C-U Blogfidential

Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday/Saturday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.

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PASSINGS | You Will Be Missed

July 22: Chuck Russell, 74 (actor, SHOT, Cinemaguild, The University of Illinois, Urbana, IL)
July 24: Rick Orr, 83 (founder/artistic director, The Celebration Company at the Station Theatre, Urbana, IL)
July 26: Michael Harroun, 69 (former owner, Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL)

THE BLOGFIDENTIAL TELETYPE | Film News You Can Use, C-U

We had intended to resume the Teletype in this Calendar, but Ye Ed is not particularly up for it after the last few weeks of domestication halfassedry, so the plan is to start piling on the deets for your local culture edification in seven days when he promises to emerge from the weeds. At this moment, let’s take the time to remember the folks connected with the movies of Champaign, Urbana, and the cities beyond whom we’ve recently lost; it’s extremely rare for us to experience the central Illinois equivalent of the “group of three” passings when it involves luminaries in media arts and performance who are forever connected to the C-U. This obituary at Legacy.com and an outpouring of loving thoughts collected by The News-Gazette remind us well of Rick Orr, the celebrated florist and a vital force for many years in curating a community stage where high-quality and forward-thinking theatrical performance would be the norm. This report from WCIA-TV provides the briefest of insight into the eclectic life of Mike Harroun, one of two partners who rescued and reopened the Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in at the end of the Eighties and lived to see his sons take over the business operations as stewards to his legacy. And, this career recap by The Hollywood Reporter is one of a good number appearing online for Chuck Russell, the Illinois native and University of Illinois graduate who engineered a solid Hollywood livelihood for two decades that included features like ERASER, THE SCORPION KING, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET PART 3, the remake of THE BLOB, and Jim Carrey’s THE MASK. May they all rest in peace, and CUBlog needs to pay our respects to a good number of talented folks who’ve left us since we last evoked ‘Thirty.’ Cheers.

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
Chambana Film Society presents “2026 CineSonic Music Film Festival” feat. BROTHER VERSUS BROTHER (documentary) (8/9, 2 p.m.)

@ WEFT 90.1 FM, Champaign, IL
“Frame Noise” film music program hosted by Przemek (8/12, 7-8 p.m.) Streaming | Archive

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
ICE CREAM MAN, ONE NIGHT ONLY, SUPER TROOPERS 3, MINIONS & MONSTERS (animation), THE ODYSSEY, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, TOY STORY 5 (animation) (8/7 on), Studio Ghibli Fest: TALES FROM EARTHSEA 20th anniversary (animé) (8/8, 4 p.m., English dub) and ONLY YESTERDAY 35th anniversary (animé) (8/9, 4 & 7 p.m., English dub; 8/11, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), Fan Faves: MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND (8/10, 8/12, 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (8/10, 7 p.m.), PRACTICAL MAGIC (8/11, 7:30 p.m.), KATSEYE: WILD HEARTS (music concert documentary) (8/12-8/13, 7 p.m.), THE BRINK OF WAR, THE END OF OAK STREET, PAW PATROL: THE DINO MOVIE (animation) (8/13 on)

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
ICE CREAM MAN, ONE NIGHT ONLY, SUPER TROOPERS 3, HADESTOWN: THE MUSICAL (filmed stage musical), MINIONS & MONSTERS (animation), MOANA, THE ODYSSEY, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, TOY STORY 5 (animation), YOUNG WASHINGTON (faith film) (8/7 on), Studio Ghibli Fest: TALES FROM EARTHSEA 20th anniversary (animé) (8/8, 3 p.m., English dub; 8/10, 7 pm., in Japanese with English sub) and ONLY YESTERDAY 35th anniversary (animé) (8/9, 4 & 7 p.m., English dub; 8/11, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), THE GOONIES (8/9, 3 & 7 p.m.; 8/12, 7 p.m.), THE END OF OAK STREET, PAW PATROL: THE DINO MOVIE (animation) (8/13 on)

@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad” feat. STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU (8/13, 9 p.m., free)

Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional “Now Playing” and “Coming Soon” listings appear after the jump!

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Read the rest of this entry »

Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday/Saturday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.

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CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History

30 Years Ago … Thursday, July 25, 1996: James R. Velde, a former Hollywood executive, passes away at the Motion Picture & Television Hospital in Woodland Hills, CA, at age 82, according to an obituary published by the Los Angeles Daily News. Velde spent his entire career in the motion picture industry apart from serving in the United States army during World War II, starting at a regional shipping office of Paramount Pictures in the mid-1930s and eventually retiring in 1977 as a senior vice president of United Artists after nearly 30 years with that studio. He is well regarded in the industry for his innovations in film distribution and marketing as well as philanthropy. A native of Bloomington, IL, Velde joined Paramount after graduating from Illinois Wesleyan University, per a 1976 Boxoffice magazine article. [R]

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ WEFT 90.1 FM, Champaign, IL
“Frame Noise” film music program hosted by Przemek (8/5, 7-8 p.m.) Streaming | Archive

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
I WANT YOUR SEX, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, SRINIVSA MANGAPURAM (in Telugu with English sub), HADESTOWN: THE MUSICAL (filmed stage musical), MINIONS & MONSTERS (animation), MOANA, THE ODYSSEY, TOY STORY 5 (animation) (7/31 on), Fan Faves: THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE: SEARCH FOR SQUAREPANTS (animation) (8/3, 8/5, 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.), AMC “Scream Unseen” (mystery movie) (8/3, 7 p.m.), ICE CREAM MAN, SUPER TROOPERS 3 (8/6 on) *single screenings daily

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
I WANT YOUR SEX, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, EVIL DEAD BURN, HADESTOWN: THE MUSICAL (filmed stage musical), THE INVITE*, MINIONS & MONSTERS (animation), MOANA, MOTOR CITY*, OBSESSION, THE ODYSSEY, TOY STORY 5 (animation), YOUNG WASHINGTON (faith film) (7/31 on), WILLY WONKA & THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY 55th anniversary (8/2, 3 & 7 p.m.; 8/5, 7 p.m.), THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON (8/2, 3 & 7 p.m.; 8/5, 7 p.m.), The Metropolitan Opera encore: Aida (8/5, 1 & 6:30 p.m., recorded), “DCI ’26: Big, Loud & Live” (Drum Corps International championships) (8/6, 5:30 p.m., simulcast) *single screenings daily

@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad” feat. PROJECT HAIL MARY (8/6, 9 p.m., free)

Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional “Now Playing” and “Coming Soon” listings appear after the jump!

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Read the rest of this entry »

Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday/Saturday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.

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CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History

50 Years Ago … Thursday, July 15, 1976: Beverly Hills, CA-based distributor Crown International Pictures opens the film DEATH RIDERS on 100 screens in the Kansas City-Omaha region of the Midwest, according to the exhibition trade magazine Boxoffice. One of the only non-fiction titles in the company’s catalog and the rare documentary to play the drive-in circuit, DEATH RIDERS is directed by James Wilson of Hallmark Entertainment and provides a behind-the-scenes look at the Death Riders Motorcycle Thrill Show, a traveling stunt team founded in the early Seventies by Floyd Reed, Sr., and featuring his teenage son Danny as “Mr. T.N.T.” Two weeks prior to this roll out, the film’s world premiere took place at the North Drive-In of Terre Haute, IN, on Friday, July 2, a live Death Riders exhibition providing additional impact at the start of the show. Booking agent T.N.T. Productions is based in the Reed family’s hometown of Danville, IL, while the crew’s practice stadium is 25 miles away in Cayuga, IN; a memorable scene in DEATH RIDERS finds Danny’s grandmother Clara fainting in the Cayuga grandstand after watching him crash in front of the hometown crowd. Additional thrills performed for camera by the Death Riders would appear a year later in the fictional action-comedy DEATH DRIVER, produced and self-distributed by prolific North Carolina independent filmmaker Earl Owensby. [R]

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ The Literary, Champaign, IL
Film-Fanatic.Club presents AMERICAN PSYCHO (7/25,10:30 p.m.)

