Tag Archives: Wisconsin Film Festival

Jan 30 2019
Posts

A Filmgoer’s Guide to the Best Films of 2018

“Now more than ever we need to talk to each other, to listen to each other and understand how we see the world, and cinema is the best medium for doing this.” — Martin Scorsese 

I include this quote from Martin Scorsese to introduce this year’s A Filmgoer’s Guide to the Best Films of 2018 for a couple of reasons. First, the stories and themes each year reflect the times in which we live and address the issues we face as we look back at history, confront the present, or escape into a future, real or fantastical. Second, filmmaking and filmgoing bridges artist with audience, storyteller and viewer. Continue reading →

Tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
Sep 01 2018
4 Comments
Posts

Life as a Barfly: Dispatch from the Hotel Bar

Barfly: a person who spends much time in bars

Full disclosure: I’ve been visiting bars and have climbed up bar stools to take my place ever since I was a child. I guess that makes me a barfly. Growing up, my parents with their children in tow, would attend Sunday Mass at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, then visit one of their regular taverns in Racine, Wisconsin, southern neighbor to Milwaukee, home to immigrant German brewmasters and the beers that made Milwaukee famous. Continue reading →

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Apr 23 2018
Posts

Filmgoer’s Wrap-Up: The 2018 Wisconsin Film Festival

“All good things must come to an end.” — Chaucer

Just over 10 days ago, the 2018 Wisconsin Film Festival (WFF) #wifilmfest came to an end. The 20th anniversary of the festival was characterized by sold-out showings, a potpourri of The Campfire Song trailers, winter temperatures, queues of cinephiles, and filmmakers and their subjects conducting post-film discussions. The WFF featured an array of films to choose from, beginning with Wisconsin’s Own Shorts, Big Screens, Little Folks, restorations and reprises of classic films, narrative and foreign films, experimental and animated movies, documentaries, and premieres of films before they appear in theaters. Yes, a filmgoer’s delight. Continue reading →

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Apr 14 2018
1 Comment
Posts

A Filmgoer’s Dispatch: Wisconsin Film Festival Part II

Spring returned ever so briefly for a couple days this wintry 2018 Wisconsin Film Festival, the 20th anniversary #wifilmfest. Beginning Monday, it was back to work for me during the day, then off to the AMC Theater at Hilldale Mall to spend late afternoons and evenings in line and in darkened movie theaters. I reunited with friends who I see every year at the festival and made new friends and cinephile connections as we waited in line, chatted each other up, talked about our favorite films so far, and what was next on our schedule.    Continue reading →

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Apr 09 2018
1 Comment
Posts

A Filmgoer’s Dispatch: Midway-Wisconsin Film Festival

Though it’s spring in Wisconsin — and the weather is winter-like — though I have to go back to work today — it’s my spring staycation, the 2018 Wisconsin Film Festival, #wifilmfest the 20th anniversary when I spend days and nights in darkened movie theaters with filmgoing friends, festival-goers, and family. Following are excerpts from my Facebook updates from the festival. Each dispatch is a brief wrap-up of the films I saw, and related highlights. At the end of the festival, I’ll review the films I saw. As a reminder, I’m a cinephile and not a critic. As I see films and draft my festival dispatches, I offer my thoughts on what I liked, what surprised me, what disappointed, and what took my breath away.   Continue reading →

Tagged , , , , , , , ,
Apr 05 2018
3 Comments
Posts

A Filmgoer’s Preview: The Wisconsin Film Festival

“I think the experience of going to a theater and seeing a movie with a lot of people is still part of the transformational power of the film, and it’s equivalent to the old shaman telling a story by the campfire to a bunch of people.” — Wes Craven

Though it snowed the last couple of days and the temps are winter-like, it’s spring in Wisconsin. Like the migrating birds who return home, and the crocuses that will soon bloom, another sign of spring is the annual Wisconsin Film Festival #wifilmfest . This year it’s the 20th anniversary and cinephiles will fill theaters on campus and on the westside of Madison. Filmgoing audiences will view approximately 150 films over the course of eight days, Thursday, April 5 through Thursday, April 12, which makes the 20th Annual Wisconsin Film Festival the largest university-produced film festival.  Continue reading →

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , ,
Apr 16 2017
1 Comment
Posts

Filmgoer’s Dispatch: 2017 Wisconsin Film Festival

“Movies touch our hearts and awaken our vision, and change the way we see things. They take us to other places, they open doors and minds. Movies are the memories of our life time…” ― Martin Scorsese

The first signs of spring in Madison, Wisconsin: The Wisconsin Film Festival premieres in theaters on the University of Wisconsin campus and near east and westside neighborhoods, usually during the end of March and early April, the terrace chairs return to the UW Memorial Union, and the first Dane County Saturday Farmer’s Market arrives. Continue reading →

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Mar 12 2017
Posts

The Itchy Restlessness of Spring Fever

“It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want—oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!”  ― Mark Twain

It’s true, I came down with a case of spring fever again this year, beginning in February — the symptoms were clear: Itchy restlessness, daydreaming, and questioning the choices in my life — wondering what the future holds for me. Desires and appetites grow stronger. I begin to wear clothes outdoors that are inappropriate for the weather, light jackets, short-sleeves, go sockless with canvas shoes or sandals with snow underfoot.   Continue reading →

Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Jan 17 2017
1 Comment
Posts

A Filmgoer’s Guide to the Best Films of 2016

I dedicate this essay to my mother, Ethel Mae Lenzke, who shared her love of movies with me while I was growing up, and to my filmgoing friends and family who join me for movies and post-film discussions. And — as a thank you and a tribute to Roger Ebert — I give you Two Thumbs Up!   

There were some interesting trends and controversies again in 2016, even before all the award shows have named their winners and bestowed their accolades. This year, more than in the past, independent films rose to the surface competing with the studios and their marketing machines. Word of mouth by filmgoers, especially on social media, had a measurable impact. Many franchises and/or remakes didn’t capture the audiences and box office receipts they projected. More options affected where and how we viewed content, from additional film distributors, downloads and subscription services, expanding the choices and the venues, from theaters, to home, to the backseat of a car, or at work during lunch breaks on Smartphones.  Continue reading →

Tagged , , , , ,
May 04 2016
Posts

A Filmgoer’s Takeaway: 2016 WI Film Festival

“No good movie is too long and no bad movie is short enough.” — Roger Ebert

Time can play tricks on a moviegoer when sitting in a darkened theater.  A good story ends too soon, while sometimes it’s challenging to remain in your seat until the closing credits.  It already seems like the 2016 Wisconsin Film Festival was a long time ago. Daily life has a way of altering time. Years pass and some memories seem like they happened yesterday. Days go by and recent experiences often feel like they existed in the distant past. Hopefully this dispatch from the 18th Wisconsin Film Festival will help preserve the experience for me and other cinephiles of sitting in darkened movie theaters with filmgoing friends in Madison, Wisconsin from April 14 -21. Continue reading →

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,
← Older posts
Newer posts →