I give the Reel Music Film Festival a standing O. It’s really the Reese’s peanut butter cup of festivals: you got your music in my movie, you got your movie in my music. And who doesn’t like peanut butter cups?

But now we’re approaching the mother of all Portland film festivals: PIFF. Which stands for Portland International Film Festival. If you were planning on quitting your job anytime soon, this would be a good time. At the very least I think you’re coming down with that flu that’s going around.

Because man alive there are too many choices! The festival runs from Feb. 7-23 and includes I don’t know like 10,000 movies (it’s actually more like 100 something, but come on!) Check out nwfilm.org for listings to plan your attack.

Good luck.

Later,
Keith

Now that the holidays are mercifully over — don’t those few weeks just seem like forever? — it’s time to get back to business. I’m talking of course about Hotel deLuxe’s monthly Sunday night movie series.

If you haven’t been, the third Sunday of the month we show a small independent movie in our Screening Room here at the hotel. Usually they’re the work of local filmmakers. And you can order food and drinks from Gracie’s or the Driftwood while you watch.

So…join us on Sunday, Jan. 20 for Grandma Zula’s Legacy, a documentary about racism, community service and activism during the 1940s-70s in Portland. I’ve not seen it yet but am looking forward it.
By the way, it’s usually a good idea to call ahead for reservations: 503.219.2093. Doors open at 6 p.m., show starts at 6:30 p.m. Oh, and it’s free.

See you there/here,
Emily

Yo everyone. Man, it seems like a long time since my last post. It was a year ago… Anyway, 2008 has got off to a great start. We had a nice Chrsitmas, El Debarge was fun (Lakeside, the funk act that opened, stole the show). And the snowboarding on New Year’s day — awesome.

And thanks Emily for the post about the Chuck Close exhibit at the Portland Art Museum. We went and it was incredible. I hadn’t heard of him before, but I totally loved his stuff. Makes me want to try painting.

I also discovered the Northwest Film Center theater right there in the museum. How’d I miss that one? We saw “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” after the exhibit. You have to see it. It’s this incredible story about this guy who is totally paralyzed and how he dictates a book using just his eyelid. I kid you not.

Cheers,
Keith

The Portland Art Museum is on a roll. First was the spring/summer Rembrandt show, which was one of the best exhibits I’ve seen in Portland. If you missed it, that’s a bona fide shame.

And now we jump forward about 400 years for a show devoted to the portraits of painter/printmaker Chuck Close. If you don’t know Chuck Close, Google him. You’ll see what all the fuss is about.

The problem is his work tends to be huge, so you won’t get the full effect in a picture or on your computer. You really need to be in the same room with it. And now, for the first time in Portland, at least as far as I know, you can.

So don’t miss this opportunity to get up close *ha!* and personal with this great artist.

Till later,
Emily

Post-gluttony greetings, everyone. I trust your holiday was spent grazing from dish to platter like mine was. I tried a port I just loved. It’s called Porto Kopke. You have to try the Colheita.

What I wanted to mention here, aside from how perfect the right port goes with crisp apple and a nice hard cheese, is a book. And no, it’s not Harry Potter. Though there is some spooky stuff in this one.

Called Fugitives and Refugees, it’s by local member of the literati, Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club, Choke, etc. But this one is non-fiction, and a sort of manual on Portland (it’s part of Crown Journeys’ series in which famous writers write about their home city).

So if you’re visiting Portland, or even if you live here, and you wish you had a cooler tour guide than Mr. Frommer, pick up Fugitives and Refugees for an interesting trip through town.

Cheerio,
Emily

All you cinephiles out there, this is the last call for this year’s Hotel deLuxe Sunday night movie series. The final installment for 2007 will be shown on Nov. 18. Titled Inside Iraq: The Untold Stories, it follows Portlander Mike Shiley on his tour in Iraq not regularly seen in the media.

Incredibly, Shiley is not a journalist, or even really a filmmaker. He actually made a fake press pass at Kinko’s, got himself to Iraq, was embedded with an army tank gunner and then worked a deal with ABC News. He even ended up winning a combat medal! I might have opted for a beach on Bora Bora, but there you have it…

It’s been a great series and thanks to everyone who’s come. Hotel deLuxe will resume screenings after the holidays, so check back. In the meantime, come out on the 18th. And remember to call ahead (503.219.2093) to get a seat.

See you there,
Emily

I know I already did a post about this, but I just wanted to remind everyone about the Mercy Corps concert series, which is approaching its last weekend. If you haven’t been, it’s time to move things around on your calendar, get a new outfit if you must, and go.

For those that may have missed the original post, here’s the skinny. Hotel deLuxe is co-sponsoring Voices for Silent Disasters, a series of shows that began on Oct. 9 and runs through Nov. 17.

The series, proceeds for which benefit Mercy Corps and their work in Uganda, has included a literal who’s who of Portland performers from Art Alexakis and Thomas Lauderdale to Stephanie Schneiderman and 3 Leg Torso.

The finale weekend is more of the same with Storm Large, Pepe and the Bottle Blondes and Dirty Martini, to name just a few. Good music, good cause, good gravy get yourself tickets!

See you there,
Emily

Best book I ever read? I’d have to go with In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. Or maybe The Shining by Steven King. But this post is supposed to be about movies. (Though one was made into a good movie (Richard Brooks, 1967) and the other a great one (Stanley Kubrick, 1980).)

Sorry I haven’t been around a lot on the blog. Things have gotten super busy. Which is good. But I just had to remind people about the Northwest Film & Video Festival on Nov. 9-17.

It will all be worth it for a single short showing at the festival. By the man himself, Gus Van Sant. If I’m lying, I’m dying. I wouldn’t miss that if I had to watch High School Musical 10 times, or High School Musical 2: Sing It All or Nothing 20 times. OK, maybe not the second one…

Keeping it reel,
Lance

I’ve got a clever name for you. And one of the cooler events in the city. Wordstock. These are clever sorts these Portland literati. And they’re building a great literary festival befitting a city that has its own City of Books.

The festival returns for its third year on November 8-11, 2007, at the Oregon Convention Center. This year they say there will be more than 200 writers, numerous readings, workshops, panels — it’s a bona fide book nerd’s paradise.

So if that’s you, if you love books, love certain writers (Carl Hiaasen, Dave Eggers, Jane Hamilton will all be there), love panel discussions(?) or are just want to do some book shopping (it includes a big book fair) for your empty bedside table at Hotel deLuxe, then I guess you’ve got next week pretty well planned.

R.I.F.,
Emily

I’ve just run across a notice for something called Portland Open Studios 2007. I wanted to pass it on here because it sounds like such a fascinating event. Apparently, on Oct. 13-14 and again on Oct. 20-21, various Portland artists are inviting people into their studios.

Studio tours I’ve heard of, but I don’t know if I’ve heard of anyone organizing anything quite like this before. If so, I unfortunately missed it.

The deal is not only do they invite you in, the artists, which include painters, sculptors, potters, photographers, etc., will also talk about what they do, and how they do it. The materials, the tools, the techniques. I just love the idea.

So if you love art, either making it or just admiring it, it seems worth a visit. And kids are free. Nice.

Have fun,

Emily