Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division St., continues to roll out a jam packed lineup of shows in May, including the following highlights. Saturday, May 11 celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Wong Kar-wai masterpiece, Chungking Express. The touching study of love, connection and heartbreak follows two melancholic Hong Kong policemen that fall in love, one with a mysterious underworld figure, the other with a beautiful and ethereal server at a late-night restaurant, feeling just as raw today as during its 1994 release. Portland band The Fourth Wall will play a set inspired by the film at 7 pm, with the film following at 7:30 pm.
The following day, Mother’s Day, offers a double header of films, Mommie Dearest and Steel Magnolias. The 1981 highly quotable camp classic Mommie Dearest is hosted by Portland’s fabulous Donatella Nobody. Get ready to clutch your pearls and pay homage to the ultimate portrayal of maternal complexity. The performance starts at 4 pm, with the film at 4:30 pm.
That evening at 7:30 pm is a special screening of 1989’s heartwarming Steel Magnolias starring Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis and Julia Roberts. The iconic film beautifully captures the resilience, strength and boundless love that mothers embody every day. There will be goodie bags for the first 50 moms and mom figures.
With Love and a Major Organ hits the screen, preceded by a painting craft session, Saturday, May 25. The 2023 film is set in a world where everyone’s heart is an object and there’s a strong societal pressure to dampen emotion. At odds with this overly pragmatic society, lonely virtual insurance broker Anabel always follows her heart. After a series of devastating emotional blows, she rips her heart from her chest and gives it to a man she’s fallen for, the strangely unfeeling George. The painting craft session, where people can take home their own anatomically correct or artistically inspired heart, starts at 6:30 pm, with the film at 7 pm.
Finishing out the month Friday, May 31 is The Cat and the Canary, a 1927 silent horror comedy film. Seattle-based musician Corey J. Brewer performs a new live score with a creepy croon over expansive basement beats and eerie synth gurgles. Doors open at 6:30 pm for the 7 pm film and performance.
Tickets for these shows ($15-$25) and a full line up at tomorrowtheater.org.