The Long-Awaited Movie Madness Screening Room is Now Open

You can now rent out the tiny movie theater to watch flicks from the store's massive collection of titles.

By Shannon Gormley

Movie Madness is one of Portland's most beloved art institutions. One of the city's last video rental stores, it has more titles available than Netflix, Amazon and Hulu combined, organized into idiosyncratic sections like "Demented Kids' Movies" and "Ferocious Fetuses." It doubles as a mini-museum of Hollywood props and costumes, and even has its own beer.

Now, it has its own tiny movie theater, too.

Movie Madness opened its long-awaited screening room yesterday. Complete with plushy pleather chairs, the 18-seat microcinema will host series and one-off screenings of gems and oddities from the rental store's massive collection.

Construction began on the screening room last year with extra funds raised during Hollywood Theatre's crowdfunding campaign to buy the store after Movie Madness founder Mike Clark retired. In advance of the screening room's opening, Movie Madness began selling wine and beer, including Cult Classic, the store's signature, Ex Novo-brewed pale ale.

Related: In Just Nine Days, Portlanders Donate $250,000 to Save Iconic Movie Madness Video Store From Closing

The screening room won't hold regular public programming until next year, but it's holding screenings for Kickstarter supporters all throughout its opening weekend, and is available for private rentals for Movie Madness and Hollywood Theater members.

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