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
Chambana Film Society presents “2026 CineSonic Music Film Festival” feat. JACK JOHNSON: SURFILMUSIC (documentary) (7/26, 2 p.m.), “Art House Theater Day” presentation of SORRY TO BOTHER YOU w/introduction by director Boots Riley (7/30, 7 p.m.)

@ WEFT 90.1 FM, Champaign, IL
“Frame Noise” film music program hosted by Przemek (7/29, 7-8 p.m.) Streaming | Archive

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
CHENNAI LOVE STORY* (in Telugu with English sub), HADESTOWN: THE MUSICAL (filmed stage musical), HER PRIVATE HELL, JANA NAYAGAN* (in Tamil with English sub), MOTOR CITY, EVIL DEAD BURN, THE INVITE, MINIONS & MONSTERS (animation), MOANA, THE ODYSSEY, TOY STORY 5 (animation), YOUNG WASHINGTON* (faith film) (7/24 on), Fan Faves: THE BAD GUYS 2 (animation) (7/27, 7/29, 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (7/27, 7 p.m.), I WANT YOUR SEX, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY (7/30 on) *single screenings daily

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
CHENNAI LOVE STORY (in Telugu with English sub), HADESTOWN: THE MUSICAL (filmed stage musical), HER PRIVATE HELL, JANA NAYAGAN (in Tamil with English sub), MOTOR CITY, BACKROOMS extended cut, DISCLOSURE DAY*, EVIL DEAD BURN, THE INVITE, MINIONS & MONSTERS (animation), MOANA, OBSESSION, THE ODYSSEY, SUPERGIRL, TOY STORY 5 (animation), YOUNG WASHINGTON (faith film) (7/17 on), BAD COUNSELORS (7/24-7/27, 7 p.m.), THE FIFTH ELEMENT (7/26, 4 & 7 p.m.; 7/27, 7 p.m.), TREMORS (7/26, 3 & 7 p.m.; 7/29, 7 p.m.), SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY (7/30 on) *single screenings daily

@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad” feat. POWER BALLAD (7/30, 9 p.m., free)

Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional “Now Playing” and “Coming Soon” listings appear after the jump!

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Read the rest of this entry »

Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday/Saturday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.

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CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History

20 Years Ago … Saturday, June 17, 2006: Champaign movie studio Dreamscape Cinema follows up the successful local debut of their flagship title SHEEBA in March with the world premiere of sophomore release DISCONNECT. The time travel drama starring Steffany Huckaby, Michael Muhney, Amanda Troop, Holmes Osbourne, Eddie Jones, and Tami Erin makes its 7 p.m. debut at Foellinger Auditorium on the University of Illinois campus in Urbana. DISCONNECT would closely follow its predecessor into the United States entertainment marketplace by a few weeks in early 2011 as a DVD edition issued by Osiris Entertainment. Dreamscape founder Robin Christian served as writer and director for this offering. As reported on 6/6/06, 2/19/11 at CUBlog. [R]

35 Years Ago … July 1-15, 1991: Location shooting for the big-screen biography of legendary baseball player George “Babe” Ruth, aptly titled THE BABE, takes place at Danville Stadium on the south end of Danville, IL. Led by director Arthur Hiller, the production crew redresses the home of the Danville Dans club to alternately resemble Fenway Park of Boston and the defunct Forbes Field of Pittsburgh for scenes in the film; some shots are eventually augmented with early CGI effects to extend the upper decks and fill the stands not populated with flesh-and-blood extras recruited from the immediate area. Hollywood actors who are on hand to perform include Bruce Boxleitner, Kelly McGillis, and star John Goodman. Universal Pictures would release THE BABE on Friday, April 17, 1992, to more than 1,500 screens in North America. News-Gazette article [R]

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ The Esquire Lounge, Champaign, IL
Champaign Movie Makers* meeting (7/20, 7 p.m.)

@ The Literary, Champaign, IL
Film-Fanatic.Club presents AMERICAN PSYCHO (7/25,10:30 p.m.)

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
Chambana Film Society presents “2026 CineSonic Music Film Festival” feat. RESYNATOR (documentary) (7/19, 2 p.m.)

@ WEFT 90.1 FM, Champaign, IL
“Frame Noise” film music program hosted by Przemek (7/22, 7-8 p.m.) Live Streaming | Archive

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
THE ODYSSEY, DISCLOSURE DAY*, EVIL DEAD BURN, THE INVITE, MINIONS & MONSTERS (animation), MOANA, OBSESSION, SUPERGIRL*, TOY STORY 5 (animation), YOUNG WASHINGTON (faith film) (7/17 on), THE NEVERENDING STORY (7/19, 3 & 7 p.m.), Fan Faves: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 3 (7/20, 7/22, 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (7/20, 7 p.m.), HADESTOWN: THE MUSICAL (filmed stage musical) (7/23 on) *single screenings daily

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
THE ODYSSEY, BACKROOMS extended cut, DISCLOSURE DAY, EVIL DEAD BURN, GAIL DAUGHTRY AND THE CELEBRITY SEX PASS*, THE INVITE, JACKASS: BEST AND LAST* (mockumentary), MINIONS & MONSTERS (animation), MOANA, OBSESSION, SUPERGIRL, TOY STORY 5 (animation), YOUNG WASHINGTON (faith film) (7/17 on), The Metropolitan Opera encore: The Merry Widow starring Renée Fleming (7/22, 1 & 6:30 p.m., recorded), THE NEVERENDING STORY (7/22, 7 p.m.), BAD COUNSELORS (7/23, 7 p.m.) *single screenings daily

@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad” feat. COCO (animation) (7/23, 9 p.m., free)

Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional “Now Playing” and “Coming Soon” listings appear after the jump!

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Read the rest of this entry »

Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday/Saturday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.

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THE BLOGFIDENTIAL TELETYPE | Film News You Can Use, C-U

We apologize for being incognito the last few weeks, even though we’ve otherwise been filling out the Calendar without fail, because we’ve had to let Ye Ed off the leash to hunt down a few solutions to various life issues that have begun to plague him in territories far away from east central Illinois. His on-and-off presence at MFHQ Deux may have to become a regular thing into next year, so we’ll work with it as best as we can while in the throes of delivering the content you come here to enjoy, dearest readers. Since he is back in-house and pent up at his desk in the CUBlog news room, we can summarize a good number of things in the current film culture du C-U over the month of July before we cut him loose again.

Starting with happenings that might already be in the past if you’re reading this admittedly late report, our Local Films & Events category is unusually stacked for a midsummer filing, isn’t it? As much as we try to bring you the pertinent dates and doings in advance, sometimes we don’t quite get it done and it’s a lesson that, for anything of interest you might read about in our postings, you should always be cross-checking with direct sources so that you can be effectively reminded of what is happening when. Luckily, every single item that we’ve mentioned below will or should be taking place again in the near future.

