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IMDb > Wisconsin Death Trip (1999)

Wisconsin Death Trip (1999) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
6.6/10   546 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 6% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
James Marsh
Writers:
Michael Lesy (book)
James Marsh (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Wisconsin Death Trip on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
9 March 2000 (Denmark) more
Genre:
Drama more
Plot:
Wisconsin Death Trip is an intimate, shocking and sometimes hilarious account of the disasters that... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
3 wins & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(5 articles)
134 New Names Invited to Join the Academy
 (From Rope Of Silicon. 1 July 2009, 1:08 AM, PDT)

Static-x - Cult Of Static (Music Review)
 (From Fangoria. 22 March 2009, 9:11 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
See this film if you think the world is going to pot; you'll realize it's always been there. more

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Ian Holm ... Narrator (voice)
Jeffrey Golden ... Editor (as Jeff Golden)
Jo Vukelich ... Mary Sweeney
Marcus Monroe ... Young Anderson
Marilyn White ... Pauline L'Allemand
John Schneider ... Asylum Clerk / Whispering Voice
John Baltes ... Undertaker
Raeleen McMillion ... Crying Woman
Krista Grambow ... Mourning Woman
Clay Anton ... Eloping Couple (male)
Bobby Jo Westphal ... Eloping Couple (female)
Zeke Dasho ... Edgar L'Allemand
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kathryn Anderson ... Mrs. Larson
Kevin Anderson ... Larson Child
Liam Anderson ... Larson Child
Molly Anderson ... Mrs. Larson
Nathan Butchart ... Dead Boy
Angel Hamilton ... Fire Girl
Ali Ide ... Winter Bride

Brittany Istre ... Baptized Girl
Marc Jacobs ... Hanging Man
Dana Joseph ... Girl at Window
Joshua Kapp ... Baby

Eddie Kunz ... Abandoned Boy
Cody Marenes ... Boy
Tyler Marenes ... Running Boy
Tess Miller ... Coffin Girl
Braden Moran ... Husband
Michael Olson ... Asylum Guard
Emily Roske ... Sister
Will Roske ... 9 Year Old Shooter
Clayton Simchick ... Hanging Man (as Clay Simchick)
Debbi Sommi ... Servant Girl
Jeana Stillman ... Drowned Girl
Steven Strobel ... Union Man
M. Scott Taulman ... The Jailer
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
76 min
Country:
UK | USA
Language:
English
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Certification:
USA:Not Rated

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Broadcast in the UK as part of the BBC's prestigious "Arena" (1975) series. more
Soundtrack:
Traumerei more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful:-
See this film if you think the world is going to pot; you'll realize it's always been there., 20 January 2002
10/10
Author: KarynSue from San Francisco

Although this is a documentary (taken from a book of the same title that was quite popular in the '70s), it doesn't feel like one. It doesn't feel like a movie either, so I don't know what you'd call it. But one thing I can say is that it is morbidly fascinating.

It is narrated by Ian Holmes, the only recognizable name associated with the film, reading news excerpts from a small, northern Wisconsin town's newspaper from the late 1800s. The occurrences are sometimes funny, often tragic, and unsettlingly bizarre. You have to remember that there was a very small population in the area at that time (the area is still not heavily populated), so the number of odd goings-on is curious. These occurrences have even more impact because they are juxtaposed with the very wholesome image that Wisconsin has always possessed (it seems whenever a movie wants to present wholesomeness, they set it in Wisconsin) as well as the beautiful vocabulary and syntax used in written documentation at that time. The documentary is also British, which ads another element to it--somehow I think they find it even more fascinating and that comes through in the presentation.

So, Ian Holmes reads the articles and we are shown photos from the period (sometimes they are the real people being discussed, but not always) and re-enactments of the crimes (they are mostly crimes), mishaps, or misfortunes. Infrequently, current-day footage is used, which I have read as a criticism, but which I think is misguided (see below).

The strongest thing I came away with from this documentary is that human nature is consistent, no matter what the era. The crimes and occurrences committed in and around this small Wisconsin town in the late 1800s are the same crimes that are being committed everywhere today. There are classic obsession crimes (i.e., a man asked a woman to marry him, she said no, he went to her house and shot her and then himself), classic sociopathic crimes, classic abuse cases, etc. I think the modern-day footage helps to bring this message home. But, there are also some

REALLY kooky things too, which are a blast. Look for the teacher who likes to travel by train. . . .

See this film if you think the world is going to pot; you'll realise its always been there.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Wisconsin Death Trip (1999)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Is Black River Falls any different? valis1949
A beautifully disturbing film sabbersolo
Huge fan of the book, very pleased with the docu-drama! taterfay
Pictures. Real Or Fake droogie2
Take it for what it is ranarian
On BBC Four tomorrow heatherbee
more

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