movie madness | The Confluence

Raiders of the Lost Archive: Movie Madness – SAVED! But there’s more work to be done …

November 3, 2017 Oregon Film UncategorizedLeave a Comment

This week we go to the most local, most extensive VHS/DVD archive we have (although if you ever have a chance to look into the film and video archives that the Oregon Historical Society has, that’s just as great, but in a uniquely different way) – Portland’s own Movie Madness. As some of you may know, The Hollywood Theatre is currently in the midst of a Kickstarter Campaign to “save” Movie Madness – but they’ve blown past the “saving” and are now looking to “enhance.” Continue reading... “Raiders of the Lost Archive: Movie Madness – SAVED! But there’s more work to be done …”

Help Save Movie Madness!

October 12, 2017 Oregon Film #OregonMade, Film and Media Industry Kickstarter, Movie Madness1 Comment

Help Save MovieMadness!

Help the Hollywood Theatre save legendary Portland video store Movie Madness and its world-class collection of 80,000+ titles.

The Kickstarter page outlines the plan: “Movie Madness is a Portland institution. Known for its vast collection, knowledgeable staff, and display cases full of legendary film props, the iconic Belmont storefront has a deserved reputation as one of the best video stores in the country.

But now Movie Madness is in danger of closing forever. The Hollywood Theatre has the chance to purchase Movie Madness and fold it into our nonprofit, ensuring that this invaluable collection remains available to Oregonians for years to come. Continue reading... “Help Save Movie Madness!”

Movie Nerds Unite! 4 Days Left to Help Preserve Video Store Culture!

September 21, 2012September 21, 2012 scottypelk Featured Locations, MoviesLeave a Comment

My Great American Video Store Documentary

Posted: 09/21/2012 11:10 am

James Westby [Film Geek (2006), The Auteur(2008), Rid of Me (2011)] is an independent filmmaker in Portland, Oregon. He waxes nostalgic about his video store experiences—as both customer and employee—which set the stage for his latest project.

By James Westby

As a filmmaker, I am increasingly excited for the vast audience the web and on demand services can bring to an independent movie—mine or anyone else’s—with a reach far larger than was ever thought possible.

Portland is on the “Best Places to Live and Work as a Filmmaker” US List

January 18, 2024January 18, 2024 Oregon Film Awards, Crew, Economic Impact, Featured Locations, Permits, PortlandLeave a Comment

MoveMaker Magazine just released its annual list of Best Places to Live and Work as a Filmmaker and Portland has made the list again. Coming in at #15 (just under our friends and colleagues to the southeast in SLC), Portland stands alone on the list for the PNW.

Here’s an excerpt from MMM:

Portland is making it easier to get film permits in its efforts to grow as a filmmaking destination, and a sizable crew base means it can handle up to four feature films and commercial work at the same time. Continue reading... “Portland is on the “Best Places to Live and Work as a Filmmaker” US List”

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARCHIVE Body of Evidence (Uli Edel, 1993)

March 1, 2018April 2, 2020 Oregon Film Uncategorized2 Comments

Fair warning intrepid Archivists – this one is adult-themed and, well, (retro)(un)sexy. Be warned.

This week we pay a visit to a lightning bolt of 80’s and 90’s love/hate iconography; that vamp and Diva, strike-a-pose devotress: Madonna. For those of us who lived through the days of trying to determine if the aluminum clad, coffee table, button-pusher “Sex” was (self)exploitation or art, we know that any and all Madonna movies are to be taken with their own particular grain of salt(iness), and this week’s Raid to the Oregon Film vaults is no exception. Continue reading... “RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARCHIVE Body of Evidence (Uli Edel, 1993)”

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARCHIVE Tandem Hearts (Jon Garcia, 2012)

February 9, 2018February 9, 2018 Oregon Film History, Independent, Independent Films, Oregon Film, Raiders of the Lost Archive, Uncategorized archive film, Film History, Oregon film history, Raiders of the Lost ArchiveLeave a Comment

This week our intrepid Archivist takes us into the heart and soul of Portland indie filmmaking with a recent classic, made on a proverbial shoestring, from prolific filmmaker Jon Garcia. If you don’t know Jon’s work, it’s worth starting with this one and then taking in his “The Falls” trilogy – making a day/night of it (see links below).

