Anyone else sick of Black Friday ads already?

Look, I had to stop listening to "Christopher's Station" on Apple Music a couple days before Halloween, because, for some reason, the algorithm decided what I wanted to hear was Christmas music.  Sure, I've purchased some Christmas music from Apple, but most of it is sung by a late, great, badass horror film star singing heavy metal covers.

Damn right, it was Sir Christopher Lee's carols!  Why Apple thinks I want to hear less metal carols is beyond me.

I've seen several houses already laced with Christmas decorations on my bike ride home from work, and while feels too damn soon to me, I really can't say anything.  I'm the guy who never takes down his Halloween decorations, as I consider it home decor.

No, what's really annoying to me is the flood of emails reminding me that Black Friday is two weeks away, and I can get deals now, if I want to buy RIGHT THIS INSTANT.  Look, I get it, the major retailers rely on this time of year to make their businesses a profit.  But I don't want to be a part of it.  So now, I have to go into overtime unsubscribing to stores I allowed access to my email address, just to make it all stop!  I don't mind the occasional ad, but the daily deluge trying to induce me to buy something is out of hand.

All I need now is my news feed to be flooded by the reigniting of the War on Christmas.  If Andy Williams were alive today, I wonder if he'd regret recording the song, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year."  Well, at least it made for a great opening to Krampus.

Anyway, enough of that rant (sorry, had to get it off my chest).  It's time for the Weekly Update.  And I have some great events to share, from live performances, creepy bazaars and great movies, both new and classic, you'll find something to help you beat the continual onslaught of candy canes and sugar plums.

I'm still working to update the Horror/Sci Fi/Fantasy Calendar, as lots of early 2024 cons are dropping guest announcements.  Hope to have that completed by Tuesday, as long as I don't get sick again during my weekend.  

Have a great week, stay safe, and I'll be back next Friday with more great things happening under The Shadow Over Portland!

Happening This Week

Live Attractions 

The Torchsong Theater Company presents Ripper: Song of the Knife through Sunday, November 19, at the Samaritan Odd Fellows Lodge (10282 SE Main St in Milwaukie, OR).  This gothic rock opera follows detective Beth Stride, who is investigating a string of murders and disappearances linked to a member of a traveling circus.  The production mikes Sci Fi elements with horror and camp, and is considered rated R.

Hidden Worlds: The Films of LAIKA is open at the Museum of Pop Culture (located in the Seattle Center; 325 5th Ave N in Seattle, WA).  The exhibit features never-before-seen artifacts from the Laika production studios, immersive set displays, character interactive and a sneak peek at the studio's next feature, Wildwood.  The exhibit will be open through Summer 2024.

 

The Museum of Pop Culture (325 5th Ave N in Seattle, WA) has Jim Henson puppets and set pieces from the 2019 Netflix series The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance on display now.  You can read about the display, and the work the museum put into displaying the artifacts, at the link.

Back in Theaters

You'll have a groovy time as Army of Darkness is playing at the Central Cinema (1411 21st Ave in Seattle, WA; scheduled through Wednesday, November 15).  Be aware, the showing on Monday, November 13 at 9:30 pm, is in Hecklevision.

The Ray Harryhausen classic Jason and the Argonauts is playing at the Central Cinema (1411 21st Ave in Seattle, WA; scheduled through Wednesday, November 15).

Steven Spielberg's sci fi classic E. T. The Extra-Terrestrial is playing at McMenamin's St Johns Theater (8203 N Ivanhoe St in Portland, OR; scheduled through Wednesday, November 15). 

The Mel Brooks comedy Spaceballs is playing at McMenamin's St Johns Theater (8203 N Ivanhoe St in Portland, OR; scheduled through Wednesday, November 15). 

The animated sci fi classic The Iron Giant is playing at McMenamin's Kennedy School (5736 NE 334rd Ave in Portland, OR; scheduled through Tuesday, November 16), and McMenamin's St Johns Theater (8203 N Ivanhoe St in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, November 16).

The Olympia Film Society Kids Club presents Jim Henson's dark fantasy Labyrinth at 1 pm every Sunday this month at the Capitol Theater (206 5th Ave SE in Olympia, WA).  Kids 12 and under are admitted FREE.

First Run Features  

It's a Wonderful Knife, a slasher take on the holiday classic It's a Wonderful Life, opens tonight at the Sandy Cinema (16605 Champion Way in Sandy, OR; scheduled through Thursday, November 16) and the Kiggins Theatre (1011 Main St in Vancouver, WA; scheduled through Tuesday, November 14).

