In Memoriam
Those we lost in 2025
As we reflect on the year in film, we take a moment to remember luminaries we lost in 2025 and to honor them through viewing films where their creativity is on display. Think of this as an awards montage where you get a bit longer to reflect and honor those we’ve lost in the past year through revisiting or discovering exemplary work from their careers.
From well-known names like Diane Keaton, Val Kilmer, Robert Redford, Jimmy Cliff, and of course Milwaukee’s own Bob Uecker; to legendary character actors like Graham Greene, Isiah Whitlock, Michael Madsen, and Udo Kier; to those we lost too soon like Michelle Trachtenberg; to international stars like Claudia Cardinale and Homayoun Ershadi; to behind the camera legends and craftspeople like Lalo Schifrin, Rob Reiner, David Lynch, Tom Stoppard, Robert Benton, Stanley Jaffe … the list goes on, with more to be announced soon. (Plus many we’ve left off this list due to rights or film availability.)
Screenings run now through February, celebrating the enduring impact of their work on film, music, and culture.
The Films
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Annie Hall
Comedy
Romance
DCP
Classic
La-dee-da. New York comedian Alvy Singer falls in love with the ditsy Annie Hall. Featuring Diane Keaton's Best Actress Academy…
La-dee-da. New York comedian Alvy Singer falls in love with the ditsy Annie Hall. Featuring Diane Keaton's Best Actress Academy Award-winning stellar performance and three others, including Best Picture.In Memoriam: Diane Keaton & Tony Roberts
8½
Classic
DCP
One of the greatest films about film ever made, Federico Fellini’s 8½ (OTTO E MEZZO) turns one man’s artistic crisis…
One of the greatest films about film ever made, Federico Fellini’s 8½ (OTTO E MEZZO) turns one man’s artistic crisis into a grand epic of the cinema and features the late Claudia Cardinale in a mesmerizingly iconic role. Winner of Best Foreign Language film at the Academy Awards.In Memoriam: Claudia Cardinale
The Sting
Crime
Drama
DCP
Box office and critical smash, Redford's always-masterful performance is one of this film's lone nominations that didn't convert to a…
Box office and critical smash, Redford's always-masterful performance is one of this film's lone nominations that didn't convert to a win at the Academy Awards. A novice con man teams up with an acknowledged master to avenge the murder of a mutual friend by pulling off the ultimate big con and swindling a fortune from a big-time mobster.In Memoriam: Robert Redford
17 Again
Comedy
DCP
We can't show you all of BTVS or Gossip Girl, so remember the gone-too-soon talent of Michelle Trachtenberg with 17…
We can't show you all of BTVS or Gossip Girl, so remember the gone-too-soon talent of Michelle Trachtenberg with 17 AGAIN - a twist on BIG or the body-swap genre. On the brink of a midlife crisis, 30-something Mike O’Donnell wishes he could have a “do-over.” And that’s exactly what he gets when he wakes up one morning to find he’s 17 years old again.In Memoriam: Michelle Trachtenberg
The Harder They Come
Cult
DCP
Honor the legacy of Jimmy Cliff with this cult classic boasting hard-hitting drama and insightful social commentary, all matched beat…
Honor the legacy of Jimmy Cliff with this cult classic boasting hard-hitting drama and insightful social commentary, all matched beat for beat by a flawless soundtrack that is sometimes credited as bringing reggae to the world.In Memoriam: Jimmy Cliff
Taste of Cherry
Drama
DCP
International
The first Iranian film to win the Palme d’Or, this austere, emotionally complex drama by the great Abbas Kiarostami follows…
The first Iranian film to win the Palme d’Or, this austere, emotionally complex drama by the great Abbas Kiarostami follows the enigmatic Mr. Badii (the late Homayoun Ershadi, in a career-defining role) as he drives around the hilly outskirts of Tehran looking for someone who will agree to bury him after he commits suicide, a taboo under Islam.In Memoriam: Homayoun Ershadi
The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Cult
DCP
