Scholars estimate that Shakespeare penned Hamlet sometime between 1599 and 1602. Future scholars will note that Milwaukee’s Andrew Swant and Bobby Ciraldo filmed their wonky take on the moody masterpiece, Hamlet A.D.D., sometime between 2004 and 2014. The film, which reimagines the prince as a time-hopping anti-hero navigating his way through various green-screen-created locales, will finally see its decade-long production come to a close April 10, when it premieres at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles. For those who have doubted the film would ever see the light of day, there’s even a trailer:
Swant and Ciraldo—best known for William Shatner’s Gonzo Ballet and the video for Samwell’s “What What (In The Butt)”—called on an appropriately surreal group of actors to bring their long-in-the-works vision to life. Along with local characters like American Movie’s Mark Borchardt and Mike Schank, Hamlet A.D.D. boasts appearances from Neil Hamburger, Dustin Diamond, Kumar Pallana, and Samwell; and the voices of Star Trek’s Majel Barret Roddenberry and Mystery Science Theater’s Trace Beaulieau and Kevin Murphy (as the robots, natch).
As noted in a terrific piece from Mary Louise Schumacher of the Journal Sentinel, Hamlet A.D.D.’s protracted production has turned it into a time capsule of sorts, capturing Milwaukee’s art and film scenes at various stages of development. It also serves as a memorial to several actors who have died in recent years, including Pallana and Roddenberry. A Milwaukee screening of the film is planned for later this year.