Archer’s Agenda: Your Guide to the First Week of the 2023 Milwaukee Film Festival

First, six facts:

1. The Milwaukee Film Festival starts this week on April 20.
2. Milwaukee Magazine is covering that 15-day festival closely, with reviews, event previews and more. 
3. I’m Archer.
4. I was asked to write a weekly agenda with my picks for the most interesting movies screening that week because I like movies a lot and my name has nice alliteration with “agenda” and my co-workers are increasingly bothered by my smell and are looking for events to get me out of the office, such as the many movies the festival is putting on this year.
5. I’m going to be publishing a new agenda with my film picks for the week each Monday of the festival.
6. For centuries, the failed 1845 Franklin expedition to find the Northwest Passage, which resulted in the deaths of 129 men, was something of a mystery and Captain John Franklin bore much blame for the disaster. But in the late 1980s, an analysis of the preserved remains of three of the crew determined that the men were suffering extreme lead poisoning caused by their tinned rations. The crew was unwittingly poisoned and driven mad. This fact has nothing to do with the Milwaukee Film Festival, but I do find it quite interesting and this is my agenda, so there you go.

And without further ado, here are the flicks that have grabbed my interest this week. Be warned, these seven are only showing this weekend so if you miss them now, you miss them for the whole festival.

1. Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory

THURSDAY, APRIL 20 AT 6:30 P.M. | ORIENTAL THEATRE

FRIDAY, APRIL 21 AT 12:30 P.M. | ORIENTAL THEATRE

When I saw the title for this documentary, I thought, “Boy oh boy, that sure sounds like a movie I have no interest in at all.” How about I watch literally any non-nipple-centric movie instead? But then I read about it, and it turns out this movie actually looks pretty cool. It follows a couple in Eau Claire. The wife, Randi, survives cancer after a mastectomy, but is left without the body part in the film’s title, which is obviously upsetting. Her husband takes to his home workshop to create the perfect prosthetic nipple for her. This movie, filmed by the couple’s son, follows how their small, personal project grew into a “factory” that has helped thousands of cancer survivors.

2. Join or Die (My Must-See)

FRIDAY, APRIL 21 AT 1 P.M. | ORIENTAL THEATRE

SATURDAY, APRIL 22 AT 6:30 P.M. | AVALON THEATER

Many moons ago, your boy Young Mongoose was a political science major learning the ins and outs of our constitutional republic from the esteemed faculty at Boston College. And over the course of that education, I was assigned Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone by four separate professors for four unrelated classes. That’s how impactful and inescapable Putnam and his seminal book is in American political thought. (Did I actually read the entire book any of those four times, you ask? Well … I don’t think that’s relevant.) Join or Die is a documentary about Putnam’s thesis, which is essentially that you need to get involved, loser, or America’s going to fall apart. OK, OK, it’s way more sophisticated than that. Putnam charts how American society has grown increasingly atomized over the past century, with individuals belonging to fewer and fewer civic organizations, not attending church, not knowing their neighbors, etc. His titular metaphor is the good ol’ fashioned bowling league, which has rapidly declined in membership over the past decades. The consequence of this extreme individualization are apathy, loneliness, political disengagement and a surprising number of physical health issues (hence the “or die” in the title). Putnam’s work has been immensely influential across both sides of the political aisle and his insights into social relations and political involvement are bar none. I’m really looking forward to seeing how this documentary tackles these issues.  

3. Subject

FRIDAY, APRIL 21 AT 1:30 P.M. | TIMES CINEMA

SUNDAY, APRIL 23 AT 10 A.M. | AVALON THEATER

Subject is a documentary about documentaries. It features commentary from folks involved in The Staircase, Hoop Dreams, The Wolfpack and other documentaries, talking about the positives and negatives of the experience. I think everyone who’s ever watched a doc probably wondered what the experience was like for the folks being filmed – and whether they regret allowing a camera into their lives. The ethical issues are thorny as all heck, and I’m really interested in seeing how this movie confronts them.

4. I Like Movies

FRIDAY, APRIL 21 AT 6:30 P.M. | ORIENTAL THEATRE

This movie is about a kinda weird kid with a bad haircut who’s not the best socially but loves movies. So I’m completely on board. It’s also a “Teen Screen” pick, which means Milwaukee Film’s squadron of teenage film buffs chose it for the festival, which is pretty cool.

5. The Harvest

FRIDAY, APRIL 21 AT 6:30 P.M. | TIMES CINEMA

SUNDAY, APRIL 23 AT 4:30 P.M. | ORIENTAL THEATRE

This movie follows a Hmong American family facing a generational and cultural divide. Thai returns home to help his ailing father, Cher, with whom he has a strained relationship. The movie examines the relationship between family, tradition and freedom, and it’s the feature film debut of director Caylee So, and I’m hoping this screening will be a first look at a rising talent.

6. The Angry Black Girl and Her Monster

FRIDAY, APRIL 21 AT 10 P.M. | ORIENTAL THEATRE

SUNDAY, APRIL 23 AT 8 P.M. | TIMES CINEMA

This modern re-telling of Frankenstein follows Vicaria, a teenager who tries to bring her brother back to life after his murder. This pick is another feature debut, this time for writer and director Bomani J. Story. I love me some horror, and this one seems like a step up from the usual fare.

7. Max, Min & Meowzaki

SATURDAY, APRIL 22 AT 2:45 P.M. | ORIENTAL THEATRE

Subtitles, man, gotta love ’em. You’re going to get some at the screening for this Indian flick, which includes both Hindi and English dialogue. The film is about a couple on the outs, dividing up their possessions, including ownership of Meowzaki, their cat. My attention span is fractured beyond repair, so the 2 hour, 27 minute runtime had me leaning away from this one at first – but as a miserable, miserable man, I very much enjoy films about breakups and heartbreak so that got me back on board.

8. Ultra Secret Midnight Screening

SATURDAY, APRIL 22 AT 11:59 P.M. | ORIENTAL THEATRE

I have no clue what movie is being screened at this “ultra secret” thing. The film festival just says that it’s happening at midnight. The description on the schedule says the runtime is 2 hours, but that could just be placeholder (or a red herring?). I have to say I’m intrigued. The Rocky Horror Picture Show seems like an obvious possibility. Or maybe The Room? What if it’s Cats? Bee Movie? Whatever it is, Milwaukee Film’s got me with their “ultra secret” bait, and now I must know.