GRINDHOUSE TRAILER EXTRAVAGANZA DROPS TONIGHT AT THE HOLLYWOOD THEATRE

They say hindsight is 50/50, but what if the rearview was violent and trashy instead?  Put yer movie watchin' goggles on, 'cause you're going to need 'em tonight at The Hollywood Theatre where Dan Halsted is serving up a bloody, sexy b-movie trailer stew fashioned out of some of the best Grindhouse trailers of the 70s and 80s.  The lineup is unannounced, but expect to be blown away by what's on hand.

Anyone who's been to one of Halsted's trailer parties and/or Grindhouse Film Fest screenings can testify that the man's got excellent curatorial skills when it comes to genre cinema programming.  So you really don't want to miss tonight's show, okay?  Want a taste of what to expect?  Here's a few Grindhouse trailers to get you in the mood:

Here's what the Grindhouse Film Fest release has to say about tonight's proceedings:

Climb aboard the exploitation starship as we travel to the outer reaches of cinematic insanity! In the 1970s and 80's, distributors trying to creatively sell strange movies in oversaturated markets unwittingly created some of the most mind-blowing pieces of cinema to ever be burned into celluloid. 

This is a lineup of the best of these movie previews, presented on 35mm. All the wildest scenes, strangest taglines, and oddball promotional gimmicks crammed into two minute cinematic rollercoaster rides. We'll see Italian horror, blaxploitation, sexploitation, hicksploitation, kung fu insanity, revenge films and so much more. Buckle up and wear a neck brace.

Grindhouse Trailer Spectacular - Greatest Hits happens  Tuesday, September 24th at 7:30p.m. at the Hollywood Theatre.  More info available here.

Remember to find and "like" us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe to the blog's feed here.   

KUNG FU THEATER presents INVINCIBLE POLE FIGHTER

The Hollywood Theatre's monthly Kung Fu Theater series hosts Lau Kar Leung's 1984 Shaw Brothers' classic Invincible Pole Fighter (aka Eight Diagram Pole Fighter) for a one-night-only, rare 35mm screening on their big downstairs screen.  If you're not already a rabid fan, all you really need to know about this one is that it's Kung Fu Theater major domo Dan Halsted's favorite kung fu flick of all time.  'Nuff said; the man knows his martial arts cinema.  The rest of us?  We're just here to learn.

Here's the lowdown on the event:

Kung Fu Theater presents an extremely rare 35mm print of the kung fu masterpiece Invincible Pole Fighter! Around here, we consider this the greatest kung fu movie of all time. Advance tickets are strongly recommended for this show. 

Invincible Pole Fighter (1984) A family of fighters is ambushed by invaders in a fierce battle that leaves the family's father and four of six brothers dead. One of the remaining brothers (Gordon Liu) swears revenge, and forces his way into the Shaolin Temple to master his pole fighting skills. When his younger sister is kidnapped by the invaders, it's payback time. After numerous jaw-dropping fight scenes, there is a massive climactic battle that ranks among the greatest action scenes in movie history. This film is directed by martial arts master Lau Kar Leung (36th Chamber of Shaolin), stars Gordon Liu (36th Chamber, Kill Bill) and was a huge influence on the Wu Tang Clan. This is an all-out kung fu masterpiece. 

Invincible Pole Fighter plays one-night-only at the Hollywood Theatre on Tuesday, February 12th at 7:30pm.  More info available here.

Remember to find and "like" us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe to the blog's feed here.   

GRINDHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL presents CONVENT OF THE SACRED BEAST

While buying a copy of Black Narcissus on blu-ray a few years ago, a couple of snarky clerks working the Barnes & Noble Criterion sale started cracking jokes about nunsploitation.  I doubt they were referring specifically to Noribumi Suzuki's 1974 film Convent of the Sacred Beast (aka School of the Holy Beast), but there's really not a title out there that more fully inhabits that descriptor.  It's a film that piles up such nunsploitation/exploitation traits as s&m (lots o' whipping, sometimes with thorns!), lesbian nuns, dirty old bishops, and various perversions based in Catholic imagery.  So, of course, it was only a matter of time before it showed up at the Hollywood Theatre's monthly Grindhouse Film Festival event.

