The Confluence

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 […]

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 […]

    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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

This week’s Horrregon Edition of our Raiders of the Lost Archive series rightly celebrates an icon of Oregon’s rich cartoon and comic history: Dark Horse Comics and Mike Richardson. It’s easy to argue that Mike is one of, if not the most successful and lucrative film producers here in the state, and we’re proud of that. […]