Instructional Media Center
• Local Film Feature •
Films with local ties include writers, directors, actors and film locales in and around Portland. Remember "video" in the call# means VHS tape - those old giant tapes that your parents used to watch. We have VHS players in the IMC. Enjoy!
Drugstore Cowboy - PN1995.9.C75 D78 1999 DVD
Portland's most famous director, Gus Van Sant, directs Portland's most infamous movie about a group of drug hustlers in the early 70s. Starring Matt Dillon, Kelley Lynch, and a young Heather Graham, and an old William Burroughs. Check out this site for then and now comparisons of scene locations. Portland then and now.
Elephant - PN1997.2.E44 E44 2004 DVD
Gus Van Sant's big-screen version of high school in the wake of Kip Kinkel, Columbine, and the new wave of teenage angst. Winner of the Golden Palm at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. Filmed at Whitaker Middle School in NE Portland.
Paranoid Park - PN1997.2 .P3736653 2008 DVD
Gus Van Sant again. From the catalog "After a young skateboarder accidentally kills a security guard in self-defense with his skateboard at Paranoid Park, he falls into a world of crime, guilt, and fear. He desperately attempts to get out as the investigation into the crime deepens". Features several Portland locations including Burnside Skate Park.
Wendy and Lucy - PN1997.2 .W46 2008 DVD
Wendy is down on her luck, but hoping to turn things around with a summer job in Alaska. Instead, she and her beloved dog Lucy find themselves stranded with no money in a small Oregon town. Local film director Kelly Reichardt shot this movie in and around Portland, much of it in the Kenton / St. Johns area.
Old Joy - PN1995.9.M45 O43 2007 DVD
Another one from Kelly Reichardt. Friends, Kurt and Mark, reunite for a weekend camping trip in the Cascade mountain range east of Portland, Oregon. For Mark, the weekend outing offers a respite from the pressure of his imminent fatherhood; for Kurt, a long series of carefree adventures.
The Art of Buster Keaton: The General - PN1997.A1 K43 2001 DVD
Set during the Civil War, this classic comedy features Keaton as a confederate rejected from the army. Though a series of mishaps, Keaton falls out of grace with his fiancé and her family for a year, until she is kidnapped on a train and only Keaton can save the day. The film features a dramatic bridge collapse filmed in Cottage Grove, OR and extras from the Oregon National Guard.
From Tugboats to Polar Bears - PN1995.9.E96 F76 2004 DVD
Experimental local filmmaker Matt McCormick offers up an unusual take on topics ranging from Argentinian rodents to commercials from 1971. Not to be missed is the short film 'The Subconscious Art of Graffiti Removal', featuring Miranda July.
Me, You and Everyone We Know - PN1997.2 .M423 2005 DVD
Remember years ago when an aspiring Miranda July was performing in the Reed SU and she accidentally locked herself out in the middle of the performance and we all thought it was part of the performance, so we didn't let her back in, no matter how hard she pounded on the door... That was hilarious. Apparently she has since put her act together, moved to LA and made a major motion picture. According to IMDB - "A lonely shoe salesman and an eccentric performance artist struggle to connect in this unique take on contemporary life". The movie won several awards including Cannes and Sundance, as well as a big thumbs up from Roger Ebert. But ultimately it pales in comparison to her SU performance.
Into the Wild - PN1995.9.A3 I586 2008 DVD
A young ideologist denounces his family, graduate school and capitalism, burns his money and heads out off the grid. Includes a graduation scene filmed on the Reed campus.
Feast of Love - PN1995.9.M45 F4378 2008 DVD
From the catalog summary - "Bradley is the owner of a coffee shop in Oregon. He thinks his marriage is idyllic, that is until his wife, Kathryn, leaves him for another woman. One of Bradley's baristas falls head over heels for a girl who comes looking for a job, but his abusive father spells trouble for the relationship. Finally, a professor and his wife struggle to find purpose in life in the aftermath of a personal tragedy". Filmed around Oregon and also starring the Reed College Campus.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - PS3561.E667 O52 2002 DVD
Though Oregon author Ken Kessey declined to watch the film adaptation, you should. Shot at the Oregon State Mental Institution in Salem, this iconic film won best picture, best actor, best actress, and best director Academy Awards in 1975. Directed by Michael Douglas. Yeah that Michael Douglas.
The Shining - PN1995.9.H6 S565 2007 DVD
It doesn't have a whole lot to do with Oregon except the exterior shots of Timberline Lodge. If you haven't seen this movie - Stanley Kubrick directs a Christmas classic with jolly old Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and a supporting cast of fun-loving kids (the twins are adorable). As caretakers for a lodge, the Torrance family gets snowed in making the best of it with games of make-believe, indoor tricycling, and high stakes hide and seek. Scatman Crothers provides comic relief.
Five Easy Pieces - PN1997 .F594 1999 DVD
Apparently Jack Nicholson liked to star in movies filmed in Oregon. This is another one. The famous "chicken salad scene" was filmed at a Denny's in Glenwood, Oregon. Check it out. Hold the chicken
Stand by Me - PN1997 .S7335 2000 DVD
A classic coming of age story about four friends in search of a dead body. The movie was shot in and around Brownsville, Oregon (and they're quite proud of it SBM locations). Directed by Rob Reiner. Based on the novella by Stephen King. Starring young people who went on to be stars. Reality star in the case of Corey Feldman.
Full Frame Documentary Shorts, Vol. 2 - PN1995.9.D6 F85 2004 DVD
This collection of documentaries features work by Reed's own Ted Davee, providing a look into the secret lives of crows. And checkout his new movie "How the Fire Fell" here EP Davee
Personal Best - PN1995.9.L482 P47 2008 DVD
Mariel Hemingway stars in this movie about two athletes at opposite ends of their careers as they compete for a spot on the Olympic team. Filmed in Eugene, OR.
Barbie Liberation Organization Newsreels - N6537.V25 B56 1993 video
Igor Vamos ('93) switches the voice boxes on dolls, returning the altered toys to store shelves. Suddenly GI Joe finds that "math is hard" and wonders "will we ever have enough clothes?". Barbie goes on the attack, proclaiming "vengeance is mine!". Check out the news footage.
Behind the Thesis: Who is Ruby Starr? - H100.R33 B3 2003 DVD
A behind the scenes look at one of Reed's most infamous former students, the enigmatic Ruby Starr. Cameras follow the elusive Starr around as she delves into her epic senior thesis entitled, "The Lack of Phallic Imagery in Herman Melville's Seminal Work or Moby Dick: Total Misnomer". Throughout, Starr challenges the Reed academic machine - "you don't need to read a book to talk about it, or to write about what's not in it", as well as her thesis board, fellow students, staff, former boyfriends, the law, the recommended dosage of nyquil, and ultimately herself.
Gidget Goes to Reed - H100.R33 G4 2011 DVD
Groovy movie shot by Reedies for Reedies in 1981 on Super8.
Fight Club - PN1995.9.V5 F54 2003 DVD
A fairly faithful film adaptation of Portland author Chuck Palahniuk's book. The movie essentially made Palahniuk famous. Ed Norton, Helena Bonham Carter and Brad Pitt will do that for you.
Far From Heaven - PN1997 .F365 2003 DVD & Poison - PN1995.9.H67 P658 1999 DVD
Todd Haynes isn't from Portland but he lives here now, so that counts for something.
Double Indemnity - PN1995.9.S87 D68354 2006 DVD d.1/2
According to Rebecca Gordon - "the man who puts Fred MacMurray's character in danger is from Medford, Oregon". Ok - that's a stretch but Medford needs all the credit it can get.