C-U Blogfidential

One year ago, Smile Politely honored the New Art Film Festival as the “Best Local Film Festival Other than Ebertfest” as part of their annual “Best of Champaign-Urbana” compilation essays. Contributor and film fan Jeremiah Stanley has surprised us again in this year’s “Best” series, not by giving NAFF repeat props but for bestowing kudos upon individual achievements. This is intriguing to us at C-U Blogfidential since our reporting acumen typically avoids the critical assessment of films in our own film culture – we do our best to love ‘em all, big or small – and it is uncommon for a writer in other Champaign-Urbana media to express value judgment in our milieu, even with a deliberately positive bent. Therefore, dearest readers, this is what it looks like when someone appreciates the art of local filmmaking.

In the “Best Arts” 2013 posting, Stanley singles out the “Ebertfest” and community contributions of Shatterglass Studios while Matthew Green gives props to the Art Theater Co-op for their (currently on-hold) live theater and opera programming. And then, Stanley awards “Best Short Film” to the dark comedy ALWAYS, co-directed by University of Illinois research scientist Robin Berthier, “Best Performance in a Film” to Karen Vaccaro, the actress/narrator in the documentary hybrid THE ACTUAL, AUTHENTIC VERSION OF WHO YOU SAY I AM directed by Mark Ring and UI professor Robert Anderson, and “Best Supporting Performance in a Film” to April Cleveland as “Danielle” in Jennifer Bechtel’s C-U feature SCARY NORMAL. Congratulations to all, we say!

We also applaud Stanley and SP for taking baby steps to better incorporate our movie mavens and their merits into the cultural coverage of “Champaign-Urbana’s Online Magazine” … outside the blanket overviews disguised as interviews with your humble editor. (Although, according to this praise of Stanley’s own work by SP editor-in-chief Tracy Nectoux, he did indeed interview a local filmmaker named Jason Pankoke. Well, maybe.) Of course, we’re kidding; anything Smile Politely can contribute to the cinema conversation of Champaign, Urbana, and the cities beyond is most welcome, and Jeremiah Stanley is a good man and great anchor around which to build this discourse. CUBlog is only happy to help.

~ Jason Pankoke

It feels pretty good to contemplate how communities are capable of pulling together for the sake of a beloved local institution, does it not? In terms of Champaign-Urbana film culture, we’ve now seen it happen twice in a year’s time on a relatively large scale with one movie house, the Art Theater Co-op in Champaign, and one ozoner, the Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in of Gibson City. Not all can be that lucky, however. Quality of product, reputation, and legacy only count for so much if tomorrow’s operating dollars aren’t coming through the door today, so we must pass along the sad news of two other media businesses that have met their respective demise in the past month.

Unbeknownst to C-U Blogfidential at the time, the five days of last month’s Roger Ebert’s Film Festival ran parallel with the last five days during which owner Dave McBride kept open the doors to The Movie Fan, 503 S. Main St., Normal. After starting the shop in 1995, McBride moved from a strip mall on Veteran’s Parkway in Bloomington to a prime location across the street from the Normal Theater in downtown Normal, offering discerning year-round residents and the campus populations of Illinois State and Illinois Wesleyan universities a diverse video library more than 20,000 titles deep. Due to the Town of Normal’s aggressive rebuilding program, McBride relocated one last time to the current address in between a pizza (now frozen yogurt) joint and coffee house, along a stretch eerily echoing our new-look Campustown.

According to a final Weblog post, The Movie Fan era was scheduled to finish at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 21. We can only guess McBride made his decision due to the paying public’s gradual drift away from brick-and-mortar stores to kiosk dispensers, rental by mail, and on-line streaming for their entertainment needs. The alternative student newspaper, The Indy, named another culprit hastening its end – the massive loss of foot traffic due to last year’s shuttering of Southside, a cluster of aging ISU residence halls located mere blocks away. Apart from appreciating the nearly 20-year run managed by McBride and his staff, we simply feel for our fellow cinephiles up I-74 way. Be sure to show your love for That’s Rentertainment, dearest readers, if you value organic discovery over touch-button convenience.

Read the rest of this entry »

Our unique movie and media Calendar appears every Friday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the discerning tastes of citizens in the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.

