Movies

In Twinless, Dylan O’Brien Finds Himself in Portland, Twice

Director James Sweeney’s twisty new film casts the Maze Runner star as twin brothers, one dead and the other grieving his loss.

09/02/2025 By Chase Hutchinson

Film

5 Essential Northwest Films—According to Steve McQueen, Gus Van Sant, and Others

The recipients of the 2021 Cinema Unbound Awards share their favorite PNW titles, from Blue Velvet to First Cow.

02/24/2021 By Conner Reed

Film

Gus Van Sant’s New Film Resurrects Legendary Portland Cartoonist John Callahan

Starring Joaquin Phoenix and Jonah Hill, Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot chronicles the life of the provocative quadriplegic artist.

06/19/2018 By Jason Cohen

Culture Cheat Sheet: Essay

Portland’s Cultural Exports Might Never Take Over the World. Here’s Why That’s a Good Thing.

Almost famous is just fine by us.

11/14/2016 By Shawn Levy

Culture Cheat Sheet: Movies

The Ultimate DIY Oregon Film Festival

Clear your weekend. Here’s a seven-movie crash course on Beaver State screentime.

11/14/2016 By Fiona McCann

THEATER

RIP Old Portland: A Funeral for the City That Was

Portland has experienced a lot of changes in the 25 years since Gus Van Sant’s My Own Private Idaho. Now Hand2Mouth are offering you a chance for you to pay your respects for what’s been lost.

08/13/2015 By Fiona McCann

FILM

Get Ready For Your Gus Van Sant Big Screen Movie Marathon

Portland's NW Film Center is running a major Gus Van Sant retrospective, with his defining movies shown alongside those that influenced this local filmmaker.

04/22/2015 By Rene Bermudez

History

50 Moments That Shaped Portland

Our spin through Portland’s raucous 170 years reveals a city molded by punks and power brokers, by brilliant breakthroughs and a few heinous mistakes.

12/02/2013 By Randy Gragg With Zach Dundas, Marty Patail, Marco España, Caitlin Feldman, Cari Johnson, Alexandria Bordas, and Doug Kenck-Crispin

CULTURE

Fifty Shades of Gus Van Sant

Portland's gay art-house cinema legend angled to direct the mass-market "mommy porn" movie and lost.*

08/01/2013

FILM

Review: Promised Land

Despite the dreamy reunion of Oscar winners Gus Van Sant and Matt Damon, this story of redemption is one we've all seen before.

01/09/2013 By Sam Coggeshall

Mudroom

The Lost World of Gus Van Sant's My Own Private Idaho

Twenty years later, Gus Van Sant reflects on My Own Private Idaho’s vanished city of flophouses and hustlers.

09/21/2011 By Ryan Donaldson

Local Color

Made In Portland

Gus Van Sant might just be the least hip local icon you’ve ever met. “I’m very uncool,” he says. He’s OK with this, and so are we.

05/19/2009 By Bart Blasengame