The Movies We're Actually Going To

"Nearly every other month since 2015, Carla Rossi has hosted a movie screening at the Hollywood Theatre that's also a drag show. The event, called Queer Horror, helps explain why The Ring is a "lesbian-coded ode to unwanted queer kids" and contextualizes Hellraiser 's "outrageously horny injection of iconic '80s queer horror." If Rossi's intro alone doesn't forever change your relationship to the night's movie, the on-theme drag performances-burlesque, lip-syncing, acrobatics-certainly will."

"Nationally, the movie theater business has not returned to pre-COVID numbers. Ticket sales plateaued in 2024 after steadily rising year-over-year following lockdown, which seems to signal a lasting cultural shift. Barbie teased a potential return of monocultural $100 million blockbusters in 2023, but nothing has caught quite so much fire since. Locally, a more personal approach, something closer to showing a new friend your favorite movie, is proving most effective."

"Anthony Hudson, who performs in drag as Carla Rossi, is also one of the Hollywood Theatre's programmers. His job is to plan extracurricular screenings like Queer Horror and find other hosts with the chops to hold a room. "A programmer needs to be a carnival barker," Hudson says. "You need to hit the audience with facts, with trivia, with comedy." The Hollywood runs dozens of series, each with its bespoke ring"

Carla Rossi hosts Queer Horror at the Hollywood Theatre nearly every other month, pairing film screenings with drag performances that reframe movies like The Ring and Hellraiser. The live events combine burlesque, lip-syncing, and acrobatics to create a social, theatrical experience unlike streaming or standard multiplex showings. Cult-movie participatory screenings have longstanding roots and are expanding to wider audiences. The national movie business has not fully rebounded to pre-COVID levels, with ticket sales plateauing in 2024. Local theaters find success through personalized, curated programming and charismatic hosts who engage audiences with trivia, comedy, and themed offerings.

Read at Portland Monthly