Here's what the Grindhouse folks have to say about Tuesday night's presentation:

The Grindhouse Film Festival presents the only known 35mm print of the Japanese nunsploitation film Convent of the Sacred Beast. 

Convent of the Sacred Beast (aka School of the Holy Beast) (1974) A young woman enters a convent to investigate the mysterious death of her mother. The convent turns out to be a steaming hotbed of immorality, and the woman must deal with a lesbian mother superior, a sleazy archbishop, and nuns who submit to S&M punishments for their sins. Filled with sex and violence, and filmed with beautiful cinematography, this is an erotic mix of giallo and sexploitation. This is one of a kind, and not to be missed. 

35mm sexploitation trailers before the movie

Convent of the Sacred Beast plays one-night-only at the Hollywood Theatre on Tuesday, January 29th at 7:30pm.  More info available here.

Remember to find and "like" us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe to the blog's feed here.  

RING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH THE GRINDHOUSE SECRET MOVIE MARATHON

What better way to soothe your post-New Year's Eve noggin' than with a round of exploitation, grindhouse, and kung fu shot straight into your visual cortex via the Hollywood Theatre's 35mm projector?  Co-presented by the Grindhouse Film Festival and Kung Fu Theatre (both the creation of Hollywood head programmer Dan Halsted), there's a mysterious trio of cinematic treats awaiting all who assemble within the Hollywood's large downstairs auditorium--the New Year's Day Grindhouse Secret Movie Marathon!  3 films, 6 hours, a ton of old trailers, and there's absolutely no word in advance of what will be screening tomorrow.  But the mystery is all part of the fun.  Trust me, local movie nerds will be talking about this for months.

Here's what up, according to the folks behind the event:

The Grindhouse Film Festival and Kung Fu Theater present the New Year’s Day Grindhouse Secret Movie Marathon! Come spend your hangover with a triple feature of mind-blowing 70's cinema! We’re not telling anyone what’s playing, but it will all be from extremely rare 35mm prints. 

We’ll give a couple of clues: First up will be a movie with giant monsters battling and tearing the planet apart! The second movie is a gritty crime film that is one of the most underrated movies of the 1970's. The last movie will be an extremely rare kung fu film. 

Plenty of 35mm exploitation trailers before each movie too (blaxploitation trailers, horror trailers, kung fu trailers and more). There will also be a giveaway for one free pass to all Grindhouse Film Festival and Kung Fu Theater screenings in 2013! In order to win, you must watch all three movies. Tickets are only $10 for all three movies. The movies start at 3:00, 5:00 and 7:15.

The six-hour long Grindhouse Secret Movie Marathon happens on New Year's Day at the Hollywood Theatre beginning at 3pm.  More info available here.

Remember to find and "like" us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe to the blog's feed here.   

KUNG FU THEATER presents MARTIAL ARTS OF SHAOLIN

It's only been a few months since the nearly 50-year-old Jet Li shot his way through The Expendables 2, a series so improbably successful that a third installment is already a foregone conclusion.  Does anybody else remember when Li's martial arts prowess was the only weapon he needed?  If not, Kung Fu Theater is ready to refresh your memory with a rare 35mm screening of Martial Arts of Shaolin (aka Shaolin Temple 3), starring a young, fresh faced kid who doesn't need any firearms to make his way through this world. 

Directed by Lau Kar Leung (The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter aka Invincible Pole Fighter), the 1986 Shaw Brothers film plays Tuesday night at the Hollywood Theatre.  Here's what the folks behind Kung Fu Theater have to say about the event:

Kung Fu Theater presents an extremely rare 35mm print of the kung fu classic Martial Arts of Shaolin! 

