The Wisconsin Film Festival has become a staple for our state’s arts scene since its conception 15 years ago. Every spring, some of the world’s best filmmakers and directors flock to Madison to showcase their talent. The Daily Cardinal covered the festival this year. Over the course of the eight-day festival, our staff had the opportunity to view myriad films, from professional documentaries, to future blockbusters, to full-length animations, to self-made comedy shorts.
"The Institute"
“The Institute,” a film by Spencer McCall, documents an ongoing game not too far removed from the “Humans versus Zombies” games currently being played around campus. Cryptic flyers began appearing around the Bay Area in 2008, shepherding inquisitive citizens into a real-life adventure game between two diametrically opposed organizations. In the three years that followed, participant’s lives would be filled with obscure missions, courtship into the Jejune Institute and radio broadcasts from the mysterious “Commander 14.”
The film starts by following one participants’ introduction into the game. The documentary certainly creates an immersive experience, often withholding information, while categorizing from the viewpoint of the players. The film spans the three-year period during which the game takes place, ending with the finale of the game, while still leaving many of the mysteries unsolved. It often blurs the lines between reality and make-believe, where inclusion of real world people and events really make participants, and the viewer, wonder how much of the story is truly fictionalized.
–Johann Poschung
"The Final Member"
“The Final Member” is a documentary about the world’s first phallological institute, located in Husavik, Iceland, and its search for the final missing piece in its collection.
Or to put another way, the film is about the world’s first and only Icelandic penis museum’s search for a human specimen, the only mammalian species they’re missing, and the two potential donors vying for the… honor?
Yes, the film is hilarious. It’s probably the funniest documentary I’ve ever seen. The phrase “super-penis comic book” is mentioned without irony, and the final shot is one of the most triumphant moments I’ve experienced in a theater and, oh god, I need to rephrase that.
But, hidden amidst all the sublimely ridiculous comedy are the stories of three very, very unique men. The museum’s curator and founder, Siggi Hjartarson, has made this museum his life’s work, and his reason for doing so, along with his clear enthusiasm and passion for what he does, makes it very hard not to respect and cheer for him as his search gets increasingly dire.
The portraits of the two men, one an aging Icelandic hero, the other an American looking for immortality–looking to donate are…interesting to say the least, and often side-splittingly funny. But behind is all is a fascinating and, dare I say, moving story that is guaranteed to keep you entertained.
Yes, I’ll say it again. I was moved by the penis museum movie. I might go as far as to say touched, even.
…OK, maybe not.
–Austin Wellens
"Hail"
If you’re anything like I used to be, then you think an Australian quasi-documentary avant-garde film about criminal Daniel P. Jones adjusting to life after prison would be nothing short of a brilliant, occasionally shocking but ultimately valuable and enjoyable piece of cinema.
You poor, naive saps. I was like you when I walked into “Hail.” Rather than living up to all the potential built up by its description, “Hail” manages to tragically mishandle every interesting idea it introduces in favor of overindulging in the artistic aspects of itself without ever really giving a reason for why it should.
It started out well enough, with the main character’s release from jail, surprise return home, and touching reunion with his wife. This was good. It was compelling, as was the part where he looked for work. Unfortunately, once we established the characters were in love and people had a hard time trusting Jones, we dropped these ideas to focus on aimless, drifting scenes of them just sort of interacting with people in ways that didn’t always make sense. Then tragedy strikes and we get an extended, soundless montage sequence that would’ve worked if it had been a solid 10 minutes shorter, then some Eli Roth-style torture porn and then the movie ended.
The audience collectively sighed every time the movie should have ended but (frequently) didn’t, and the sweet old lady behind me breathed out, in a quiet moment, “this is the worst movie I’ve ever seen.” It takes a special kind of movie to earn sweet old lady hate, and “Hail” is a special kind of movie.
–Austin Wellens
"The Smart Ones"
What sets “The Smart Ones,” one of the opening night selections for the festival, apart from most festival selections is the fact it was written and directed by two film students, Travis Torok and Kyle Probst, hailing from UW-Milwaukee. “The Smart Ones” tells the tale of a group of graduate students who decide to fund their college tuition through the robbery of homes in suburbia.
