Two Experimental Film Screenings Next Week: Grace Mitchell and Blake Barit
Films by Milwaukee's Grace Mitchell next Monday at Side Room; Films by Madison's Blake Barit at Mills Folly Microcinema on Wednesday, September 24
Scroll down for Now Showing in Madison, September 15–22, 2025
A relatively short Monday entry today, but I plan to spend much of the afternoon getting back on track with video entries. I’m attempting to streamline video production with some new features on DaVinci Resolve and the Blackmagic Camera app on my phone. Once I get the hang of the new workflow, I’m hoping to return to a regular video schedule, and additional content for paid subscribers. Stay tuned!
Grace Mitchell films at Side Room Cinematehque (Sept 22); Blake Barit at Mills Folly Microcinema (Sept 24)
Be sure to mark your calendars for these two experimental screenings next week.
Side Room Cinematheque, Andrew Mazur’s informal cinema salon at the Aftershock Classic Arcade (1444 E. Washington Avenue) will screen short films by Milwaukee based filmmaker Grace Mitchell on Monday, September 22, at 8:00pm.
And Madison’s Blake Barit will screen his work (including two films on 16mm film) in a program titled Digitalog at Mills Folly Microcinema (Arts + Literature Laboratory, 111 S. Livingston Street, Suite 100). As Barit explains in his program description, “This screening invites viewers to appreciate the fluid boundaries between memory and media, reflecting on how time and technology shape our perceptions.”
Early submission deadline for Project Projection, local film showcase, is Friday, October 3
Mills Folly Microcinema presents Project Projection Spring 2025, a program of locally produced film and video, Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at 7:00pm. The program will focus on experimental films, short documentaries, music videos, and animation produced by filmmakers who reside in Madison and Dane County.
Early submission deadline is Friday, October 3, 2025. Submission form can be found at the Project Projection event page at the Arts + Literature Laboratory website. Films will be reviewed and selected as they come in. When a 60-minute program time for the October 22, 2025 screening has been assembled, all subsequent submissions will be considered for the next Project Projection screening in approximately three months.
September Birthday Subscription Drive continues!
Please pass the word about Moving Image Madison to friends and colleagues who are film fans in Madison. It would be great to build the free subscription base as well as the paid subscription support!
Megadoc and Hearts of Darkness coincidentally playing in town this week.
Mike Figgis’s Megadoc, fresh off of its debut in at the Venice Film Festival, opens this week at AMC Fitchburg 18 on Friday, September 19. It currently has screenings scheduled through at least Wednesday, September 24. Screenings are limited to one per day, however, usually at 4:30pm. I don’t anticipate a second week of screenings based on that schedule.
Megadoc is a behind the scenes look at the production of Francis Ford Coppola’s critically maligned Megalopolis. Coppola financed Megalopolis himself, and the rocky production and reception of the film should provide plenty of material for a compelling documentary.
Coincidentally, the UW-Cinematheque is screening another behind-the-scenes documentary about a rocky Coppola production. The acclaimed Hearts of Darkness, which documents the troubled production of Apocalypse Now, screens on Friday, September 19 at 7:00pm in 4070 Vilas Hall.
Now Playing In Madison: September 15–22, 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.
Cinesthesia, Madison Public Library Central Branch
DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS 9/17
Wisconsin Union Directorate Film
PEARL 9/19 & 9/20
12 MONKEYS 9/19 & 9/20
UW-Cinematheque
THE SECOND ACT 9/18
The latest absurdist enterprise from Quentin Dupieux.
HEARTS OF DARKNESS 9/19
Following up on last week’s screening of Apocalypse Now, this is the behind the scenes documentary about the troubled production of the film.
GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES 9/20
A staple of Ghibli Fest screenings comes to the Ctek. This one is Isao Takahata’s harrowing story about two young siblings trying to survive in post-WWII Japan.
NO FEAR, NO DIE (9/21, Chazen Museum)
Side Room Cinematheque at Aftershock Games
Films by Grace Mitchell, Monday, September 22
If you’re not familiar with Mitchell’s work, or if you missed the Milwaukee Experimental Film screening at Rooftop Cinema a few weeks ago, check out the Tone Madison conversation with her, published when her short The Year played at the Wisconsin Film Festival.
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.).
AFTERBURN (2025) at AMC.
Dave Bautista plays a treasure hunter who seeks the Mona Lisa…after Europe has been destroyed by a solar flare. It looks too dumb to post the trailer here. Opens Thursday, September 18.
BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOURNEY, A (2025) at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
Latest vehicle from Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell. Opens Thursday, September 18.
AMC SCREEN UNSEEN: SEPTEMBER 15 at AMC.
AMC SCREEN UNSEEN: SEPTEMBER 22 at AMC.
ANDREA BOCELLI: BECAUSE I BELIEVE at Palace.
Documentary about the acclaimed Italian tenor.
APOLLO 13 30TH ANNIVERSARY (2025) at AMC.
BALTIMORONS, THE (2025) at AMC.
Read Rob Thomas’s review.
CAUGHT STEALING (2025) at AMC, Palace.
Latest from Darren Aronofsky, starring Austin Butler and Zoe Kravitz.
CODE 3 (2025) at AMC.
Read Rob Thomas’s review.
CONJURING: LAST RITES, THE (2025) at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
DARK KNIGHT, THE at Flix.
