Portland Movie Club

1. Haven't seen the movie before? You're in for a treat - try to watch the movie sometime before we meet (Streaming Options include AppleTV and free ad-based steamers including Fandango, PlutoTV, and Crunchyroll) . Just like a book club we don't watch the movie at our meetup, just discuss it. You don't have to watch the movie to join us, but it'll be more fun if you can.
2. I usually take a few notes while I watch to keep from forgetting the most interesting stuff. If you think of some interesting discussion topics while you watch, bring 'em with you!
3. We'll decide on our next giallo movie to watch! Come with suggestions.

Are you not that familiar with the giallo genre? Read the Wikipedia entry to learn more. Is there a giallo you'd like to propose the group watch and discuss next? Here's a comprehensive list of Italian giallos along with films influenced by the genre. Maybe there's a film you've heard about but needed an excuse to watch--come join us for discussion & make a suggestion!

Coming to the group for the first time, but interested in movies previously watched & discussed? Here's a list of all previous giallos watched and discussed by the group (with group rating)!

On Discord? Join the Portland Movie Club!

A Few Notes about the film:
Varda's 18th feature, The Gleaners and I (originally Les Glaneurs et La Glaneuse) enjoyed critical acclaim upon its release, and frequently appears on lists of greatest documentaries. In 2025 it ranked number 88 on The New York Times' list of the 100 best films of the 21st century. In 2002 Varda released a follow-up titled The Gleaners and I: Two Years Later, which may come up in our discussion as well.

Viewing Options for the film:
The film is available to stream on The Criterion Channel, which is a paid service but offers a one-month free trial. It is not currently available on Multnomah County Library's Kanopy, but might if you live in a different county. And, as always, a DVD copy is available to rent at Movie Madness. Try not to hold onto it for too long.

About Political Films:
This series started out focusing on the New Republic article "The 100 Most Significant Political Films of All Time" published in June 2023, but we've since expanded well beyond the list. Both the documentaries and narrative fiction films we discuss tend to include difficult imagery and subject matter, we suggest the website "Does the Dog Die?" for content warnings.

Tips:
Once again, we do not watch the movie at the meet-up. All members watch the movie on their own time before we meet to discuss it. You don't have to watch the movie to join us, but it'll make more sense if you do. Feel free to bring along any notes, books, or articles you'd like to share with the group.

At the end of the discussion we'll pass around a ballot where we can vote on a slate of options for the next discussion. Lately we've been alternating documentaries and fiction films. So if you come to a meet-up to discuss a documentary, you'll vote on a ballot of fiction films for next time, and vice versa.

Films previously discussed in the political group:
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, I Am Not Your Negro, It's a Wonderful Life, Reds, Soundtrack to a Coup D'État, The Conformist, The Fog of War, The Zone of Interest, Harlan County USA, Judas And The Black Messiah, Medium Cool, The President’s Analyst, Marat/Sade, On The Waterfront, The Great McGinty, Seven Days In May, The Candidate, The Act of Killing, The Battle Of Algiers, All The President’s Men, How To Blow Up A Pipeline, Do The Right Thing, Malcolm X, A Face In The Crowd, and Dr. Strangelove.

The Portland Movie Club is on Discord!
Are you on Discord? Join the Portland Movie Club!

Here's how it works:
1. Just like a book club, we watch the movie before we meet.
2. We'll meet at Breakside Brewery in Beaverton, OR at 2 pm on a Saturday. We'll have signs at our tables, but we'll also try to be obvious and identifiable. Please note that this is a change in venue from many of our scheduled Sunday Meet-Up events.
3. Grab some food and drinks and spend some enjoyable time discussing these masterpieces with us. (The Breakside in Beaverton has a full-service bar and a quality assortment of food carts in the outdoor patio area.)

A little about Doris Wishman and her exploitation classic "ANOTHER DAY, MANOTHER MAN."
Pauline Kael once remarked, “Most of the films we enjoy are not art.” It has been said of director Doris Wishman – who specialized in “grindhouse” cinema – that she was the most prolific woman who directed commercial films in the 20th century, and also that she was “the female Ed Wood.” Wishman single-handedly directed, wrote, produced, cast, selected the music and locations for, and even self-financed and self-distributed her own movies – at least 30 of them. (Let’s see Quentin Tarantino try that!) Wishman was so dedicated she once exclaimed, “When I die, I’ll be making films in hell!”

Another Day, Another Man was made during the “roughies” period of “sexploitation” cinema, and while it was designed to lure in the “raincoat crowd,” the unsuspecting patrons of a Doris Wishman film in this period were subjected to stories focusing on their female protagonists, outmaneuvering the men who demonstrated their contemporary mid-sixties' attitudes about manipulation and dominance.