The film adaptation of Five Nights at Freddy's is playing at Metro Cinemas (888 Willamette St in Eugene, OR; scheduled through Thursday, November 16), the Yelm Cinema (201 Prairie Park St SE in Yelm WA; scheduled through Thursday, November 16), the Sandy Cinema (16605 Champion Way in Sandy, OR; scheduled through Thursday, November 16), the Granada 3 Theatre (1311 Adams Ave in La Grande, OR; scheduled through Thursday, November 16),  the Tracyton Movie House (1520 NE Riddell Rd in Bremerton, WA; scheduled through Wednesday, November 15), the 99W Drive-In (3110 Portland Rd in Newberg, OR; scheduled Friday and Saturday, November 10 and 11, following The Super Mario Bros. Movie), the Cameo Theatre (304 E 1st St in Newberg, OR; scheduled from Friday, November 10 through Monday, November 13), Studio One (3945 SE Powell Blvd in Portland, OR; scheduled through Wednesday, November 15), the St Johns Twin Cinema (8704 N Lombard St in Portland, OR; scheduled through Wednesday, November 15), and the North Bend Theatre (125 Bendigo Blvd N in North Bend, WA; scheduled through Saturday, November 11).

Film Festival Submission Information 

 

The BoneBat Comedy of Horrors Film Fest 2024, taking place on Saturday, April 13, 2024, at the SIFF Cinema Egyptian (805 E Pine St in Seattle, WA) is now accepting submissions through Friday, March 1.  Visit the link for details.

Streaming

The Hallow Ian Horror Hour will present twelve horror shorts filmed in the Pacific Northwest on Fridays through October 27, with a marathon starting at 5 pm on Halloween.  You can view it on Seattle College Cable Television, or catch it on YouTube at 8 pm the day after the show airs.

November, 2023

Friday, November 10

Lacy Productions presents Booklover's Burlesque: Myths and Legends Edition at the Alberta Rose Theatre (3000 NE Alberta St in Portland, OR) tonight at 7 pm.  

Violent Hex presents a queer celebration and screening of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, featuring a pre-film drag tribute show, at the Clinton Street Theater (2522 SE Clinton St in Portland, OR).  Doors open at 7 pm, with the show starting at 8 pm.

Satoshi Kon's psychological horror anime Perfect Blue is play at the Tracyton Movie House (1520 NE Riddell Rd in Bremerton, WA) tonight at 9 pm, on Sunday, November 12, at 6 pm, and on Wednesday, November 15, at 6 pm.

The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) will show the vampire comedy What We Do in the Shadows tonight at 11:15 pm.

The Blue Mouse Theatre (2611 N Proctor in Tacoma, WA) and Friday Night Frights present a CREATURE DOUBLE FEATURE, with Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein and The Monster Squad tonight starting at 7 pm.  Has my vote for best double feature of the year!

CineMagic (2021 SE Hawthrone Blvd in Portland, OR) presents an encore showing of Lam Nai-Choi's (Ricky-O: The Story of Ricky) sci fi film The Cat, about a cat from outer space teaming with a young girl and an old man to fight an alien that possesses people, tonight at 9:30 pm.

The PAM CUT Tomorrow Theater (3530 SE Division St in Portland, OR) will screen the Laika stop motion film Missing Link tonight at 6 pm.  Doors open at 5 pm, allowing you to see some behind-the-scenes goodness and REAL PUPPETS from the film.  So get there early!

The Grand Cinema (606 Fawcett Ave in Tacoma, WA) will show the horror classic The Exorcist tonight and tomorrow night at 10 pm.

50 Years of SIFF brings the Special Edition of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back to the SIFF Cinema Egyptian (805 E Pine St in Seattle, WA) back to the big screen tonight at 7 pm, and on Thursday, November 23, at 7:15 pm.

50 Years of SIFF brings the sci fi thriller WarGames (filmed in Seattle) to the SIFF Cinema Egyptian (805 E Pine St in Seattle, WA) back to the big screen today at 1:45 pm, and on Monday, November 27, at 5 pm.

Saturday, November 11

The Grit City Comic Show takes place today at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center (1500 Commerce St in Tacoma, WA) from 10 am to 5 pm.  Russell Hodgkinson (Z Nation) is scheduled to attend.  Visit the Facebook event page for up to the minute details. 

Market for the Strange: Witch's Harvest takes place from noon to 7 pm today at Hex (431 N Main St in Brownsville, OR).  This is an all ages event with FREE admission.

The late-era Shaw Bros. martial arts/horror/fantasy film Portrait in Crystal is playing at The Beacon (4405 Rainier Ave S in Seattle, WA) tonight at 9:30 pm.

As part of the monthly Studio Ghibli series, the Pickford Film Center (1318 Bay St in Bellingham, WA) will screen Castle in the Sky through Wednesday, November 15.

Sunday, November 12

You'll have a groovy time at the Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) as they screen all three of Sam Raimi's Evil Dead Trilogy, starting tonight at 5:30 pm.  See your favorite, or check them all out for one great price.

