Center Stage, with Milfred and Hands
Published on Apr 7, 2026, 6:53:15 PM
Total time: 00:41:13
Milfred and Hands talk politics and film with Wisconsin native Michael Bauman, the cinematographer for "One Battle After Another," which won six Oscars last month. Bauman, who grew up about 60 miles northeast of Madison in the Fond du Lac County village of Brandon, was nominated for an Oscar and won a BAFTA Award for best cinematography. He talks about the blockbuster movie and its implications for immigration and border policy. He also recounts his experience in the film program at UW-Oshkosh and explains why bigger productions shoot in Illinois rather than Wisconsin -- including "Monster: The Ed Gein Story," which he worked on. Hands thinks Sean Penn's character, Col. Lockjaw, for which he won a supporting actor Oscar, is too real in the Trumpian era to be absurd. Milfred, who grew up with Bauman in Brandon, picks a star to play Bauman in a future biopic.
They're the "Click and Clack" of Wisconsin politics. Scott Milfred, editorial page editor for the Wisconsin State Journal, and Phil Hands, the newspaper's political cartoonist, analyze the most important issues and debates from the Badger State with political independence and a sense of humor. Instead of tedious talking points from the left and the right, "Center Stage" broadcasts from the sensible center with audio clips from the Wisconsin Capitol, from State Journal editorial board meetings, and from political events across the state.