Trigger Notes: The Wishman movie is considered “sexploitation” and is very much a product of the year it was made: 1966. You may find some of the - um, “racier” - scenes objectionable, or you may find them naïve and amusing. You may end up wanting to add some of the lingerie to your own personal collection. This is really a matter of taste and perspective. Those familiar with the halcyon days of “Skinemax,” will likely be in for a very big disappointment. This is not elevated to – or perhaps if you prefer, downgraded to – the explicitness of soft- or hardcore “sin-ema” produced in the following decades. This was, by the dubious virtues of censorship, a much more innocent time. To a modern perspective, the emphasis may appear to be more on the capture of the era’s social attitudes, décor, fashion and music long gone, and a seemingly chaotic editing style that jump-cuts back and forth between performers and possibly random (or are they?} closeups of feet, shoes, ashtrays, handbags, peeling wallpaper and what-have-you.

A little about Lizzie Borden's "BORN IN FLAMES."
This 1983 production from the fiercely independent and underground filmmaker Lizzie Borden, who has been called a "radical intersectionist" and one of the primary contributors to the "no-wave cinema movement," presents a semi-futuristic authoritarian society, and the women who rise up in revolt against its domineering policies. There's a certain similarity in style and themes as well as the mode of production to the Wishman films here - which is why we are presenting these as a double feature. But this film has an entirely different reputation.

Trigger Notes: There's a few brief scenes that may be alarming to some viewers, including a sexual assault.

Viewing Options
Viewing options for this Doris Wishman film are more limited than usual - but that shouldn't be surprising to a cult film connoisseur, just part of the hunt for an elusive gem. You should still be able to find it on You Tube ( Another Day, Another Man (1966 Sexploitation, Nudist) - Doris Wishman ). IMPORTANT: Please note that this link starts about 2;20 minutes into the movie, so you will want to back it up to the beginning using the time bar at the bottom of the screen. Additionally, two of the more obscure streaming channels feature the film: Cultpix and Mometu (which reportedly offers a free with ads option). It has been released on Blu-ray by the AGFA thru Vinegar Syndrome, and on DVD by Something Weird Video. Both of these options are likely still available at Movie Madness.

Additional Viewing Suggestion: Co-host David was hoping to combine "Born In Flames" (the second half of our double feature) with Doris Wishman's "Bad Girls Go To Hell" since there is a little more symmetry between the two movies' themes. But it has proven to be an even more elusive film to find viewing options for before those options unexpectedly disappear. If you're courageous enough to test the waters with another fascinating and short film from Doris Wishman, you may want to try Bing Videos or Bad Girls Go to Hell (1965) Not Rated Full Drama Movie. These two movies were officially double featured by Cinema 21 once, and by Something Weird Video - which were this co-organizer's initial jaw-dropping (and extremely entertaining) exposure to the unique world of Wishman.

Viewing Options
Viewing options for the Lizzie Borden film are fortunately much more accessible and include Amazon Prime and Apple TV. It has also been released on home video as part of The Criterion Collection.

About Cult Films
Sometimes good, almost always interesting, and only somewhat definable, Cult Films defy mainstream criticism and are noted for their obscurity and dedicated fan bases. Many cult films exist at the borderline between art and exploitation and are rich candidates for open-minded entertainment and interpretation. We recommend viewing them for their uniqueness, regardless of their financial success or failure, or their adherence to a shared mainstream cinematic language.

Tips

1. Haven't seen the movie in a while? You're in for a treat - try to watch the movie sometime before we meet. As with a book club, we don't watch the movie at our meetup, we just discuss it. You don't have to watch the movie to join us, but it'll be more fun if you do.
2. Some members enjoy researching the films and sharing what they find with the group. Others prefer to engage with the films in a more casual way. Both approaches are absolutely fine! Most PMC members land somewhere in the middle. You may find it useful to take notes as you watch but definitely don't feel obligated. At the end of the day, we're here to socialize and have fun.
3. If you come up with any discussion topics you'd like to explore with the group, bring them with you! We love fresh eyes and new voices!

Previous titles viewed by our Cult Film Meet-up members for group discussion have included: Titane, Barbarella, Fantastic Planet, Eraserhead, Daisies (aka, Sedmikrásky), Jennifer’s Body, The Human Tornado, The Love Witch, Plan 9 From Outer Space, The Brain That Wouldn't Die, Phantom of The Paradise, Takashi Miike's Audition, and David Cronenberg’s Videodrome and Rabid.

The Portland Movie Club is on Discord!
Are you on Discord? Join the PMC Discord!