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So, what exactly do our friends and neighbors have in store? Under “film appreciation,” Chambana Film Society has returned to host a series of music-related feature films and shorts that will dovetail into their first-ever program as part of Pygmalion in September, while the team behind the 25th anniversary Route 66 International Film Festival in Springfield look to be organizing a string of public appearances in order to promote the milestone and recruit volunteers for putting on the show in November. Under “film history,” Perry C. Morris is teaching a new “theaters of Champaign-Urbana” class through the OLLI program at the University of Illinois with a multi-session version coming soon in the fall, while Paul A. Brooks tests your B-movie knowledge every other week with screenings and funsies in downtown Bloomington. Under “film production,” we heard that Bloomington-Normal actress Kat Johns has a desire to launch a movie and online media group for local creatives, while casting agent Sarah Cayce reached out and let CUBlog know the latest call for background talent was being held in Rantoul near Flyover Film Studios. And under “film music,” Przemek has been the airshifter for “Frame Noise” at WEFT 90.1 FM in Champaign since the program’s debut in 2023 and continues to share his love for cinematic music composition each week.

Then, what else do our friends and neighbors have in store? We’re alerting you in advance that Champaign Movie Makers will have their next meeting in a week on Monday, July 20, the last before Pens to Lens returns to the Virginia Theatre and gathers back its strength to pre-pandemic heights. We’re also suggesting that you keep an eye on your socials, especially if you’re friendly with Springfield folk, as there seems to be an attempt to revive the Central Illinois Film Commission a few months after the passing of its founder, Dean Williams. Our intent is to go over a handful of film business headlines from the last few months, discuss a batch of recent updates at the area movie houses, and pull a few rabbits and local-film tidbits out of our collective hat before we take another break with the Teletype. Cheers.

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ Bloomington Public Library, Bloomington, IL
Filmmaking group meeting* hosted by Kat Johns (7/11, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.)

@ Cozy Dog Drive In, Springfield, IL
Route 66 International Film Festival* meet-up (7/10, 7-8 p.m.)

@ The Esquire Lounge, Champaign, IL
Champaign Movie Makers* meeting (7/20, 7 p.m.)

@ Forge Film Acting*, Rantoul Business Center, Rantoul, IL
Bokeh Background Casting* open call (7/11, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.) Information

@ Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, UIUC, Urbana, IL
“Champaign-Urbana’s Rich Theatrical History” class taught by Perry C. Morris (7/14, 12-1:30 p.m.) Register

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
Chambana Film Society presents “2026 CineSonic Music Film Festival” feat. LIFERS: A LOCAL H MOVIE (documentary) (7/12, 2 p.m.)

@ Shake It Up Cocktail Lounge & Eatery, Bloomington, IL
“B-Movie Bingo” hosted by Paul A. Brooks* feat. SLEEPAWAY CAMP, BLAIR WITCH (7/16, 7 p.m.)

@ WEFT 90.1 FM, Champaign, IL
“Frame Noise” film music program hosted by Przemek (7/15, 7-8 p.m.) Live Streaming | Archive

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
EVIL DEAD BURN, GAIL DAUGHTRY AND THE CELEBRITY SEX PASS, THE INVITE, MOANA, NIGHT NURSE, BACKROOMS extended cut, DISCLOSURE DAY, MINIONS & MONSTERS (animation), OBSESSION, SUPERGIRL, TOY STORY 5 (animation), YOUNG WASHINGTON (faith film) (7/10 on), Studio Ghibli Fest: MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (animé) (7/11, 4 p.m., 7/12, 7/15, 4 & 7 p.m., English dub; 7/13-7/14, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), Fan Faves: THE LEGO MOVIE (animation) (7/13, 7/15, 2 p.m.), THE ODYSSEY (7/16 on)

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
EVIL DEAD BURN, GAIL DAUGHTRY AND THE CELEBRITY SEX PASS, THE INVITE, LENIN* (in Telugu with English sub), MOANA, BACKROOMS extended cut, DISCLOSURE DAY, JACKASS: BEST AND LAST* (mockumentary), MINIONS & MONSTERS (animation), OBSESSION, SUPERGIRL, TOY STORY 5 (animation), YOUNG WASHINGTON (faith film) (7/10 on), Studio Ghibli Fest: MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (animé) (7/11, 4 p.m., 7/12, 4 & 7 p.m., 7/15, 7/15, English dub; 7/13-7/14, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), UFC 329: Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway, more (mixed martial arts) (7/11, 8 p.m. simulcast), MAMMA MIA! (7/12, 3 & 7 p.m.; 7/15, 7 p.m.), THE ODYSSEY (7/16 on) *single screenings daily

@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad” feat. WICKED (7/16, 9 p.m., free)

@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
Champaign Park District and the Virginia present “Teens Only! CU Around the District” feat. GOOD BURGER (7/10, 6:30 p.m., free)

Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional “Now Playing” and “Coming Soon” listings appear after the jump!

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Read the rest of this entry »

Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday/Saturday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.

~~~~~

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
ALPHA* (in Hindi with English sub), BACKROOMS extended cut, MINIONS & MONSTERS (animation), RAO BAHADUR* (in Telugu with English sub), YOUNG WASHINGTON (faith film), BLEACH: THOUSAND-YEAR BLOOD WAR – THE CALAMITY (animé, Episodes 1-3; in Japanese with English sub or English dub), DISCLOSURE DAY, JACKASS: BEST AND LAST (mockumentary), OBSESSION, SCARY MOVIE*, SUPERGIRL, TOY STORY 5 (animation) (7/3 on), Fan Faves: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (2025) (7/6, 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.), EVIL DEAD BURN, GAIL DAUGHTRY AND THE CELEBRITY SEX PASS, MOANA (7/9 on) *single screenings daily

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
BACKROOMS extended cut, MINIONS & MONSTERS (animation), YOUNG WASHINGTON (faith film), DISCLOSURE DAY, JACKASS: BEST AND LAST (mockumentary), LUCKY STRIKE*, OBSESSION, SCARY MOVIE, THE SHEEP DETECTIVES, STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU, SUPERGIRL,TOY STORY 5 (animation) (7/3 on), JAWS 50th anniversary (7/4, 12:30, 3:15, 6 & 9 p.m.; 7/5, 3, 7 & 9:45 p.m.; 7/8, 7 p.m.), CITIZEN KANE 85th anniversary (7/5, 4 & 7 p.m.; 7/8, 7 p.m.), MOANA (7/9 on) *single screenings daily

@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad” feat. MICHAEL (7/9, 9 p.m., free)

Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional “Now Playing” and “Coming Soon” listings appear after the jump!

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Read the rest of this entry »

Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday/Saturday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.

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LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ Old Tiernan Hall, Urbana, IL
Arthouse 217 presents “Homage to Cinema” feat. Georges Méliès shorts w/live accompaniment by Nu Orbit Ensemble, local arts showcase (6/26, 5:30 p.m. doors, 7 p.m. show)

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
BLEACH: THOUSAND-YEAR BLOOD WAR – THE CALAMITY (animé, Episodes 1-3; in Japanese with English sub or English dub), JACKASS: BEST AND LAST (mockumentary), LUCKY STRIKE*, SUPERGIRL, BACKROOMS, THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD*, DISCLOSURE DAY, LEVITICUS*, MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, OBSESSION, SCARY MOVIE, TOY STORY 5 (animation) (6/26 on), Fan Faves: DAVID (faith animation) (6/29, 7/1, 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (6/29, 7 p.m.), MINIONS & MONSTERS (animation) (7/1 on), YOUNG WASHINGTON (faith film) (7/2 on) *single screenings daily

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
BLEACH: THOUSAND-YEAR BLOOD WAR – THE CALAMITY (animé, Episodes 1-3; in Japanese with English sub or English dub), JACKASS: BEST AND LAST (mockumentary), LUCKY STRIKE, SUPERGIRL, BACKROOMS, THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD*, DISCLOSURE DAY, LEVITICUS*, MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, MICHAEL*, OBSESSION, PROJECT HAIL MARY*, SCARY MOVIE, THE SHEEP DETECTIVES, STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU, TOY STORY 5 (animation) (6/26 on), SPACEBALLS (6/27, 3, 5, 7 & 9 p.m.; 6/28, 3, 5 & 7 p.m.; 7/1, 7 p.m.), TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY (6/28, 6/30, 5:15 p.m.; 7/1, 4:15 p.m.), MINIONS & MONSTERS sneak preview (6/29, 6 p.m.), .MINIONS & MONSTERS (animation) (7/1 on), *single screenings daily

@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad” feat. GREASE (7/2, 9 p.m., free)

@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
The News-Gazette Film Series presents YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (6/28, 7 p.m.)

Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional “Now Playing” and “Coming Soon” listings appear after the jump!

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Read the rest of this entry »

Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday/Saturday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.

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PASSINGS | You Will Be Missed

6/12: Gene Shalit, 100 (film critic, TODAY, NBC-TV, New York, NY, retired)

CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History

30 Years Ago … June 14-27, 1996: After celebrating a grand opening in March and establishing a business model of serving alcohol and pizza with second-run Hollywood fare, the operators of the Brew & View at the Thunderbird team with The Octopus alternative weekly to develop signature events. Their inaugural show, “The 1st Annual Octopus Sci Fi Film Festival,” presents several science fiction classics and favorites across a two-week summer stretch at Urbana’s Thunderbird Theater, touted in its previous first-run era as having the largest movie screen in Champaign-Urbana. Selected by Octopus publisher Paul Young with assistance from his staff, including future New Art Film Festival program director Jason Pankoke, the marathon pairs episodes from the 1940 serial incarnation of pulp hero “The Shadow” with a choice roster: 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, ALIEN, BLADE RUNNER, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951), DR. STRANGELOVE, INVADERS FROM MARS (1953), THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, THE ROAD WARRIOR, THE TERMINATOR, and THE WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953). All films are projected from 35 and 16 mm prints rented through various agencies from all over the United States. Similar shows of a more esoteric bent would follow the well-received “Sci Fi” experience over the next year, ceasing in mid-1997 after the Brew & View’s closure. [R]

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD, LEVITICUS, TOY STORY 5 (animation), BACKROOMS, DISCLOSURE DAY, THE FURIOUS, MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, MICHAEL, OBSESSION, SCARY MOVIE, STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU*, STOP! THAT! TRAIN!* (6/19 on), Fan Faves: PADDINGTON IN PERU (6/22, 6/24, 11 a.m. & 2 p.m.), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (6/22, 7 p.m.), SUPERGIRL sneak preview (6/24, 7 p.m.), BLEACH: THOUSAND-YEAR BLOOD WAR – THE CALAMITY (animé, Episodes 1-3; in Japanese with English sub or English dub), JACKASS: BEST AND LAST (mockumentary), SUPERGIRL (6/25 on) *single screenings daily

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD, LEVITICUS, TOY STORY 5 (animation), BACKROOMS, DISCLOSURE DAY, MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, MICHAEL, OBSESSION, PROJECT HAIL MARY*, SCARY MOVIE, THE SHEEP DETECTIVES, STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU, STOP! THAT! TRAIN!* (6/19 on), OCEAN’S ELEVEN 25th anniversary (6/21, 4 & 7 p.m.; 6/24, 7 p.m.), RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (6/21, 12:15, 3 & 7 p.m.; 6/24, 7 p.m.), SUPERGIRL sneak preview (6/24, 7 p.m.), BLEACH: THOUSAND-YEAR BLOOD WAR – THE CALAMITY (animé, Episodes 1-3; in Japanese with English sub or English dub), JACKASS: BEST AND LAST (mockumentary), SUPERGIRL (6/25 on) *single screenings daily

@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad” feat. JAWS (6/25, 9 p.m., free)

Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional “Now Playing” and “Coming Soon” listings appear after the jump!

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Read the rest of this entry »

Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday/Saturday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.

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LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ Esquire Lounge, Champaign, IL
Champaign Movie Makers* meeting (6/15, 7 p.m.)

@ Shake It Up Cocktail Lounge & Eatery, Bloomington, IL
“B-Movie Bingo” hosted by Paul A. Brooks* feat. DAY OF THE DEAD, FIDO (6/18, 7 p.m.)

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
DISCLOSURE DAY, THE FURIOUS, STOP! THAT! TRAIN!, THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS: THE LAST ACT (animation), BACKROOMS, THE BREADWINNER, MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, MICHAEL, OBSESSION, POWER BALLAD*, SCARY MOVIE, STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU (6/12 on), “Studio Ghibli Fest” feat. PONYO (animé) (6/13, 6/17, 7 p.m., English dub; 6/15-6/16, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), SACRED HEART: HIS REIGN HAS NO END (faith film) (6/14, 4 p.m., in French with English sub), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (6/15, 7 p.m.), THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD, LEVITICUS, TOY STORY 5 (animation) (6/18 on) *single screenings daily

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
