Portland at the Movies

It's telling that this supposedly sexy thriller is just bland enough that we kept referring to the star as "William Hurt" instead of the actual star Timothy Hutton. In any case, "The Temp" was released in the wake of the Basic Instinct and several other grabs at the erotic mystery such as Body of Evidence, Sliver, and Disclosure. So will "The Temp" earn a permanent spot in our list of good movies...

Who would have guessed after all the movies we've reviewed that there would not only be a good movie filmed in Portland, but that the good film would star Nicholas Cage? Well here we are. The first 10 or so minutes are spoiler free review of the film, then we give a spoiler warning for those that still want to see the film - which we recommend you do. I don't know that we've ever non-ironically re...

Is it a sequel? Is it a remake? Is it a tax shelter? We jump in the river to find out just what is going on with this 2009 movie, which has an opening credit of "Based on the movie 'Without a Paddle.'" Oregon looks gorgeous, but does it reach the same level of "almost mildly amusing" as its 2004 predecessor, which starred Seth Green, Matthew Lillard, and Dax Shepherd? Find out on this month's show...

This month we travel to the Ilwaco Lighthouse with Dee Wallace, a playwright haunted by the reflections of her dead fiancee, and pursued by her would-be brother-in-law. Is the movie the psychological thriller it's trying to be, or will you want to throw yourself off a lighthouse after you watch? Find out on this episode. The post “Shadow Play” (1986) appeared first on Portland at the Movies .

Mark surprises Todd and Brian mid-show with a phone call from Sean McGrath, the main star of 2015's "Deep Dark," a psychological thriller about an artist who finds his muse in the form of a sentient hole in the wall. He was an amazing guest, and he talks about the filming, the cast and crew, and how a director sells an actor on taking the role of a character who has sex with a wall. The post Speci...

This month we indulge ourselves by taking a long, hard look back at what has become of our lives as we discuss the best and the worst of the 50 Portland-filmed movies we've reviewed so far. The post 50th Movie Spectacular! appeared first on Portland at the Movies .

This 1993 made-for-USA TV movie is surprisingly watchable (and available for free on YouTube), although it features only a couple blink-and-you'll-miss-it Portland locations. A sci-fi/detective thriller, this movie dares to ask the question Wonder Woman 1984 didn't: what are the ethical ramifications of hijacking someone else's body? The post “Duplicates” (1993) appeared first on Portland at the M...

A post-Brat Pack Mare Winningham meets a pre-"Happy Gilmore" Shooter McGavin in this 1991 made-for-USA-TV-network movie "Fatal Exposure." Oddly, this is probably the most intriguingly in-depth discussion of a plot of any movie we've done so far. If you love clothes made from reams upon reams of billowy, pleated fabrics, this is the movie for you! Does it rise above its generic title, or does it si...

We ride the rails back to 2008 for this movie filmed around West Linn, Willamette, Canby, and more! It's a delightful kids movie that's cornball and low-budget enough to thoroughly enjoy, and well made enough that it goes down surprisingly well. Join us as we hop the train for 2008's "Train Master." The post “Trainmaster” (2008) appeared first on Portland at the Movies .

Ed Asner and Mary Tyler Moore reunite for the first time since "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" in this made-for-TV thriller about a rogue cop who harasses Moore and her family after she testifies against him in court. So is it a worthy vehicle for the reunion of these two beloved actors? Find out on this month's episode. The post “Payback” (1997) appeared first on Portland at the Movies .

Join us for this Halloween episode as we take a look at the 1981 horror slasher flick "Just Before Dawn," which is not only shockingly competent, but actually pretty good -- and includes a truly insane final kill. Watch the movie on YouTube (or heck - buy the Blu-Ray!), start a campfire, and head down to Silver Falls for this sadly forgotten genre film. The post “Just Before Dawn” (1981) appeared...

We travel back to 1993 for this movie about real-life events that happened in 1975, which contain some of the most gripping and interesting alien abduction scenes out there. Filmed in Roseburg and Oakland, Oregon, this film takes place in a small logging town of northern Arizona, and follows the story of a man who was (supposedly) abducted by aliens in front of his friends, and who returns 5 days...

A zany late-90s stoner comedy with an incredible cast including Luke Wilson, Alicia Witt, Jack Black, Jamie Kennedy, and more sounds like a sure-fire hit. Let's unroll this joint and find out if there's any solid nuggets, or if it's all just stems and seeds. The post “Bongwater” (1997) appeared first on Portland at the Movies .

This month we try to escape the real-life deadly virus by diving into a movie about a deadly virus, the remake of the 2004 Eli Roth film "Cabin Fever," filmed outside of Mollala, Oregon. Come for the gore, stay for the baffling supporting cast performances! The post “Cabin Fever” (2016) appeared first on Portland at the Movies .

Last year we reviewed the horror movie sequels "Harvest of Fear" and "Path of Evil," and to say that we weren't very kind would be an understatement. We pretty relentlessly mocked both movies. Now it's our chance to see if we can take what we give when we speak with Ted Pfeifer, co-writer of both films, about his experience writing and acting in the films, as well as his experience listening to us...

We finish our look at the trilogy of Steven Miller films (the "Millergy") with his first movie "Visions," a mystery/thriller from 1989. After really enjoying Miller's final film "Backtime," and only sort of enjoying "Love & Dynamite," how did we feel about his first stab at movie making? How many knife-wielding arm stumps up do we give it? Tune in to find out. The post “Visions” (1989) appeare...

This month we explore the middle chapter of the Steven Miller's trilogy ("Millogy"?) with our take on "Love & Dynamite," starring Grizzly Adams's Dan Haggerty. Billed as an "action-comedy," this movie is more an exercise on improv and how to do a disservice to your actors by withholding judicious editing. But just like last month's "Backtime," there's more going on under the surface, which is...

Every once and awhile we find a little gem in the stark landscape of movies filmed in Portland, and what "Backtime" lacks in budget, it more than makes up for in heart, costuming, and passion. Clearly this film wasn't up for any Oscar noms, but considering the dreck we usually get from writer-producer-editor-director passion projects, this one ticks all the right boxes. The movie is available to w...

What can we say about "Brain Smasher: A Love Story," starring Andrew "Dice" Clay and Teri Hatcher? Whatever we'd say, we'd have to say it in an impenetrably thick Brooklyn accent even though we live in Portland, just like the Diceman. Is it a comedy? An action movie? A satire? We dive into this straight-to-video (except for the theatrical release in Brazil) on this month's episode. The post “Brain...

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...

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....

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 Hall...

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 natura...

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 avail...

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...