Portland At The Movies

On a very special episode of Portland at the Movies, we speak to the one-and-only David Walker. If you've been a listener to our show, you've noticed that about 75% of them involve hearing David Walker's name in some capacity: he's one of the only carriers of the torch of the 1980s burgeoning indie movie scene in Portland, which led to the breakout careers of filmmakers like Gus Van Sant and Penny Allen. Join us as well talk with David about everything from his prolific current career as a comic book writer, and how he got his start as "Sanchez" in the Portland cult classic "Fatal Revenge." To find out more about David, visit any local comic book store, or visit https://davidfwalker.com/ Dying to fashion: David F. Walker gets blown away in "Fatal Revenge." The post Special Edition: David F. Walker and the 80s Portland Movie Scene appeared first on Portland at the Movies.

It's a time for Christmas miracles! Sort of. We tackle this not-quite-Hallmark-Holiday TV movie starring Nancy Travis and Portland itself, with more footage of our fair city than any other movie we've done. Todd loves this movie, but he's in the minority, so listen as we hash out what works and what doesn't in this 2010 made-for-NBC TV movie, which was produced by Walmart and Proctor & Gamble. The post “A Walk in My Shoes” (2010) appeared first on Portland at the Movies.

Last Halloween, we were spooked by how terrible a little movie called "Harvest of Fear," made in Estacada, Oregon, was. And now we're back at it with its sequel, "Path of Evil," which came out a year later. Will the sequel correct the errors of the first movie, or will it end up on our pile of motion picture corpses that should be put out of their misery? Turn down the lights and get out that Halloween candy, because we're about ready to find out. The post “Path of Evil” (2005) appeared first on Portland at the Movies.

On this special episode of Portland at the Movies, we talk with Dan Fiebiger, Portland film historian and composer for the film "Courier of Death." He tells us about his dealings with Tom Shaw, the notorious director of "Courier" that was an important hub in Portland film history, who loaned film-making equipment to the likes of Penny Allen and Gus Van Sant. It was a great discussion with a natural storyteller, and a wonderful look into the 80s Portland indie movie scene. The post Special Edition: “Courier of Death,” with composer Dan Fiebiger appeared first on Portland at the Movies.

This month we (accidentally) review two remarkably similar movies from the mid-70's: "Sasquatch: The Legend of Bigfoot," and "The Legend of Bigfoot." Join us as we dig into the mysteries of the "skunk ape," discover the history of Mt. St. Helens's "Ape Caves," discuss whether or not wolverines are native to Oregon, and find out the proper plurals of "Sasquatch" and "Bigfoot." Both movies are available to watch for free on YouTube, and "Sasquatch" features a real-life mountain lion being thrown off a cliff onto some horses below and other negligent 70s animal treatment. O_O. The post “Sasquatch(es): The Legend(s) of Bigfoot(s)” (1975, 1976) appeared first on Portland at the Movies.

It's one of our most Portland movies yet, because of both the plethora of shooting locations and the subject matter. This is a wild ride of a movie, with an intoxicating mix of nonsense, psuedoscience, actual science, and polka rave music. So grab your friends, grab your bong, and take a ride down the rabbit hole with us. The post “What the Bleep Do We Know?!” (2004) appeared first on Portland at the Movies.

1993 was a busy year for Portland film making, from "Free Willy" to "Body of Evidence" to many more, but none gave us a whirlwind tour of Portland quite like "Hear No Evil," starring Marlee Matlin, DB Sweeney, Martin Sheen, and John C. McGinley. From amazing housing locations, to parks, to an actual marathon in the streets, to Hood River, to Timberline, this movie makes up for its generic plot by giving us an eyeful of this great city. The post “Hear No Evil” (1993) appeared first on Portland at the Movies.

This month we take a trip down the Clackamas river for the 1995 mockumentary "Guns on the Clackamas," directed by legendary animator and Oscar-nominee* Bill Plympton. How was Plympton's transition from animation royalty to live-action director? Will the Clackamas finally get its time to shine? Find out on this episode! *There are multiple times where we accidentally refer to him as "Oscar Winner," which is not the case since he has only been nominated, but it 1000% should be true because Bill Plympton is a genius animator. The post “Guns on the Clackamas” (1995) appeared first on Portland at the Movies.

The promise of an early-90s movie starring Gary Busey as part of a motorcycle gang investigating the death of his brother in a small Oregon town is a big one. There's some payoff with a few great Oregon City location shots, but what about the rest of the movie? Is it all crazy hair with no substance, or did we find something special? Find out on this month's episode. Don't forget to visit our map to see the locations used in this film, and all the other films we've covered so far! The post “Chrome Soldiers” (1992) appeared first on Portland at the Movies.

This month we take a look at acclaimed Portland filmmaker Gus Van Sant's biopic about Portland's own famous artist resident, Willamette Week's cartoonist John Callahan. Join us as we discuss our mixed reactions about this 2018 film starring Joaquin Phoenix and Jonah Hill, and an extended cast full of musician cameos. The post “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far On Foot” (2018) appeared first on Portland at the Movies.

This past weekend we were live at the 2019 Wizard World Comic Con, where we took a look back on our favorite Portland movie moments from the past few years of the podcast. From "Deafula" to Tonya to Chuck Norris, we celebrate the good, bad, and worse of the films we've covered so far. *note* - The audio recording quality is pretty rough, but is still listenable. There are a few sections where I have taken out the movie clips we played during the show due to abysmal quality I couldn't save - Todd * The post Wizard World 2019 – LIVE! appeared first on Portland at the Movies.

