Milwaukee native Mark Borchardt attained cult-level fame in 1999 when the documentary film \American Movie"" chronicled his attempt at creating a horror film. Moviegoers related to Borchardt's grassroots filmmaking approach. While ""American Movie"" is Borchardt's most famous offering, the actor and director stays busy shooting new horror films and playing roles in independent movies.
The Daily Cardinal recently spoke with Borchardt about his current role in ""The Godfather of Green Bay,"" which plays Friday at the Orpheum Theatre, 216 State St., as part of the Wisconsin Film Fest, and some of the inspiration behind his own work.
The Daily Cardinal: How would you say Milwaukee, or Wisconsin or the mid-west in general has affected the types of films you make?
Mark Borchardt: Well obviously it's the geography, you know? I never really got into watching films when I was young and I was always affected by my surroundings. I'd see the dead trees, the grey skies, and I thought this was very unique. Also the lifestyles that go along with it, and the language, the colloquiums and stuff like that. Most people that get into films just absorb films, and therefore they regurgitate that and make films about films, but I paid far more attention to life: what was going on around me, what I thought, what I heard?
DC: I've read that Dawn of the Dead is your favorite movie?
MB: Absolutely, it was such a great experience. I saw it at the university about 25 years ago. It was incredible. The atmosphere of Pennsylvania I could totally relate to. So for the first time seeing a film, it was like, ""Wow, man, this is the way people I see in real life dress and talk, this is the way that geography looks.""
DC: For the Wisconsin Film Fest, you're promoting ""The Godfather of Green Bay."" What is that movie about and what is your character in that film?
MB: The film is about an aspiring comedian who leaves Los Angeles to go to a small town in Wisconsin because one of Jay Leno's agents is going to be at a comedy club and this aspiring comedian wants to be seen by the agent. And what do I play?-I play some up-north, hillbilly, yahoo-something like that.
DC: What is ""Scare Me?""
MB: The surface narrative is about an alcoholic writer who has to write another horror novel to get out of debt, but evil forces intervene.
DC: Is that project completed?
MB: No, actually we've shot a majority of it and I'm re-writing the end and so we've got some more shooting to do. So, it'll be out this summer.
DC: Are you working on anything else?
MB: Right now I'm just sticking to ""Scare Me."" I guess that's all I can basically talk about, otherwise it just opens up more cans of worms. After ""Scare Me"" is done there will be further elaboration, but my main concentrative goal is to get ""Scare Me"" done this summer.
DC: Do you feel like ""American Movie"" made you into a celebrity?
MB: I think that people have reacted to it and whatever they make of me is their dealing. I mean, if you win 100 million dollars, you're known. If you're on Oprah Winfrey, you're known. If you jump off the 100th story tower, you're known. So yeah, it's made me known and people can make whatever they want to make of it. I have my work to do and I'm focused on doing it.
