Who is this movie for? It is not for innocent children. They do not know who this skull-faced, mascara-slathered man is, prancing and mugging on a boat. It is not for adults, who, in our Age of Netflix, have better ways to distract themselves from their decaying bodies and looming deaths. Is it for the […]
Erik Henriksen
With honor and distinction, Erik Henriksen served as the executive editor of the Portland Mercury from 2004 to 2020. He can now be found at henriksenactual.com.
Posted inMovies & TV
Tonight’s Screening of The Big Lebowski at the Academy Theater Is for a Good Cause
The Academy Theater has been showing the Coen brothers’ cult favorite The Big Lebowski for the past few days, but tonight’s screening is a special one: All ticket and concession proceeds, along with those from a silent auction and raffle, will benefit Academy Theater manager Patrick White. White, who was in a coma for several […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Who Is Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales for?
It Is Not for You. It Is Not for Anyone.
It is not for you. It is not for anyone.
Posted inFeature
Hiking Highway 26
The Freeways Are Only Getting Worse. Time to Find Another Way Out of Town
Portland’s freeways are only getting worse. Time to find another way out of town.
Posted inBooks
The Beaches and Bars of Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way
Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way begins in Key West at the dawn of the ’70s—where, Portland author Ryan White notes, “the drugs were plentiful, and the sex wouldn’t kill you,” and where a bar called the Chart Room, with its “dark wood, scuffed floors, thumbtacked navigational charts, and Mos Eisley charm” was […]
Posted inBooks
The Beaches and Bars of Jimmy Buffett: A Good Life All the Way
Portland Author Ryan White Explores the Charms and Clichés of Margaritaville
Portland Author Ryan White explores the charms and clichés of Margaritaville
Posted inBooks
Stephen King and Bernie Wrightson’s Creepshow Comic Is Available Again, For the First Time in Years
Creepshow, written by Stephen King, art by Bernie Wrightson We’re in the midst of a Stephen King renaissance—between the nonstop King homage that is Stranger Things, the upcoming film adaptations of It and The Dark Tower, the upcoming TV adaptations of Gerald’s Game, The Mist, and Mr. Mercedes, and the meta-sounding Castle Rock series, King […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Should the Fast & Furious Family Go to Outer Space? A Point/Counterpoint On the Most Urgent Issue of Our Time
PhotoShop: Nick Olmstead. Background: Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona. Fast Fam: Universal. POINT: YES, THE FAST & FURIOUS FAMILY SHOULD GO TO OUTER SPACEby Erik Henriksen Before we look to the future, we must look to the past. Remember the olden days. In the olden days (2001), it was enough for a gang of […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Blood, Laughs, and Free Fire
“You know what? Fuck the small talk. Let’s buy some guns, eh?” So speaketh Chris (Cillian Murphy) right at the start of Free Fire. It’s a compelling argument. So: Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Run Through the Jungle” hits the speakers. A motley, inept crew of criminals strides into a rundown, rubble-strewn warehouse. And then the bullets […]
Posted inScience!
Give a Shit About Science, Progress, and Equality? Then Don’t Miss the March for Science
In a mere three months, Donald Trump—who lost the popular vote by 2,864,974 votes—has fucked up a bunch of shit. But the most terrifying of those fuck-ups have been his administration’s brutally ignorant attacks on science. Take Trump’s cabinet appointments—which included making an ExxonMobil oil profiteer Secretary of State, and giving the Environmental Protection Agency […]
Posted inMovies & TV
Shoot ’Em Up
Blood, Laughs, and Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire
Blood, laughs, and Ben Wheatley’s Free Fire.
Posted inMovies & TV
Quick Reviews of This Weekend’s New Movies
QUEEN OF THE DESERT “I really should have brought a canteen instead of a camera.” This week, we’ve got big reviews of The Fate of the Furious and Gifted, plus an interview with Colossal director Nacho Vigalondo. But in Things To Do Film, we’ve also got some shorter reviews of the other new movies you […]