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PLAYING THIS WEEK
5/17/13-5/23/13

NOW PLAYING

@ The Art Theater Co-op, Champaign, IL: THE COMPANY YOU KEEP (5/17 on), NO (5/20-5/21, 7:30 p.m.; 5/22, 5 p.m.), Late Night: STOKER (5/17, 5/18, 5/22, 10 p.m.), OLDBOY (5/17-5/18, 11:59 p.m.; 5/23, 10 p.m.)

@ Shatterglass Studios, Champaign, IL: Champaign Movie Makers meeting, “Greenscreens” (5/21, 7 p.m., free)

@ 88 Broadway, Lincoln Square, Urbana, IL: Blues, Brews and BBQ 2013 Festival fundraiser feat. THE BLUES BROTHERS (5/23, 7:30 p.m., free)

@ Campbell Gallery, Spurlock Museum, UIUC, Urbana, IL: “Unconventional Bond: The Strange Life of Casino Royale on Film” Exhibit (through 6/16, free)

@ That’s Rentertainment, Champaign, IL: CLOUD ATLAS, TEXAS CHAINSAW, A GLIMPSE INSIDE THE MIND OF CHARLES SWAN III, IF I WERE YOU, OF TWO MINDS, FRANKIE GO BOOM, LIZ & DICK, 3:10 TO YUMA (Criterion), more! (5/14 on)

@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL: STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, THE GREAT GATSBY (5/17 on), IRON MAN 3 (5/17-5/21), THE HANGOVER PART III (5/22 on)

@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL: QUEEN OF VERSAILLES (5/16-5/19, 7 p.m.), GASLAND PART II w/director Josh Fox in attendance (5/20, 7 p.m.)

@ The Lincoln Theater 4, Lincoln, IL: STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (3-D & 2-D), IRON MAN 3 (3-D & 2-D) (5/17 on), THE GREAT GATSBY (3-D & 2-D) (5/17-5/21), ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH (5/17-5/19, 1:10 p.m., $2), THE HANGOVER PART III (5/22 on)

@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL: IRON MAN 3 (5/17-7/19, 7/22, 7 p.m.)

@ The Princess Theatre, LeRoy, IL: OBLIVION (5/17-5/19)

@ Route 66 Twin Drive-In, Springfield, IL: IRON MAN 3, OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, OBLIVION (5/17-5/18)

@ Harvest Moon Twin Drive-In, Gibson City, IL: STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, IRON MAN 3 (5/17-5/19), FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF, FOOTLOOSE (5/23, $5)

@ Centerbrook Drive-In, Martinsville, IRON MAN 3, OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (5/17-5/19)

@ ICE Landmark 10, Chicago, IL: JUMP IN* w/filmmakers (5/18, 7 p.m.)

@ The Movie Fan, Normal, IL: Closed

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Locally produced movies and events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Also find out what is “Coming Soon” by hitting the jump below. Go see ‘em, C-U!

COMING SOON

UPDATE! 5/29: CUFS presents Pens to Lens* Awards Gala
@ The Art Theater Co-op, Champaign, IL, 6 & 9:30 p.m., w/filmmakers

6/25: 4th annual Reel It Up LGBTQA Film Festival (Day 4) feat. SCARY NORMAL*, ROMEOS
@ The Art Theater Co-op, Champaign, IL, 7:30 p.m.

6/27-7/13: Evil Dead: The Musical
@ The Station Theatre, Urbana, IL

10/31-11/2: 4th annual Freeky Creek Short Film Festival*
@ Sleepy Creek Vineyards, Fairmount, IL

11/1-11/2: 12th annual Route 66 International Film Festival
@ Legacy Theatre, Springfield, IL

11/2-11/3: 5th annual Drunken Zombie Film Festival
@ Landmark Cinemas, Peoria, IL

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If you have items that you would like us to list in the Calendar, please send relevant dates, start/end times, locations, event descriptions, and ticket prices to cuconfidential [at] gmail [dot] com.

Compiled by Jason Pankoke

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“Calendar du C-U” © 2013 Jason Pankoke/C-U Blogfidential.

Hot dang, ladies and gentlemen! How about that barnburner of a spring? We somehow squeezed through the merry month of April intact but, as we love to regularly point out, the fun is never done when it comes to the film culture of Champaign, Urbana, and the cities beyond! Local and regional filmmakers always need to plan ahead for opportunities to show off their creative spoils, so consider this a reminder to entertain opportunities that will occur later in the fall!