The film definitely possesses some of the roughness you’d expect from a student production. Character motivations sometimes come across as nonsensical, a few tired stereotypes come into play and the automated dialogue replacement work is painfully obvious in one scene. Still, all things considered, “The Smart Ones’ is an impressive feat and must have been a true passion project for the filmmakers, actors and really everyone involved in the production. The characters are generally likable and the energetic climax of the final heist scene is a particularly impressive set piece, effectively combining suspense, romance and comedy in equal parts.
More than anything, this movie serves as a true inspiration to film students, proving that with determination (and some monetary assistance from Kickstarter), it’s truly possible to pull together a feature length film.
–Kailee Andrews
"Manhattan"
Alright, so it’s kind of weird to be writing a review about a movie that came out more than 40 years ago, but the screening of “Manhattan” at the film fest is definitely something worth talking about.
First of all, it was an actual screening, in that they were projecting a fresh pressing of actual, real, genuine film. As a result, the gorgeous cinematography, the breathtaking black and white tribute to the sights of New York, was displayed in all its glory. The introduction, from the beautiful wide shots of the Manhattan skyline fading in over the opening melodies of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” to the climactic bursting of fireworks over the bay synchronizing with the crescendo of the soundtrack, gave me chills like no movie ever has.
As if seeing a masterpiece projected off a fresh reel wasn’t enough, Michael Murphy, star of the film, was present and did a Q&A after the screening, told a bunch of incredible stories and was generally an extremely charming and humble old man.
I mean I’m biased, but I think seeing one of the best movies made by one of America’s greatest filmmakers, in theater, on film, with one of the stars of the film in the house, is pretty objectively rad. It was definitely the highlight of the fest for me, and is/will be my personal favorite movie going memory for quite a while.
–Austin Wellens
"Consuming Spirits"
A film you’ve likely never heard of before and may never hear of again, “Consuming Spirits” is a labor of love (emphasis on the labor) many years in the making. An animated feature that famously took writer/director Chris Sullivan 15 years to complete, “Consuming Spirits” combines cut-out animation, traditional hand-drawn work and three-dimensional stop motion to create a visually mesmerizing fictional Midwestern town.
The convoluted narrative relates the intertwined stories of a few of the denizens of this town and exploring topics such as alcohol consumption, familial devotion, extramarital affairs in a darkly comedic fashion that suits its haunting and often purposefully grotesque visuals. Some of the most memorable moments include a non-professionally approved amputation and a man gallivanting about disguised as a deer.
“Consuming Spirits” could, and likely will, be considered a masterpiece by many. I think it’s pulled down a tad by its excessive length (the film clocks in at 130 minutes), but the storylines do segue together nicely at the end. On the whole, this is a meticulously crafted and admirably realized example of the storytelling capacities of traditional animation, even if the measured, hypnotic narration of protagonist Earl Gray (Robert Levy) does occasionally make your eyes droop.
–Kailee Andrews
"La meduse rouge"
“La meduse rouge,” one of the “Wisconsin’s Own” selections, is a freeform approach to an excitingly thought out action/apocalypse story. The result is a hilariously executed plot with a multitude of story lines and characters whose acting would fit in well with the likes of cult favorites everywhere.
The story follows a wealthy business owner following the capture of a mysterious jellyfish, which coincided in bringing about the apocalypse. The film unfolds as a revenge story, in which the young billionaire makes his way through the survivors, toward the leaders of his secretive rival organization that was somehow involved with the finding of the jellyfish. Ripe with plot twists, amnesia and a fair bit of kung-fu, the film is sure to be entertaining, if not just for the sake of laughing along with the situations. In a Q&A, the director described how many of the scenes were written just days beforehand, while much of the storyline was put together and reworked into a final product. Greatly entertaining, “La meduse rouge” is certain to put a smile on the face of anyone who cares to engage in the charm and ridiculousness present in this film.
–Johann Poschung
"Only the Young"
“Only the Young” provides an irrevocable glimpse into what it is like to be young. The story follows a small group of friends growing up in a small suburban town. It categorizes their ups and downs, struggles or otherwise, until their eventual graduation from high school.
The film is undeniably charming and brushes with nostalgia. It transcends the boundaries of a tired, youth-film genre by showing what is really a part of these kids’ lives. Love, confusion and not wanting change are all things that they must learn to deal with in the midst of an unknown territory. It ultimately documents what it is like to be in love and does so through the lens of what it is like to be young. This film is gratefully reminiscent and undoubtedly confers some longing, if even to be as free and as genuine as the kids are.
–Johann Poschung
