Retro Poppin’ Baddies

On Friday, Sept. 1, Eugene Art House will transform for PopcornUtopia, a first-of-its-kind event blending karaoke, movies and pro wrestling themed around 1980s and ’90s popular culture.

Outside the Art House there will also be a retro-inspired street fair from 1 to 6 pm, with local vendors, old-school video games and more. Did you get rid of your ’80s style? Vintage clothing and glam makeovers can be found amidst the street fair. Shop your local vendors and document your adventure in the photo booth.

Later in the evening, Eugene’s POW! Pro Wrestling presents Cheap Pops, a live pro-wrestling event in the Eugene Art House — formerly Bijou Art Cinemas — parking lot.

Meanwhile, the karaoke competition — featuring ’80s and ’90s music — starts at 9 pm, with a free-Art-House-movies-for-a-year grand prize awarded by the audience and an open-karaoke-signup dance party at the conclusion.

A secret slate of ’80s and ’90s movies will also screen in both the large and small Art House auditoriums, with little-known cult classics in the mix, according to Athena Delene, who helped organize the event.

Describing the movies, Delene tells Eugene Weekly “I would call a few of them ‘cool indie art house movies of the ’80s.’”

Summing up PopcornUtopia, she adds, “It’s not a regular movie theater, it’s not a regular karaoke contest, and it’s not a regular street fair.” Instead, it’s a multimedia, cinema, musical experience featuring wrestling, she says.

“We wanted to come up with an event that could showcase all the ways you can use the Art House that aren’t just watching a movie. It has a lot of potential, and it’s a pretty well-rounded venue space,” Delene says.

In a ring set up outside the Art House, POW! Pro Wrestling promoter Mister Ooh-La-La — his legal name — says the 90-minute wrestling portion starting at 7 pm will consist of five matches featuring Eugene’s Blanchard Brothers and reigning POW! champion Zicky Dice, among others.

Ooh-La-La calls it a somewhat scaled-down version of a typical POW! match — or, in keeping with the popcorn theme, “a piece of popcorn popping on your tongue.”

Available in advance at EugeneArtHouse.com and POW! Pro Wrestling.com or at the event, Popcornutopia tickets are tiered, beginning at $5 and ranging to $75 for VIP all access. Certain levels offer complimentary popcorn and hot dogs.

“Come all day long,” Delene says. “We hope people do.”

Popcornutopia is 1 pm to midnight Friday, Sept. 1 at the Eugene Art House,492 East 13th Avenue. For more information go to EugeneArtHouse.com or search PopcornUtopia on social media.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

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None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!