I'm back in a Moving Image Madison groove
I haven't posted in nearly a month! What have I been up to?
Scroll down for Now Showing in Madison, December 1–8, 2025
I don’t know if this will help any, but I’m playing the late Ace Frehley’s “Back In a New York Groove” as I type this, to try to get myself pumped up for another installment of Moving Image Madison.
I missed you guys and gals. But as they say, “life got in the way” during November with some projects and transitions. But my December schedule should allow me to get back into a Moving Image Madison groove.
I’ll start a new full time job tomorrow, returning to Full Compass Systems. Despite this change, I’ll still remain active with Arts + Literature Laboratory, and will continue to curate Mills Folly Microcinema. In fact, we already have some submissions for the next Project Projection screening at Mills Folly Microcinema on Wednesday, January 21. If you’re unfamiliar with Project Projection, which showcases experimental film, short docs, animation, and music video made by filmmakers in Dane County, check out this recent overview by Grant Phipps at Tone Madison.
I also now have a title at Madison Museum of Contemporary Art: “Assistant Curator for Film and Video Art.” Meanwhile at the Overture Center, there were very successful Duck Soup Cinema screenings of the Harold Lloyd vehicle, For Heaven’s Sake, on November 22. I keep intending to use Moving Image Madison to talk more about screenings that I’m involved in, but things always seem to get busy. I didn’t get a chance to post this news story about Duck Soup Cinema, broadcast on Fox 47 leading up to the recent screening.
The online Film Conversations class through Arts + Literature Laboratory will meet for three more sessions in December. (We watch the films on our own on Kanopy, and then meet on Zoom Tuesday nights.) Tomorrow night we’ll take a look at Wong Kar-wai’s Chungking Express (1994). And the following Tuesdays will be Jerzy Skolimowski’s EO (2022, I’m getting my hanky ready for a good cry), and Rungano Nyoni’s I Am Not a Witch (2017). If you’re interested in joining us, there are still drop-in spots available.
I did go to see Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein on the big screen at Flix Brewhouse rather than watching it on Netflix, with the intention of writing a full review here. But I could not conjure the energy or will two write 500+ words about the film when two would do: “It’s okay.” I think my main criticism is that it is not shocking enough, despite some Del Toro flourishes here and there. And by “it,” I mean both the film and the monster. Despite some gory bits, the whole project seems a bit too cozy, right down to the music score. But the film is entertaining on its own terms and certainly worth a look if you’re either a Frankenstein or Del Toro completist.
I want to catch up with Bugonia, Predator: Badlands, and maybe Hamnet and Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair. My colleagues at Arts + Literature Laboratory made that a bit easier with a very generous movie gift card on my last official day there. So stay tuned for more content here, and I promise it won’t be another month before you hear from me again.
Now Playing In Madison: December 1–8, 2025
Please confirm showtimes with the venues (follow venue links where provided). The commercial theaters update their weekend listings on Wednesdays.
Comments here are not reviews of the films, they are usually a response to the trailer, a summary of the buzz I have heard, or just snark.
Wisconsin Union Directorate Film
RIO (2011) 12/4 co-presented by Latine Student Union
THE MUPPETS CHRISTMAS CAROL (1992) 12/5
HEAT (1995) 12/5
LOVE ACTUALLY (2003) 12/6 open-caption screening
DIE HARD (1988) 12/6
Interestingly, WUD Film is screening two films that I’ve started to incorporate into my December holiday film routine. I don’t know what took me so long to see The Muppets Christmas Carol, but it is really great. Once I finally saw it about three years ago I’ve tried to watch it again this time of year. I’m not really interested in whether Die Hard is actually a “Christmas film,” but I have ended up watching it sometime in December the past few years.
UW-Cinematheque
THE TALE OF SILYAN (2025) 12/4
The most recent documentary from Tamara Kotevska, the Macedonian director of Honeyland (2019)
THE ANNIHILATION OF FISH (2001) 12/5
BRAZIL (1985) 12/6
R.I.P. Tom Stoppard who passed away this week, and who contributed to the Brazil screenplay along with Terry Gilliam and Charles McKeown.
BLAST OF SILENCE (1961) 12/7
Atwood Music Hall
THE GODFATHER OF GREEN BAY, Thursday, December 4, 7:00pm.
Comedian, television/radio host, and writer/director Pete Schwaba will host a screening of his 2005 feature film, The Godfather of Green Bay. Schwaba has served as host of PBS Wisconsin’s Director’s Cut series for several years, and often discusses films with Wisconsin-based film critics (including Rob Thomas) on Nite Lite with Pete Schwaba, heard on Civic Media radio stations (broadcast from WGBW in Green Bay).
AMC Theatres, Flix Brewhouse, Marcus Theatres
Always check the respective websites to confirm dates and showtimes. I add trailers to new films of interest that you might not know about (American indies, international features, etc.).
AKHANDA 2 at Palace, Point.
Indian Telugu-language fantasy-action drama. After a lack of Indian popular cinema on Madison’s screens over the Thanksgiving weekend, a few are appearing this week. This one is a sequel to the 2021 film, Akhanda.
