 

 

The Liberty Theatre (315 NE 4th Ave in Camas, WA) will show the animated holiday fantasy The Polar Express today at 12:30 pm and on Sunday, December 19, at 3 pm.

 

The Liberty Theatre (315 NE 4th Ave in Camas, WA) will show the holiday horror classic Gremlins tonight at 5:30 pm, and on Monday, December 20, at 1 pm. 

The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) will screen the fuzzy retelling of the Dickens classic, The Muppet Christmas Carol, today at 1:20 pm and on Thursday, December 23, at 7:15 pm.  Wocka, wocka, wocka!

 

The Beacon (4405 Rainier Ave S in Seattle, WA) will show Finnish director Paivi Hartzell's enchanting, nightmarish adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's Lumikuningatar/The Snow Queen tonight at 6:45 pm.

The Beacon (4405 Rainier Ave S in Seattle, WA) will show animator Aristotelis Maragkos' The Timekeepers of Eternity tonight at 9 pm.  This film is an animated version of Tom Holland's The Langoliers, created by printening every frame of Holland's film to paper before reshaping it through black and white collage animation.  Wonder if this will make the titular monsters look better...

 

The Clinton Street Theater (2522 SE Clinton St in Portland, OR) will show The Rocky Horror Picture Show tonight, with the Clinton Street Cabaret.  Doors open at 11 pm.

Saturday, December 18

Urban Unglued Freaks and Fae Holiday Market bring you Yule Love This Market today and tomorrow at The Outlet Collection Mall (1101 Outlet Collection Way SW in Auburn, WA).  The Market, inside the mall across from The Gap, will offer mostly handmade holiday goodies.  Admission and parking is FREE.

The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) will screen Don't Look Up, about a planet-killing comet targeting Earth while no one seems to care, today at 2:45 pm, and on Monday, December 20 at 6:15 pm.  Sounds like the sci fi movie we need right now.

The Grand Cinema (606 Fawcett Ave in Tacoma, WA) will show the Finnish holiday classic Rare Exports tonight at 10 pm.

CineMagic (2021 SE Hawthorne Blvd in Portland, OR) will screen Joe Dante's Gremlins 2: The New Batch at 7 pm, followed by Small Soldiers at 9:15 pm on GLORIOUS VHS.  Each movie is ticketed independently, but the theater will have some cool free schwag and prizes for those who stay for both features. 

Oh, George ain't gonna be too happy...  The Kiggins Theatre (1011 Main St in Vancouver, WA) will show The Star Wars Holiday Special tonight at 8 pm.  Admission is FREE!

It's time for Wytche Daye, a pagan eclectic, witch focused faire with workshops, ventors and Magik!  Join the celebration at the Lloyd Center Double Tree (1000 NE Multnomah St in Portland, OR).

 

Sunday, December 19

 

The Liberty Theatre (315 NE 4th Ave in Camas, WA) will show the holiday classic It's a Wonderful Life tonight at 5:30 pm, on Monday, December 20, at 3:40 pm, and on Tuesday, December 21 at 6:30 pm.

 

The Beacon (4405 Rainier Ave S in Seattle, WA) will show the rarely seen Blood Beat tonight at 7 pm.  As for what the movie is about, I'll leave it up to The Beacon's synopsis: "A classic cautionary tale about the danger of female masturbation and how it can summon a murderous samurai ghost at Christmastime in the American Midwest." Yeah, I think that says it all.

 

Yippie-ki-yay, you-know-what!  The Christmas action classic Die Hard is playing at the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) at 7 pm tonight and at 7:30 pm on Monday, December 20.

 

Edgar Wright's gallio infused ghost story/thriller, Last Night in Soho, plays at the Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) tonight at 9:30 pm and Wednesday, December 22, at 9:20 pm.

 

Monday, December 20

Have a fearful holiday season at The Beacon (4405 Rainier Ave S in Seattle, WA) as the theater presents the original slasher flick, 1974's Black Christmas, tonight at 7:30 pm.

