Quest One of the day is DONE!

And it feels good, even though I haven't unlocked anything, or leveled up.  But it's nice to finish a goal I set for myself, which was getting the Weekly Update out today. 

And the reason I'm setting up quests is, well, I've been dealing with depression for a while now.  But it's been really bad for the past few months.  To be honest, I've got time to work on the site, but that involves getting out of bed a few hours before heading for the day job (the main fuel source for my depression).  And often, I just can't do it until I have to get ready for work.  Yeah, got to earn that paycheck, but it really sucks living like this.

Maybe if I pull the covers over my head, it will all go away.

So I've decided to set up quests for each day, making my life like an exciting video game.  Who knows, maybe this will unlock some achievement that will get me out of my current state.  We'll see.  

I have other quests to accomplish today, so time to get the Weekly Update out.  Future quests this week include getting the Horror/Sci Fi/Fantasy Calendar up to date, so check back later in the week to see if I completed another step, and to plan out the rest of the year.

I hope you wish me luck on this journey.  Stay safe, have a great week, and I'll be back with more great events happening under The Shadow Over Portland!

Happening This Week

Live Attractions 

Area 51 Encounter, an interactive event exploring the history of non-human visitors, opens today at the Fox Tower (710 SW Yamhill St in Portland, OR).  The exhibit is open through Monday, September 2.

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 close after Sunday, August 11.

Film Festival and Stage Performance Submission Information 

The H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival and CthulhuCon is accepting submissions for the 2024 festival in Portland, OR.  Visit the link above for all the details, as there are multiple deadlines (the final one is on August 1 for limited films).

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 Northwest Flying Saucer Film Festival returns to McFiler's Chehalis Theater (558 N Market Blvd in Chehalis, WA) this September, and will begin accepting submissions of UFO themed shorts, documentaries, animations or music videos from Northwest filmmakers on January 1.  Deadline is August 18, 2024.

July, 2024

Happening This Week

The conclusion to Ti West's X trilogy, MaXXXine, starring Mia Goth, is playing at the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR; scheduled through Wednesday, July 31), and the Metro Cinema (888 Willamette St in Eugene, OR; scheduled through Thursday, August 1).

The OFS Kids Club is showing the animated film The Iron Giant at the Capitol Theater (206 5th Ave SE in Olympia, WA) at 1 pm on Sunday, July 28.  Admission is FREE for kids 12 and under.

Longlegs, the horror film written and directed by Osgood Perkins (Anthony Perkins eldest son) and starring Maika Monroe and Nicolas Cage, is playing at the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, August 1), the Living Room Theaters (341 SW 10th Ave in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, August 1), the Laurelhurst Theater (2735 E Burnside St in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, August 1), the Metro Cinema (888 Willamette St in Eugene, OR; scheduled through Thursday, August 1), the Salem Cinema (1127 Broadway St NE in Salem, OR; scheduled through Thursday, August 1), the Yelm Cinemas (201 Prairie Park St SE in Yelm, WA; scheduled through Thursday, August 1), Cinema 21 (616 NW 21st Ave in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, Thursday, August 1), the Darkside Cinema (215 SW 4th St in Corvallis, OR; scheduled through Thursday, August 1), the Sandy Cinema (16605 Champion Way in Sandy, OR; scheduled through Wednesday, July 31), Studio One (3945 SE Powell Blvd in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, August 1), and the Academy Theater (7818 SE Stark St in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, August 1).  The La Grande Drive-In (404 20th St in La Grande, OR) is showing the film through Sunday, July 28, after Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

James Cameron's sci fi/action classic The Terminator is playing at the Darkside Cinema (215 SW 4th St in Corvallis, OR; scheduled through Sunday, July 28).

The Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) is showing Steven Spielberg's classic Jaws in GLORIOUS 35mm on Sunday, July 28, at 6:30 pm. 

WasabiCon PDX, a celebration of anime, cosplay and gaming, takes place this weekend at the Hilton Portland Downtown (921 SW 6th Ave in Portland, OR).  Details are coming soon.  You can also get updated information on the Facebook Page.

The 1954 Universal monster classic Creature from the Black Lagoon is playing at the Academy Theater (7818 SE Stark St in Portland, OR; scheduled through Thursday, August 1).

McMenamins Kennedy School (5736 NE 33rd Ave in Portland, OR) is showing all the Harry Potter movies, in order, through Sunday, July 28.  

Adrian Beau's The Vourdalak is playing at The Grand Illusion Cinema (1403 NE 50th St in Seattle, WA; scheduled through Thursday, August 1).  The film is in French with English subtitles.

