Bagdad Theater
| Phone: | 503-236-9234 |
|---|---|
| Website: | http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=9 |
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| Share: | Email, Twitter, Facebook |
Southeast Portland’s marvelous relic of Hollywood’s Golden Age is a stunning movie palace full of wonder and surprises. For nearly four generations now, the Bagdad’s Mediterranean and neon persona and daily offerings of celluloid adventures have made it an icon of Portland’s vibrant Hawthorne District. A movie hall of the best sort, the Bagdad’s interior is an attraction unto itself with barreled arches, ornate, wrought iron fixtures, brilliant-colored mosaic work, and painted and stenciled Mediterranean designs and mythical characters. Kick back in the theater and enjoy a slice of pizza and a handcrafted ale during the show, or come early and enjoy dinner in the casual pub that fronts the theater. But be forewarned – outdoor tables in the summertime may be hard to come by!
Today's Events
| 5:15pm | "Fantastic Mr. Fox" |
| 7:30pm | "The Blind Side" |
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Experiences
managed to visit the bagdad twice recently… once to see ralph nader speak. and then to see an independent horror movie yet to be (and maybe never will be) released in theaters.
the nader experience was a really positive one for the most part. i was surprised that the place wasn’t completely overrun with people… and wondered a bit as to the wisdom in booking a small space like the bagdad since a larger venue could have attracted (i’d assume) a few hundred more people than were there. not sure if the idea was to have a smaller, more intimate venue… or if it was just the only free place the peace party could get. at any rate, it was definitely SRO and we were smart to have gotten there and saved our seats an hour before it started. the crowd was attentive, respectful, and involved without the usual cult-like environment of a political speaking event. and a local congressional candidate, michael meo of the pacific green part, also spoke briefly.
the movie experience was pretty nice as well though obviously a total change of gears from politics. the movie’s director and one of the actors were there to introduce the movie and do Q & A afterwards. the film was “100 feet”, an attempted throwback to more classic suspense horror like hitchcock, was so-so. nothing great. but by the end of my night at the bagdad, i realized that the experience was not so much about seeing a new movie that would probably go direct to video (despite having a popular actress in it), but more about showing support to the movie makers who are willing to work outside of hollywood’s usual structure to do what they love.