Movie Madness University is a film appreciation program from the Hollywood Theatre and Movie Madness. Our class offerings range from in-depth four-week seminars to casual curated film series to virtual presentations. The goal of all of our programming is to help people learn more about movies; explore Movie Madness' world-class collection; and meet like-minded film lovers.

Classes are held at Movie Madness (4320 SE Belmont), in our state-of-the-art Miniplex. We aren’t allowed to promote the names of our education titles online, but feel free to email education@moviemadness.org for more details, or with any other questions!

P.S. Want to donate to MMU or any of our other education initiatives? Click here!

Intro to Agnès Varda

Mondays in June
In this course we’ll discuss the legend, the myth, the bowl cut… of the one and only Agnès Varda. A multidisciplinary pioneer of the French New Wave and Documentary Realism, once described by Martin Scorsese as "one of the Gods of Cinema," Varda is an icon for a reason. This class will provide an introduction to her career through the lens of four representative works.

Register here

The Coen Brothers' Unconventional Genre Filmmaking

Wednesdays in June
Joel and Ethan Coen are two of America's most prolific, generation-defining filmmakers. While their films examine love, guilt, and the darker parts of the human psyche, they often do so by subverting or playing with classic genre, from hard boiled neo-noir to Westerns to gangster films. In this class, we'll examine their career through the lens of four movies that approach genre narratives in unconventional and surprising ways. Along the way, we'll consider how these genre remixes create films of striking originality.

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Women Directors in Horror

Tuesdays in June
Though their contributions have often been overlooked, women have been part of the horror genre for as long as it has existed. In this course we’ll shine a spooky flashlight on four films from four women directors, showcasing four very different approaches to horror filmmaking. We’ll explore not only how the films were made, but how each artist traverses the genre in their own unique way.

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Crash Course: The Boys Love Revolution

Thursdays in June
In recent years, there's been a quiet explosion of stories from Asia that depict loving relationships between males. Known as Boys’ Love (BL) or Yaoi, this romance genre includes novels, slash/fan fiction, mangas (comics), anime, television dramas, and movies. Originally written primarily by and for straight women, the genre's growing popularity has seen more emphasis on authentic queer representation in the production of these stories. Unlike many stories about queer people, these stories are consistantly upbeat, positive, and affirming.

Register here

Study Guides

Our staff film experts go deep on some of their favorite films - and tell you what to watch next!

LICORICE PIZZA - Paul Thomas Anderson's 9th film features two novice actors, a "classic screwball comedy premise," and a drawn-from-life '70s LA setting. Read more.

THE POWER OF THE DOG - Jane Campion's triumphant return to filmmaking features a career-best performance from Benedict Cumberbatch. Read more.

THE RED SHOES - Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's 1948 ode to artistic obsession "dazzles more and more each year."Read more.

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY - A case can also be made that 2001 is the greatest film ever made.Read more.

THE SEDUCTION OF MIMI - The breakthrough film from Italian filmmaker Lina Wertmüller, the first woman nominated for an Academy Award. Read more.

Past MMU Events

MMU has covered a wide range of films and topics, with instructors and special guests that run the gamut of film professions. Past instructors and guests include Hollywood programmers Dan Halsted and Anthony Hudson (Queer Horror), writer Robin Schiff (ROMY & MICHELE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION), author and film critic Shawn Levy, and filmmakers Peter Bogdanovich, John Sayles, and Joe Dante.

Find all past MMU events here (Hollywood and Movie Madness Members can watch recordings of past events for free!)

Press

Immerse Yourself In Roger Corman Masterpieces by Enrolling In Hollywood Theatre’s Online Class--Willamette Week

Go to film school with Portland's Movie Madness--The Stranger

Movie Madness University offers up virtual version of its film appreciation program--KPTV Fox 12 Oregon

Movie Madness launches online film ‘University’--KOIN 6 News

FAQ

What is MMU?
Movie Madness University is the Hollywood Theatre's education program, featuring lectures and interactive discussions about some of your favorite films. You can find past MMU events here (Hollywood and Movie Madness Members can watch recordings of past events for free!)

Where are your classes held?
In-person classes are held at Movie Madness (4320 SE Belmont), in our state-of-the-art Miniplex.