posted by Tom Fuchs on October 3rd, 2012

If you’ve attended any screenings at any point in the history of the Milwaukee Film Festival, you’ve doubtless heard us pimping out Milwaukee Film Membership as something very much worth pursuing. The crown jewel of this membership (beyond the fact that you’re supporting Milwaukee Film and keeping it an active, thriving part of our community for years to come) are the 12 free screenings every year exclusive to Milwaukee Film members*. With membership costs starting out at $60 a year, that equals $5 dollars a screening, which are some straight up 1990’s movie prices! (Let’s all put on our snap bracelets and celebrate the impending stardom of Chris O’Donnell!) The movies you get to see? AMAZING.

In the past year alone, members have seen the startlingly amazing Beasts of the Southern Wild, fantastic silent film Pandora’s Box (with live musical accompaniment), and current festival doc The Ambassador (before it hit this year's festival) among others. And every year at the MFF, there’s a super secret members-only screening of an upcoming film, which last year was eventual Oscar-winning documentary, Undefeated (which didn't play in Milwaukee again until long after it had won the Oscar). 

Now I can’t throw any juicy hints your way as to what’s showing this year in the super secret slot at the festival (mainly because I have not been told), but what I can do is throw these entirely unsubstantiated rumors your way to whet your appetite for Wednesday night’s festivities:

ITEM!  Mayor Tom Barrett is said to have sweded Marvel’s The Avengers shot-by-shot in his own backyard, and is rumored to be debuting a work-in-progress cut of his efforts at MFF 2012!

ITEM!  None other than Kristen “K-Stew” Stewart and Robert “Robert Pattison” Pattison themselves were seen romantically reconciling over a plate of pork fries at Honeypie in Bay View. Does this confirm the long-rumored screening of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 at the the 2012 Milwaukee Film Festival?

ITEM! Hot off the success of the Tupac hologram at this year’s Coachella Music Festival, the Milwaukee Film Festival has been looking into the technology to bring a holographic Emilio Estevez to town to introduce a super secret screening of Men at Work at MFF 2012. When informed that Estevez is still alive and would cost far less than a holographic reproduction, your intrepid reporter was coldly glared at.

ITEM!  Tom Fuchs’ long-awaited shot-by-shot deconstruction/defense of Bad Boys 2 as what he calls “the definitive American action movie of the ‘oughts” will be screening one time only from 7pm to 5am at the Milwaukee Film Festival this year. 

All joking aside (except for Bad Boys 2-- I will defend it to my grave), Milwaukee Film membership is a fantastic opportunity. It ensures the health of our festival for years to come, and gives great value in the form of advanced screenings that allow you to lord your film awareness over your friends and family, until they begin to subtly exclude you from functions and gatherings. What more could you ask for?  

*Not to mention early access to purchasing tickets for each year’s festival, discounts on festival passes, tickets, and merch, and a hug from Vice President Joe Biden that will last no less than forty seconds.**

**Or so I’ve heard.

Ready to see 12 free festival-quality movies a year, get discounts on MFF passes, tickets & merch, and enjoy other great benefits? Visit our Member Page or any festival box office and become a Milwaukee Film Member today!

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Tom Fuchs is returning for a third year as our featured festival blogger, telling you all about our daily festival picks. Tom has been on our shorts programming committee for all four years of the Milwaukee Film Festival.