A trio of independent cinema showcases within easy driving distance from the C-U will encore the first weekend of November. (You read that correctly. We seriously need to arrange for a downstate Illinois film festival summit during which this pointless bottleneck can be addressed and summarily thrown out the window. But, we digress…) The super-fun Freeky Creek Short Film Festival in Oakwood (Oct. 31-Nov. 2) and icky-sticky Drunken Zombie Film Festival in Peoria (Nov.2-3) are both seeking genre fare as hinted by their names, while the Route 66 International Film Festival in Springfield (Nov. 1-2) is accepting a broader spectrum of narrative and documentary. Hit those links above to review details and deadlines!

Of an equally competitive stripe, but with a much narrower margin of success, is the sixth annual Shortcuts Contest sponsored by the Illinois Film Office. Nicole Nisson of the Illinois DCEO office reminds C-U Blogfidential the submission deadline for this competition is Friday, August 30. Entrants must be at least 18 years old and an Illinois resident; entries can be narrative, documentary, or “freeform visual expression” and originate on any medium. The winner will receive a cash prize and have their work screen at this fall’s 49th edition of the prestigious Chicago International Film Festival in the Windy City.

To conclude, this week in May we’d typically be talking up the annual community film festival hosted by the Normal Theater in downtown Normal, the BNFilmFest, except that it is not on the schedule for 2013. “Our coordinator for the fest has run out of time to devote to it this year,” Normal manager Dawn Riordan tells CUBlog via e-mail, “so we’re looking at hopefully doing it next year.” Here’s to the BNFF resuming its course 12 months from now and once again offering the citizens of Bloomington-Normal a screening opportunity similar to what we sponsor here in the C-U with the New Art Film Festival.

~ Jason Pankoke

Our unique movie and media Calendar appears every Friday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the discerning tastes of citizens in the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.

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PLAYING THIS WEEK
5/10/13-5/16/13

NOW PLAYING

@ The Art Theater Co-op, Champaign, IL: TO THE WONDER (5/10 on), BIRTH STORY (5/11-5/12, 11:30 a.m.), Late Night: THE BIG LEBOWSKI (5/10-5/11, 11:59 p.m.; 5/16, 10 p.m.)

@ Champaign Public Library, Champaign, IL: Illinois Public Media and ITVS present THE REVOLUTIONARY OPTIMISTS (5/14, 6 p.m., free)

@ Campbell Gallery, Spurlock Museum, UIUC, Urbana, IL: “Unconventional Bond: The Strange Life of Casino Royale on Film” Exhibit (through 6/16, free)

@ The Station Theatre, Urbana, IL: Evil Dead: the Musical auditions (5/13, 7-10 p.m.)

@ Orchestra Rehearsal Room, Level 2, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, Urbana, IL: Evil Dead: the Musical auditions (5/14, 7-10 p.m.)

@ That’s Rentertainment, Champaign, IL: JACK REACHER, SAFE HAVEN, MAMA, UPSTREAM COLOR, STARLET, THE ORANGES, BARRYMORE, FRINGE (s5), ROYAL PAINS (s4), more! (5/7 on)

@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL: THE GREAT GATSBY, IRON MAN 3, THE SAPPHIRES (5/10 on), STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (5/16, 8 p.m.)

@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL: FAREWELL MY QUEEN (5/9-5/12, 7 p.m.)

@ Offices of Dr. Daniel Steadman, DDS, Bloomington, IL: WE HAD THIS BAND* auditions (5/11, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., multiple female roles)

@ The Lincoln Theater 4, Lincoln, IL: THE GREAT GATSBY (3-D & 2-D), IRON MAN 3 (3-D & 2-D), PAIN & GAIN, 42 (5/10 on), ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH (5/10-5/15), STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (3-D & 2-D) (5/16 on)

@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL: IRON MAN 3 (5/10 on)

@ The Princess Theatre, LeRoy, IL: THE BIG WEDDING (5/10-5/12), OVER THE HEDGE (5/11, 11 a.m., free), 42 (5/11, 4:30 p.m.)