The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) is showing The Terminator on Sunday, July 28, at 9 pm.

The just as campy remake of the William Castle classic Thir13en Ghosts is playing at CineMagic (2021 SE Hawthorne Blvd in Portland, OR) on Thursday, August 1, at 9:30 pm.

The Meadowlark Comic Con 2024 ends on Sunday, July 28, at Rogue X (901 Rossanley Dr in Medford, OR).  Spencer Wilding (creature performer and Darth Vader in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) is scheduled to attend.  Keep up with all the detail on the Facebook page.

Twin Peep Show- A Cabaret of Secrets, a tribute to David Lynch, cabaret and Seattle in the 90s, is on stage at The Triple Door (216 Union St in Seattle, WA).  The show runs through Sunday, August 4 and is for audiences 17 and older.

Get your ass to Mars, as CineMagic (2021 SE Hawthorne Blvd in Portland, OR) shows the original Total Recall on Sunday, July 28, at 7 pm, and on Tuesday, July 30, at 4:30 pm.

The animated sci fi film Robot Dreams is playing at the Pickford Film Center (1318 Bay St in Bellingham, WA; scheduled through Thursday, August 1).

Sunday, July 28

Fritz Lang's M, starring Peter Lorre, is playing at The Beacon (4405 Rainier Ave S in Seattle, WA) today at 2 pm, and on Monday, July 29, at 4:30 pm.

Fathom Events brings the fantasy Man and Witch: The Dance of a Thousand Steps to theaters nationwide on Sunday, July 28, and Tuesday, July 30.  Visit the link to find a theater near you.

M. Night Shyamalan's fairy tale Lady in the Water is playing at SIFF Egyptian (805 E Pine St in Seattle, WA) tonight at 8 pm.

The SIFF Egyptian (805 E Pine St in Seattle, WA) will show Danny Boyle's sci fi thriller Sunshine in GLORIOUS 35mm today at 2:45 pm. 

Metal Weekend kicks off at the Tomorrow Theater (3530 SE Division St in Portland, OR) with a screening of The Iron Giant today at 4 pm.

Metal Weekend concludes at the Tomorrow Theater (3530 SE Division St in Portland, OR) with a screening of Robot Dreams tonight at 7 pm.

The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) will show Studio Ghibli's Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, in Japanese with English subtitles, today at 2:30 pm.

Monday, July 29

The INSANE Hong Kong action fantasy film The Seventh Curse is playing at CineMagic (2021 SE Hawthorne Blvd in Portland, OR) today at 4:50 pm, and Wednesday, July 31, at 7 pm.

Tuesday, July 30

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

The sci fi/action classic Dredd is playing at the Clinton Street Theater (2522 SE Clinton St in Portland, OR) tonight at 7 pm.

The Pickford Film Center (1318 Bay St in Bellingham, WA) will present ate 25th anniversary screening of the found footage horror classic The Blair Witch Project tonight at 7:45 pm. 

CMNYK and Darkside Cinema (215 SW 4th St in Corvallis, OR) presents Fritz Lang's silent fantasy film Siegfried (Die Nibelungen) with live musical accompaniment by Sonochromatic tonight at 7 pm.

Wednesday, July 31

Whoa!  The Whiteside Theatre (361 SW Madison Ave in Corvallis, OR) is showing the sci fi classic The Matrix tonight at 7 pm.

The film is also playing tonight at the Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) tonight at 9:30 pm.

Church of Film brings the Soviet sci fi classic To the Stars by Hard Ways to the Clinton Street Theater (2522 SE Clinton St in Portland, OR) tonight at 7 pm.

The 1987 sci fi classic RoboCop is playing at the Tracyton Movie House (1520 NE Riddell Rd in Bremerton, WA) tonight at 6:10 pm.

UPDATE: The screening has been rescheduled to Thursday, August 1, at 6 pm.

August, 2024

Thursday, August 1

Not sure of the date on this, but Laika Studios will commemorate the 15th anniversary of their film Coraline with Coraline's Curious Cat Trail, with 30 six-foot-tall cat sculptures placed throughout downtown Portland this month.  The cats will be 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 at this time.

Wyrd War presents a screening of John Carpenter's sci fi classic Escape from New York at 8 pm tonight at the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR).  The film will be followed by a live concert by Alan Howarth, who worked on many of the icon scores of Carpenter's films.  Doors open at 5 pm for Wyrd War's Dungeon Market in the upstairs lobby.

The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) is showing Damian McCarthy's (Caveat) supernatural film Oddity, about a blind medium uncovering the truth behind his sister's death with the help of a wooden mannequin (oh, I'm sure that will end well), tonight at 9:30 pm, and on Sunday, August 4, at 7 pm.