DISCLOSURE DAY, STOP! THAT! TRAIN!, THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS: THE LAST ACT (animation), BACKROOMS, THE BREADWINNER, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2, MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, MICHAEL, OBSESSION, PEDDI* (in Telugu with English sub), POWER BALLAD, PRESSURE, PROJECT HAIL MARY, SCARY MOVIE, THE SHEEP DETECTIVES, STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU (6/12 on), UFC “Freedom 250” feat. Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje, more (mixed martial arts) (6/14, 7 p.m., simulcast), “Studio Ghibli Fest” feat. PONYO (animé) (6/14, 3 & 6 p.m., 6/17, 7 p.m., English dub; 6/15-6/16, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN (6/14, 3, 5 & 7 p.m.; 6/17, 7 p.m.), TOY STORY 5 (animation) (6/18 on) *single screenings daily

@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad” feat. ZOOTOPIA 2 (6/18, 9 p.m., free)

Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional “Now Playing” and “Coming Soon” listings appear after the jump!

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Read the rest of this entry »

Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday/Saturday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.

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NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS: THE LAST ACT (animation), MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, POWER BALLAD, SCARY MOVIE, BACKROOMS, THE BREADWINNER, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2*, MICHAEL*, OBSESSION, PRESSURE, STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU (6/5 on), SACRED HEART: HIS REIGN HAS NO END (faith film) (6/9, 7 p.m., in French with English sub), DISCLOSURE DAY, STOP! THAT! TRAIN! (6/11 on) *single screenings daily

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS: THE LAST ACT (animation), MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, PEDDI (in Telugu with English sub), POWER BALLAD, SCARY MOVIE, BACKROOMS, THE BREADWINNER, , THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2, I LOVE BOOSTERS*, MICHAEL, OBSESSION, PRESSURE, PROJECT HAIL MARY*, THE SHEEP DETECTIVES, STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU (6/5 on), HAI JAWANI TOH ISHQ HONA HAI* (6/7, 11 a.m., in Hindi with English sub), THE BIRDCAGE 30th anniversary (6/7, 4 & 7 p.m.; 6/10, 7 p.m.), CLUELESS (6/7, 3 & 7 p.m.; 6/10, 7 p.m.), DISCLOSURE DAY (6/11 on) *single screenings daily

@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad” feat. JURASSIC PARK (6/11, 9 p.m., free)

Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional “Now Playing” and “Coming Soon” listings appear after the jump!

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Read the rest of this entry »

Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday/Saturday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.

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THE BLOGFIDENTIAL TELETYPE | Film News You Can Use, C-U

What we’re seeing on our beat this week … Prompt-a-Palooza continues and we’ve decided to bump up the “mix-and-match” edition to today as the next Teletypes will involve even more concentrated time and effort to put together than what follows, which is no slouch of a filing by any means…

First, we’ll hint at the things to come. Theaters will be a topic, as they are wont to be here on CUBlog, and a couple of events touch upon that. If you happen to see this by late in the morning tomorrow, Saturday, May 30, then you will have enough time to get out the door and join the Champaign County History Museum’s walking tour of downtown Champaign in which the long history of theater spaces will be explored. Start time is 1 p.m. and tickets are still available as of this writing. Also, the visitor’s bureau for the county, Experience Champaign-Urbana, recently honored a few local business owners who’ve made an investment and difference in the community with what they do; “Brilliant Spirit” award winners for 2026 include our friends Anne and Chris Lukeman, UIUC alums and low-budget filmmakers who’ve found success and acclaim with their elaborate and immersive spaces in Urbana, CU Adventures in Time & Space (rotating escape rooms) and Parcadia (a ren faire-flavored indoor miniature golf course), as well as Steven Bentz, the director of the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign (absolutely a stop on the walking tour) for the Champaign Park District. Congratulations to them for the well-deserved honors …

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Speaking of low-budget filmmakers, production as a viable local business opportunity is also a topic and we’ll investigate that separately. We have some related threads, however. Starting bright and early at 8 a.m. on Saturday is the latest intensive workshop to be offered through Flyover Film Studios in Rantoul; the two-day event, titled “Production Department Intensive: For Emerging Filmmakers,” will be held at the Rantoul Business Center adjacent to the Flyover campus and instruct on all the primary roles and expectations one might find on an active film set. Registration for this has probably been closed for some time, so those who are interested in future classes on this or other avenues that are related to serious participation in the making of movies should keep tabs on this website and sign up for any email lists they offer. (We’ve noticed they are going light with social media, including this barely-utilized Instagram account, so older contact methods are apparently preferred.) For those who like to keep copies of our locally-filmed output within easy reach, Diabolik DVD has been offering at a discount the fancy slipcover edition for REVEALER, one of the indies produced in Champaign County by Flyover folks during the height of COVID precautions and a bit prior to the formal launch of the sound stage; Shudder released it to DVD and streaming services a while back and more recently issued this Blu-ray version as a limited edition through OCN Distribution and the internet storefront of Vinegar Syndrome …

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Is anyone hungry for divergences related to the living dead? HOLLER, the Jacksonville-based zombie apocalypse Western that we talked about recently, has begun filming this week and may still be in need of extras, so it’s high time to hit up the folks at Subterranean Sound & Vision if you’re interested. We also just learned that our comrades at Acrostar Productions will be taking their third “corn zombies” movie on the road and past east central Illinois, but not so far out of reach that we can’t lend a severed hand or two. Whereas ATTACK OF… and RETURN OF THE CORN ZOMBIES were shot on location in various small towns adjacent to Champaign-Urbana and Bloomington-Normal, the bulk of REVENGE OF THE CORN ZOMBIES will be produced in the preserved structure of the former Indiana State Santorium, located on Route 36 not too far inside the Indiana state line; the grounds are in Rockville, which is a little bit closer to Terre Haute than Danville. The Acrostar team has their fundraising campaign live here, which includes sponsorships that can earn you placement in the film as a zombie or extra among other participatory perks, so take a look and see what looks good and grueling to you. The producers have been announcing over the past few days the actors who will appear in REVENGE and it looks to continue more directly from RETURN than the original. BayView Entertainment will distribute the trilogy’s concluding chapter …

Time to wind down the Teletype with the announcement that we’ll finally be able to watch on all of our personal devices THE FAWN, Jason Huls’ folk horror short that we’ve invoked in a couple of prior Calendars, when it premieres on YouTube at 4 p.m. Central time this Saturday at the Ten Wing Media channel. Huls also produces The Mythos Minute Podcast where he reads original stories by himself and contributors that only last a minute or so each; episodes 89 to 91 of the series have materialized just this week on Jason Huls Creative at Substack, featuring the work of Bote Thibeault, Imogene Nocturne, and Huls, while you can also read a new written entry about his inspirations for making THE FAWN, which was filmed near Pontiac with a small crew and actress Nora McKirdie … and that’s what we can reveal for today. Always remember – this is not just movies, it’s our lives.

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ The Literary, Champaign, IL
Film-Fanatic.Club presents THE FRENCH DISPATCH (6/4, 10:30 p.m.)

@ Shake It Up Cocktail Lounge & Eatery, Bloomington, IL
“B-Movie Bingo” hosted by Paul A. Brooks* feat. THE RUINS, TURISTAS (6/4, 7 p.m.)

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
