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Five years ago, Jason Thompson and Asa Fager were the oddball staffers at the iconic (now shuttered) Seattle theater Cinerama. The two 30-something fathers had lived more life and seen more movies than their average co-worker, and they bonded often over formative ‘80s and ‘90s popcorn fare, stoking the fires of that eternal theater employee fantasy: “What if we could pick the movies?”
That question eventually built The 4th Wall, Thompson and Fager’s movie-themed lounge on Southeast 15th and Hawthorne. From “comfort classics” (think Spielberg or John Hughes) to Saturday morning cartoons to slashers to the random barista’s choice, movies are on tap from open to close on the lounge’s 150-inch screen while customers work, watch or imbibe.
Depending on the hour and clientele, the role of the on-screen entertainment can vary: decoration, discovery, welcome distraction. Less than four months into business (and only weeks into having its liquor license), The 4th Wall is trying to embrace spontaneity. Despite an Epson projector and regular Blu-ray rentals from Movie Madness, screening fidelity isn’t the goal so much as unforced community.
“It’s like watching a movie in your friend’s living room,” Fager says.
On the afternoon of this interview, the 2005 biopic Capote illuminates the cafe’s literal fourth wall. Philip Seymour Hoffman, lost in character as Truman Capote, looms over coffee drinkers and laptop hunchers. The subtitles are on (as always), and sound-dampening foam covers five of the shop’s plate glass windows to reduce concrete echo.
Meanwhile, a striking Bride of Frankenstein mural by Seattle artist Danielle Mapes meets Hoffman’s gaze on the far wall. Between them, a bartop offers Sisters coffee and alcohol options, including the Georgetown Bodhizafa IPA, Mac & Jack’s African Amber and Seattle Cider’s Semi-Sweet.
“Portland has a devout film desire,” Thompson says. “We’re more of a complement to that. We’re definitely not a movie theater and don’t claim to be. We’re more of a place for appreciation of film, discussion and events. People will be on their phones; the dishwasher will be running.”
The notion that The 4th Wall could pleasantly split the difference between exhibition and white noise was buoyed by Fager’s previous bartending gig, after he was laid off by Cinerama in February 2020. As the lone day-shift bartender at Seattle’s Reservoir Bar & Grill, Fager instituted a movies-only policy on the bar TVs. With no live sports and no good news at the dawn of the pandemic, the regulars were quickly won over.
“We’d be halfway through Sixteen Candles and people would come up and say, ‘Ah, I fucking love this movie,’” Fager says. “That realization helped lead us to the point where we are now.”
Cultivating movie-inspired shop culture has taken on multiple dimensions at The 4th Wall. The lounge hosts trivia nights based on beloved franchises like Star Trek and Twilight. Local comedian Ross Passeck spearheads Reel Roasts, a live skewering in the vein of many bad-movie celebration podcasts. Non-cinematic events include Magic: The Gathering and Mario Kart. Looking ahead, Thompson and Fager just recently met with the Portland film studio Video Is the Future about hosting a monthly short film showcase.
Even though the Seattle theater that brought Thompson and Fager together is closed indefinitely and the larger exhibition industry struggles for financial footing, The 4th Wall owners don’t detect any decline in conversational movie interest. One of Thompson’s favorite trends is observing a 4th Wall visitor become accidentally engrossed in a movie and lose track of time. He’s seen it happen with titles as disparate as Encanto and Not Another Teen Movie.
“The era of the multiplex is over, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing,” Fager says. “We just have to figure out what the new experience is. I also don’t think that means the art form of cinema is at all in danger.”
The 4th Wall seeks to combat the loneliness and exhaustion of selecting home entertainment, an experience that rarely encourages the viewer to look beyond their Netflix filters. Thompson and Fager have created a world where outside curation can feel novel—even if it’s just two scenes on a Wednesday afternoon.
On quiet days, Thompson will sometimes ask customers what they’d like to see on the projector. The most common response?
“No, you choose.”
GO: The 4th Wall, 1445 SE Hawthorne Blvd., the4thwallpdx.com. 8 am-8 pm daily. See the website for a full schedule of events and screenings.