DAVID GILMOUR LIVE AT THE CIRCUS MAXIMUS, ROME (2025) at AMC, Point.
DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA INFINITY CASTLE (2025) at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
I don’t pretend to understand what this is all about, but it is making a lot of money.
DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE (2025) at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
EASTER PARADE at AMC.
Another entry in the classic film series for seniors at AMC Fitchburg. This one is Thursday, September 18 at 1:30pm
FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS, THE (2025) at AMC.
FREAKIER FRIDAY (2025) at AMC, Palace, Point.
HAMILTON at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS at Palace, Point.
HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN at Palace, Point.
HIM (2025) at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
This has an interesting pedigree, with Jordan Peele serving as producer. But it looks terrible.
HISTORY OF SOUND, THE (2025) at AMC.
Oliver Hermanus (Beauty, 2011; Living, 2022) directs this adaptation of short stories by Ben Shattuck. Stars Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor. A Mubi release.
HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE - STUDIO GHIBLI FEST 2025 at AMC, Palace, Point.
JESTER 2, THE at Palace, Point.
LEGEND OF HEI 2, THE (2025) at AMC.
LONDON CALLING (2025) at AMC.
A hitman (Josh Duhamel) is forced to show the ropes to the son of his new crime boss.
LONG WALK, THE (2025) at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
As I mentioned last week, this adaptation of the Steven King / Richard Bachmann is getting strong reviews. I have little to no interest, beyond the presence of Cooper Hoffman.
MARCUS MYSTERY MOVIE (9/22) at Palace, Point.
MEGADOC (2025) at AMC.
Mike Figgis’s documentary that looks behind the scenes of the making of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. As mentioned above, would make an interesting pairing with the Ctek screening of Hearts of Darkness on Friday.
MIRAI (2025) at AMC.
I missed this in last week’s listings. Indian Telugu-language fantasy/action adventure, mixing mythology with the superhero genre. As JoAnne Powers (Wages of Cinema) frequently points out to me, the Telugu-language bookings in town are often expensive for their first week (Mirai is $17, with no matinee pricing). I was tempted to see it this past weekend, but I decided to see if there’s a second week with a price. As of this writing, there doesn’t appear to be a second week scheduled (that could change). But Tuesday and Wednesday pricing goes down to $9.99.
MYSTERY MOVIE at Flix.
Flix Brewhouse has joined the Mystery Movie game on Mondays. This one is tonight, September 15.
NAKED GUN, THE (2025) at Flix.
ROSES, THE (2025) at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
SENIOR, THE (2025) at AMC, Palace, Point.
Michael Chiklis may be too old to play college football, even in the era of the NIL and the transfer portal. But that shouldn’t matter plot wise here, as he goes back to college to “settle unfinished business.”
SIGHT & SOUND PRESENTS: NOAH LIVE at Palace, Point.
At first I thought this was referencing the British Film Institute’s magazine, Sight and Sound. I was wrong. This is the 30th anniversary of the flagship stage production by faith-based Sight & Sound Theaters. A Fathom event release.
SOUND OF MUSIC 60TH ANNIVERSARY, THE at Flix, Palace, Point.
SPINAL TAP II: THE END CONTINUES (2025) at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
I’m torn on this. I do want to see it at some point. But everything I’ve seen so far, including the many branded tie-in promotions, seem forced. If I want to see it in the spirit that I saw the original, I should wait to see it on VHS, because very few people saw this in the theater when it came out.
SPLITSVILLE (2025) at Flix.
TOY STORY: 30TH ANNIVERSARY (2025) at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
TRIUMPH OF THE HEART at Point.
TWINLESS (2025) at AMC.
WALTZING WITH BRANDO (2025) at AMC.
WARNING LIVE FROM AUDITORIO NACIONAL, CDMX, THE at AMC.
Powerhouse rock trio The Warning live in Mexico City.
WEAPONS (2025) at AMC, Flix, Palace, Point.
Looking Ahead:
Mills Folly Microcinema
Blake Barit: Digitalog, Wednesday, September 24, 7pm
Project Projection (Local Film and Video), Wednesday, October 22
Submit your film today, details at Project Projection event page.
TBA, Wednesday, October 29
Behind Closed Doors: Videos by Hugo Ljungbäck, Wednesday, November 19, 7pm
TBA, Wednesday, December 17
Four Star Video Rental at Lola’s Hi-Lo Sidecar Lounge
CHOOSE ME, 9/24
Atwood Music Hall
TENANT FILM SERIES, Tuesday, October 21, 7:00pm
Films and discussion, Push (2019) and Not a Penny on the Rents (1969). Presented with Madison Tenant Power.
A JOHN WATERS CHRISTMAS, Monday, December 15, 7:30pm
Sold out
Bartell Theatre
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, Sunday, October 12, 6:30pm
VARIANTS: THE SHORT FILMS OF JOE MEREDITH, Friday, October 17, 7:30pm
Presented by Four Star Video
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, Friday, October 17, 7:30pm
AGAINST THE WIND, Saturday, October 18, 7:00pm
STRANGE JOURNEY: THE STORY OF ROCKY HORROR, Friday, October 24, 8:00pm
WISCONSIN 48 HOUR FILM PROJECT, HORROR & SCI-FI, Saturday, October 25, 1:00pm and 4:30pm.