BACKROOMS, THE BREADWINNER, PRESSURE, I LOVE BOOSTERS*, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2, MICHAEL, MORTAL KOMBAT II, OBSESSION, PASSENGER, THE SHEEP DETECTIVES, STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU (5/29 on), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (6/1, 7 p.m.), MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE sneak preview (6/3, 7 p.m.), THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS: THE LAST ACT (animation), MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, POWER BALLAD, SCARY MOVIE (6/4 on) *single screenings daily

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
BACKROOMS, THE BREADWINNER, PRESSURE, I LOVE BOOSTERS, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2, MICHAEL, MORTAL KOMBAT II, OBSESSION, PASSENGER, PROJECT HAIL MARY, THE SHEEP DETECTIVES, STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU, THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation) (5/29 on), The Metropolitan Opera: El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego (5/30, 12 p.m., simulcast; 6/3, 1 & 6:30 p.m., recorded), BATMAN (5/30, 7 p.m.; 5/31, 3 & 7 p.m.; 6/3, 7 p.m.), REVOLUTIONARY AMERICA (documentary) (5/31, 4 & 7 p.m.; 6/1-6/2, 7 p.m.), THE AMAZING DIGITAL CIRCUS: THE LAST ACT (animation), MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, SCARY MOVIE (6/4 on)

@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad” feat. HOPPERS (animation) (6/4, 9 p.m., free)

Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional “Now Playing” and “Coming Soon” listings appear after the jump!

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Read the rest of this entry »

Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday/Saturday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.

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THE BLOGFIDENTIAL TELETYPE | Film News You Can Use, C-U

What we’re seeing on our beat this week … Putting back on our reporter’s cap just so, we are embarking on a few consecutive outings of Prompt-a-Palooza in which we’ll plunk down a cache of headlines and stories for your consideration, dearest readers. The theme for this Teletype is “students,” now that the graduating class at the University of Illinois has completed their respective journeys on the Urbana campus and all the other young learners at area schools and colleges are about to head into the summertime …

We gather that you already knew about UI College of Media alumnus Sean Evans, creator and host of the popular “Hot Ones” YouTube program on the “First We Feast” channel, returning to give the Class of 2026 a commencement speech; here is the transcript of the upbeat and earnest words he shared on Saturday, May 16. Just as admirable from a career-making perspective is that UI School of Information Sciences alumnus Daniel Kraus, already a best-selling and award-winning author with work published and translated the world over, was just awarded the fiction book Pulitzer Prize for his 2025 novel Angel Down (Atria Books) and co-wrote the screenplay for the upcoming nautical thriller WHALEFALL, based on his previous novel of the same name, which was directed by Brian Duffield (UNDERWATER, NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU) and will be released in October by 20th Century Studios. As more of a feel-good, reach-for-the-stars note than anything, NASA has inducted a pair of retired space explorers into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame including Joe Tanner, a Danville native who earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering in the Seventies from what is now the UI Granger College of Engineering and flew aircraft while serving in the Navy before training for missions outside our atmosphere; he and Tom Akers were honored on May 16 at the space shuttle Atlantis exhibit in the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida …

And there are the current and just-graduated students, what were they up to? The Daily Illini did them a solid by filing articles on both of the showcases hosted at the UI Spurlock Museum of World Cultures earlier this month – the Illinois Student Film Festival, a smorgasbord of shorts made by undergraduates from all corners of the campus and organized by their peers taking the MACS 366 “Film Festivals” course, on Saturday, May 2, and the MACS Student Showcase, composed of pieces that were created as classwork by the majors enrolled in Media and Cinema Studies, College of Media, on Saturday, May 9. Broadcast reporters at WPGU-FM also earned an extra credit for the cause by producing a documentary segment about one team whose film was shown in the former event; Episode 4 of “Amplified” tells the story of director Kris Modi, writer Joe Wilson, and their short, ITCH, about a woman with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). One twin cities over, The Vidette highlighted a film project that talks about using textiles and repurposed goods to design wearable fashions and confront the status quo; NON-COMPLIANCE was premiered on the Illinois State University campus back on April 27 and made by ISU students Zac Talbot and Brice Banning, covering the latter’s efforts to echo the history of social justice and art in America through their original creations that were paraded by models during the spring semester fashion show. You can watch it on YouTube …

Let’s close this jam-packed lesson with something that both children and teenagers can be involved with along with their college-aged neighbors! The annual “Shortcuts” program, sponsored by the Illinois Film Office in association with 815HORTS and the Plus Seven Company, just opened their window for young folks to enter their films in the hopes of being selected to play the fifth annual 815HORTS Film Festival in Rockford this November; go here and then click the banner for more information … and that’s what we can reveal for today. Always remember – this is not just movies, it’s our lives.

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
Chambana Film Society* presents Savoy Lumierè 2026* post-show feat. TIGHT & NERDY (documentary) w/burlesque performance, MAYBE IT’S THIS short film preview (6 p.m.) Information

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
GODZILLA MINUS ONE* (re-release) (in Japanese with English sub), I LOVE BOOSTERS, PASSENGER, STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2, IN THE GREY*, IS GOD IS*, MICHAEL, MORTAL KOMBAT II, OBSESSION, THE SHEEP DETECTIVES, THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE* (animation) (5/22 on), THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETY “sensory friendly” show (animé; English dub) (5/23,12:45 p.m.), PRESSURE sneak preview (5/25, 2 p.m.), BACKROOMS, THE BREADWINNER (5/28 on) *single screenings daily

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
DRISHYAM 3 (in Malayalam or Telugu with English sub), I LOVE BOOSTERS, PASSENGER, STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2, HOKUM, IN THE GREY, IS GOD IS, OBSESSION, MICHAEL, MORTAL KOMBAT II, PROJECT HAIL MARY, THE SHEEP DETECTIVES, THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation), TOP GUN* 40th anniversary (re-release), TOP GUN: MAVERICK* (re-release) (5/22 on), LEGALLY BLONDE* 25th anniversary (5/24, 3 & 7 p.m.; 5/27, 7 p.m.), GREASE (5/24, 3 & 7 p.m.; 5/27, 7 p.m.), BACKROOMS, THE BREADWINNER (5/28 on) *single screenings daily

@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad” feat. BACK TO THE FUTURE (5/28, 9 p.m., free)

Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional “Now Playing” and “Coming Soon” listings appear after the jump!

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Read the rest of this entry »

Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday/Saturday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.

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LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ Boneyard Creek Crossing, Urbana, IL
Film-Fanatic.Club and Arthouse 217 Cinema Series present BE KIND REWIND (5/15, 7:30 p.m. festivities, 8:30 p.m. film)

@ Esquire Lounge, Champaign, IL
Champaign Movie Makers* meeting (5/18, 7 p.m.)

@ Illinois Theater, Jacksonville, IL
Subterranean Sound & Vision and Pizza Records present “A Rotting World Double Feature” fundraiser for indie feature HOLLER feat. THE LAST MAN ON EARTH, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (5/17, 4 p.m.)

@ Lincoln Square Theater, Decatur, IL
Open house (5/16, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.), THE ORIGINAL BIG BLUE: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JAMES MILLIKIN* documentary screening (5/16, 2 p.m.)

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
Chambana Film Society* presents Savoy Lumierè 2026* post-show feat. “Identities: The Soul of Black Folk” short film program w/discussion (5/15, 7 p.m.) Information

