The great thing about being a movie fan in Maine is that there’s always something happening to fit your mood. Any mood. Want to delve back into cult movie history for a dose of eerie weirdo cinematic greatness? It’s just a car trip away. Looking to get adventurous with some no-budget, Maine-made shorts from up-and-coming local filmmakers? No sweat, that’s happening right downtown. And sometimes, you want to just pop in your earbuds and listen to funny people talk about movies. Maine’s got you covered there, too.

Maine’s got the movies, is what we’re saying. This week’s offerings allow you to hit the road for a Maine movie adventure, go out on the town for a screening in Portland, or stay right on the couch and enjoy the company of fellow Maine film fans. Do whichever suits your mood.

MOOD: HIT THE ROAD

What you should see: “The Wicker Man,” screening at 8 p.m. Saturday at The Waldo Theatre in Waldoboro. It’s pay-what-you-can, with any donations going toward helping the Waldo keep things weird with its “The Waldo After Dark” film series. For more information, go to thewaldotheatre.org.

What you should know: First of all, we’re talking about the classic 1973 film here, not Neil LaBute’s laughably terrible 2006 remake, starring Nicholas Cage at his most meme-worthy. (“The bees! The beeees!,” etc.) No, this early ’70s slice of British folk horror (a genre where outsiders discover why you shouldn’t poke into insular backwoods cultures, ever) has endured as one of the most unsettling, spooky, stylishly creepy films ever. Mainland copper and religious zealot police sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) heads to tiny, isolated Summersisle to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. Instead, he finds a mysterious pagan society where strange rituals seemingly rule daily life, an imperious nobleman (the great Christopher Lee) presides over the annual harvest festival to ensure prosperity, and the policeman’s pinched righteousness is sorely tempted by the inhabitants’ earthy sexuality. (Britt Ekland’s nude fertility dance would tempt literally anyone.) The big twist might have been spoiled by decades of moviegoers shattered by the reveal, but if not, strap yourself in.

Why you should make the trip: First, seeing old movies on the big screen is one of the great, transportive experiences any movie lover can have. And “The Wicker Man’s” sumptuously seductive visuals are only more enticing as the mystery unfolds and Sergeant Howie’s plight closes in. Plus, The Waldo, apart from being a fine, independent Maine movie house in its own right, has committed to setting aside precious screen time to bring in cult classics in all their crowd-delighting, idiosyncratic, sometimes downright bananas glory, and we all need to support that sort of thing.

What else you might like: PMA Films is showing the extended director’s cut of Ari Aster’s magnificently horrifying “Midsommar” at 2 p.m. Sunday, in which the fiendishly talented Aster takes up “The Wicker Man’s” challenge and doubles down on it.

MOOD: HIT THE TOWN

What you should see: Maine Film Association Winter Film Challenge, screening at 7 p.m. Thursday at Portland’s Nickelodeon Cinema. Tickets are $12 and available at mainefilm.org.

What you should know: The Maine Film Association has set Maine filmmakers a daunting task with its annual Winter Film Challenge: Make a complete short film in 72 hours. And just to keep these ambitious Maine moviemakers on their toes, each team has a specific prop, line of dialogue and film genre they must incorporate, just before kickoff. (Nobody’s accusing artists of banking a short ahead of time or anything, but …) The resulting completed short films, all made in Maine, by proud (if presumably exhausted and frazzled) Mainers will be shown on the Nick’s big screen, with an awards ceremony handing out prizes to those who really thrive under pressure.

Why you should leave the house: One of the chief joys in writing this column for so long is the experience of watching the Maine film community grow and mature in real time. Events like the MFA Winter Film Challenge encourage the sort of lightning-in-a-bottle inspiration and resourcefulness that are the best parts of that movie scene, with the resulting, rough-and-ready short films offering fascinating glimpses into what we can expect from Maine’s up-and-coming writers, directors and stars. Unpredictable, eclectic and never dull, this is the sort of local film event well worth supporting.

MOOD: HIT THE COUCH

What you should listen to: The Fun Box Monster Podcast and You Are Good podcast, each boasting a robust catalogue of back-episodes, with new entries coming out weekly. Available to download for free from Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc. (Although they, like all podcasters, would appreciate some donations/sponsorships if you’re feeling grateful.)

What you should know: The Fun Box Monster Podcast comes from Maine movie experts Tristan Gallagher and trusty partner in film Matt Awesome. Each episode, they seize upon a horror film (mostly) from the dustbins of movie history, dust it off, and reliably do the impossible by making gory duds like “Maniac Cop 3,” “Carnosaur,” and “The Howling 2: Your Sister Is a Werewolf” deeply entertaining. Not all the movies they cover are terrible, but the hosts inhabit that rare movie fan space where digging deep into trash uncovers lost diamonds – or at least some trash that’s more interesting than you thought. Hilarious, insightful and a true treat. (Most recent movie: “Leprechaun.”)

That goes for You Are Good, too, a movie podcast from former Portland film scene favorite Alex Steed and writer and media critic Sarah Marshall (check out her acclaimed history podcast You’re Wrong About). Now based in Nashville, Steed, alongside Marshall and some illustrious guests, takes on a new film each episode, with an eye toward examining the often fraught relationship between children and fathers. (The pod, subtitled “a movie podcast about feelings,” was formerly called, Why Are Dads?) Far from being a dry cinematic therapy session, however, You Are Good invariably takes a deep, thought-provoking, often very funny dive into the film at hand, with the podcasters springboarding off from the movie in all manner of fruitful directions. The best movie podcasts are about the interrelationship between film and viewer, with Steed and Marshall reminiscing about how these particular films resonate with them personally, all while displaying an affectionate and knowledgeable grasp of the actual movie. The podcast’s title comes from “Young Frankenstein,” where Gene Wilder’s mad scientist is desperately attempting to placate his furiously dangerous creation with a sweaty mix of flattery and sincere love and admiration. If that doesn’t sum up family, then nothing does. (Most recent movie: “My Best Friend’s Wedding.”)

Dennis Perkins is a freelance writer who lives in Auburn with his wife and cat.

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