The Milwaukee Post

16 • Milwaukee County Post • September 12, 2014 By TOM JOZWIK Special to The Post MILWAUKEE — The 2014 Milwaukee Film Festival has more to offer than its 2013 coun- terpart. This year's festival, the sixth edition in an annual series, will have an additional venue — the Times Cinema at North 59th and West Vliet Street on Milwaukee's west side. (The other locations, the Landmark Downer and Oriental Theatres and the Fox- Bay Cinema Grill, are on the east side of the metro area.) According to festival publicists, 276 movies will be screened — 36 more than a year ago. Among the 276 movies are shorts, feature films, documentaries and a single silent picture, representing 63 countries — an increase of 19 nations from 2013. If early ticket sales is an indica- tion, last year's festival atten- dance of 55,194 (a 10 percent increase over the previous year) should be surpassed during this year's 15-day run. Set for Sept. 25 through Oct. 9, the 2014 run's roster has some established classics, like Stanley Kubrick's 50-year-old "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" and Rob Reiner's 30-year- old "This Is Spinal Tap." There also will be world pre- mieres, movies made by Milwaukeeans, movies pertaining to food and drink, movies targeted to 3- to 12-year-olds and movies described as "showcasing favorites from the global festival circuit" — among them Australian, Croatian, French, Iranian, Japanese and Polish pro- ductions. There will be tributes, too, to filmmakers such as the Shorewood-rooted trio of Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams and David Zucker, whose 1984 comedy "Top Secret!" will be shown; education screenings (complete with discus- sions) for elementary and second- ary school students, more than 6,700 of whom attended similar events a year ago; panel discus- sions, festival-connected parties and even a "Mary Poppins" screening and singalong being advertised as an event for "all ages." A new documentary, "1971," about citizens exposing govern- ment corruption, is slated to launch the festival Sept. 25, the first time since the festival's orig- inal year of 2009 that a documen- tary has served that function. Jonathan Jackson, artistic and executive director of Milwaukee Film, the nonprofit that runs the Milwaukee Film Festival, noted in a release that the "expertly craft- ed" documentary "has significant parallels to today's political and social climate." "The Surface," a movie written and produced by Jeff Gendelman of Milwaukee, starring Sean Astin and boasting a Lake Michigan setting, is slated to close the festival Oct. 9. Perhaps the biggest onscreen event between "1971" and "The Surface" will be the Oct. 4 showing of "Jimi: All Is By My Side." Written and directed by John Ridley — the one-time Mequon resident who won an Oscar earlier this year for his "12 Years a Slave" screenplay — "Jimi" focuses on a brief portion of rocker Jimi Hendrix's life and features rapper Andre Benjamin in the title role. Milwaukee Film Festival boasts more offerings Submitted photo From left, Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams and David Zucker will be honored at this year's Milwaukee Film Festival. It will feature the trio's 1984 comedy "Top Secret!" during the festival run. By JULIE MCHALE Post Theater Critic MILWAUKEE — What a grand opening of the season at the Milwaukee Rep's Stackner Cabaret with its excruciatingly funny parody of the country music scene, "The Doyle & Debbie Show." I can't remember when I've seen a more perfect delivery of hilarity. The amazing music and lyrics of composer Bruce Arntson, coupled with the vocals and antics of two talented enter- tainers, Michael Accardo and Erin Parker, plus their deadpan side- kick Bo Johnson as Buddy, kept us awed and laughing throughout. All of the stereotypes and clichés of country music are here, treated with an affectionate irrev- erence — patriotism, politics, reli- gion, gender conventions, drunk- enness, abuse and adultery — all delivered with the familiar twang and sentimentality that character- izes this musical genre. People who are country music devotees and those who aren't will both love this show. Only those who can't appreciate the wit and genius of the satirist won't enjoy themselves. This show made its first appear- ance in 2006 in Nashville with the composer Arntson playing the part of Doyle. His partner was Jenny Littleton, and his inim- itable creation continues to have runs throughout the country but is a steady presence in Nashville, the country music capital of the world. Many people have seen the show multiple times. It has almost become a cult happening for many. The present show with the new cast mentioned above began in Minneapolis in early 2014. I've never seen the original but can't imagine it can get any better than this. Doyle and Debbie are a fic- tional pair of country singers, but they capture the joys and woes of many counterparts in real life — arising from lives of poverty and tragedy, paying the price for some bad decisions, trying to make that dream of stardom come true, weaving their life stories into their songs. Though they intersperse some dialogue with their songs, the songs themselves tell their stories — Doyle has a drinking problem; he is trying to make a comeback in his career, he is a womanizer and he has ego problems. Debbie, who had three children before she was 20, is worried how the world around her is affecting her children's morals. She is try- ing to keep Doyle's predatory ten- dencies at bay while maintaining her lifelong dream as a singer. She, being his third Debbie, fully real- izes her vulnerability as a partner of a totally unstable kook. Some of the song titles will give you an idea of what to expect from their repertory: "Stock Car," "Barefoot and Pregnant," "Blue Stretch Pants," Harlequin Romance" and "Fat Women in Trailers." (Several other titles have to be experienced to be believed.) "Be Still My Heart," "Snowbanks of Life" and "The ABC's of Love" are delightful and full of surprises. You think they've reached the heights of cleverness, and then they come up with another one that's just as hys- terical or more so. Really quite unbelievable. High credit to all involved in the production of this gem, including direction by the competent JC Clementz, who also did the honors on "Forever Plaid" in 2013, and Jeff Schaetzke with music. You won't be disappointed unless you lack a sense of humor. 'Doyle & Debbie Show' will get y'all in country mood At a glance "The Doyle & Debbie Show" has selected dates through Nov. 2 at the Stackner Cabaret, 108 E. Wells St., Milwaukee. For show times and tickets, call 414-224-9490 or visit www.milwaukeerep.com. Submitted photo Erin Parker as Debbie, Michael Accardo as Doyle and Bo Johnson as Buddy perform a song in "The Doyle & Debbie Show." At a glance What: The Milwaukee Film Festival When: Sept. 25 through Oct. 9 Tickets: Can be purchased, in advance of the festival, online at www.mkefilm.org; by phone at 414-727- 8468 (surcharge applies); or at the Oriental Theatre box office, 2230 N. Farwell Ave., Milwaukee, between 4 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from noon to 8:30 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. Website: www.mkefilm.org

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