Martial Arts of Shaolin (1986) A young Jet Li stars as a monk from the Northern Shaolin Temple who sets out on a quest of vengeance against the man who killed his parents. When his initial attempt fails, he finds himself on the run from a powerful Lord and his army, and must team up with students from the Southern Shaolin Temple to stay alive. Featuring a wide array of fighting styles, martial arts weaponry, and non-stop jaw-dropping fight choreography. No other film has ever shown off Jet Li’s incredible kung fu ability like this. Directed by master Lau Kar Leung (36th Chamber of Shaolin). Don’t miss this!

Martial Arts of Shaolin plays one-night-only at the Hollywood Theatre on Tuesday, December 11th at 7:30pm.  More info available here.

Remember to find and "like" us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe to the blog's feed here.   

GRINDHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL presents XTRO

 

Portland's Grindhouse Film Festival rises once again for yet another monthly dip into the waters of b-movie exhibition.  This month's offering is the 1982 British, sci-fi horror flick Xtro from director Harry Bromley Davenport (Mockingbird Don't Sing).  What's it about?  Well, it all begins when young Tony sees his dad get hijacked by alien visitors.  Several years later, his pop reappears and then things truly begin to shift towards the unthinkable.

It all goes down tonight at the Hollywood Theatre at 7:30p.m.  Here's what the good folks at Grindhouse central have to say about tonight's feature:

On Tuesday November 27th at 7:30pm, the Grindhouse Film Festival presents the only known 35mm print of the batshit-crazy 80′s sci-fi/horror film Xtro! 

Xtro (1983) How to describe Xtro? A young boy witnesses his father being abducted by a light in the sky. Three years later, that light returns and plants a seed in the ground. That seed grows into a horrible creature. That creature impregnates a woman. That woman gives birth to a fully-formed version of the father, just as we last saw him. The father returns home and gives his son telekinetic powers. The son uses his telekinetic powers to make his toys come to life and do his bidding. And then things start to get WEIRD!

 

Xtro plays one-night-only at the Hollywood Theatre on Tuesday, November 27th at 7:30pm.  More info available here.

Remember to find and "like" us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe to the blog's feed here.  

KUNG FU THEATER presents FIST OF THE WHITE LOTUS

Yet another solid Shaw Brothers Studio flick comes to the Hollywood Theatre courtesy of this month's installment of Dan Halsted's ongoing Kung Fu Theater series.  For November, Dan's chosen Lo Lieh's 1980 kinetic classic Fist of the White Lotus (aka Clan of the White Lotus) to entertain the Kung Fu crowd.  It's Gordon Liu vs. Lo Lieh (as the evil, white haired Pai Mei) in a no-holds barred battle to the death.  You wanna see a dude kick ass while getting dressed after a bath?  Need to bone up on your tiger style?  This is your movie, people!

Here's what the folks at the Hollywood have to say about Tuesday night's presentation:

Kung Fu Theater presents the only known 35mm print of the martial arts masterpiece Fist of the White Lotus! One of the top five kung fu movies of all time! 

Fist of the White Lotus (1980) Gordon Liu is out to avenge the destruction of the Shaolin Temple! But he’s up against an incarnation of the greatest villain in martial arts movie history: the unstoppable white eyebrowed Pai Mei (Gordon Liu played another incarnation of Pai Mei in Kill Bill Vol. 2). Lo Lieh plays the villain here, and he’s at his trash-talking, beard-stroking, kung fu annihilating best. He’ll even fight while he’s naked. But watch out for his kung fu crotch! The opening credit sequence alone is worth the price of admission, and the fight scenes are choreographed by kung fu master Lau Kar Leung (director of 36th Chamber of Shaolin). Don’t miss this, it’s a crowd-pleasing masterpiece. 

35mm kung fu trailers before the movie.

Fist of the White Lotus plays one-night-only at the Hollywood Theatre on Tuesday, November 13th at 7:30pm.  More info available here.

Remember to find and "like" us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe to the blog's feed here.   

GRINDHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL presents CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST

Banned in several countries due to the misconception that it was a snuff film, Ruggero Deodato's 1980 shock horror film Cannibal Holocaust has become somewhat of a rite of passage for extreme horror fans.  The story is simple: an academic (Robert Kerman) heads to the Amazon to find out what happened to a missing film crew.  He stumbles upon an indigenous, cannibalistic tribe from which he recovers the crew's footage.  Upon returning to America, he reviews what they shot, revealing the group of filmmakers grisly, nasty ends.  Pretty basic stuff, and it doesn't take a genius to understand the influence of Deodato's film on the found footage craze driving such pictures as The Blair Witch Project, [REC], Paranormal Activity, and, most recently, V/H/S.

Cannibal Holocaust, unlike those other films, has built up a reputation as one of the most transgressive films of all time.  In Britain, it became one of the holy grails of the video nasties, movies that were forbidden for sale by legislative decree, resulting in an active black market for bootleg video copies of those films. For more on video nasties, I've included a short piece hosted by English critic Mark Kermode after the trailer.

The Hollywood Theatre's monthly Grindhouse Film Festival brings Portland audiences the chance to catch the film this Tuesday on the big screen, projected from a rare 35mm print.  Here's what the theater's press release has to say (note the warning about refunds):

The Grindhouse Film Festival presents the only known 35mm print of Ruggero Deodato’s soul-shattering horror film Cannibal Holocaust. 

Cannibal Holocaust (1980) A crew of documentary filmmakers, working on a movie about a lost cannibal tribe, disappears deep in the Amazon jungle. An anthropologist is sent in search of them, and finds only their film footage. When he screens the film, we witness the crew’’s horrible fate. This gut churning descent into the dark side of humanity includes some of the most horrific images ever burned into celluloid. This film is absolutely guaranteed to shock, offend and disgust. It is also one of the most powerful films of all time. 

WARNING: This film contains extreme violence and scenes of animal cruelty. No one under the age of 17 will be admitted, and no refunds will be given to those offended.

Cannibal Holocaust plays one-night-only at the Hollywood Theatre on Tuesday, October 23rd at 7:30pm.  More info available here.


Remember to find and "like" us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe to the blog's feed here.  

KUNG FU THEATER presents IRON FINGERS OF DEATH (aka SHAOLIN PRINCE)

Dan and the crew at the Hollywood Theatre have yet another Shaw Brothers classic lined up for this month's Kung Fu Theater presentation.  On the menu: the über-obscure martial arts flick Iron Fingers of Death (1982), directed by Tang Chia (Lightning Fists of Shaolin).  As per usual with these monthly events, it's a rare 35mm print that will be on hand, so, if you've got any inclination to see the film, this is probably your only chance to see it on the big screen.

Another reason to show up at the Hollywood on Tuesday night: t-shirts.  The brand spankin' new Kung Fu Theater t-shirts, designed by "Kung Fu Bob" O'Brien go on sale Tuesday night for twenty bucks a piece.  Want a lil' preview of what your torso could look like after Tuesday night?  Take a gander:

Here's what the Kung Fu Theater release has to say about Tuesday night's event:

Iron Fingers of Death (aka Death Mask of the Ninja aka Shaolin Prince) (1982) 

Two princes are separated at birth. One is raised by the prime minster, and the other by three weird Shaolin Monks. Both are trained in kung fu, and must eventually combine forces to defeat the evil “Iron Fingers”. Along the way, they’ll encounter an aquatic assassin, a Chinese exorcism, and a group of monks who combine their bodies to become one intertwined mass of unstoppable fighting power. This is the directorial debut of Tang Chia, one of the greatest (and craziest) martial arts choreographers of all time. 

35mm kung fu trailers before the movie.

Iron Fingers of Death plays one-night-only at the Hollywood Theatre on Tuesday, October 9th at 7:30pm.  More info available here.


Remember to find and "like" us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe to the blog's feed here.   

GRINDHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL presents ROLLING THUNDER

John Flynn's (Lock Up, Out for Justice) notorious 1977 revenge thriller Rolling Thunder has been discussed over the years almost as much for its unavailability on dvd as for the explosive acts of violence littered throughout it.  Even though it was finally released last year via the MGM Limited Edition Collection (the studio's trumped up name for the orphaned films in their portfolio, dumped onto burnt dvds, often with questionable transfers), it'd be a crime to miss out this Tuesday night when Dan Halsted has a rare 35mm print of the film lined up for his monthly Grindhouse Film Festival event at the Hollywood Theatre.

