Ben Reiser talks to Gracie K Wallner and Espere Eckard-Lee about BLOOD RUNS OUT.

UW-Madison student Wallner’s vampire story features a woman surviving off the menstrual blood of her friends who realizes her supply is dwindling. This is a surprisingly charming tale of selflessness that tackles its extreme subject with a light touch. (JF)

Ben Reiser talks to Jack Whaley and Eric Schabla about ONE FOOT IN.

Ben Reiser talks to Joe Brown and Rod Coronado about OPERATION WOLF PATROL.

This urgent documentary highlights the efforts of a team of wolf conservationists, known as Wolf Patrol, who are attempting to monitor the activities of wolf hunters in Northern Wisconsin. These activists have no power or institutional support for their efforts, but are nonetheless dedicated to curtailing the unethical, often punitive practices of local hunters. The film uses hidden camera footage to reveal the use of trained dogs to chase down big game animals. These dogs are often killed in the process, which motivates hunters to exact revenge on local wildlife. The revenge hunting of wolves is illegal, yet there is little that these activists can do to curtail this behavior, beyond making themselves a presence in areas where hunters typically set-up camp. As these environmentalists keep a watchful eye on the hunters and their prey, they are in turn watched and threatened by angry hunters and local law enforcement who have been emboldened by “anti-harassment” laws put in place to protect hunters and their sport. The film also delves into the backstory of Wolf Patrol’s controversial founder Rod Coronado, including the act of eco-terrorism that landed him in prison, and his efforts to adopt more peaceful activist practices. This story has an added immediacy now that the grey wolf was removed from the endangered species list in October of 2020. This is tough but necessary viewing for those who wish to understand what is at stake with current Wisconsin hunting laws and practices. (PL)

Ben Reiser talks to Yael Bridge and Christie Herring about THE BIG SCARY "S" WORD.

The Big Scary “S” Word, directed by Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker, Yael Bridge, offers an in-depth explanation of the fundamentals of progressive politics and the current state of socialism in the United States. Yael weaves together historical lessons, verité footage, expert interviews, and lively animated sequences to tell the story of socialism. Apart from these highly entertaining and informative segments, the film also introduces us to two real life American socialists: Stephanie Price and Lee J. Carter. Price is a woman of color and single mom, who faces the harsh realities of being a public school teacher in Oklahoma. We see her participate in a teacher’s strike, go to Oklahoma City to attend a state legislative session, and eventually run for office in the hopes of becoming her local union’s vice president. The other protagonist of the film, Carter, is an ex-marine turned socialist lawmaker who ran against Virginia’s Republican house majority whip in 2017 and won a seat in the state’s House of Delegates. We get an insider’s view of his struggle against both Republicans and Democrats who find common ground by using Carter’s “socialist” label against him. The Big Scary “S” Word is refreshingly unapologetic about socialism, and when you are done watching it, you might be too. (BS)

Ben Reiser and Brody Coning talk to Dale Lindquist about BECOMING GEPPETTO.

Surrounded by farmland in a small town in northern Wisconsin, father and son luthier duo, Bruce and Matt Petros make world-renowned acoustic guitars. These guitars have been played around the world by music giants like Paul Simon, and this documentary showcases the quiet lives that create some of the most skillfully handcrafted instruments available. Becoming Geppetto gives us an intimate and serenely meditative front-row seat to the Petros’s guitar making process, as well as a look into their family life and history (guitar making went from Bruce Petros’s hobby as an aimless college student to a successful and sustaining family business). As a bonus, the film is frequently and delightfully punctuated by wonderful musical performances on those ornate, resonant Petros guitars. (BC)

Ben Reiser talks to Megan Zabel Holmes about COCOONS.

A three-year-old girl narrates her own story of how she navigates the pandemic and finds a bit of blissful respite raising butterflies during lockdown. (BR)

Ben Reiser, Pauline Lampert, Johnny Fruit and Bulat Schamiloglu talk to Nick Lyell and Max Puchalsky about FALSE ALARM

The focus of this enlightening documentary is an event that many may remember: the ballistic missile alert that was mistakenly sent to the 1.4 million residents of Hawaii in January, 2018. But most are not aware of the impact it had on the people of Hawaii, nor the concerning and largely unaddressed implications of this blunder. Director Nick Lyell captures the diverse reactions to the surreal and traumatic morning when families, soldiers, and tourists were forced to confront an unthinkable reality—an incoming nuclear missile. Just as pressing are bigger issues concerning militarism and colonialism in a state that was once its own sovereign nation. False Alarm provides varying perspectives on the situation in Hawaii, including voices of both military members and Native Hawaiians. (JF)

Professor Lori Kido Lopez talks to Debi Lum about TRY HARDER.

At Lowell High, the senior class is collectively freaking out. Finishing up their tenure at the top-ranked public high school in San Francisco, the most academically ambitious teens in the nation are knee-deep in the cutthroat college application process, with all eyes and essays trained on a handful of uber-elite universities. As they stack countless extracurriculars on top of demanding AP courses, prom is the last thing on these brainiacs’ minds. Documentarian Debbie Lum gets us rooting hard for a memorable batch of charming and energetic teens (and their comparatively maniacal parents) as they navigate this critical moment, the culmination of years and years of tireless effort. Along with this breathless tension, Lum takes a hard look at the mercurial standards of frequently opaque college admissions offices; Lowell High’s student body is majority Asian American, and its students are saddled with stereotypes that greatly affect their acceptance rate to choice Ivy League schools. For all the stress onscreen, Try Harder! maintains a spirited and often funny tone as it exposes a fundamentally broken system, thanks to the temperament of its indefatigable teens. 2021 Sundance Film Festival. (MK)

Ben Reiser & Pauline Lampert talk to Gretta Wing Miller & Sara Andrews about HOW TO FORM A UNION.

Part instructional video, part call for reform, How to Form a Union walks us through the latest attempt to form a union at the Willy St. Co-op and details why such action was necessary. Of particular interest to Madisonians, the film shines a bright light on the power of community activism. (PL)

Ben Reiser and Pauline Lampert talk to Scott Homan & James Zimmerman about WITNESS UNDERGROUND.

Punk rock, B-movies, and Jehovah’s Witnesses unite in this heartfelt documentary. As members of Jehovah’s Witness start to explore culture outside of their religion, they have to wrestle with the possibility of being excommunicated from friends and family. Featuring in-depth interviews and extensive home video footage, Witness Underground tells the story of punk rocker Witnesses pushing against the highly controlling Jehovah’s Witnesses religion as they build their own community through music and art. This prolific community of Witness musicians create their own record label (Nuclear Gopher), and become early adopters of promoting their music through the internet, including what may have been the first album to ever be livestreamed. This community’s history is well documented through archival footage of their home movies and self-produced music videos, all with a very charming energy. Featuring music from Witnesses and ex-Witnesses, Witness Underground is a heartfelt documentary about the families and communities we are born into, as well as the ones we choose while celebrating the healing power of punk rock. (BC)