Movies
Gaga reborn
Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut, “A Star is Born,” is a cinematic marvel. With loads of onscreen chemistry between him and the astonishing Lady Gaga, this is why we go to the movies. more
Listening carefully
The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art has launched its fall Spotlight Cinema series. Don’t miss the amazing documentary, “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Coda,” which screens on Oct. 10 at the museum. more
Nicholas Cage unhinged
Nicholas Cage plays a completely unhinged version of himself in Pano Cosmatos’ “Mandy,” a psychedelic horror flick that fails to live up to its promise. more
Alarmed and motivated
Michael Moore is still Michael Moore, but the agitprop of his new “Fahrenheit 11/9” manages to leave the viewer with some hope of mitigating Trump’s harm. more
Doing nothing amid turmoil
“In the Last Days of the City” suffers from some self-conscious filmmaking techniques, but director Tamer El Said presents a moving mosaic of a tumultuous time in his native Egypt. more
Massachusetts death trip
Chloë Sevigny and Kristen Stewart team up for a cinematic take on the legendary double murder case in “Lizzie.” more
Corey Rich
Friends in high places
Madison band Searchlights featured in “The Dawn Wall,” a film documenting a near-impossible ascent of El Cap in Yosemite National Park. more
Real World
“Documentaries aren’t just one thing!” Cinematheque’s “Spotlight on Documentary” series explores the wide-ranging possibility of documentaries and alums’ sweeping achievements more
Haunted Wisconsin
For decades strange reports of a wolf-like creature have been surfacing on the outskirts of Elkhorn. A new documentary, “The Bray Road Beast,” explores the legend. more
Facing racism
Spike Lee’s new film, “BlacKkKlansman” offers up deft comedy, along with the cold hard truth about racism, in the 1970s and now. more
When formula works
“Crazy Rich Asians” is a satisfying romantic comedy that balances the needs of the formula while providing significant cultural representation of Asians and Asian Americans. more
Back to the alley
Arts + Literature Laboratory continues its edgy experimental series, projecting in the alley. This year the curators chose from nearly 250 submissions to create the varied program. The films run on Saturdays throughout August. more
Surrealistic satire
“Sorry to Bother You” is a hilarious comedy and a critique of capitalism, all wrapped up in a bizarre plot centered around a hapless telemarketer. more
ABBA-tastic!
It’s got a Mad Libs script cobbled together around ABBA lyrics, but “Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again” is irresistible fun. more
Short films made rapidly
This year’s crop of films for Madison’s 48 Hour Film Project is one of the best. Josh Heath reports from the screening, in advance of the awards on Aug. 19. more
Off the grid
A damaged father and resilient daughter live together in the forest in “Leave No Trace,” the transformative new feature from Debra Granik (“Winter’s Bone”). The director once again shows her mastery of storytelling and character development. more
The end of comedy
Hannah Gadsby’s extraordinary Netflix special, “Nanette” is a storytelling masterwork. The Australian comedian takes the viewer on a journey from hilarity to heartbreak, leaving nothing on the table. more
Pictures of Argentina
If you missed it at the 2002 Wisconsin Film Festival, UW Cinematheque is screening director Lucrecia Martel’s debut feature, La Ciénaga, on July 26. It’s an impressionistic wonder, capturing the decay and decadence of the Argentine bourgeoisie. more
Revisiting the master
UW Cinematheque brings back “Come Drink with Me,” a classic film starring Cheng Pei-pei, whom modern viewers might recognize as Jade Fox in “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” more
Marvel Studios
Keeping it fun
Adorable and hilarious Paul Rudd is back in a delightful Ant-Man sequel, “Ant-Man and the Wasp.” It’s a relief to be a part of the silly, self-aware fun, in the face of ponderous epics in the Marvel Comics Universe. more