 

Tuesday, December 21

 

Once again, the Grindhouse Film Festival brings the controversial Christmas slasher Silent Night, Deadly Night to the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) in GLORIOUS 35mm tonight at 7:35 pm.

Wyrd Leather and Mead (4515 SE 41st Ave in Portland, OR) hosts the Wyrd Winter Solstice Night from 6 to 10 pm this evening.  Stop by for a night of fireside tales, board games, mead and MORE!

 

Yippie-ki-yay, you-know-what!  The Christmas action classic Die Hard is playing at the Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) at 10 pm tonight and Friday, December 24.

 

Wednesday, December 22

 

Oh, George ain't gonna be too happy...  Re-Run Theater's tenth anniversary celebration at the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) will be a screening of The Star Wars Holiday Special and A Cosmic Christmas, about a boy who encounters three extraterrestrial Magi searching for the Bethlehem Star, tonight starting at 7:30 pm.

 

The Kiggins Theatre (1011 Main St in Vancouver, WA) will be showing the holiday classic It's a Wonderful Life through December 24.  Visit the link for showtimes.  

 

The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) will also show the film tonight at  6:30 pm and on Christmas Eve at 7 pm. 

 

Spend Christmas Eve with Jack Skellington and the residence of Halloweentown, as the Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) screens The Nightmare Before Christmas tonight at 4:30 pm, and on Friday, December 24, at 5 pm. 

Thursday, December 23

The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) will show the holiday horror classic Gremlins tonight at 9:30 pm. 

The Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) will show Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey in GLORIOUS 70mm tonight only at 7 pm.

 

Friday, December 24

 

If you think your skin is on too tight, the Clinton Street Theater (2522 SE Clinton St in Portland, OR) can help your condition with a screening of the 1974 holiday slasher classic Black Christmas tonight at 10 pm.

 

The Academy Theater (7818 SE Stark St in Portland, OR) will show the holiday classic It's a Wonderful Life through Thursday, December 30.

 

If you're looking for something funny, but have had your fill of holiday humor, head to the Central Cinema (1411 21st Ave in Seattle, WA) for Spaceballs, playing tonight and tomorrow (Christmas Day).

 

Yippie-ki-yay, you-know-what!  Weird Elephant at The Grand Cinema (606 Fawcett Ave in Tacoma, WA) will show the Christmas action classic Die Hard tonight and tomorrow night at 10 pm.

 

Saturday, December 25

 

If you're looking for a break from all the X-Mas merriment, the Clinton Street Theater (2522 SE Clinton St in Portland, OR) will presents a "Be It Yourself" screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show tonight.  Doors open at 11 pm.

 

Sunday, December 26

 

The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) will show the 2020 restoration of the anime classic Akira tonight at 9:45 pm.

 

Inconceivable!  The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) is bringing The Princess Bride back to the big screen today at 3:30 pm and on Wednesday, December 29, at 5 pm.

 

The Central Cinema (1411 21st Ave in Seattle, WA) will show David Lynch's attempt to film the sci fi classic Dune through Friday, December 31.

Wednesday, December 29

The Whiteside Theatre (361 SW Madison Ave in Corvallis, OR) will screen the other 80s Christmas action film, Lethal Weapon, tonight at 7 pm.  Hey, I put Die Hard on this calendar, this only seems fair.

Friday, December 31

The Roseburg Fright Club will host a New Year's Eve Costume Ball from 8 pm to 1 pm tonight at the Roseburg Elks Lodge (749 SE Jackson St in Roseburg, OR).  This is a fundraiser for the club's Haunted House next year.  Ticket are on sale now.  You must be 21 or older to attend.

 

The Coffin Club (421 SE Grand in Portland, OR) is having a New Years Eve Ball, featuring the Post Punk Industrial Goth band Fading Signals, Portland's Siouxsie and the Banshees tribute act Bad Juju and more!  Doors open at 8 pm, showtime is 9 pm.  You must be 21 or older to attend.  

The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) will show Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey today at 1:20 pm.