The isthmus can often seem like a desolate wasteland for good films. The last freshly released film to play near campus showed in 2009. But budget-conscious film buffs need not fear, WUD Film committee has compiled a fall lineup that will bring cultural diversity, fishnets and sneak previews to campus this year.
The student-run committee is working to yet again enrich the University of Wisconsin campus with free films that are guaranteed to facilitate deep discussions about race, stimulate the viewer’s inner cinephile and test the societal norms of how best to rock six-inch heels.
It all starts Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m., when WUD Film will screen their free sneak preview of Aaron Sorkin’s much anticipated film, “Steve Jobs.”
Associate Director of HollyWUD programming Elliot Poh takes a large part in bringing the lineup together. He is charged with talking to big name media corporations to bring films and sneak previews to the Union.
“Historically, we’ve been working with studios to get the sneak previews,” Poh said. “So they already know that we have the ability [and] we have the experience.”
It’s this type of collaboration that has made WUD film a successful and well-known platform for cinema, and it’s why Poh urges getting to the theatre more than half an hour before show time, to ensure a sneak preview seat.
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Sophomore James LaPierre, the associate director for Alternate Programming, loves watching all types of movies. He’s part of a Facebook message group that organizes movie outings in Sun Prairie, and last week they saw Denis Villeneuve’s “Sicario.” But his interest this season focuses on the committee’s push for diversity in their film selection.
“This year our big focus in the entire committee is implementing diversity into our programming,” LaPierre said. “So not only picking films that we really like or want to see, but films that represent all gender, sexuality, race [and] religion.”
Diversity in terms of race is something the committee addressed at their meeting Monday night, when “Straight Outta Compton” was brought up for a group vote.
“We try our best to show films that are diverse,” Poh said. “Although researching it, I’m really uncomfortable with the idea of celebrating a group that has such a misogynist history.”
Poh was referring to the film’s omission of Dr. Dre’s history of violence and abuse against women he’s been involved with. However, the full committee decided to add the film to their lineup, opting to add a discussion portion to the showing on diversity and give the film a cultural context.
Bring out the fishnets
And it wouldn’t be a fall lineup if the film committee didn’t include any horror cult classics. Austin Wellens, director of WUD Film, has been working to bring a big production of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” to campus — and it looks like he’s going to pull it off.
Wellens has been collaborating with “Performing Arts,” the Union Theatre and Sex Out Loud to turn the “Rocky Horror” screening into a big event — and hopefully a tradition — on Halloween weekend.
“I couldn’t be more excited about it, because we’ve got a shadow cast and we’ve got the big theatre, so we can actually make it a big event,” Wellens said.
Those looking for some whacky, raunchy fun this Halloween weekend are encouraged to join Wellens and other members of the film committee at “The Rocky Horror” showing. He’ll be the one wearing a corset, fishnets, heels and tuxedo, he said.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VILL_K7rOk
