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),
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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.
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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).
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),
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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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