And if that’s not enough, Raider/Contributor Phil Oppenheim leaves us with a timeless classic quote from Abbey Road (which immediately precedes “Her Majesty’s a pretty nice girl, but she doesn’t have a lot to say…”). Continue reading... “RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARCHIVE Tandem Hearts (Jon Garcia, 2012)”

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARCHIVE Kansas City Bomber (Jerrold Freedman, 1972)

January 26, 2018February 2, 2018 Oregon Film Raiders of the Lost Archive Film History, Oregon film history, Oregon History, Raiders of the Lost Archive, Raquel WelchLeave a Comment

This week our Raider/Contributor skates back to the 70’s to that highest of high times for that uber-niche genre of Roller Derby films. Whether you just barely remember Rollerball (the original) or your obsessed with Unholy Rollers, or you are more of a Roller Derby Modernist and rely on Rollerball (the remake) and Whip It, you must acknowledge that the Godmother of them all is Kansas City Bomber. But did you know that KC was actually happiest Portland? Raider/Contributor Phil Oppenheim takes us under the laces and beneath the helmet(less)s of the 1972 Raquel Welch classic…

Continue reading... “RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARCHIVE Kansas City Bomber (Jerrold Freedman, 1972)”

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARCHIVE #Blockbuster&Chill: Brutal Beauty: Tales of the Rose City Rollers (Chip Mabry, 2010)

January 12, 2018 Oregon Film #OregonMade, Raiders of the Lost Archive, Uncategorized Archive, archive film, Film History, Raiders of the Lost Archive, roller derby, rose city rollersLeave a Comment

The New Year (literally) rolls in with a vengeance this week as our intrepid Raider/Contributor takes us behind the scenes of Portland’s much beloved Rose City Rollers. There’s language to be wary of below and in the film itself, so if that kind of thing isn’t your proverbial cup’o’tea then stop here; but if that doesn’t daunt you, then paste on your Cadillac tattoo, strap on your helmet, lace-up your skates and bring your best James Caan and Raquel Welch impersonations because this week, we’re embracing Brutal Beauty. Continue reading... “RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARCHIVE #Blockbuster&Chill: Brutal Beauty: Tales of the Rose City Rollers (Chip Mabry, 2010)”

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARCHIVE: Requiem for a Video Store

December 28, 2017 Oregon Film Raiders of the Lost Archive archive film, Blockbuster Video, Raiders of the Lost Archive, Sandy, Video Rentals1 Comment

This week we make a literal visit to Sandy to say goodbye to a institution that not only changed our expectation deadlines (kind of establishing the mid-point between the “wait for it…” past and the “I want it now!” present) but also changed the world. Who recalls walking out of a Blockbuster video not just holding a stack of 4 or 5 movies (half of which you’d probably never watch) but also carrying a blue plastic encased VHS player/rental? Those were the days: tuning the TV to channel 2, making a few video tracking adjustments, and then settling in for some hi-impact-lo-resolution images on 1/2″ tape. Continue reading... “RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARCHIVE: Requiem for a Video Store”

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARCHIVE: The Darkest Corner of Paradise (Henry Weintraub, 2010)

November 10, 2017August 15, 2018 Oregon Film UncategorizedLeave a Comment

This week our intrepid Raider moves us into Noirvember and coins another term for calendar-based genre. Thi

s time we embrace true micro-budget filmmaking and the creative genius of necessity coming out of Eugene. Oregon’s cinematic history is long but its Eugene chapter is deep and varied – Five Easy Pieces, Animal House and, with the Kesey Connection, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Sometimes a Great Notion happening not too far afield.

This time Raider/Contributor Phil Oppenheim takes us into the more opaque nooks and crannies with…. Continue reading... “RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARCHIVE: The Darkest Corner of Paradise (Henry Weintraub, 2010)”