OMC: Why do you think there has been a lot of public support for the Brady Street area?

BM: People saw the potential for Brady Street and started organizing. They banded together and kept at it.

OMC: Why isn't there more support from the city government for independent businesses?

BM: I wish I knew and understood the ins and outs of that. It's interesting to watch from afar the public relations machine that's in place in Milwaukee now. They're calling Milwaukee "The Genuine American City." That should offend any other city. There's new facilities like the Midwest Express Center and stadiums and the addition to the art museum that are attracting a lot of attention. It gives you the feeling that the city is alive and feeling confident about its future. But on the other side of that forward-looking state of mind, they're saying that Milwaukee is a city of neighborhoods. They're trying to have it both ways. We have the down home neighborhoods and all these new state of the art things. But I don't see any funding for the neighborhoods. You can't expect these neighborhoods to get along on there own. They need a lot of help.

OMC: What keeps you in Milwaukee? What do you like about it?

BM: I like the size of it. It's not too big and it's not too small. There are things here that a big city offers without the stress and the hassle of a larger city. There's a nice comfort level here. You don't have to get dressed up to go to the post office. It's not a big deal and it is in some cities. And I made a lot of friends here and I married a man here so it worked out.

OMC: Why is it important for people to remember places like the Oriental Pharmacy?

BM: Because they're almost like an extinct animal. When they are gone, it's forever. I made the film so that it wouldn't be forgotten. It was a unique place that had a liveliness and warmth about it that crossed all economic, racial and age lines. People had the attitude though that it would always be there. I made the film to tell people that if this place can go, then other places that are near and dear to your heart can go too. People from outside of Milwaukee that see the film tell me that a place just like the Oriental Pharmacy shut down in their neighborhood, but they're at a loss of what to do about it.

OMC: How can someone get a copy of "Death of a Corner Drugstore"?

M: I have an order form on my website, which is www.magpiemedia.com.