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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LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
Chambana Film Society presents “2026 Doctoberfest” feat. ALL SKATE (10/9, 7 p.m.), COOKIE QUEENS (10/10, 1:30 p.m.), JOYBUBBLES (10/10, 3:30 p.m.), THE LAST PICTURE SHOWS (10/10, 6 p.m.), PINBALL: BEYOND THE BUMPERS (10/10, 8 p.m.), SILVER SCREAMERS (10/11, 12 p.m.), A BRIEF HISTORY OF CHASING STORMS (10/11, 2 p.m.), “CatVideoFest 2026” (10/11, 4 p.m.), THE HISTORY OF CONCRETE (10/12, 7 p.m.) Information

@ WEFT 90.1 FM, Champaign, IL
“Frame Noise” film music program hosted by Przemek (10/14, 7-8 p.m.) Streaming | Archive

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
ANGEL AND THE BADMAN, OTHER MOMMY, PAN’S LABYRINTH 20th anniversary, THE SOCIAL RECKONING, V (in Cantonese with English and Chinese sub), DIGGER, FORGOTTEN ISLAND (animation), HEART OF THE BEAST, INSTRUCTIONS NOT INCLUDED*, PRIMETIME, RESIDENT EVIL, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY*, VERITY (10/9 on), Fan Faves: 9 TO 5 (10/9-10/11, 2, 4:50 & 7:30 p.m.; 10/12-10/14, 1:15, 4 & 7:10 p.m.), FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980) (10/9, 10/13, 8 p.m.), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (10/12, 7 p.m.), AMC “Scream Unseen” (bonus mystery movie) (10/12, 9:30 p.m.), SENSE AND SENSIBILITY sneak preview (10/14, 7 p.m.), SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, STREET FIGHTER, WHALEFALL, YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER YOUR MOTHER (10/15 on) *single screenings daily

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
ANGEL AND THE BADMAN, THE BEAST, OTHER MOMMY, PAN’S LABYRINTH 20th anniversary, THE SOCIAL RECKONING, APRIL X, AVENGERS: ENDGAME – ENCORE (re-release), COYOTE VS. ACME, DIGGER, FORGOTTEN ISLAND (animation), HEART OF THE BEAST, THE ODYSSEY (IMAX), PRACTICAL MAGIC 2, PRIMETIME, RESIDENT EVIL, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY*, VERITY (10/9 on), GONE WITH THE WIND 85th anniversary (10/10, 2 & 7 p.m.; 10/11-10/14, 7 p.m.), BEETLEJUICE (10/11, 3 & 7 p.m.; 10/14, 7 p.m.), SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, STREET FIGHTER, WHALEFALL (10/15 on) *single screenings daily

@ Courtyard Café, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Fall 2026 Weekend Films” feat. MINIONS & MONSTERS (10/10-10/11, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)

Events featuring locally produced movies or organized by local groups 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

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
Chambana Film Society presents “2026 Doctoberfest” feat. HANGING BY A WIRE (10/2, 7 p.m.), THE LAST MOVIE CRITIC* (10/8, 7 p.m.) Information

@ The Scratching Post, Champaign, IL
Film-Fanatic.Club, etc., present “Shocktober Horror Film Festival” feat. THE BLACK CAT (1934) (10/8, 6:30 p.m.)

@ Shake It Up Cocktail Lounge & Eatery, Bloomington, IL
“B-Movie Bingo” hosted by Paul A. Brooks* feat. NIGHT OF THE DEMONS (1988), MURDER PARTY (10/8, 7 p.m.)

@ WEFT 90.1 FM, Champaign, IL
“Frame Noise” film music program hosted by Przemek (10/7, 7-8 p.m.) Streaming | Archive

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
BEWARE BOIÚNA, DIGGER, DRISHYAM: THE CONCLUSION (in Hindi with English sub), THE INCOMER*, THE INFLUENCER PROJECT, ROLLING LOUD: THE MOVIE, VERITY, AVENGERS: ENDGAME – ENCORE (re-release), FORGOTTEN ISLAND (animation), HEART OF THE BEAST, PRACTICAL MAGIC 2, PRIMETIME, RESIDENT EVIL, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY (10/2 on), Fan Faves: STAND AND DELIVER (10/2-10/5, 4 p.m.) and THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (animation) (10/2, 10/5, 10/7-10/8, 4:15 p.m.; 10/4, 4:15 & 10 p.m.; 10/6, 5:30 p.m.; 3-D), DONNIE DARKO 25th anniversary (10/2-10/4, 7 p.m.), HOSTEL 20th anniversary (10/2, 10/6, 8 p.m.), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (10/5, 7 p.m.), Studio Ghibli Fest: Spirited Away: Live on Stage (animé adaptation) (10/8, 7 p.m., recorded), ANGEL AND THE BADMAN, OTHER MOMMY, THE SOCIAL RECKONING (10/8 on) *single screenings daily

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
APRIL X, BUDDY (sing-a-long edition), DIGGER, ROLLING LOUD: THE MOVIE, VERITY, AVENGERS: ENDGAME – ENCORE (re-release), COYOTE VS. ACME, FORGOTTEN ISLAND (animation), HA-CHAN SHAKE YOUR BOOTY!, HEART OF THE BEAST, THE ODYSSEY, PRACTICAL MAGIC 2, PRIMETIME, RESIDENT EVIL, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY (10/2 on), THE SHINING (10/3, 3 & 7 p.m.; 10/7, 7 p.m.), The Metropolitan Opera encore: Cosi fan tutte (10/7, 12 & 5:30 p.m., recorded), OTHER MOMMY, PAN’S LABYRINTH 20th anniversary, THE SOCIAL RECKONING (10/8 on)

@ Courtyard Café, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Fall 2026 Weekend Films” feat. OBSESSION (10/3-10/4, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)

@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
The News-Gazette Film Series presents 9 T0 5 (10/3, 7 p.m.)

Events featuring locally produced movies or organized by local groups 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

@ Anita Purves Nature Center, Urbana, IL
Film-Fanatic.Club* presents THE IRON GIANT moderated by Chuck Koplinski (9/25, 7 p.m., outdoors)

@ Old Tiernan Hall, Urbana, IL
Chambana Film Society* x Pygmalion 2026* present THE GREEN MILL: A REAL CHICAGO JOINT feat. filmmaker Paul L. Carr in person (9/26, 6 p.m.), “Animation After Dark” (9/26, 8 p.m.), DEATH OF A ROCKSTAR (9/26, 10 p.m.), “Shorts: Jewish-American” (9/27, 4 p.m.), “Shorts: Homegrown” (9/27, 6 p.m.), SLOUCHING TOWARDS BRANSON (9/27, 8:30 p.m.) Information

@ Spurlock Center for World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Chambana Film Society* x Pygmalion 2026* present STEAL THIS STORY, PLEASE! feat. filmmaker Carl Deal via Zoom (9/25, 6:30-8:30 p.m., $10 + fees advance, $15 door, Knight Auditorium) Information

@ WEFT 90.1 FM, Champaign, IL
“Frame Noise” film music program hosted by Przemek (9/30, 7-8 p.m.) Streaming | Archive

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
AVENGERS: ENDGAME – ENCORE (re-release), CHARLIE HARPER, FORGOTTEN ISLAND (animation), HEART OF THE BEAST, THE PARADISE* (in Telugu with English sub), PRIMETIME, THE STUNT DRIVER*, BUDDY*, INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER, PRACTICAL MAGIC 2, RESIDENT EVIL, RUNNER*, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE 40th anniversary* (animation re-release), THE WEIGHT* (9/25 on), Fan Faves: SPANGLISH (9/25-9/27, 4 p.m.; 9/28-10/1, 3:45 p.m.), Studio Ghibli Fest: PRINCESS MONONOKE (animé) (9/26, 4 p.m., 9/27, 4 & 7:30 p.m., 9/30, 7 p.m., English dub; 9/28-9/29, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub) and Spirited Away: Live on Stage (animé adaptation) (10/1, 7 p.m., recorded), VERITY sneak preview (9/30, 7 p.m.), DIGGER, VERITY (10/1 on) *single screenings daily

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
AVENGERS: ENDGAME – ENCORE (re-release), FORGOTTEN ISLAND (animation), HA-CHAN SHAKE YOUR BOOTY!, HEART OF THE BEAST, NO LIMBS NO LIMITS: THE NICK V STORY (religious documentary), THE PARADISE* (in Telugu with English sub), PRIMETIME, BUDDY, COYOTE VS. ACME, HOPE* (in Korean with English sub), THE ODYSSEY, PAW PATROL: THE DINO MOVIE (animation), PRACTICAL MAGIC 2, RESIDENT EVIL, SHAUN THE SHEEP: THE BEAST OF MOSSY BOTTOM* (animation), SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE 40th anniversary* (animation re-release), THE WEIGHT* (9/25 on), Studio Ghibli Fest: PRINCESS MONONOKE (animé) (9/26, 3 p.m., 9/27, 3 & 7 p.m., 9/30, 7 p.m., English dub; 9/28-9/29, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (extended) (9/26-9/27, 9/30, 3 & 7 p.m.), VERITY sneak preview (9/30, 7 p.m.), DIGGER, VERITY (10/1 on) *single screenings daily

@ Courtyard Café, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Fall 2026 Weekend Films” feat. THE MANDALORIAN AND GROGU (9/26-9/27, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)

Events featuring locally produced movies or organized by local groups 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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The thirty days that September hath are winding down quickly, dearest friends in local film, but the folks from Subterranean Sound & Video are now beginning the thirty-day home stretch of a Kickstarter campaign that is designed to help along the creation of their first full-length motion picture and fulfill the early promise of their production studio based in Jacksonville. HOLLER, which is written, produced, and directed by the team of Samuel David and Devin Smock, is “a zombie movie that isn’t really about zombies” according to their self-promotion, for “the dead are in the world, but this story belongs to the living.” Planned as a project that could be accomplished on a very low budget and with locations and other resources that could easily be harnessed, HOLLER has proven to be a bit of a fright for the duo, who are asking the general public for their gracious assistance one more time.

As they recounted at length in an interview done with Jim Eaves on “The Honest Filmmaker” podcast, Smock and David are weathering a learning curve and using a self-imposed break in the schedule to course correct so they can stick the landing and come away with an overall better film as a result. “We’re roughly sixty percent through HOLLER at this point,” confirms Smock to CUBlog in a recent email exchange. “The next big step is putting together one concentrated ten-to-twelve-day production block to finish principal photography,” which is expected to occur in the spring of 2027. “We’ve already shot a substantial part of the movie, so this isn’t about trying to get something started,” he continues. “It’s about getting what we’ve already built across the finish line.” A trailer released to YouTube in August is comprised of footage from the first major leg of filming, which took place earlier this year in the Jacksonville region to the west of Springfield, and can be watched here – moody, foreboding, and shrouded with lush rural greenery.

For those in the audience who may be tempted to step up and pitch in, further proof of their progress can be found on a solid website for all things HOLLER and the aforementioned Kickstarter page, both of them dressed with behind-the-scenes images and high-quality still frames. “We previously raised around $5,000 through Kickstarter, brought in additional independent support, and have shot a major portion of the film on roughly $20,000 in total production resources,” reports Smock as to how far the Subterranean team has already come. The campaign they plan to sunset after Friday, October 23, is set at a $6,000 goal, which has already been eclipsed by a modest amount, and the funds will go towards paying and lodging their returning cast and crew. Much of what remains to be staged will involve confrontations between the living and the undead, including the proverbial effects work that comes with the territory.

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

Surprise … the local film culture news is still piling up, we’re aware. But, we’re keeping a couple of promises to highlight some of the movie activity in Champaign, Urbana, and the cities beyond with our bonus posts this week and, like everything that winds up here on our weblog, it takes time and care to bring the content to fruition. That, plus other extraneous and paying creative work that Ye Ed needs to corral and put out to pasture after it all herds together, such as right now, means we’re stretching it thin.

That said, three points of interest for you, dearest readers. First, please enjoy our interview that we posted on Friday with Vijay M. Rajan about his new and filmed-in-C-U-area feature film DARK SOUL RIVER, which will have its premiere showing on Saturday night at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign. And then, folks interested in giving good face in the future productions, whether or not they swing through the cavernous confines of Flyover Film Studios in Rantoul, need to jump on it. We somehow keep missing the last-minute (or, so it seems) calls for extras and minor speaking roles, such as with the recent films GABLE, THE BOY CODE, and FIGHT TO THE DEATH that have recently come and gone, so be sure to get on the lists of firms like Bokeh Background or Forge Film Acting and socials like Experience Champaign-Urbana, Champaign County Film Office, and Champaign Casting Call. The latter is where we just found a notice for what looks like the next large-scale project, TESSELLATION, and a link in the post comments will lead to a Google Doc you can use to apply. And finally, watch this space for our notes on the Jacksonville-based indie HOLLER, which will soon resume under the direction of Devin Smock and Samuel David after an unexpected break and could use a hand with their budget to help take care of the base costs as well as their loyal cast and crew who will return to work on the “apocalypse Western.”

We should also remind you that Champaign Movie Makers has been providing a space for local camera creatives to comingle and collaborate for nearly twenty years; you can meet the current members during their monthly get-together at the Esquire Lounge in downtown Champaign on this Monday, September 21, starting at 7 p.m., where they will probably still be aglow post-Pens to Lens. The CMM Facebook group and an e-newsletter keep up with the local doings as well, so you would do well to sign up. Onward.

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ Esquire Lounge, Champaign, IL
Champaign Movie Makers* mixer (9/21, 7 p.m.)

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
Chambana Film Society* presents a special 100th CFS show feat. MORRIS FROM AMERICA and filmmaker Chad Hartigan via Zoom (Thurs., 9/23, 7 p.m., free w/ticket reservation) Information

@ Shake It Up Cocktail Lounge & Eatery, Bloomington, IL
“B-Movie Bingo” hosted by Paul A. Brooks* feat. LISA FRANKENSTEIN, FRANKENHOOKER (9/24, 7 p.m.)

@ School of Information Sciences, UIUC, Urbana, IL
UI Center for East Asian & Pacific Studies and UI Mortenson Center for International Library Programs present “AsiaLENS”/Mortenson screening feat. ONE BIG HAPA FAMILY w/filmmaker Jeff Chiba Stearns (9/24, 5:45-8:15 p.m.)

@ WEFT 90.1 FM, Champaign, IL
“Frame Noise” film music program hosted by Przemek (9/23, 7-8 p.m.) Streaming | Archive

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
DAAYRA (in Hindi with English sub), IF I GO WILL THEY MISS ME*, RESIDENT EVIL, SHAUN THE SHEEP: THE BEAST OF MOSSY BOTTOM* (animation), THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE 40th anniversary (animation re-release), THE WEIGHT, BUDDY*, BY ANY MEANS*, HOPE* (in Korean with English sub), INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER, OASIS: DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER* (music documentary), PRACTICAL MAGIC 2, RUNNER, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, THE UPRISING (9/18 on), Fan Faves: DORA AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD* (9/18, 9/20-9/24, 4 p.m.), BATMAN* (9/18-9/19, 6:45 p.m.), THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE* (animation) (9/19-9/20, 1 p.m.), BATMAN: MASK OF THE PHANTASM* (animation) (9/19, 4 p.m.), HEAVEN IN STONE AND GLASS (religious documentary) (9/20, 7 p.m.; 9/23, 4 & 7 p.m.), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (9/21, 7 p.m.), THE PARADISE (in Telugu with English sub) (9/23, 1:30, 5:30 & 9:30 p.m.), AVENGERS: ENDGAME – ENCORE (re-release), FORGOTTEN ISLAND (animation), HEART OF THE BEAST, PRIMETIME (9/24 on) *single screenings daily

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
DON’T MOVE*, GHOST IN THE SHELL 30th anniversary (animé, in Japanese with English sub or English dub, re-release), HANUMAN ASH (in Hindi with English sub), RESIDENT EVIL, SHAUN THE SHEEP: THE BEAST OF MOSSY BOTTOM* (animation), THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE 40th anniversary (animation re-release), THE UPRISING, THE WEIGHT, BUDDY, COYOTE VS. ACME, THE END OF OAK STREET*, THE FIX*, HOPE (in Korean with English sub), INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER, OASIS: DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER* (music documentary), THE ODYSSEY, PAW PATROL: THE DINO MOVIE (animation), PRACTICAL MAGIC 2, RUNNER, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY (9/18 on), THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS (extended) (9/19-9/20, 9/23, 3 & 7 p.m.), UFC 331: Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja, more (mixed martial arts) (9/19, 8 p.m., simulcast), HEAVEN IN STONE AND GLASS (religious documentary) (9/20, 3 & 7 p.m.; 9/23, 7 p.m.), AVENGERS: ENDGAME – ENCORE (re-release), FORGOTTEN ISLAND (animation), HEART OF THE BEAST, PRIMETIME (9/24 on) *single screenings daily

@ Courtyard Café, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Fall 2026 Weekend Films” feat. SUPERGIRL (9/19-9/20, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)

@ Spurlock Center for World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL
UI Center for East Asian & Pacific Studies presents “AsiaLENS” feat. OUR MR. MATSURA w/filmmaker Beth Harrington (9/14, 5:30 p.m., free)

@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
DARK SOUL RIVER* feature film “workprint premiere” w/filmmaker discussion (9/19, 7:30 p.m.)

Events featuring locally produced movies or organized by local groups 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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Champaign-Urbana is nothing if not a product of the ebb-and-flow inherent to a college town. All of us who’ve known the C-U for any length of time have realized that its transitional nature is simply part of the fabric. It is therefore always intriguing and exciting when new neighbors come to town and bring with them their myriad talents, their exuberant dreams, their honed expertise, and their genuine enthusiasm to contribute to our world and continue what they’ve ventured so far. In these respects, Vijay M. Rajan shares a common thread; what is uncommon, though, is that he is someone established in our particular milieu, which has been finally showing some staying power in Champaign County after more than three decades of trial and error by our creative community who utilize media tools to dramatize and engage.

Since his arrival five years ago, Rajan has put together a feature thriller called DARK SOUL RIVER, of which a public audience will get its first look starting at 7:30 p.m. this coming Saturday, September 19, at the Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign. Filmed locally at the campus of Flyover Film Studios in Rantoul as well as key locations in that city and Urbana, the movie is an unusual spin on the “serial killer and seeming prey” conceit where a Hindu man named Saarathi (producer Kartic Bhargav) comes to America to seek answers in the death of his sister, Urvi (Archana Raja), at the hands of an incarcerated felon named Nathanael Ambrose (Jonathan Thomson) and known in the public eye as the Kaw Valley Killer. Saarathi agrees to meet with Ambrose in a cold interrogation room, for the fiend will only open up to this particular visitor as to where his victims lie. You can watch the tense teaser on YouTube.

C-U Blogfidential enjoyed the opportunity to speak with Rajan about his debut feature in advance of the premiere showing. Having taken numerous roles in various avenues of multimedia and performance prior to his arrival in our fair Twin Cities with his wife, Rajan seems poised to do the same here in east central Illinois and is willing to call in the creative reinforcements from all over, as well as collaborate with the wealth of talents in town, to explore and realize what’s on his fertile mind. DARK SOUL RIVER is emblematic of what he promises are many arts endeavors to come.

~ Jason Pankoke

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C-U Blogfidential: Vijay, thank you so much for talking with us about your latest film production, DARK SOUL RIVER, which will enjoy a “workprint premiere” at the historic Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign on Saturday, September 19.

Vijay M. Rajan: Hi, Jason, Pleasure to speak with you.

CUBlog: Like all independent projects of scope, it feels like a labor of love for you and your team based on what you’ve shared online during the production process with high hopes for it once you begin to search for both festival play and commercial distribution. Overall, what is a “workprint premiere,” and what should the general public expect, both of the film itself and the Virginia event?

VMR: The film is completely done, and we’re so excited to share it with our first audiences here in Champaign-Urbana. A workprint is simply the first DCP, or digital cinema package, export of the final film, with DCP being the format that allows us to see DARK SOUL RIVER in a theater. So, while I’ve seen the film a hundred times by now, even I’ve never seen it on the big screen like this! While the film is complete, based on how it looks and sounds, we might make minor adjustments to the mix and color afterwards. And yes, the movie was very much a labor of love for myself and the team. We are extraordinarily proud of it.

What audiences can expect is a really cool psychological thriller in the vein of THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS but with a multicultural twist. As I’ve been telling everyone, it’s not jump-scare horror; it’s much more of a human journey dealing with very relatable issues like family and grief while never forsaking the thriller genre and pulse-pounding elements. We have an unforgettable serial killer, surprises you won’t see coming, an absolute banger of a soundtrack, and actors that deliver.

At the Virginia event, we will have a red carpet, the screening itself, and a moderated Q&A [led by local actress, talk radio talent, and DARK SOUL RIVER voiceover artist Kimberly Schofield] with myself, the cinematographer, and our four leads, all of whom are flying in from New York and California to celebrate with us. It’s going to be a memorable, very special night.

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

A quarter of a century ago was one of the longest days of my professional career, working for a news outlet albeit a locally-based one. We at The Octopus went through the motions to finish the current issue that day as we also began to hash out how our alternative weekly was going to handle covering the disaster – we couldn’t not address it, despite the primary events happening in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia – as well as what it meant to the security and safety of our country’s residents and the political ramifications of our standing on the world stage. Heavy intellectual lifting would be had in the many days to come.

As production manager, the job was the only one I’ve had in my life where I could walk to and from the office. At home, the original Secret MICRO-FILM Headquarters, I cleaned up and left like usual in the morning. I had internet but no inclination to check online before I went. I was still many years removed from having a cell phone stuck in my back pocket. And, to this very moment, I can’t shake how there was something quite off as I entered downtown Champaign. A pall hung over the terrain from West Side Park to the Lincoln Building. Wasn’t buzzing. Never crackling. We were just there, a neighborhood and a city with its citizens and guests, collectively awaiting any news or clarification about the acts of terrorism enacted on our soil. It impressed on me harshly enough, despite being far removed from the immediate rubble and pain, that I recounted all that had washed over me for an issue of my friend Aj Michel’s zine, low hug, a few months later.

America needs to always remember the fallen and respect the living who got into harm’s way, including those who’ve been harmed ever since with sickness and early mortality, to help and rescue where they could, as well as the family, friends, and communities of all these folks whose realities were shaken by this horrific fate. Americans also need to be wary of how our current administration might spin this in patronizing and grotesque fashion as they tend to do about nearly everything of gravity, whether it occurred well in the past or affects our nation and its populace in the present. That includes today.

The local film culture news is piling up, we’re aware. (That’s us in the banner for this week’s Calendar. Can’t you tell? We’ll stave off the kaboom best we can.) Because we have a pair of bonus features in the works for next week on CUBlog, and especially since Mr. JaPan is now in a mood upon serious reflection, we’re foregoing a ticker proper for one more week. Our movies will still be here. We apologize.

You can also lean on Chambana Film Society to keep you propped up with doings in the C-U via their online events calendar as well as a monthly e-newsletter. Nat Dykeman has our scene covered like a glove, and you should thank him for his efforts by attending CFS show #100 in two weeks. See below. Cheers.

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ The Literary, Champaign, IL
Film-Fanatic.Club* presents “Film Fanatic Movie Nights” feat. DONNIE DARKO “director’s cut,” moderated by Sanford Hess (9/12, 10:30 p.m.) Information

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
Chambana Film Society presents a special 100th CFS show feat. MORRIS FROM AMERICA and filmmaker Chad Hartigan via Zoom (Thurs., 9/23, 7 p.m., free w/ticket reservation)

@ WEFT 90.1 FM, Champaign, IL
“Frame Noise” film music program hosted by Przemek (9/16, 7-8 p.m.) Streaming | Archive

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
THE FIX, HOPE (in Korean with English sub), OASIS: DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER (music documentary), PRACTICAL MAGIC 2, RUNNER, SARDAR 2* (in Tamil with English sub), THE UPRISING, AKIRA* (animé re-release) (in Japanese with English sub or English dub), BY ANY MEANS, BUDDY, CARS 20th anniversary* (animation re-release), COYOTE VS. ACME, INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY (9/11 on), THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (faith film) (9/11-9/17, 7 p.m.), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (9/13-9/14, 7 p.m.), “MST3K: The RiffTrax Experiments” feat. STING OF DEATH (9/13, 4:30 p.m.), RESIDENT EVIL, THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE 40th anniversary (animation) (9/17 on) *single screenings daily

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
THE FIX, HOPE (in Korean with English sub), OASIS: DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER (music documentary), PRACTICAL MAGIC 2, RUNNER, BY ANY MEANS, BUDDY, CARS 20th anniversary (animation re-release), COYOTE VS. ACME, THE END OF OAK STREET, FALL 2: DEADPOINT, INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER, THE ODYSSEY, ONSLAUGHT*, PAW PATROL: THE DINO MOVIE (animation), SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA (9/11 on), THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (faith film) (9/11-9/17, 7 p.m.), TOM AND JERRY: THE FORBIDDEN COMPASS* (animation) (9/11-9/14), THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RINGS (extended) (9/12-9/13, 9/16, 3 & 7 p.m.), .“MST3K: The RiffTrax Experiments” feat. STING OF DEATH (9/13, 3 p.m.), JUAN GABRIEL: MI PREMIER BELLAS ARTES (concert film) (9/15-9/15, 7 p.m., in Spanish with English sub), RESIDENT EVIL, THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE 40th anniversary (animation) (9/17 on) *single screenings daily

@ Courtyard Café, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Fall 2026 Weekend Films” feat. CARS (animation) (9/12-9/13, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)

@ Spurlock Center for World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL
UI Center for East Asian & Pacific Studies presents “AsiaLENS” feat. OUR MR. MATSURA w/filmmaker Beth Harrington (9/14, 5:30 p.m., free)

@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
Rewind 92.5 and Mix 94.5 present CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND “director’s cut” with a taped introduction by Bob Odenkirk and Sarah Edwards of the upcoming stage show premiere, “We Interrupt This Program” (9/12, 7:30 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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THE BLOGFIDENTIAL TELETYPE | Film News You Can Use, C-U

Did we mention the one (like, on Thursday) where we’ve added several listings to the Calendar? Well, whoops, we’ve done it again. Not only are the schedules for the Phoenix Savoy 16 and AMC Champaign 13 swamped with variety this week, the list of future dates has grown even longer with additions that include a pair of Film-Fanatic.Club boutique retro shows and the Virginia Theatre’s annual commitment to THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. There’s also a bounty of Dolly Parton in the immediate future. Despite our claim a couple of nights ago, Mr. JaPan needs to plow through a certain segment of his belongings at the house on the edge of an American small town this long weekend – in other words, ha, labor – and we may not tick the Teletype with hard news until next week. To be determined, as they say, although we may also have a bonus post to share midweek as a peace offering. Keep checking back.

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
Chambana Film Society presents WINTER HYMNS feat. filmmaker Nathan Deming in person (Tues., 9/8, 6:30 p.m. $5), special 100th CFS show feat. MORRIS FROM AMERICA and filmmaker Chad Hartigan via Zoom (Thurs., 9/23, 7 p.m., free w/ticket reservation)

@ Shake It Up Cocktail Lounge & Eatery, Bloomington, IL
“B-Movie Bingo” hosted by Paul A. Brooks* feat. IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS, EVENT HORIZON (9/10, 7 p.m.)

@ WEFT 90.1 FM, Champaign, IL
“Frame Noise” film music program hosted by Przemek (9/9, 7-8 p.m.) Streaming | Archive

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
AKIRA (animé re-release) (in Japanese with English sub or English dub), BY ANY MEANS, CARS 20th anniversary (animation re-release), FALL 2: DEADPOINT, MIRZAPUR (in Hindi with English sub), ONSLAUGHT, THE SUN NEVER SETS, BUDDY, COYOTE VS. ACME, THE DOG STARS, THE END OF OAK STREET, INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER, THE ODYSSEY, PAW PATROL: THE DINO MOVIE (animation), SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, TONY (9/4 on), THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (9/4, 7 p.m.), THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1 (9/5, 7 p.m.), THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 2 (9/6, 7 p.m.), and THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES (9/7, 12:30 & 3:45 p.m.), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (9/7, 7 p.m.), “MST3K: The RiffTrax Experiments” feat. STING OF DEATH (9/9, 7 p.m.), HOPE (in Korean with English sub) (9/9 on), SARDAR 2 (in Tamil with English sub) (9/9 on), THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (faith film) (9/10-9/17, 7 p.m.), OASIS: DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER (music documentary), PRACTICAL MAGIC 2, RUNNER, THE UPRISING (9/10 on)

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
BY ANY MEANS, CARS 20th anniversary (animation re-release), FALL 2: DEADPOINT, ONSLAUGHT, BUDDY, COYOTE VS. ACME, THE DOG STARS, THE END OF OAK STREET, INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER, MUTINY, THE ODYSSEY, PAW PATROL: THE DINO MOVIE (animation), SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA, TONY (9/4 on), TOM AND JERRY: THE FORBIDDEN COMPASS (animation) (9/4-9/8), Indian cinema: BETHLEHEM KUDUMBA UNIT* (in Malayalam with English sub; 9/4), ROMANCHAKAM* (in Telugu with English sub; 9/5, 9/8), and MIRZAPUR: THE MOVIE* (in Hindi with English sub; 9/6), Dolly Parton tribute series: JOYFUL NOISE (9/4, 3 p.m.; 9/5-9/6, 1:45 p.m.; 9/7-9/10, 3 p.m., STEEL MAGNOLIAS (9/4, 12 & 6 p.m.; 9/5-9/6, 11:15 a.m. & 7:15 p.m.; 9/7-9/10, 12 & 6 p.m.), and THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS (9/4, 9 p.m.; 9/5-9/6, 4:30 & 10 p.m.; 9/7-9/10, 9 p.m.), THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE (9/4, 12, 3 & 7 p.m.), THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 1 (9/5, 3 & 7 p.m.), THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 2 (9/6, 12, 3:30 & 7 p.m.), and THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES (9/7, 12, 3:30 & 7 p.m.), PACIFIC RIM (9/6, 3 & 7 p.m.; 9/7-9/8, 7 p.m.), “MST3K: The RiffTrax Experiments” feat. STING OF DEATH (9/9, 7 p.m.), HOPE (in Korean with English sub) (9/9 on), OASIS: DON’T LOOK BACK IN ANGER sneak preview (music documentary) (9/9, 7:15 p.m., IMAX), THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (9/10-9/17, 7 p.m.), PRACTICAL MAGIC 2 (9/10 on) *single screenings daily

@ Courtyard Café, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Fall 2026 Weekend Films” feat. PROJECT HAIL MARY (9/5-9/6, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)

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

~~~~~

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.

~~~~~

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

We’ve added several listings to the Calendar, including the most current details for Chambana Film Society’s first-ever “Doctoberfest” series and their maiden voyage as a co-presenter during the Pygmalion festival later in September. Also added are this semester’s movies at the Illini Union for University of Illinois students (sorry, general public) and what little we could find for both the Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies, which includes a showing and discussion of Steven Spielberg’s A.I.: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE from 2001 (of course, released in that year) on Thursday, September 3, at the UI Spurlock Center for World Cultures, and the UI Center for East Asian & Pacific Studies’ “AsiaLENS” curated series. A lot has come to our attention otherwise in the last couple of months, so we’ll start taking stock of it all next week. Carry on, film friends.

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
Chambana Film Society presents “2026 CineSonic Music Film Festival” feat. RADIOHEART: THE DRIVE & TIMES OF DJ KEVIN COLE (documentary) (8/30, 2 p.m.)

@ Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies welcome event and screening feat. A.I.: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE introduced by Issac Feldberg (6 p.m. concessions, 7 p.m. program)

@ Watson’s Shack & Rail, Champaign, IL
Film-Fanatic.Club presents OFFICE SPACE introduced by Chuck Koplinski (8/28, 9:30 p.m.)

@ WEFT 90.1 FM, Champaign, IL
“Frame Noise” film music program hosted by Przemek (9/2, 7-8 p.m.) Streaming | Archive

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
BUDDY, COYOTE VS. ACME, THE DOG STARS, IDIOTS, TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY 35th anniversary, TONY, THE END OF OAK STREET, THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS 25th anniversary*, INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER, MUTINY, THE ODYSSEY, PAW PATROL: THE DINO MOVIE (animation), SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA* (8/28 on), HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE 25th anniversary (8/28-8/30), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (8/31, 7 p.m.), THE HUNGER GAMES (9/3, 7 p.m.), BY ANY MEANS, ONSLAUGHT (9/3 on) *single screenings daily

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
BUDDY, COYOTE VS. ACME, THE DOG STARS, IDIOTS, TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY 35th anniversary, THE END OF OAK STREET, INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER, THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE*, MUTINY, THE ODYSSEY, PAW PATROL: THE DINO MOVIE (animation), SPA WEEKEND, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA, TONY (8/28 on), Indian cinema: BETHLEHEM KUDUMBA UNIT* (in Malayalam with English sub; 8/28-9/2), IRUMUDI* (in Telugu with English sub; 8/28-9/2), and TOXIC (in Kannada with English sub; 8/28-9/2), HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE 25th anniversary (8/29, 7 p.m.; 8/30, 3 & 7 p.m.; 9/2, 7 p.m.), THE HUNGER GAMES (9/3, 12, 3 & 7 p.m.), BY ANY MEANS (9/3 on) *single screenings daily

@ Courtyard Cafe, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Fall 2026 Weekend Films” feat. MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (animation) (8/29-8/30, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)

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

~~~~~

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.

~~~~~

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
Chambana Film Society presents “2026 CineSonic Music Film Festival” feat. WE ARE FUGAZI FROM WASHINGTON D.C. (documentary) (8/23, 2 p.m.)

@ Shake It Up Cocktail Lounge & Eatery, Bloomington, IL
“B-Movie Bingo” hosted by Paul A. Brooks* feat. THEY LIVE, THERE’S NOTHING OUT THERE (8/27, 7 p.m.)

@ Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Dance at Illinois presents Flatlands Dance Film Festival* feat. LAST DANCE AT THE SUNDANCE STOMPEDE (documentary) (8/27, 7 p.m., Knight Auditorium)

@ WEFT 90.1 FM, Champaign, IL
“Frame Noise” film music program hosted by Przemek (8/26, 7-8 p.m.) Streaming | Archive

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS 25th anniversary, HOT SPOT, INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER, THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE*, MUTINY, SPA WEEKEND, TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA, THE BRINK OF WAR*, THE END OF OAK STREET, THE ODYSSEY, ONE NIGHT ONLY*, PAW PATROL: THE DINO MOVIE (animation), SIX: THE MUSICAL LIVE! (concert film), SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, TOY STORY 5* (animation) (8/21 on), Studio Ghibli Fest: CASTLE IN THE SKY (animé) (8/22, 4 p.m., 8/23, 7 p.m., English dub; 8/25, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), COYOTE VS. ACME sneak preview (8/23, 1 p.m.), AMC “Scream Unseen” (mystery movie) (8/24, 7 p.m.), AMERICAN MARTYR: THE STANLEY ROTHER STORY (religious documentary) (8/26, 7 p.m.), COYOTE VS. ACME, THE DOG STARS, HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE 25th anniversary (8/27 on) *single screenings daily

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS 25th anniversary, INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER, THE MAGIC FARAWAY TREE, MUTINY, SPA WEEKEND, TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA, TONY, THE BRINK OF WAR*, THE END OF OAK STREET, MINIONS & MONSTERS (animation), MOANA, THE ODYSSEY, PAW PATROL: THE DINO MOVIE (animation), SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, SUPER TROOPERS 3, TOY STORY 5 (animation) (8/21 on), THE WRONG GIRLS (8/21-8/22, 9 p.m.), Indian cinema: BETHLEHEM KUDUMBA UNIT* (in Malayalam with English sub; 8/21-8/26), IRUMUDI* (in Telugu with English sub; 8/21-8/25), KHALFA* (in Malayalam with English sub; 8/21-8/24), and VISWANATH & SONS* (in Telugu with English sub; 8/21-8/23, 8/25), Studio Ghibli Fest: CASTLE IN THE SKY (animé) (8/22, 3 p.m., 8/23, 4 & 7 p.m., 8/26, 7 p.m., English dub; 8/24-8/25, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), AMERICAN MARTYR: THE STANLEY ROTHER STORY (religious documentary) (8/25-8/27, 7 p.m.), BUDDY, COYOTE VS. ACME, THE DOG STARS (8/27 on) *single screenings daily

@ Courtyard Cafe, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (animation) (8/29-8/30, 7 p.m.)

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

~~~~~

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.

~~~~~

PASSINGS | You Will Be Missed

August 6: Peter Katsis, 69 (interviewee, WHERE IT BEGINS: 1977-2000, Swede Films, Urbana, IL)

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ The Esquire Lounge, Champaign, IL
Champaign Movie Makers* meeting (8/17, 7 p.m.)

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
Chambana Film Society presents “2026 CineSonic Music Film Festival” feat. “Shorts: Music Documentary” (8/16, 2 p.m.)

@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
40 North, Champaign Movie Makers, CUDO, and Champaign Park District present the 10th Pens to Lens* short film gala (7/10, 3 p.m.) Information

@ WEFT 90.1 FM, Champaign, IL
“Frame Noise” film music program hosted by Przemek (8/19, 7-8 p.m.) Streaming | Archive

@ WILL-TV, Urbana, IL
Illinois Public Media presents “Illinois Soul’s Block Party” feat. locally-produced documentaries: THE EVOLUTION OF THE BARBER: THE ART, THE CRAFT & THE CULTURE* (8/18, 8 p.m.), DON MOYER BOYS & GIRLS CLUB: FROM THE CLUB, FOR LIFE* (8/18, 9 p.m.), and CANDY FOSTER: A MUSICAL WITNESS* (8/18, 10 p.m.)

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
THE BRINK OF WAR, THE END OF OAK STREET, PAW PATROL: THE DINO MOVIE (animation), SIX: THE MUSICAL LIVE! (concert film), THE WRONG GIRLS, THE ODYSSEY, ONE NIGHT ONLY, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, SUPER TROOPERS 3*, TOY STORY 5 (animation) (8/14 on), KATSEYE: WILD HEARTS (music concert documentary) (8/14-8/16, 7 p.m.), AMC “Scream Unseen” (mystery movie) (8/17, 7 p.m.), “Texas Chain Saw Day” feat. THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974) (8/18, 7 p.m.), THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS 25th anniversary, INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER, MUTINY (8/20 on) *single screenings daily

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
THE BRINK OF WAR, THE END OF OAK STREET, PAW PATROL: THE DINO MOVIE (animation), SIX: THE MUSICAL LIVE!* (concert film), VISHWANATH & SONS (in Telugu or Tamil with English sub), THE WRONG GIRLS, ICE CREAM MAN, MINIONS & MONSTERS (animation), MOANA, THE ODYSSEY, ONE NIGHT ONLY, SUPER TROOPERS 3, SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY, TOY STORY 5 (animation) (8/14 on), UFC 330: Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Machado Garry, more (mixed martial arts) (8/15, 8 p.m., simulcast), DIRTY DANCING (8/16, 3 & 7 p.m.; 8/19, 7 p.m.), POINT BREAK 35th anniversary (8/16, 4 & 7 p.m.; 8/19, 7 p.m.), “Texas Chain Saw Day” feat. THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE (1974) (8/18, 7 p.m.), INSIDIOUS: OUT OF THE FURTHER, MUTINY (8/20 on) *single screenings daily

@ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Summer Films on the Quad” feat. JURASSIC PARK (8/20, 8:30 p.m., free)

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

~~~~~

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.

~~~~~

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!

~~~~~

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.

~~~~~

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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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.

~~~~~

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 »