It's our first foray into legendary Portland filmmaker Tom Shaw, whose presence looms large over the Portland movie making world. Gus VanSant and Penny Allen, among many others, used Shaw's equipment to make their first films throughout the 70s and 80s. So how does Shaw rate as a filmmaker himself? Let's just say he's a glorious treasure of breathtaking cinema -- but for all the wrong reasons. "Courier of Death" is Shaw's second attempt at a film, and it's a bonkers, insane mess that is as incompetently made as it is hilarious and fun to watch. Join us as we take a deep dive not only into the movie, but into Shaw and his incomparable mark on the Portland cinema scene. The post “Courier of Death” 1984 appeared first on Portland at the Movies.

On this special holiday edition of Portland at the Movies, we dive into "How Sarah Got Her Wings" - a 2015, made-for-IonTV-movie starring the store brand versions of Kristin Bell and Chris Pratt. The good news is that this movie features some of the nicest shots of Portland we've seen in a movie yet. The bad news is....well, everything else. Including one very sneaky secret. Strap on your sleigh bells for this hilarious episode as we unwrap "How Sarah Got Her Wings." (Movie available streaming on Netflix.) The post “How Sarah Got Her Wings” (2015) appeared first on Portland at the Movies.

Live from the 2018 Portland Podcast Festival, it's time for "Deafula"! The only movie to ever be made completely in American Sign Language, "Deafula" is an amazing treat.  As Brian "The Unipiper" noted: "It's like 'Plan 9 From Outer Space' meets 'The Room.'" Made in 1975 and only sold on 16mm film (it was a few years too early for VHS), "Deafula" was almost lost to time, and not even available at Portland's venerable Movie Madness -- until now, because we've donated our personal copy to them.  It truly is an amazing cult classic, and it was filmed in our very own city of Portland.  Special thanks to Jason Lamb, Greg Nibler, and Sarah X. Dylan for putting on another great podcast festival, and thanks to everyone who came out! The post “Deafula” (1975) LIVE! appeared first on Portland at the Movies.

If your very specific wish was to see a low-budget horror movie filmed in Estacada, Oregon, then have we got a treat for you this month. Join us as we plow through "Harvest of Fear" to find out if it stands out in the annals of great low-budget horror, or simply needs to be sent out to pasture. The post “Harvest of Fear” (2004) appeared first on Portland at the Movies.

"Homewrecker" was the first World Premier Movie for the then-new "Sci-Fi" cable channel, and a surprisingly decent movie about a "smart home" AI system that goes rogue. While the movie features very little of Portland (one exterior shot, plus a cabin in the woods), it's actually a competent, well-acted, well-directed movie -- quite the difference from the normal Portland at the Movies fare. You can watch it for free on YouTube, so have a watch, and then settle in for our review! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLhJnFccTCU The one glorious shot of Portland in the movie. Way in the background is the 405/Freemont Bridge interchange. The post “Homewrecker” (1992) appeared first on Portland at the Movies.

Astoria, Oregon stands in for feudal Japan (really) as well as the NYC sewer system in this third installment of the original Turtles trilogy.  Watch as time-traveling, anthropomorphized, martial artist reptiles spout tired catchphrases (although, oddly, they never say "cowabunga!") and give mouth-to-mouth to a small boy! Thankfully our discussion of the movie is much, much more entertaining than sitting through the movie itself. Check out our interactive map of filming locations for the first 22 movies we've reviewed at here! Screenshots: The post “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3” (1993) appeared first on Portland at the Movies.

The Portland at the Movies summer road trip starts in Vernonia, a picturesque little town just northwest of Portland. In 1989, the community came together to make the low-budget, homegrown movie "The Vernonia Incident" (aka "Redneck Revenge," aka "Revenge of the Rednecks" aka "Country Justice in Oregon"), featuring all local actors, and a local director/writer/producer/editor/everything else who was the driving force behind this b-movie undertaking. So ride along with us to this small Northwest town, where all the cars are made of explosives and all the dialogue needed to be re-recorded months later in Los Angeles. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsvTas1wQP8 The post “The Vernonia Incident” (1989) appeared first on Portland at the Movies.

Ed Harris stars in this 1987 HBO-made courtroom drama about a hot-shot lawyer who is having an affair with the wife of his accused murderer client. It's certainly not the *worst* movie we've seen on this podcast, but is it actually *good*? Find out on this month's hilarious episode, starring Brian "The Unipiper" Kidd, Mark Middleton, and Todd Werkhoven. The post “The Last Innocent Man” (1987) appeared first on Portland at the Movies.

In 1996, a 21-year-old Angelina Jolie came to Portland to film a movie called "Foxfire." With many sweeping, beautiful shots from above and below the Broadway Bridge, Portland looks great -- but how is the movie? Join Brian "The Unipiper Kidd, Mark Middleton, and Todd Werkhoven as they discuss this beloved and/or forgotten (depending on where you grew up, probably) Grrl Power film. Come for the 90's fashion, stay for the amazing 3-minute helicopter shot of the bridge and the city during the closing credits! Enjoy! Contribute to our Patreon to keep our show going! The post “Foxfire” (1996) appeared first on Portland at the Movies.