Milwaukee Film October Programming Features Vampires, Election-Prep, Musical Experiences, and More

MILWAUKEE – Monday, September 23rd  – October is arguably the most cinematic month of the year, and Milwaukee Film is ready to celebrate that! Aside from bringing numerous horror-viewing opportunities to the Oriental Theatre in honor of the spooky season, Milwaukee Film is also thrilled to show films that feature a musical element, inspiring political documentaries to get folks ready to vote, and collaborative screenings with two local organizations: Sojourner Family Peace Center and the Zilber Family Foundation.

In honor of the spooky month of October, Milwaukee Film is paying tribute to everyone’s favorite blood-sucking monsters with Bite Club, a series of 16 vampire films set to screen throughout the month of October. Prepare to dig into some vampire cult classics, from Fright Night to Daughters of Darkness, Blade, and beyond!

“Vampires have captivated audiences as long as film has been an artform. Bite Club celebrates these hypnotic bloodsuckers from all corners of cinema,” enthused Milwaukee Film programming director Kerstin Larson. “The films will confront you with such questions as: Would you join a throuple with Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston or be lesbian lovers with Delphine Seyrig? Is From Dusk Till Dawn or A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night the premiere Vampire Western? Would you rather party at the Blade blood rave or the Bauhaus goth club in The Hunger? You’ll just have to go to all the screenings to figure it out.”

See the full line-up of Bite Club films here:

• FRIGHT NIGHT – 10/3 at 7 pm
• FROM DUSK TILL DAWN – 10/3 at 10 pm
• VAMPIRE’S KISS – 10/5 at 9:45 pm
• A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT – 10/10 at 9:15 pm
• THE HUNGER – 10/11 at 9:15 pm
• MONSTER SQUAD – 10/12 at 3:30 pm
• BLADE– 10/12 at 8:30 pm
• GANJA AND HESS – 10/13 at 3:30 pm
• DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS– 10/17 at 9pm
• ONLY LOVERS LEFT ALIVE – 10/24 at 6:30 pm
• MESSIAH OF EVIL – 10/24 at 9:15 pm
• THIRST – 10/25 at 9:30 pm
• IRMA VEP – 10/26 at 1:30 pm
• SILENTS SYNCED PRESENTS NOSFERATU X RADIOHEAD – 10/26 at 4 pm
• ASWANG (Q&A with Barry Poltermann and cast!) – 10/26 at 7 pm
  • 30th anniversary digital restoration of the Milwaukee-made cult classic!
• DRACULA – 10/27 at 4 pm

October also happens to be chock full of music-related programming! In a series we are calling Rocktober, you won’t want to miss these opportunities to jam out at the Oriental Theatre, from live musical performances, to talk-backs with rock legends.

One particularly extraordinary screening is October 11th’s Phantom of the Opera. The silent 1925 film will feature live organ accompaniment provided by Dairyland Theatre Organ Society.

Dairyland Theatre Organ Society Program Director Ryan Jonas stated, “As Wisconsin’s foremost organization of theatre organ artists, historians, and enthusiasts, we are excited to partner with Milwaukee Film to showcase the Oriental Theatre’s historic Wurlitzer in a format that represents how movies were enjoyed 100 years ago.”

See the full line-up of Rocktober films here:

• NEGATIVLAND + SUE-C PRESENT “WE CAN REALLY FEEL LIKE WE’RE HERE” LIVE PERFORMANCE AND STAND BY FOR FAILURE: A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT NEGATIVLAND – 10/1 at 6 pm
• 1-800-ON-HER-OWN (w/ Ani DiFranco and filmmakers in attendance!) – 10/5 at 7 pm
• ENO – 10/8 at 7 pm
• PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (w/ live organ accompaniment!) – 10/11 at 7 pm
• SILENTS SYNCED PRESENTS NOSFERATU X RADIOHEAD – 10/26 at 4 pm
• CLAUDIO SIMONETTI’S GOBLIN PERFORMING A LIVE SCORE TO DEMONS – 10/31 at 7:30 pm (doors at 6:30 pm)
  • Composer Claudio Simonetti has written and recorded some of the most influential scores and soundtracks in horror, including Suspiria, Dawn of the Dead, Deep Red / Profondo Rosso,Tenebre, and many others, with his seminal work still informing the genre to this day. This year, Simonetti’s Goblin celebrates Dario Argento’s 1985 classic, Demons, with a live performance of the score set to a screening of the movie, followed by an additional performance of quintessential Goblin material and “best of” songs and scores set to their cinematic counterparts.

This month is also an opportunity for Milwaukee Film to partner with local organizations for powerful films that spark important conversations. Because October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Sojourner Family Peace Center is presenting a special screening of My Love Affair with Marriage on October 10th, followed by a post-film discussion.

On October 15th, the Zilber Family Foundation will present a free screening of It’s Basic, followed by a panel discussion with mothers benefiting from the Milwaukee Bridge Project initiative, as well as panelists from the Zilber Family Foundation and The Bridge Project. The session will be moderated by the Milwaukee Health Department.

“The stories of families benefiting from unconditional cash programs are narratives that deserve to be elevated. As we’ve introduced The Bridge Project in Milwaukee, we’ve seen these narratives reflected in the journeys of our moms and their newborn children,” explained Gina Stilp, Executive Director of the Zilber Family Foundation. “Our support of It’s Basic is an effort to further amplify what unconditional cash programs mean and how they could have a generational impact on individuals who need support the most,” she concluded.

As we approach the upcoming presidential election this November, Milwaukee Film is excited to bring a lineup of 5 political documentaries to the Oriental Theatre in a new series called Democracy Docs!

Milwaukee Film artistic director Cara Ogburn stated, “This series of documentaries will enthrall and inspire audiences to get involved in democracy on a local and national scale.” She continued, “ Throughout our history as a country, people have fought for the rights of the underdog and these filmmakers made sure we know their stories. If you’re obsessed with politics, get your fix at the cinema in the lead up to the election in November.”

See the full line-up of Democracy Docs films here:

• RUNNING WITH MY GIRLS – 9/30 at 7 pm
• WITHOUT A WHISPER / HEATHER BOOTH: CHANGING THE WORLD – 10/7 at 7 pm
• NO ONE ASKED YOU – 10/21 at 7 pm
• BARBARA LEE: SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER – 10/28 at 7 pm
• CHISHOLM ‘72 – UNBOUGHT AND UNBOSSED – 11/4 at 7 pm

All Tickets and showtimes can be found online at mkefilm.org/comingsoon

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.