With rising rents and increasing crime rates, the resiliency of Portland’s whimsically odd image has actually been tested over the last few years.
In action, Portland’s Sleestak – the costumed lizard animal based upon a character from “Land of the Lost” – collected lots of his buddies last fall to produce a brief movie revealing that the city’s “weird” neighborhood is still here and prepared to have a good time.
The resulting 10-minute “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” parody includes the Portland Elvis, Una the Mermaid, the Unipiper, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and a lot more of the city’s vibrant characters, who will collect this Friday to see the movie’s best.
“It doesn’t take too much time to watch the news and get really, really depressed about the state of affairs in Portland,” said the Sleestak, aka Brent Marr. “I just wanted to put something out there to put Portland in a positive light. It may be a speck of dust in the pile, but hopefully it’ll make a little bit of a difference to someone.”
Last year, Marr produced a GoFundMe that raised near to $4,500 to fund the task. Then he invested months getting in touch with the neighborhood of creatives that call Portland home.
“I literally reached out to anybody that could be considered a weirdo in Portland, from popular chefs to former mayor Sam Adams and so on,” Marr said. “I was trying to think of a way that I could gather a bunch of Portland weirdos and show the world that the weirdos stuck it out, and we’re back, and we’re ready to mingle.”
Filming occurred in a single day last September at Rainbow City, a music location and gallery space in Old Town Chinatown that has a definitely “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” ambiance. Inside looms life-size statues of a unicorn and a paint-splattered triceratops.
“Honestly, it felt like a big, weird, family reunion of sorts,” said Brian Kidd, much better referred to as The Unipiper. “There were dozens of folks involved with the production, many of whom I had not seen since the start of the pandemic, and I couldn’t imagine a better project over which to reconnect. I am very excited to see what collaborations and future projects come from this great meeting of the city’s weirdest minds.”
“Sleestak’s Big Adventure” is a Portland-seasoned reboot of the tequila scene from “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure,” the 1985 Tim Burton-directed movie that’s given that ended up being a cult classic. This variation likewise consists of a beginning cameo including Kathy Coleman and Wesley Eure, who played brother or sisters Will and Holly in the initial “Land of the Lost” television series from the 1970s. The duo wasn’t able to take a trip to Portland however shot a scene to be modified into the task.
Many of the regional cast and additionals are members of Weird Portland United, a not-for-profit cumulative of the city’s self-proclaimed odd artists.
“It was great just having all these goofballs in this under the same roof,” said Broccoli Man, aka Mike Shkolnik.
Broccoli Man, for those who are unfamiliar, was created by Shkolnik back in 1994 as a costume for an office chili cook-off.
“I’ve never ever liked beans and generally any chili dish, I replace the beans out for broccoli,” Shkolnik said. “You don’t get that terrible bean texture, and the broccoli actually cooks down and almost disappears into the chili, so it helps to thicken it up.”
Broccoli Man did not win the chili cook-off, however he did get a respectable reference. And it generated years of experiences that consisted of looks on the Next Food Network Star, America’s Got Talent and the Gong Show. (OK, he was really modified out of every episode however does make the declined audition montages in the discount clips.)
Shkolnik signed up with the Sleestak’s task due to the fact that he never ever misses out on a chance to wear his broccoli head and reveal assistance for the city’s innovative class.
“With rents going up astronomically in Portland, a lot of artists were actually forced to move out,” he said. “(Marr) is letting people know that no, not all the artists left. There are a lot of us weirdos still here.”
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Keeva Moselle the Unicorn Queen knows too well the struggle of Portland’s real estate market.
“I grew up in Portland,” she said. “Portland used to be a town where you could basically work your part-time job and then the rest of the time you could be an artist, and you could still afford an apartment and all your amenities and your needs.”
That’s barely the case any longer. Moselle said she resided in her car for numerous years while on a wait list for economical real estate.
“That’s not a very happy message, but I think that the reason why we are doing what we do is because we see all of the pain and suffering all around us, and we want to bring joy into people’s lives,” she said.
As the Unicorn Queen, Moselle rules over a “Queendom of Unitopia,” a utopian society of unicorns that exists beyond time and space. In this world, she offers unicorn headdresses and other cosplay productions through her online shop, Realm & Reign.
“I hope (viewers) see the beautiful diversity of creatives that Portland has unique access to, and that they are inspired to create art of their own,” Moselle said of the Sleestak’s movie. “We basically made the whole nation think that we are a war-torn city, so people have a really low opinion of us, but the art is still here. The beauty is still here. We’re resilient.”
For those who miss out on the best celebration, “Sleestak’s Big Adventure” will be available on YouTube and throughout social networks. Its developers hope it influences others to Keep Portland Weird.
“I want Portland and the world to see that in our heart, we’re still just as kooky and offbeat as we’ve always been,” Kidd said. “There’s just been other, more pressing matters happening the last couple of years. I hope that people see this as a wakeup call for the return of weird as usual in Portland.”
IF YOU GO:
“Sleestak’s Big Adventure” will have a totally free, all-ages best celebration from 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25 at Satellite Tavern, 5101 N. Interstate Ave. Costumes motivated. Members of Weird Portland United will be available for media event.
IF YOU WISHED TO SHOT BROCCOLI GUY’S BEEF N’ BROCCOLI CHILI:
1 to 2 pounds of quality hamburger, ground buffalo, or shredded grilled brisket (finest to utilize lean meat – not additional lean – and drain pipes off the fat)
2.5oz package of Olde Westport Championship Chili Blend + 15oz can of tomato sauce OR 1 container of Whiskey Flats Dark Ale Chili Starter
1 cup filtered water
15oz can of small diced tomatoes
16oz sliced broccoli florets (not entirely shredded, however sliced little)
10 to 12 sliced white mushroom caps (slice to wanted chunkiness)
Two or 3 red bell peppers (slice to wanted chunkiness, throw away stem and seeds)
Ground pepper to taste for heat (such as Michele Ferrante Controne Hot Pepper or Olde Westport Habanero or Jalapeno)
Directions:
Brown the ground meat and put off the fat or get rid of with a spoon (or utilize shredded grilled brisket).
Add Chili Starter or Tomato Sauce and dry chili mix.
Add water. Stir well.
Add the diced tomatoes.
Add the sliced broccoli (raw). When you initially put in the broccoli it will appear to use up a great deal of space and require more liquid, however it doesn’t. After about 20 minutes, the broccoli diminishes down and takes in a few of the spices. That’s why it tastes so good! It likewise assists to thicken the chili without turning to kludges such as flour.
In a different pan, sauté the mushrooms and red peppers in water – no oil required. Drain any excess water and include mushrooms/peppers to the meat/sauce mix.
After simmering for a couple of minutes, include ground pepper of option to taste. Go simple! You can constantly include more and it will get spicier as more liquid cooks off.
Keep it simmering up until thick.
— Samantha Swindler, [email protected], @editorswindler
