Tickets for hidden gems like “Nameless Gangster” are still available.
The Wisconsin Film Festival kicks off the exciting gut-busting fun this Thursday — not like we’ve been screaming about it for the past two weeks or anything. Of course, a lot of stuff is sold out, but that doesn’t mean you’re SOL on seeing great films over the next seven days.
Here’s a roundup of five tubular pictures you can still nab at the ticket office. Yes, on the week of the festival. If my college days have taught me anything, it’s that you can still accomplish plenty waiting til the last minute. All Bs, no regrets!
56 Up – Saturday April 13th, 9:15 AM – Union South Marquee
As amazing of a soft drink as this would be, Michael Apted’s highly-bandied about documentary finds the filmmaker once again revisiting the lives of several 60’s TV program subjects in a recurring series of interviews. This time the interviews take place seven years after the film’s predecessor, 49 Up which… yeah. Math checks out.
Awful Nice – Thursday April 18th, 9:15 PM – Sundance Cinema
Bet twenty bucks you didn’t even notice this in the Isthmus Film Fest Guide. And that’s because it was a late addition! Boy are you a sucker! A sleeper at SXSW, director Todd Sklar follows two brothers who haven’t seen each other in year as they pick up the pieces of a strained relationship in the wake of their father’s death. If you ask us, Awful Nice’s title is already a step up on Sklar’s short film, 92 Skybox Alonso Mourning Rookie Card. Apparently something bad happens if you say that three times fast into a darkened bathroom’s mirror.
Citizen Koch – Saturday April 13th, 7:15 PM – Union South Marquee
Maybe you’ve forgotten about Wisconsin’s collective bargaining debate and the ensuing controversy and protests against Governor Scott Walker’s administration. That’s okay, though. Not only are co-directors Tia Lessin and Carl Deal here to remind you in their documentary Citizen Koch, they’re ’bout to draw some serious comparisons with the Supreme Court’s decision on unrestricted corporate election spending. Oof. I even feel important typing that out.
Cheap Thrills – Saturday April 13th, 10:00 PM – Sundance Cinema
You’d better follow up Citizen Koch with Cheap Thrills while you’re at it. The film details the increasingly dangerous and nasty game of high stakes between two friends and a young couple. The best part is that director E.L. Katz and star Pat “Oh that guy!” Healy are scheduled to attend the screening.
Nameless Gangster: Rules of the Time – Friday April 12th, 6:45PM – Sundance; Monday April 15th, 2:00 PM Sundance
After a very enthusiastic reception in South Korean markets, Yoon Jong-bin’s gangster film’s next logical step is to come play in Wisconsin. Beyond some pretty awesome comparisons to Scorsese’s mafia filmography, there’s not a whole lot out there on Nameless Gangster. Then again, anything Oldboy star Choi Min-sik signs on for probably doesn’t need it.
This is still just a sample of shows the Wisconsin Film Festival ticket office still has available. Check out their complete guide for yourself. The comedy shorts series, hosted by Room 237 director Rodney Ascher, also looks pretty darn promising. There. That’s six suggestions now. We can’t do everything for you.