@ Route 66 Twin Drive-In, Springfield, IL: IRON MAN 3, OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, THE CALL, EVIL DEAD (5/10-5/11)

@ Highland Room, Hilton Hotel, Springfield, IL: Central Illinois Film Commission meeting (5/16, 7 p.m., free)

@ Harvest Moon Twin Drive-In, Gibson City, IL: IRON MAN 3, GOING ATTRACTIONS (5/10-5/12), ANIMAL HOUSE, OLD SCHOOL (5/16, $5)

@ Centerbrook Drive-In, Martinsville, IRON MAN 3, OBLIVION (5/10-5/12)

@ The Movie Fan, Normal, IL: Closed

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Locally produced movies and events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Also find out what is “Coming Soon” by hitting the jump below. Go see ‘em, C-U!

Read the rest of this entry »

Usually, we would pass on featuring “live and in-the-moment” videos as an “Image of the Week” on C-U Blogfidential since our general motivation lies in highlighting media that is consciously pre-planned and/or deliberately edited together. (This is why shaky, uncut, raw footage of ubiquitous Champaign-Urbana events such as rock concerts or theatrical plays, for instance, does not appear here or on our YouTube channel.) We must make an exception for the following six minutes of joy and happy which has already spoken for itself in a viral, global manner. If you happened to miss the hubbub, it features the luminous actress Tilda Swinton (MOONRISE KINGDOM, JULIA, ADAPTATION, CONCEIVING ADA) leading a full house of Roger Ebert’s Film Festival devotees in a surprise dance-a-long at the Virginia Theatre on Saturday, April 20, just before the 11 a.m. show of Pablo Berger’s BLANCANIEVES. With a recording of the legendary Barry White’s “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything” soaring through the newly renovated auditorium and Chaz Ebert getting her boogie on center stage without a second thought, what’s not to like? Thousands worldwide have viewed the video thanks to dozens of media outlets picking up on it, exponentially amplifying the warm fuzzy cushion sorely needed by an “Ebertfest” camp suddenly without its namesake and guiding light. Will this inspired glow last? Only time will tell, dearest dancers.

“The Tilda” was recorded for posterity by the Shatterglass Studios camera teams covering Ebertfest for the UIUC College of Media.

~ Jason Pankoke

Our unique movie and media Calendar appears every Friday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the discerning tastes of citizens in the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.

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PLAYING THIS WEEK
5/3/13-5/9/13

NOW PLAYING

@ The Art Theater Co-op, Champaign, IL: THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (5/3 on), “Sound & Light: Live Music at the Art” feat. I Am God!, Spaghetti Recess, Withershins (5/8, 9 p.m.), Psychic Joker Entertainment presents “Classic Spook Show” feat. THE TINGLER (5/9, 9 p.m.), Late Night: R. Kelly’s TRAPPED IN THE CLOSET Sing-a-Long (5/3-5/4, 11:59 p.m.)

@ Campbell Gallery, Spurlock Museum, UIUC, Urbana, IL: “Unconventional Bond: The Strange Life of Casino Royale on Film” Exhibit (through 6/16, free)

@ That’s Rentertainment, Champaign, IL: SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, THE GUILT TRIP, BROKEN CITY, WALK AWAY RENEE, THE REVISIONARIES, NOT FADE AWAY, VITO, AMBER ROSE*, more! (4/30 on)

@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL: IRON MAN 3, THE SAPPHIRES, 42 (5/3 on)

@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL: ROOM 237 (5/2-5/3, 7 p.m.), SOUND CITY (5/4-5/5, 7 p.m.)

@ The Lincoln Theater 4, Lincoln, IL: IRON MAN 3 (3-D & 2-D), PAIN & GAIN, 42 (5/3 on), BRAVE w/director Brenda Chapman in attendance (5/3, 3 p.m. autograph session, 4 p.m. movie, $5)

@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL: IRON MAN 3 (5/3 on)

@ The Princess Theatre, LeRoy, IL: 42 (5/3-5/5), HIDDEN RAGE (5/5, 1 p.m.)

@ Route 66 Twin Drive-In, Springfield, IL: IRON MAN 3, OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (5/3-5/4)

@ Harvest Moon Twin Drive-In, Gibson City, IL: IRON MAN 3, JURASSIC PARK (5/3-5/5), GHOSTBUSTERS, GREMLINS (5/9, $5)

@ Centerbrook Drive-In, Martinsville, IRON MAN 3, OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (5/3-5/5)

@ various, UW-Milwaukee campus, Milwaukee, WI: Milwaukee Underground Film Festival (5/3-5/5)

@ The Movie Fan, Normal, IL: Closed

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Locally produced movies and events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Also find out what is “Coming Soon” by hitting the jump below. Go see ‘em, C-U!