@ Shake It Up Cocktail Lounge & Eatery, Bloomington, IL
“B-Movie Bingo” hosted by Paul A. Brooks* feat. LIFE OF BRIAN, THE WICKER MAN (5/21, 7 p.m.)

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
IN THE GREY, IS GOD IS, MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM HATHAWAY: THE SORCERY OF NYMPH CIRCE* (animé) (in Japanese with English sub or English dub), OBSESSION, TOP GUN 40th anniversary (re-release), TOP GUN: MAVERICK (re-release), THE WIZARD OF THE KREMLIN, BILLIE EILISH ‘HIT ME HARD AND SOFT’ THE TOUR – LIVE IN 3D (concert film), THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2, MICHAEL, MORTAL KOMBAT II, THE SHEEP DETECTIVES, PROJECT HAIL MARY*, THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation) (5/15 on), Fan Faves: CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON* (in Mandarin with English sub) (5/15-5/22, 4 p.m.), ATTACK ON TITAN: THE LAST ATTACK (animé) (5/18, 7 p.m.; 5/19-5/20, 7:50 p.m.; in Japanese with English sub), THAT THEY MAY BE ONE (religious documentary) (5/19-5/20, 7 p.m.), PASSENGER, STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU (5/21 on) *single screenings daily

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
IN THE GREY, IS GOD IS, OBSESSION, TOP GUN 40th anniversary (re-release), TOP GUN: MAVERICK (re-release), BILLIE EILISH ‘HIT ME HARD AND SOFT’ THE TOUR – LIVE IN 3D (concert film), DEEP WATER*, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2, THE DRAMA*, HOKUM, MICHAEL, MORTAL KOMBAT II, PROJECT HAIL MARY, THE SHEEP DETECTIVES, THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation) (5/15 on), SHREK 25th anniversary (animation) (5/15-5/17), STAR WARS: THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU (5/21 on) *single screenings daily

@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad” feat. FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF (5/21, 9 p.m., free)

Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional “Now Playing” and “Coming Soon” listings appear after the jump!

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Read the rest of this entry »

Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday/Saturday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.

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THE BLOGFIDENTIAL TELETYPE | Film News You Can Use, C-U

What we’re seeing on our beat this week … Looks like it’s time to spin on some unfinished business that is inspired by last week’s Teletype, where we discussed both indie horror in our east central Illinois orbit as well as what we might now term “elevated film production” as defined by the business being conducted recently out of Rantoul, in our next pair of blog-on-the-street sessions. Let’s go with the horror first …

The headline is past for the theatrical premiere of Horror Dadz Productions’ latest found-footage tale, NIGHT TERROR, at the restored Lorraine Theatre in Hoopeston, but neither that project or its locally-based co-director, Joshua Brucker, are finished with the thrills. Just prior to the shows held on April 24-26, the Horror Dadz collective revealed that Terror Films had acquired the US distribution rights to NIGHT TERROR, which was made in the Watseka area with a cast primarily culled from the immediate region along with the core team, including fellow Horror Dad and co-director Hunter Nino, and Brucker is actively looking for auditions and locations for his next Iroquois County opus, NO WITNESSES, which is scheduled to be shot in late July and August. You can inquire about the film by writing to HorrorDadz [dot] Josh [at] gmail [dot] com and read more about NIGHT TERROR in this recent piece by Bloody Disgusting …

A pair of talents and teams west of I-57 are also in the groove with their latest endeavors. HorrorFix Films of Springfield has been gearing up to make MANGLED: THE SHELBYVILLE TORTURE TAPES and has recently announced casting on Facebook for what apparently is a summer/fall shoot; Ash Hamilton, Chanell Hamilton, and Stephen Taylor reunite for the scares following FINAL DAYS: TALES FROM THE END TIMES, which is in the Terror Films catalog as well, and the debut episode of an audio drama, Dislocated. Last month, Ash also taped an interview for the latest “sensations of being human” documentary from Silver Compass Studios of Decatur, titled WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? Director Ben Harl has enlisted the Boo Crew Haunted House in Rochester as its thematic epicenter for exploring the concept of fear in all aspects of past and modern life; other early discussions have included Troy Taylor of the American Oddities Museum in Alton and Jackie Chin of ZPR Live Media in Ohio, with production expected to extend through the Halloween season. This piece follows the self-explanatory AFTERLIFE …

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Media outlets in the Jacksonville area have been priming the area communities for the imminent start of HOLLER, which we first mentioned last year and is set to begin shooting on Saturday, May 30, and continue through mid-June. The latest is this Muddy River TV appearance by directors and writers Devin Smock and Samuel Watkins, who are producing their debut indie feature under the Subterranean Sound & Vision handle and have been announcing a cast via Facebook including leads Rick Jensen and Teagan Ealey as well as Joe Rosing, David Sanchez, Mercedes DeSilva, Devon Lovell, Dave Krostal, Clayton Summers, Hanna Williams, and Chris Parker. In the spirit of an “end of the world with zombies” that forms the basis for HOLLER, a fundraiser will be held on Sunday, May 17, starting at 4 p.m. at the Illinois Theater in Jacksonville that will feature two of the defining titles in the subgenre, THE LAST MAN ON EARTH and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, co-sponsored by Subterranean and Pizza Records …

Finally, we invoke “books” at our own peril as one particular leatherbound scamp is making a return in the multimedia world of Chase & Shep, the stoner personae of local podcasters and musicians Chase Todd and Aaron Sheppard. Apart from Todd’s involvement in the upcoming Camp Nostalgia Studios online show, THE SMALL AND TALL BOOK CLUB, the dudes and friends are currently filming their newest offbeat comic romp, CHASE & SHEP FUCK SHIT UP, and you can bet on “El Libro de Los Muertos” being a catalyst of mayhem when the shit hits, beginning on October 3, for the fans and curious onlookers alike … and that’s what we can reveal for today. Always remember – this is not just movies, it’s our lives.

CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History

30 Years Ago … Friday, May 10, 1996: Warner Bros. releases the action film TWISTER, directed by Jan de Bont and starring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, which becomes the second highest grossing release of that year in the United States and Canada after INDEPENDENCE DAY. Many communities across the nation probably did not feel so enthusiastic about the movie because, less than a month before on the evening of Friday, April 19, an extremely volatile storm system produced dozens of tornadoes in the central Midwest and the South. More than 30 funnel clouds were reported in Illinois alone and two of the strongest, rated at the “F3” category, caused serious damage in southwest Urbana and nearly destroyed the small town of Ogden. Amazingly, the only person killed in those Champaign County incidents was a Missouri woman traveling on I-74 near Ogden, according to a CNN report at the time. A chronological chart of the unfolding weather disaster from that night can be found on Wikipedia, an illustrated analysis of why the storm behaved as it did can be reviewed in this report filed by the UIUC Department of Atmospheric Sciences, a compilation of police and storm chaser video that depicts the tornadoes and aftermath can be viewed at The News-Gazette, and storm-by-storm information can be studied at The Tornado History Project, an on-line database of confirmed sightings in the United States that was designed and maintained by Joshua Lietz of Urbana. In the present, dearest readers should refresh themselves on tornado safety every spring by consulting the National Weather Service and other trusted agencies; those who take the “it’s only a movie” tack can look forward to the annual booking of TWISTER at the Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in of nearby Hoopeston. [R] [Rev. 5/8/26]

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
Chambana Film Society* presents Savoy Lumierè 2026* post-show feat. “Identities: Jewish American” short film program (5/8, 7 p.m.), NUISANCE BEAR reprise (documentary) (5/14, 7 p.m.)  Information

@ Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL
College of Media at Illinois presents the 2026 MACS Student Showcase * (5/9, 7 p.m.) Information

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
BILLIE EILISH ‘HIT ME HARD AND SOFT’ THE TOUR – LIVE IN 3D (concert film), MORTAL KOMBAT II, THE SHEEP DETECTIVES, ANIMAL FARM* (animation), THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2, HOKUM, MICHAEL, PROJECT HAIL MARY, THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation) (5/8 on), THAT TIME I GOT REINCARNATED AS A SLIME – THE MOVIE: TEARS OF THE AZURE SEA* (animé; in Japanese with English sub) (5/8-5/12), “Relive the Horror” series feat. THE CABIN IN THE WOODS (5/8, 8 p.m.), Fan Faves: CRAZY RICH ASIANS* (5/8-5/14), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (5/11, 7 p.m.), OBSESSION sneak preview (5/13, 7 p.m.), TOP GUN 40th anniversary (5/13-5/14), TOP GUN: MAVERICK (re-release) (5/13 on), IN THE GREY, IS GOD IS (5/14 on) *single screenings daily

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
BILLIE EILISH ‘HIT ME HARD AND SOFT’ THE TOUR – LIVE IN 3D (concert film), MORTAL KOMBAT II, THE SHEEP DETECTIVES, ANIMAL FARM (animation), DEEP WATER, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA 2, THE DRAMA, HOKUM, HOPPERS (animation), LEE CRONIN’S THE MUMMY, MICHAEL, ONE SPOON OF CHOCOLATE*, PROJECT HAIL MARY, THE STORY OF EVERYTHING (documentary), THE SUPER MARIO GALAXY MOVIE (animation), THAT TIME I GOT REINCARNATED AS A SLIME – THE MOVIE: TEARS OF THE AZURE SEA* (animé) (in Japanese with English sub or English dub) (5/8 on), UFC 328: Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland, more (mixed martial arts) (5/9, 8 p.m., simulcast), THE WIZARD OF OZ (5/9, 11:30 a.m., 2 & 7 p.m.; 5/10, 12:15, 3 & 7 p.m.; 5/13, 7 p.m.), FRIED GREEN TOMATOES 35th anniversary (5/10, 3 & 7 p.m.; 5/13, 7 p.m.) *single screenings daily

Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional “Now Playing” and “Coming Soon” listings appear after the jump!

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Read the rest of this entry »

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Is it bad form to post about a major local event several days after its launch? Probably. Is it worth the effort to keep pushing its story while it is still in progress and attract as much attention for it as possible? Absolutely. Therefore, two weeks after the concluding Roger Ebert’s Film Festival in Champaign and a month after the wrap of Nat Dykeman’s durable Lake County Film Festival up in the far north Chicago suburbs, we now have the second iteration of the film impresario’s made-for-Champaign County creation, the Savoy Lumière. Expanded from its modest scope in 2025 and with just as much importance placed on selection quality, variety, artistry, and topicality, the event is taking place at the Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX all the way through the end of next week thanks to a few last-minute add-ons by Dykeman, who is always looking to improve on the overall experience for his growing audience.

This round, we’ve simplified the general schedule for your use below. It includes the play dates that have already passed – flog us after class, folks – such as the opening night block of short subjects made by local talents – well, hrm, go on and flog us already – that are colored in blue. The remaining programs are still in the immediate future as we post this article, beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 3, with an overall favorite, 25 CATS FROM QATAR, the documentary about a Wisconsin woman who takes in the title felines from the title country in the hopes of finding adoptive families. Its booking and ballyhoo at events across the United States has been one of Dykeman’s not-well-known sidelines, done in parallel with what he’s accomplished over the last two years with the events devised under the aegis of Chambana Film Society. He’s devoted to the cause and finds ways to flourish with his ideas.

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What is ahead, then? Today, we have a collection of shorts by Asian-American filmmakers at 12:30 p.m., documentaries about how the Chicago River feeds into the mighty Mississippi in all the senses at 3 p.m. and how the histories of indie cinema and video stores in America are entwined at 8 p.m., and a dark comedy about a man who seemingly scores big in crypto at 5 p.m. Two more documentaries play at 7 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday nights, the first one about a man who crosses Indiana in his wheelchair to raise awareness and money for social causes and the second one about the ramifications of mankind encroaching a little too much on nature and wildlife. Then, two well-reviewed features in limited release play the C-U for the first time on Wednesday and Thursday nights at 7 p.m., the first being THE CHRISTOPHERS, starring Michaela Coel and Sir Ian McKellen under the direction of Steven Soderbergh and the second being EXIT 8, an apparently striking videogame adaptation that was directed by Genki Kawamura. After all this, we’re gifted three straight Fridays of additional cinema that includes blocks of Jewish-American and Black-themed shorts and a “nerdlesque” documentary preceded by a locally-produced pole studio documentary and followed with a live “draglesque” affair. Whew.

Every single facet of the Savoy Lumière is finely detailed on the official website where you can read more in-depth about the selections, watch previews, pre-order tickets for the remaining shows, and bookmark for future reference as the Chambana Film Society continues forth with seeking out the most compelling and interesting not-Hollywood films that it can secure and bring to the Savoy 16. It is exciting to see film culture take on new shapes and colors in the C-U, especially when it’s built from the ground up by our friends and neighbors and maybe even ourselves. Go enjoy and support this grand effort, friends.

~ Jason Pankoke

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Savoy Lumière 2026 schedule
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, 232 Burwash Ave., Savoy, IL

Tuesday, April 7
7:00 p.m. HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS (2022, 108 min., comedy)

Friday, April 10
7:00 p.m. RELATIVE* (2022, 97 min., comedy/drama)

Tuesday, April 24
7:00 p.m. BRIM* (2025, 105 min., drama)

Wednesday, April 29
7:00 p.m. “Home-Grown Shorts”* (2023-25, appx. 105 min.)

Thursday, April 30
7:00 p.m. LUMIÈRE, LE CINEMA! (2025, 106 min., doc.)

Friday, May 1
6:30 p.m. “Comedy Shorts” (2023-25, appx. 85 min.)
8:30 p.m. HEKLA* (2025, 89 min., comedy/drama)

Saturday, May 2
10:30 a.m. “Animated Shorts” (2024-26, appx. 85 min.)
12:30 p.m. UNDER THE LIGHTS (2025, 108 min., drama)
2:30 p.m. “Is This Therapy?” shorts (2024-26, appx. 100 min.)
4:30 p.m. ANYWHERE (2025, 102 min., drama/crime)
7:00 p.m. “Thriller/Horror Shorts” (2025, appx. 100 min.)
9:30 p.m. WHEN THE NIGHT FALLS* (2026, 86 min., thriller)

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Sunday, May 3
10:30 a.m. 25 CATS FROM QATAR (2025, 95 min., doc.)
12:30 p.m. “Identities: Asian-American Shorts” (2025, appx. 95 min.)
3:00 p.m. AMERICAN DENDRITE (2025, 78 min., doc.)
5:15 p.m. $POSITIONS (2025, 97 min., comedy/thriller)
8:00 p.m. VIDEO DREAMS: A VHS MASSACRE STORY (2025, 82 min., doc.)

Monday, May 4
7:00 p.m. JUST ONE MAN (2025, 110 min., doc.)

Tuesday, May 5
7:00 p.m. NUISANCE BEAR (2026, 90 min., doc)

Wednesday, May 6
7:00 p.m. THE CHRISTOPHERS (2026, 100 min., drama, Neon)

Thursday, May 7
7:00 p.m. EXIT 8 (2026, 95 min., thriller, Neon)

Friday, May 8
7:00 p.m. “Identities: Jewish-American Shorts” (2025, appx. 90 min.)

Friday, May 15
7:00 p.m. “Identities: The Souls of Black Folk Shorts” (2024-25, appx. 110 min.)

Friday, May 22
6:00 p.m. MAYBE IT’S THIS* w/talkback (2026, 27 min., doc)
7:00 p.m. TIGHT & NERDY w/talkback (2025, 82 min., doc.)
9:30 p.m. “Lumière After Dark: The Weird Revue” performance

Special guests who are scheduled to appear will be named in the online and print programs as well as featured in the Facebook and Instagram accounts of the Chambana Film Society. Entries with an asterisk (*) denote a selection with local ties. The Savoy Lumière is directed and programmed by Nat Dykeman. Technical directors are Andrew Stengele and Thomas Nicol. Web and print designer is Kat Jacobsen. Event volunteer is Dan Jeremy Brooks. Primary sponsor is the Village of Savoy.

Publicity still from UNDELETABLE is courtesy Charlie Productions via Chambana Film Society. | Publicity still from PLACES WE KNOW is courtesy Oliver William Staton/London Film School via Chambana Film Society. | Publicity still from CLUTTER is courtesy Sash Films via Chambana Film Society. | Publicity still from AMERICAN DENDRITE is courtesy EastWest Films LLC via Chambana Film Society. | Other artwork is courtesy Chambana Film Society.

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