Yes, Quentin Tarantino likes the film so much that he named his short-lived distribution company after it, which is all fine and dandy, but the real reason to pay attention to Rolling Thunder is Paul Schrader.  Obviously, Schrader's best known for his screenplays for Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, as well as for his work as a writer/director on such films as American Gigalo and Affliction.  Rolling Thunder is Schrader at his prime, when his entire output seemed to be dedicated to investigating outsiders prodded towards acts both violent and transgressive.  If you're a fan of any of the films dissected in Robert Kolker's "A Cinema of Loneliness", you owe it to yourself to catch this film.

Enough of my blathering, here's the press release for this month's Grindhouse event:

On Tuesday September 25th at 7:30, the Grindhouse Film Festival presents a rare 35mm print of the 70′s revenge masterpiece Rolling Thunder. Written by Paul Schrader around the same time he wrote Taxi Driver, this is one of the most underrated American films of the 1970′s. 

Rolling Thunder (1977) William Devane stars as Major Charles Rane who returns from a long tortuous stay in a Vietnamese POW camp to find his wife married to another man and his only son wary of a father he doesn’t know. Tommy Lee Jones co-stars as a shattered POW survivor who finds it impossible to readjust to civilian life, and sees Rane as the only man he can relate to. When a crew of thugs invade Rane’s home, mangle his hand in a garbage disposal, and kill his son, Rane begins down a focused path of revenge. With a sharpened hook for a hand and a duffel bag full of shotguns, he crosses the border to Mexico with the only purpose he has left in his life.

Here's a bonus clip of director Eli Roth (Cabin Fever, Hostel) discussing the film:

Rolling Thunder plays one-night-only at the Hollywood Theatre on Tuesday, September 25th at 7:30pm.  More info available here.


Remember to find and "like" us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe to the blog's feed here.  

KUNG FU THEATER presents CRIPPLED AVENGERS

 

Is it already time for another installment of Kung Fu Theater at the Hollywood Theatre?  Man, this year is just slipping through my hands!  Well, back to the good news: KUNG FU on a big ass screen, projected from a rare 35mm print!  And, boy, do Dan and the crew at the Hollywood have a real treat in store for faithful attendees this month.  It's a Shaw Brothers classic directed by Kung Fu Theater favorite Chang Cheh: 1978s Crippled Avengers.

As per usual, buying tickets in advance is advisable, as these events regularly sell out.

Here's the details courtesy of Kung Fu Theater's release:

On Tuesday September 18th at 7:30pm, Kung Fu Theater presents an extremely rare 35mm print of the martial arts classic Crippled Avengers. 

The Venom Mob star as a group of men each individually attacked and left crippled. One is blind, one is deaf and mute, one legless, and one mentally challenged. Now they must each learn unique kung fu to overcome their disabilities and exact revenge on the person responsible: the ruthless man with the iron hands! Get ready for non-stop martial arts mayhem, wild acrobatics, and homoerotic funky style (did ancient kung fu masters really roam the Chinese countryside bare-chested, sporting huge sideburns?) Directed by Chang Cheh. 

35mm kung fu trailers before the movie.

 

Crippled Avengers plays one-night-only at the Hollywood Theatre on Tuesday, September 18th at 7:30pm.  More info available here.


Remember to find and "like" us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe to the blog's feed here.   

GRINDHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL presents THE DEADLY SPAWN

Portland can count the the Hollywood Theatre's monthly Grindhouse Film Festival events among its many blessings.  Where else but at these screenings are you gonna have the opportunity to see 35mm prints of b-grade & Euro-horror fare with an enthusiastic audience of folks willing to imagine a world where these films are equal, if not better than, the established classics of the cinematic canon?  Or more specific to tonight's screening: where else are you likely to be treated to a non-digital presentation of Douglas McKeown's 1983 cult-classic The Deadly Spawn on a big ass screen?  Nowhere else, that's where.