COMING SOON

5/18: JUMP IN*
@ ICE Landmark 10, Chicago, IL, 7 p.m.

5/29: CUFS presents Pens to Lens* Awards Gala
@ The Art Theater Co-op, Champaign, IL, 6 p.m.

10/31-11/2: 4th annual Freeky Creek Short Film Festival*
@ Sleepy Creek Vineyards, Fairmount, IL

11/1-11/2: 12th annual Route 66 International Film Festival
@ Legacy Theatre, Springfield, IL

11/2-11/3: 5th annual Drunken Zombie Film Festival
@ Landmark Cinemas, Peoria, IL

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If you have items that you would like us to list in the Calendar, please send relevant dates, start/end times, locations, event descriptions, and ticket prices to cuconfidential [at] gmail [dot] com.

Compiled by Jason Pankoke

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“Calendar du C-U” © 2013 Jason Pankoke/C-U Blogfidential.

Sometimes, one needs several pushes this way and multiple nudges that way to help shape one’s storytelling to be as effective as possible. Screenplay writing is no exception and Champaign Movie Makers seeks to fill that collaborative need starting tonight, Thursday, May 2, 6 p.m., at Quality Beer, 110 N. Neil St., in downtown Champaign. Meant initially to accommodate the discussion of multiple short film scripts each session, per CMM director Thomas Nicol, this first outing will instead focus on a feature-length effort, “Development Hell” by Jeff Kacmarynski. (CMM members acquainted with the Ning site can preview “Development Hell” here.) Local actors will lend their voices to characters as a narrator reads the intermediate elements. Whether or not you have a shelf or hard drive full of Great American Movie Scripts for the Making, consider supporting CMM’s effort to expand their reach!

CMM has also been heavily involved in the script selection and creation of the short films that will premiere during the inaugural Pens to Lens Awards Gala on Wednesday, May 29, at the Art Theater Co-op, 126 W. Church St., Champaign. Launched by the Champaign-Urbana Film Society and co-sponsored by the Champaign-Urbana Design Organization, ThirdSide, Accuraty Solutions, and CMM, “P2L” is an initiative to educate and excite the area’s grade- and high-school students about the filmmaking process. More than 120 scripts were submitted by students out of which nine were chosen for production, led by many of Champaign-Urbana’s brightest stars in the scene. We’ll share further details closer to show time but if you wish to learn more about the contest right now, take a look at the P2L Web site.

Finally, serious film buffs who are intrigued by how a movie story is translated between the script and the screen will be interested to know the Rare Book & Manuscript Library in the University of Illinois Library system has a collection of nearly 250 vintage Hollywood shooting scripts. While the artifacts themselves can only be accessed on-site for research purposes, you can glean the breadth of material in a 1983 catalog written by Nancy Allen and Robert L. Carringer, available here in PDF, Flip Book, and text-only formats. Shooting scripts hint at the production process because they are often annotated with notes during the course of filming; this catalog details how the collection’s specimens were marked and often theorizes as to the who and why.

~ Jason Pankoke

“The Double Life of a Cinéaste”: Digital Armageddon Part 2 –
Gut Instincts in the War on Celluloid
Our columnist comes full circle with his convictions in regards to the best shooting medium

by Tyler Tharpe

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“The Double Life of a Cinéaste” follows contributor Tyler Tharpe as he balances the business of running a drive-in theater in the Midwest with the long and arduous process of filmmaking.

In my previous Cinéaste column from six months ago, I talked about the importance of archiving movies on film stock, even ones like the TRANSFORMERS franchise. For general presentation, however, the Digital Armageddon is real and has taken over the majority of cinemas in the United States. Just how bad is this takeover, I wonder? And, will film as a shooting and delivery medium hold steady in the immediate future?

As for origination, I came up with shocking results after researching on the Internet Movie Database. Looking at the big live-action tent pole films coming this summer – about a half-dozen, all of which I dare not miss playing at the Centerbrook – I wanted to know how many were shot on film.