Monday, November 13

Navajo Star Wars, a version of the Special Edition of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope dubbed in the Navajo language by nearly 70 Navajo voice actors, will be show at 7:30 pm tonight at the Grand Illusion Cinema (1403 NE 50th St in Seattle, WA).  The film is subtitled, and admission is FREE in honor of Native American Heritage Month (ticket reservations begin one week prior to the film's showtime). 

The Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) will show Brian De Palma's classic adaptation of Stephen King's Carrie tonight at 7:30 pm.  The screening is a tribute to the late Piper Laurie.

Tuesday, November 14

Burlynomicon-A Darkly Decadent Burlesque Revue takes place at The Coffin Club (421 SE Grand Ave in Portland, OR).  Doors open at 7 pm, and a two drink minimum of your favorite libation is required (price not included in the ticket).

Wednesday, November 15

The Clinton Street Theater (2522 SE Clinton St in Portland, OR) will screen To Sleep So as to Dream, Kaizo Hayashi's debut about two private detectives hunting for an actress trapped within the reel of a silent ninja film, tonight at 7 pm.

Thursday, November 16

Local horror filmmaker Joe Sherlock's Things 666 is screening at f/stop Fitzgerald's Public House (335 

Grove St NE in Salem, OR) tonight at 7 pm.  Get out there if you can and support a local genre filmmaker!

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra's Camber Music series "Back to the Movies" brings F. W. Murnau's silent classic Nosferatu to the Kiggins Theatre (1011 Main St in Vancouver, WA) with a live score, tonight at 7 pm. 

Eli Roth's latest horror film, Thanksgiving (based on the faux trailer that played in Grindhouse) opens tonight at the Yelm Cinema (201 Prairie Park St SE in Yelm WA; scheduled through Thursday, November 23).

Friday, November 17

The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) will screen Nobuhilo Obayashi's bat-shit mix of horror with H. R. Pufnstuf-on-acid film House (Hausu) tonight at 11:30 pm.

Got some money and want a date?  Well, Friday Night Frights might be able to "hook" you up, with a screening of Frank Henenlotter's cheesy horror/comedy Frankenhooker, playing at the Blue Mouse Theatre (2603 N Proctor St in Tacoma, WA) tonight at 10 pm.

Tommy Wiseau's latest film, Big Shark, returns for another bite at Cinema 21 (616 NW 21st Ave in Portland, OR) tonight at 9:30 pm.

SIFF Cinema Egyptian (805 E Pine St in Seattle, WA) presents a 15th anniversary screening of Twilight tonight and tomorrow (tickets for tonight's screening are on stand-by).

Still Sparkling-A Kiggins Twilight Event takes place through Sunday, November 19, at the Kiggins Theatre (1011 Main St in Vancouver, WA).  The event features all five films on the big screen, games, costume contests, vendors, trivia and MORE!  Festival and day passes are available now.  The theater made a cool poster, but I can't grab it, so I'm going with one above.  Oh, never mind, I found one.

Mel Brooks' classic horror spoof Young Frankenstein is playing at the Central Cinema (1411 21st Ave in Seattle, WA; scheduled through Wednesday, November 22).

James Whale's horror classic Bride of Frankenstein is playing at the Central Cinema (1411 21st Ave in Seattle, WA; scheduled through Tuesday, November 21).

The Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) is showing George Romero's classic Night of the Living Dead in GLORIOUS 35mm through Sunday, November 19.

The Grand Illusion Cinema (1403 NE 50th St in Seattle, WA) will screen Neil Breen's sci fi thriller Cade: The Tortured Crossing tonight at 9:15 pm.

Saturday, November 18

Is it too early, or too late to screen The Nightmare Before Christmas?  Who cares, as the Admiral Theatre (515 Pacific Ave in Bremerton, WA) will screen the film as part of the $5 Movie Night series tonight at 7:30 pm.

The monthly series Bad Sci-Fi at the North Bend Theatre (125 Bendigo Blvd N in North Bend, WA) will screen Forbidden Planet (wait, WHAT?  That film's a CLASSIC!) tonight at 10 pm.  I know the series has the wrong film, but don't miss the chance to see it on the big screen!

Rerun Theater brings back the "ultimate two part episode" of The X Files to the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) tonight at 7:30 pm.

SIFF Cinema Egyptian (805 E Pine St in Seattle, WA) is showing Lars van Trier's long unavailable cult TV phenomenon The Kingdom I, today and tomorrow starting at 11:30 am.

Sunday, November 19

The Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) brings Laika Studio's stop motion, family friendly horror film Paranorman back to the big screen today at 3 pm.

SIFF Cinema Egyptian (805 E Pine St in Seattle, WA) is showing Lars van Trier's long unavailable cult TV phenomenon The Kingdom II, today at 5:15 pm, and Sunday, November 26, starting at 12 pm.