Take it away, Grindhouse press release:

The Grindhouse Film Festival presents a rare 35mm print of The Deadly Spawn! This is one of the great crowd-pleasing horror movies of the 1980's. The Deadly Spawn (1983) A meteorite crashes to Earth, bringing with it an angry three-headed alien beast. The alien hides in the basement of an old house, and starts devouring it's residents and giving birth to hundreds of eel-shaped shark-toothed spawn. Now it's up to a young boy and a small group of teenagers to fight the rampaging spawn, kill the alien beast, and save humanity. This film is a low-budget 80's horror masterpiece. 35mm 80's alien horror trailers before the movie!

The Deadly Spawn plays one-night-only at the Hollywood Theatre on Tuesday, August 28th at 7:30pm.  More info available here.


Remember to find and "like" us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe to the blog's feed here.  

GRINDHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL presents DON'T GO IN THE HOUSE

It's that time of the month again: Dan Halsted's back with another installment of his Grindhouse Film Festival at the Hollywood Theatre.  This month's selection is the 1980 Joseph Ellison chiller Don't Go in the House.  It's a rare opportunity to see the film on the big screen and probably the only chance most Portlanders will ever have to see in projected on 35mm.  Don't miss it.

Here's the Grindhouse Film Fest rundown of the event:
Don’t Go in the House (1979) Donald is a young man living with his overbearing mother. When he comes home one day to find she has died in her sleep, his sanity (which was a little shaky to begin with) flies out the window, and the voices in his head become overpowering. When he buys a flamethrower, this becomes one of the greatest horror films of all time. 35mm 70′s horror trailers before the movie!

Don't Go in the House plays one-night-only at the Hollywood Theatre on Tuesday, June 26th at 7:30pm.  More info available here.

Remember to find and "like" us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe to the blog's feed here.  

KUNG FU THEATER presents MERCENARIES FROM HONG KONG

Dan Halsted's monthly Kung Fu Theater series strikes again at the Hollywood Theatre this coming Tuesday night.  As per usual, Dan's got an über-rare 35mm print to share with the martial arts faithful of Portland; this month's selection is Mercenaries from Hong Kong, an early 80s release from the prolific Shaw Brothers Studio.

The film eschews the period-based action of many Shaw Bros. classics, instead focusing on the (then) modern day travails of a Vietnam vet who's moved into killer-for-hire work after the war ends.  Here's what the Kung Fu Theater crew has to say about the film:

A martial arts mercenary-for-hire is recruited for a dangerous mission of tracking down a deadly assassin in Cambodia. He assembles a crack team to assist him: a knife expert, a sniper, a kung fu master, and a bomb specialist. Dressed in synchronized tracksuits, they set out on a nail-biting adventure filled with car chases, motorcycle stunts, shootouts and kung fu fights. It doesn’t take long for the double crosses to set in, and the mercenaries have to question who they can trust as they fight for their lives. This is over-the-top martial arts action insanity!

Mercenaries from Hong Kong plays one-night-only at the Hollywood Theatre on Tuesday, June 12th.  More info available here.


Remember to find and "like" us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe to the blog's feed here.  

GRINDHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL presents SQUIRM

Portland's own Grindhouse Film Festival slams into high gear tonight with yet another rarely screened, B-horror gem at the Hollywood Theatre.  This month's selection is none other than the 1976 worms gone wild spectacle known as Squirm.  Directed by Jeff Lieberman of Blue Sunshine fame (or is it infamy?), the film finally answers the question of what it would take to get earthworms on board for eating human flesh; the answer...why electricity, of course.

Here's what the Grindhouse fest press release says is in store for tonight's audience:
Squirm (1976) When a violent storm rocks a small community, a series of power lines are knocked to the ground, sending high voltage electricity deep into the earth. The surge of power hits tens of thousands of earthworms, sending them into a flesh-eating frenzy! A young couple and a detective try to save the town, but not before angry screaming worms start infesting houses, spilling out of facets, and burrowing into people’s skin. If the thought of drowning in a sea of worms makes your skin crawl, then this is the movie for you. 
35mm 70′s horror trailers before the movie!