All of the following will be lighting up my 75-foot-wide outdoor screen. The season kicks off May 3 with IRON MAN 3 … shot on digital. (Come on, producer Jon Favreau, you were at Christopher Nolan’s “save film” presentation last year!) Two weeks later, things start looking up with STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS … shot on 35mm and 65mm. (Here’s to hoping J.J. Abrams does the same or better with STAR WARS.) Late May, in will roll FAST & FURIOUS 6 and THE HANGOVER PART III … both shot on 35mm. Then in June, MAN OF STEEL flies high … native to 35mm. (I don’t think it’s a coincidence, with Nolan as an executive producer.) The next month, THE LONE RANGER doles out justice … beginning on 35mm. Then, THE WOLVERINE slashes through late July … shot on digital. Safe to say, 35mm as a shooting medium is still going strong.

Is it possible more major directors are going back to 35, having now shot with digital? A few minor releases with potential were shot on digital, including GROWN UPS 2 with Adam Sandler and M. Night Shyamalan’s AFTER EARTH, but overall more Hollywood productions seem to be originating on digital than film. The directors behind the tent poles – Abrams, Zack Snyder (MAN OF STEEL), Gore Verbinski (LONE RANGER), Todd Phillips (HANGOVER III), Justin Lin (FURIOUS 6) – must be very serious about film or they would have thrown in the towel and gone digital. I find it very encouraging that major productions bound to leave a wake behind them and set trends have fallen into the film camp.

Read the rest of this entry »

Our unique movie and media Calendar appears every Friday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the discerning tastes of citizens in the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.

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PLAYING THIS WEEK
4/26/13-5/2/13

LOCAL FILMS

@ Room 2, College of Education, UIUC, Champaign, IL: Rainbow Bookbag Conference presents SCARY NORMAL* (4/26, 5 p.m., free)

NOW PLAYING

@ The Art Theater Co-op, Champaign, IL: THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (4/26 on), UIUC Women’s Resources Center presents 4th annual Feminist Film Festival* (5/2, 7 p.m., free), Late Night: ROOM 237 (4/26-4/27, 5/1, 10 p.m.), THE SHINING (4/26-4/27, 11:59 p.m.; 5/2, 10 p.m.)

@ Armory 101, Armory Building, UIUC, Champaign, IL: 2nd annual Illini Independent Film Festival* (4/27, 1-7 p.m., free)

@ Knight Auditorium, Spurlock Museum, UIUC, Urbana, IL: James Bond Film Festival, all free, 4/26: Casino Royale talk by John Cork (7 p.m.), CASINO ROYALE (2006, 8 p.m.); 4/27: CASINO ROYALE (1954, 2 p.m.), CASINO ROYALE (1967, 3:15 p.m.), CASINO ROYALE (2006, 7:30 p.m.); 4/28: Thunderball talk by John Cork (1 p.m.), THUNDERBALL (1965, 2 p.m.), NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN (1983, 4:30 p.m.)

@ Campbell Gallery, Spurlock Museum, UIUC, Urbana, IL: “Unconventional Bond: The Strange Life of Casino Royale on Film” Exhibit (through 6/16, free)

@ That’s Rentertainment, Champaign, IL: PROMISED LAND, THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE, GANGSTER SQUAD, THE IMPOSSIBLE, WUTHERING HEIGHTS, A HAUNTED HOUSE, ANY DAY NOW, RICHARD III (Criterion), more! (4/23 on)

@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL: OBLIVION, THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES, 42 (4/26 on), IRON MAN 3 (5/2, 9 p.m.)

@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL: QUARTET (4/25-4/28, 7 p.m.)

@ The Lincoln Theater 4, Lincoln, IL: PAIN & GAIN, OBLIVION, 42, THE SOUND OF MUSIC Sing-a-Long (4/26 on), IRON MAN 3 (3-D) (5/2, 9 p.m.)

@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL: OBLIVION (4/26-5/1), IRON MAN 3 (5/2)

@ The Princess Theatre, LeRoy, IL: ADMISSION (4/26-4/28), A BUG’S LIFE (4/27, 11 a.m., free)

@ Route 66 Twin Drive-In, Springfield, IL: SCARY MOVIE 5, DJANGO UNCHAINED (4/26-4/27)

@ Harvest Moon Twin Drive-In, Gibson City, IL: OBLIVION, SCARY MOVIE 5 (4/26-4/27), “Support the Drive-in” fundraising event: Worldwide public premiere of GOING ATTRACTIONS: THE DEFINITIVE STORY OF THE AMERICAN DRIVE-IN MOVIE feat. producer/director April Wright (4/28, $5+ donation), TWISTER, THE GOONIES (5/2, $5)

@ Centerbrook Drive-In, Martinsville, THE HOST, OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL (4/26-4/28), IRON MAN 3 (5/2)

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Locally produced movies and events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Also find out what is “Coming Soon” by hitting the jump below. Go see ‘em, C-U!