Invited to perform their unique style of cabaret at a remote Australian casino, two drag queens and transwoman Bernadette (the…
Invited to perform their unique style of cabaret at a remote Australian casino, two drag queens and transwoman Bernadette (the late Terence Stamp in an iconic role) hit the road to journey across the desert in a rickety lavender bus named Priscilla. Honor Stamp's legacy with this quintessential member of the queer cinematic canon, a testament to family, community, and love.In Memoriam: Terence StampCommunity Partner: Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce
The First Wives Club
Comedy
DCP
After years of helping their hubbies climb the ladder of success, three mid-life Manhattanites (Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane…
After years of helping their hubbies climb the ladder of success, three mid-life Manhattanites (Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton) have been dumped for newer, curvier models. But the trio is determined to turn their pain into gain. They come up with a cleverly devious plan to hit their exes where it really hurts - in the wallet! A rollicking, campy turn that demonstrates the late Diane Keaton's range with an acting cameo from the indefatigable Rob Reiner.In Memoriam: Diane Keaton & Rob Reiner
Clearcut
DCP
Horror
Cult
You'll recognize Graham Greene from his prolific career, including the acclaimed DANCES WITH WOLVES, but Greene is quoted as calling…
You'll recognize Graham Greene from his prolific career, including the acclaimed DANCES WITH WOLVES, but Greene is quoted as calling this supernatural race-revenge thriller his favorite film in which he has acted. After a well-meaning white lawyer (Ron Lea) fails to prevent a logging company from clearing a huge swath of land on an Indian reservation, an embittered Native American activist (Greene) becomes obsessed with enacting revenge.In Memoriam: Graham Greene
Kramer vs. Kramer
Drama
DCP
Classic
After a jaded mother leaves her career-driven husband, their complicated divorce and bitter custody battle unfold in front of their…
After a jaded mother leaves her career-driven husband, their complicated divorce and bitter custody battle unfold in front of their young son. Academy Award winner for Best Picture and Best Director (amongst other wins and nine nominations), KRAMER VS. KRAMER exemplifies the legacy of Robert Benton (director) and Stanley Jaffe (producer), both of whom boast impressive filmographies and accolades worthy of revisiting.In Memoriam: Robert Benton & Stanley Jaffe
Ordinary People
Drama
DCP
Classic
In Robert Redford's directorial debut and winner of the Best Picture and Best Director accolades (plus others) at the Academy…
In Robert Redford's directorial debut and winner of the Best Picture and Best Director accolades (plus others) at the Academy Awards, an affluent midwestern family tries to recover from their older son's tragic death, but the neurotic mother can't cope with her younger son's lingering guilt.In Memoriam: Robert Redford
Major League
Comedy
DCP
Guests In Attendance
We don't need to tell you why we want to warm up before Spring Training with our own Bob Uecker's…
We don't need to tell you why we want to warm up before Spring Training with our own Bob Uecker's scene-stealing turn as Harry Doyle. Come to metaphorically pour one out for Ueck, point out when Milwaukee dupes for Cleveland and, stay for the laughs as you watch these misfits fail at losing and decide to win instead.And the Milwaukee ties don't stop there: this screening will feature brief remarks from production designer (and current Milwaukee Film member) Jeffrey Howard on working on this film.In Memoriam: Bob UeckerCommunity Partner: Broken Bat Brewing Co
Bacurau
Western
DCP
Featuring the beloved, late character actor Udo Kier, BACURAU's 2020 release may have missed you - catch up on this…
Featuring the beloved, late character actor Udo Kier, BACURAU's 2020 release may have missed you - catch up on this Weird Western from THE SECRET AGENT director Kleber Mendonça Filho while remembering so many exceptional performances from Udo Kier over the years. Bacurau, a small town in the Brazilian sertão, mourns the loss of its matriarch, Carmelita, who lived to be 94. Days later, its inhabitants notice that their community has vanished from most maps.Preceded by the short film STAGING DEATH Dir. Jan Soldat, 2022, 8minA document about death in movies, based on the countless deaths of Udo Kier, sampled from his over 350 cast tiles.In Memoriam: Udo Kier
This Is Spinal Tap
Comedy
Cult
DCP
Mockumentary
We're turning our volume up to eleven to honor Rob Reiner's legacy with his feature directorial debut, THIS IS SPINAL…
We're turning our volume up to eleven to honor Rob Reiner's legacy with his feature directorial debut, THIS IS SPINAL TAP. This mockumentary classic shines a light on the self-contained universe of a metal band struggling to get back on the charts and inspired the name of Milwaukee's own Shank Hall.In Memoriam: Rob Reiner
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair
DCP
Action
Cult
Uma Thurman stars as The Bride, left for dead after her former boss and lover Bill ambushes her her wedding…
Uma Thurman stars as The Bride, left for dead after her former boss and lover Bill ambushes her her wedding rehearsal, shooting her in the head and stealing her unborn child. To exact her revenge, she must first hunt down the four remaining members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad (including the late Michael Madsen's iconic turn as Sidewinder/Budd) before confronting Bill himself. With its operatic scope, relentless action, and iconic style, THE WHOLE BLOODY AFFAIR stands as one of cinema's definitive revenge sagas -- rarely shown in its complete form and now presented with a classic intermission.In Memoriam: Michael Madsen
Cool Hand Luke
Crime
DCP
Classic
What we’ve got here is failure to communicate. Stick it to the man with the ultimate anti-establishment classic, with an…
What we’ve got here is failure to communicate. Stick it to the man with the ultimate anti-establishment classic, with an overwhelmingly charismatic turn from Paul Newman as a prisoner who refuses to follow the rules. Nominated for four Academy Awards, including one for the late Lalo Schifrin's always-compelling score, this universally beloved film demands to be seen big and loud!In Memoriam: Lalo Schifrin
The Elephant Man
Cult
Drama
DCP
Based on the true story of Joseph Merrick, Lynch's deeply humanist second feature tells the tale of a significantly disfigured…
Based on the true story of Joseph Merrick, Lynch's deeply humanist second feature tells the tale of a significantly disfigured Victorian-era man (John Hurt) and the surgeon (Sir Anthony Hopkins) who takes him out of a sideshow and gives him the opportunity to find his voice.In Memoriam: David Lynch
Top Secret!
Cult
Comedy
DCP
An American rock 'n' roll singer (the late Val Kilmer in his film debut) becomes entangled in a web of…
An American rock 'n' roll singer (the late Val Kilmer in his film debut) becomes entangled in a web of international intrigue in this zany spy spoof from Milwaukee's own "ZAZ," the creators of AIRPLANE.In Memoriam: Val Kilmer
Brazil - Directors Cut
Comedy
DCP
Classic
Cult
With a screenplay co-written by the late Tom Stoppard alongside Terry Gilliam and Charles McKeown, BRAZIL is a dystopian masterpiece…
With a screenplay co-written by the late Tom Stoppard alongside Terry Gilliam and Charles McKeown, BRAZIL is a dystopian masterpiece featuring Jonathan Pryce as a daydreaming everyman who finds himself caught in the soul-crushing gears of a nightmarish bureaucracy.In Memoriam: Tom Stoppard
BlacKkKlansman
DCP
Action
Crime
Comedy
Colorado Springs, late 1970s. Ron Stallworth, an African American police officer, and Flip Zimmerman, his Jewish colleague, run an undercover…
Colorado Springs, late 1970s. Ron Stallworth, an African American police officer, and Flip Zimmerman, his Jewish colleague, run an undercover operation to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan.Featuring a brief but iconic turn from frequent Spike Lee collaborator, the late, great Isiah Whitlock ("sheeeeeeit").Community Partner: ACLU of WisconsinIn Memoriam: Isiah Whitlock
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