AGFA (American Genre Film Archive) August kicks off at SIFF Cinema Egyptian (805 E Pine St in Seattle, WA) with a screening of The Zodiac Killer, a film made to capture the real-life Zodiac Killer, tonight at 6:45 pm.  The film will be introduced by Something Weird Video's Lisa Petrucci and AGFA's Jackson Cooper. 

AGFA (American Genre Film Archive) August continues at SIFF Cinema Egyptian (805 E Pine St in Seattle, WA) with a screening of Shredder Orpheus, a retelling of the Greek myth as a post-apocalyptic skateboard rock opera, tonight at 9 pm.  Writer/Director Robert McGinley is scheduled to attend.

Friday, August 2

HEY YOU GUYS!  The Movies on the Lawn series at La Uva Fortuna Farms (16712 NE 219th St in Battle Ground, WA) will screen The Goonies this evening.  Purchase your tickets at the link.

The ultra-gory, over-the-top AWESOME Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky is playing at The Grand Illusion Cinema (1403 NE 50th St in Seattle, WA) through Sunday, August 4.  The Friday and Sunday screenings will be presented in the original Cantonese with English subtitles, with the Saturday showing featuring the "infamously silly" English dub.

Studio Ghibli's Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind is playing at The Grand Cinema (606 Fawcett Ave in Tacoma, WA; scheduled through Thursday, August 8).

Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away is playing at The Grand Cinema (606 Fawcett Ave in Tacoma, WA; scheduled through Wednesday, August 7).

Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is playing at The Grand Cinema (606 Fawcett Ave in Tacoma, WA; scheduled through Saturday, August 3). 

AGFA (American Genre Film Archive) August continues at SIFF Cinema Egyptian (805 E Pine St in Seattle, WA) with a screening of Cannibal!  The Musical, from the creators of South Park, tonight at 9 pm.

Saturday, August 3

The Summer Movies at Oregon State Parks series, presented by the Hollywood Theatre and Oregon State Parks, concludes with a screening of The Dark Crystal at Champoeg State Heritage Area in St Paul, OR.  Admission is FREE (no ticket required), and day-use parking is FREE after 7 pm.  The movie begins at dusk.

Arrogant Behavior and NW Metalworx brings the second annual 4M Market to Erebus (436 1st Ave S in Kelso, WA), from noon to 6 pm on Saturday, August 3.  Oh, the 4M refers to Music, Movies, Macabre and More!

The Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR) is showing the 1956 sci fi classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers (in GLORIOUS 35mm) today at 3 pm, the classic 1978 remake at 6 pm, and Abel Ferrara's 1993 reimagining Body Snatchers (in GLORIOUS 35mm) at 8:30 pm.

The 1956 original is also playing on Sunday, August 4, at 2 pm.

AGFA (American Genre Film Archive) August continues at SIFF Cinema Egyptian (805 E Pine St in Seattle, WA) with a screening of the 4K restoration of Donnie Darko tonight at 9 pm.  The film will be introduced by AGFA's Jackson Cooper. 

Fathom Events brings Studio Ghibli's Ponyo back to theaters nationwide through Wednesday, August 7.  Visit the link to find a theater near you, and to find which screenings are subtitled and which are dubbed.

The Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre (508 S Main St in Moscow, ID) will show the Steven Spielberg classic Jaws today at 7 pm, and on Sunday, August 4, at 4 and 7 pm.

Sunday, August 4

Wyrd War presents a fantasy double feature tonight at the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd in Portland, OR), starting with the Oregon theatrical premier of Weston Razzooli's 2023 film Riddle of Fire (in GLORIOUS 35mm), followed by Frog Dreaming (AKA The Quest), with director Brian Trenchard-Smith in attendance.  Doors open at 5 pm for Wryd War's Dungeon Market, with the first film starting at 7 pm. 

Tilman Singer's (Luz) latest horror film, Cuckoo, will screen in GLORIOUS 35mm at SIFF Cinema Egyptian (805 E Pine St in Seattle, WA) tonight at 8 pm. 

The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) will screen an English dubbed version of Kiki's Delivery Service today at noon.

A 4k restoration of the animated sci fi film The Time Masters, presented in French with English subtitles, is screening at the Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) today at 2:30 pm, and on Monday, August 5, at 7 pm.  Be aware, this was directed by visionary sci fi animator Rene Laloux (Fantastic Planet), so it might not be suitable for younger viewers.  Just saying...

The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway in Vancouver, BC) will present an encore screening of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining tonight at 9:45 pm.