Read the rest of this entry »

Boy. In an ideal C-U Blogfidential-friendly society, we’d have a crack team of writers at our disposal to cover our movie and media scene in Champaign, Urbana, and the cities beyond on very short deadline and without question. Both previews and reviews would constitute a much larger percentage of our total word count than they do now. Being the week after Roger Ebert’s Film Festival, your humble editor has struggled to get back on track and it shows, we’re sure, especially since we’re daring to attract your attention with the pictures added above and below. We’ll explain ourselves shortly.

Until then, we’d like to point you in a few precise directions as sheer proof that springtime film culture doesn’t halt when “Ebertfest” and the New Art Film Festival are not in full force. To begin, the University of Illinois has teamed with the Ian Fleming Foundation and other groups to celebrate the legacy of Sir Ian Fleming and his super-spy creation, James Bond, with cross-campus exhibits exploring Agent 007 in print, through music, and on the silver screen. To that latter end, the UI Spurlock Museum, 600 S. Gregory St., Urbana, IL, will show features and television based on the two Fleming novels most translated, Casino Royale and Thunderball, between tonight, Friday, April 26, and Sunday, April 28.

Then, students of the UI College of Media get into the act with their own class project-turned-public event, the Illini Independent Film Festival, taking place tomorrow, Saturday, April 27, from 1 to 7 p.m. at the screening and lecture hall Armory 101 in the Armory Building, 505 E. Armory Ave., Champaign, IL. Led by instructor Richard Potter, these Media and Cinema Studies undergraduates have assembled a program of student work culled from the UI as well as Illinois State University, Eastern University, the University of Southern California, and other campuses. Awards and prizes will be given out to filmmakers, and admission is free as with the Bond exhibits.

Read the rest of this entry »

Our unique movie and media Calendar appears every Friday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the discerning tastes of citizens in the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.

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PLAYING THIS WEEK
4/19/13-4/25/13

NOW PLAYING

@ The Art Theater Co-op, Champaign, IL: THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES (4/19 on), Late Night: GODZILLA (a.k.a. GOJIRA, 4/19-4/20, 11:59 p.m.; 4/24-4/25, 10 p.m.)

@ The Virginia Theater, Champaign, IL: 15th annual Roger Ebert’s Film Festival presented by the College of Media, UIUC (through 4/21)

@ Pine Lounge, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL: Panel discussions of 15th annual Roger Ebert’s Film Festival (4/18-4/19, 9 & 10:30 a.m.; 4/20, 9 a.m.; free)

@ Campbell Gallery, Spurlock Museum, UIUC, Urbana, IL: “Unconventional Bond: The Strange Life of Casino Royale on Film” Exhibit (through 6/16, free)

@ That’s Rentertainment, Champaign, IL: DJANGO UNCHAINED, SAVE THE DATE, A WHISPER TO A ROAR, NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN, THE SORCERER AND THE WHITE SNAKE, PEDAL-DRIVEN, REPO MAN (Criterion), more! (4/16 on)

@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL: OBLIVION, THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES, 42 (4/19 on)

@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL: WILD HORSE WILD RIDE (4/18, 7 p.m.), WINNEBAGO MAN (4/19, 7 p.m.), A PLACE AT THE TABLE (4/20, 7 p.m.), BROOKLYN CASTLE (4/21, 7 p.m.)

@ The Lincoln Theater 4, Lincoln, IL: OBLIVION, EVIL DEAD, QUARTET, 42, JURASSIC PARK (3-D), THE CROODS (3-D & 2-D) (4/19 on)

@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL: OBLIVION (4/19 on)

@ The Princess Theatre, LeRoy, IL: OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN (4/19-4/21), HIDDEN RAGE (4/21, 1 p.m.)

NOW OPEN! @ Route 66 Twin Drive-In, Springfield, IL: THE CROODS, LIFE OF PI (4/19-4/20)

@ Harvest Moon Twin Drive-In, Gibson City, IL: OBLIVION, EVIL DEAD (4/19-4/21), BACK TO THE FUTURE, JAWS (4/25, $5)

@ Centerbrook Drive-In, