Movie Madness is a Portland institution. Opened in 1991, the iconic video store houses a world-class collection of 80,000+ titles and a collection of film props that includes William Holden's shotgun from THE WILD BUNCH, the knife from PSYCHO, an ear used in BLUE VELVET, and more.
When Movie Madness founder Mike Clark decided he was ready to retire he approached well-known Portland film-lovers Dan Halsted (head programmer at the Hollywood Theatre) and Chantell Halsted (former Movie Madness employee) about taking over the business. They were immediately excited about the idea but saw it as a more natural fit for the Hollywood Theatre and our mission to preserve and promote the art of film. We agreed wholeheartedly and in the fall of 2017 we launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $250,000 to fund the purchase of Movie Madness and make it part of our nonprofit. Thanks to an incredible outpouring of community support, we hit our goal in just 9 days. We then added a stretch goal to fund the construction of a screening room at a Movie Madness, ultimately raising $315,346.
The #SaveMovieMadness campaign was truly a community effort: We couldn't have done it without the support of the Hollywood Theatre's members and volunteers, the local businesses who sponsored the campaign, and most importantly, the 4,639 backers who pledged to the campaign. The Hollywood assumed ownership of Movie Madness on January 1.
Have questions about the campaign or the future of Movie Madness? Check out our FAQ, or email info@hollywoodtheatre.org. Want to support Movie Madness into the future? Donate online today!
Special thanks to these businesses for their support of the campaign:
Paydirt Bar, Byways Cafe, Hindsight Tap Cart, Sizzle Pie, Shanrock Trivia, Moon & Sixpence, Sam's Billiards, Belmont Station, Fingerbang Nail Salon, Trinket, Stumptown Coffee, the Portland Mercury, Betsy & Iya
Select Press Coverage
NPR Morning Edition: A Portland Video Store Goes Nonprofit to Save Itself
Portland Mercury: The Hollywood Theatre Wants to Save Film History - But First, It Has to Save Movie Madness
OPB: Movie Madness to Close? Not If the Hollywood Theatre Can Save It
KGW TV: You Can Help Save Eclectic Movie Madness Video Store
Oregonian: 'Save Movie Madness' Campaign Aims to Preserve a Portland Video Landmark