AMC SCREEN UNSEEN: DECEMBER 1 at AMC.
ANDHRA KING TALUKA (2025) at AMC.
Indian Telugu-language romantic drama. This one takes a look at fan-culture, and the relationship between a fan and a mid-2000s cinematic star.
ANDRE RIEU’S CHRISTMAS CONCERT: MERRY CHRISTMAS at Point.
ANOTHER SWEET CHRISTMAS at Palace, Point.
BUGONIA (2025) at AMC.
The latest dark comedy from Yorgos Lanthimos staring his go-tos Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons. from I still haven’t caught up with this, but I hope to this week. I recently discovered that the South Korean film that this is based on, Save the Green Planet!, will be released on 4K from Arrow Video in February.
CHAINSAW MAN - THE MOVIE: REZE ARC (2025) at AMC.
DOORS: WHEN YOU’RE STRANGE, THE at AMC, Point.
This doc, directed by Tom DiCillo (Living in Oblivion, Box of Moonlight) actually dates back to a 2009 release. Re-released now to observe the 60th anniversary of The Doors.
DR. SEUSS’ THE GRINCH (2018) at AMC, Palace, Point.
ELF at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
ETERNITY (2025) at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
Romantic fantasy starring Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, and Callum Turner.
FACKHAM HALL (2025) at AMC, Palace, Point.
I would be up for a parody take-down of Downton Abbey and quaint English historical dramas in general, but every joke I have seen previewed from this so far has been very lame. Co-written by comedian Jimmy Carr,
FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S 2 (2025) at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
Yep, there’s a 2.
HAMNET (2025) at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
In my November hibernation I missed out on the buzz for the latest film from Chloé Zhao (The Rider, Nomadland), in what appears to be a return to form after dipping her toe in the Marvel Universe with Eternals in 2021. Did we need another film that explains the story behind a Shakespeare play? Probably not, but this looks reasonably good. Adapted from the novel by Maggie O’Farrell.
JUJUTSU KAISEN: EXECUTION (2025) at AMC, Palace, Point.
Japanese anime. A theatrical pre-screening of Jujutsu Kaisen, season three.
KILL BILL: THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR at Palace, Point.
Opens Thursday, December 4. You know, it has been a while since I’ve seen both films, so maybe I could be convinced to see this 4 hour 35 minute version of the whole bloody affair. There will be a new 7 1/2 animated sequence, and I thought there should have been more animation for the initial releases.
KISS KISS BANG BANG (2001) at Flix.
KRAMPUS at Flix.
LOVE ACTUALLY at AMC, Flix.
MARCUS MYSTERY MOVIE (12/1) at Palace, Point.
MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG (2025) at AMC, Palace, Point.
Fathom event showcasing the recent production of the Steven Sondheim musical. So this is not the Richard Linklater adaptation that he’s going to produce over the next 20 years.
METROPOLITAN OPERA: ARABELLA, THE at Point.
METROPOLITAN OPERA: THE MAGIC FLUTE HOLIDAY EN, THE at Palace, Point.
MONSTA X : CONNECT X IN CINEMAS at Palace.
K-pop concert event.
NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION at Flix.
NOW YOU SEE ME: NOW YOU DON’T (2025) at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
NUREMBERG (2025) at AMC.
POLAR EXPRESS, THE at AMC, Palace.
PREDATOR: BADLANDS (2025) at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
I’m still tempted to see this. I’ve seen no evidence that it was inspired by Harry Harrison’s novel Deathworld, but it sure seems like the same basic idea.
REGRETTING YOU (2025) at AMC, Palace.
RENTAL FAMILY (2025) at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
RUNNING MAN (2025), THE at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
I don’t think I’m going to take the time to see if Edgar Wright proves once again that he’s the most talented filmmaker working today who makes films I generally don’t like.
SECRET SANTA SCREENING at Flix.
SENTIMENTAL VALUE (2025) at AMC, Point.
SISU: ROAD TO REVENGE (2025) at AMC, Palace, Point.
I liked the first one. I don’t know if I could take a second one right now.
TERE ISHK MEIN (2025) at AMC.
Indian Hindi-language romantic drama with music by A.R. Rahman. A “spiritual sequel” to Raanjhanaa (2013)
THING WITH FEATHERS (2025), THE at AMC.
British drama dealing with grief, starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY (2025) at Flix.
I haven’t decided if I’m in the mood for a mystery with a great cast but a not-so-great-mystery, if this follows the pattern of the previous films. I usually end up wanting Knives Out films to be better than they are.
WEDDING CRASHERS 20TH ANNIVERSARY at AMC.
WICKED: FOR GOOD (2025) at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
I’m happy for all of the people who needed this right now.
YOU’VE GOT MAIL at Flix.
ZOOTOPIA 2 (2025) at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
Looking Ahead:
Side Room Cinematheque
Consult Instagram @sideroomcinematic for upcoming screenings, second Thursday of the month, and last Monday of the month.
Atwood Music Hall
A JOHN WATERS CHRISTMAS, Monday, December 15, 7:30pm
[Sold out]
Welcome back!