Squirm plays one-night-only at the Hollywood Theatre on Tuesday, May 29th at 7:30pm.  More info available here.

Remember to find and "like" us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe to the blog's feed here.  

KUNG FU THEATER presents INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN

Kung Fu Theater hits the Hollywood Theatre once again with a screening of Chang Cheh's (The One-Armed Swordsman) 1978 film Invincible Shaolin.  Hollywood Theatre programming maestro Dan Halsted claims it's "one of the greatest films in the Shaw Brothers canon."   He's got the only existing 35mm print of the film and will be sharing it with the faithful Kung Fu congregants for one-night-only.

Halsted's got a couple of things planned before running the film, too.  Here's what he's got in store for ya:

I'll be showing a slideshow from my adventure unearthing the largest collection of 35mm kung fu films in the Western Hemisphere (including this film). 
I'll also talk about my experience being a victim of excessive force by the Portland Police, my recent lawsuit, and how the city attorney tried to use my kung fu collection against me in the case. The issue with the Portland Police using excessive force has been tolerated for far too long. See the KATU story about my case here.

And here's the Kung Fu Theater synopsis of Invincible Shaolin from their press release:

Kung Fu Theater presents the only known 35mm print of INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN. One of the greatest kung fu films of all time! INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN (1978) The Venom Mob is back! 
The stars of FIVE ELEMENT NINJAS return as a group of fighters who are pitted against each other in a North Shaolin vs. South Shaolin kung fu showdown! Three South Shaolin students start intensive (and extremely strange) training to master various fighting styles and martial arts weaponry. Funky style and huge sideburns reign supreme, colliding with director Chang Cheh's trademark violence and homo-eroticism. Get ready for non-stop kung fu mayhem, and some of the best training sequences in martial arts movie history. A true classic.

Invincible Shaolin plays one-night-only at the Hollywood Theatre on Tuesday, May 8th.  More info available here.


Remember to find and "like" us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe to the blog's feed here.  

GRINDHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL presents KING KONG VS. GODZILLA

This coming Tuesday night, Dan Halsted's Grindhouse Film Festival celebrates the 50th anniversary of Ishirô Honda's King Kong vs. Godzilla in style with the projection of a 35mm print of the film.  This is an example of the kind of peerless programing going on at the Hollywood Theatre nowadays; they've hit upon a wonderful balance between the expected indie/art house fare and more adventurous rep-based events, offering really distinctive bookings on a regular basis. 

Plus, now with the newly renovated seats, screen and sound system in the downstairs theater space, paired with the theater's reputation for digging up exceedingly rare prints in great condition, there's a near guarantee that even the older, more niche-based programming will shine.  January's Grindhouse screening of Dario Argento's 1977 psychedelic, fever dream Suspiria on the Hollywood's 50-foot screen was a revelatory experience.

But enough gushing, let's move on to the details about Tuesday's screening.  Here's what the Grindhouse fest press release has to say about what's going down on 4/24:

King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) Godzilla breaks free from an iceberg and heads straight to Tokyo to start tearing the city apart. Meanwhile, a pharmaceutical company captures King Kong and brings him to Japan. It’s only a matter of time before he breaks free, and we see a colossal collision between the two mightiest monsters of all time!!! 
Directed by the great Ishiro Honda. 35mm daikaiju trailers before the movie!

King Kong vs. Godzilla plays one-night-only at the Hollywood Theatre on Tuesday, April 24th.  More info available here.

Remember to find and "like" us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe to the blog's feed here.  

KUNG FU THEATER presents DREADNAUGHT

Dan Halsted's bringing a rare 35mm print of Yuen Woo-Ping's 1981 film Dreadnaught to the large screen at the Hollywood Theatre tonight.  As with most of Halsted's Kung Fu Theater and Grindhouse Film Festival events, this is a one-night-only event, not to be missed by fans of martial arts and Hong Kong cinema.  And what self-respecting fan of genre cinema would want to miss a flick like this one, featuring characters with names like Mousy and White Tiger?

It all goes down this evening at 7:30 .  Here's a brief description of the film via the press release:

On Tuesday April 17th at 7:30 at the Hollywood Theatre, Kung Fu Theater presents the only known 35mm print of Master Yuen Woo Ping's classic DREADNAUGHT. Tickets are $7. 

DREADNAUGHT (1981) Yuen Biao (EASTERN CONDORS) and Leung Kar Yan (THE VICTIM) star as a young men seeking to learn kung fu from a legendary master. Meanwhile, a crazed kung fu killer named White Tiger is randomly putting on spooky makeup and unleashing his martial arts skills on unsuspecting victims. It's up to the two young men to stop White Tiger, but not until they master the Eagle Claw style, and fight a mysterious double-faced villain. Featuring Yuen Biao's acrobatic skills, a jaw-dropping kung fu lion-dance sequence, and some of the most incredible martial arts choreography you'll ever see. 

Kung Fu Theater presents Dreadnaught at the Hollywood Theatre on Tuesday, April 17th at 7:30pm.  More info here.


Remember to find and "like" us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe to the blog's feed here.

GRINDHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL presents GATES OF HELL (aka CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD)

 

Dan Halsted's Grindhouse Film Festival brings out the big guns next Tuesday, March 27th with a 35mm presentation of Italian-horror maestro Lucio Fulci's Gates of Hell (aka City of the Living Dead).  

Gates of Hell's got more than its share of memorably macabre sequences, including a séance powerful enough to kill (or so it seems), a live burial, an army of maggots on the attack, and, perhaps most famously, an encounter between a drill bit and one man's skull.  And, lest we forget, the dead are returning, thanks to some kinda hoodoo-voodoo involving a priest, suicide and the gates of hell.

Here's what to expect, courtesy of Grindhouse Film Festival's press release:

GATES OF HELL (1980) A surreal Italian gutmuncher from gore-maestro Lucio Fulci!  A priest commits suicide and unwittingly opens the gateway to hell.  The rotting dead rise from their graves to feed on the living in gruesome fashion, while a psychic and a journalist attempt to stop the rancid carnage.  This is Lucio Fulci at his finest, so prepare yourself for zombie killing, head drilling, intestine spilling mayhem!  Powered by Fabio Frizzi's creepy soundtrack and top notch special effects.

35mm horror trailers before the movie.

Related links:
Grindhouse Film Festival presents Vigilante (1983)



Gates of Hell will screen at the Hollywood Theatre for one night only: Tuesday, March 27th at 7:30pm.  Advanced tix + more info available here.

Remember to find and "like" us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe to the blog's feed here.

GRINDHOUSE FILM FESTIVAL presents VIGILANTE (1983) @the Hollywood Theatre tonight only!

 

Dan Halsted's Grindhouse Film Festival roars to life once again tonight (2/28) at The Hollywood Theatre with a one-night-only screening of William Lustig's 1983 vengeance-themed, genre flick Vigilante, starring Robert Forster (The Black Hole, Jackie Brown) and Fred Williamson (Hell Up in Harlem, Black Caesar).

As for the details, I defer to the experts at the Grindhouse webpage:

Vigilante (1983) Robert Forster stars as a New York everyman, with a blue-collar job and a small family he loves. When his family is violently assaulted by street punks, he is shocked to find the police and court system useless and corrupt. His co-worker (Fred Williamson) is fed up with the gangs and drug dealers who have taken over the city, and starts a vigilante group to take care of what the police are too terrified to do. Forster is hesitant to join, until he's finally pushed over the edge, and starts down a road of vengeance. This is one of the greatest revenge films ever made, directed by William Lustig (Maniac) and inspired by Italian crime films and spaghetti westerns.

 

As a bonus, here's a 2010 AVManiacs/CineFiles interview w/ William Lustig:

Vigilante will screen at the Hollywood Theatre for one night only: tonight (Feb. 28th) at 7:30pm.


Related links:
Grindhouse Film Festival presents Gates of Hell

Remember to find and "like" us on our Facebook page.
Subscribe to the blog's feed here.