Movies
Ghouls’ night out
Director Jim Jarmusch has assembled (and disassembled) an all-star cast for “The Dead Don’t Die.” It’s a pleasurable and languid take on the classic George Romero film. Read more
An exceptional romance
Film critic MaryAnn Johanson is not a fan of rom-coms. But she makes an exception for the exceptional “Always Be My Maybe.” Read more
"Booksmart" gets it right
Isthmus critic Alex Claiborne says “Booksmart” gets Type-A high schoolers right. She should know: She was one. Read more
Haute cinema
MMoCA’s Rooftop Cinema is back on Friday nights in June with films from off the beaten path. The series kicks off June 7 with three films from Ho-Chunk Nation filmmaker Sky Hopinka. Read more
Creative meditations
Retired mental health professional Martin Saunders picks up a camera to document the creative life and work of local artist Christopher X Burant. The resulting film premieres at Union South on June 1. Read more
Origin story
The new biopic “Tolkien” is perfect for people who love behind-the-scenes extras — a very literal look at the visionary behind “The Lord of the Rings.” Read more
Sequels within a sequel
Everything is better with a dog. That’s the main message behind “A Dog’s Journey,” a sequel to 2017’s mega-hit, “A Dog’s Purpose.” It’s basically the same movie, but does that matter? Read more
Rataj Berard
The little store that could
Although the current owners are looking to move on, Four Star Video Cooperative is surviving, despite the odds. Read more
Rom-com in the age of horror
With excellent chemistry from stars Seth Rogan and Charlize Theron, “Long Shot” is a much better movie than the marketing campaign would have you believe. It’s a sexy, savvy political romance for troubled times. Read more
Amazing Grace Film: LLC
All hail the Queen
In 1972, a camera crew led by Sydney Pollack captured a live recording of Aretha Franklin’s gospel album at a Los Angeles Baptist Church. The result is “Amazing Grace,” one of the greatest concert films ever made. Read more
Baring souls
Podcaster Kulap Vilaysack journeys to Minnesota and Laos to confront her past and explore her identity in “Origin Story.” The film screens at Cinematheque on UW-Madison campus on April 25. Read more
Simon Mein
History repeating itself
Writer/director Mike Leigh’s latest historical epic, “Peterloo,” revisits a harrowing historical event when the British Army massacred peaceful protesters. Read more
Gillian Laub
The rest of the story
Madison audiences get a chance to meet the creators of the HBO documentary “Southern Rites.” It screens on April 16 at Union South, and photographer Gillian Laub’s exhibit is up at the Chazen Museum. Read more
Wisco dining
Wisconsin filmmaker Holly De Ruyter’s movie “Old Fashioned: The Story of the Wisconsin Supper Club” explores the state’s cultural — and culinary — treasures. Read more
Brian Douglas
Library dysphoria
With homelessness on the rise, “The Public” examines the role of libraries in providing shelter for patrons amid a housing crisis. But will the movie reach the people it is meant to move? Read more
No-budget cinema
It’s pretty rare to find a feature-length indie film that’s interesting, cohesive or competent. But “Lake Michigan Monster,” showing April 7 at the Wisconsin Film Festival, is inventive and weird. Read more
Jennifer Johnson
Many voices of Wisconsin
As debates rage about representation in Hollywood and on television, we chatted with five Wisconsin filmmakers, women and people of color, showing work at this year’s Wisconsin Film Festival. The results were illuminating. Read more
Movies with heart
Tickets are still available for some fantastic films showing at this year’s Wisconsin Film Festival. Isthmus critics dug in to another round, to help procrastinators pick their films. Read more
Cinema for troubled times
Forget your troubles by laughing at ridiculous corporate musicals in “Bathtubs Over Broadway” or get some perspective by viewing the majestic creatures in “Elephant Path.” Here’s our first round of reviews for this year's Wisconsin Film Festival. Read more
Mystery in Spain
Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi doesn’t quite live up to his previous works with his first Spanish-language film, “Everybody Knows.” Read more
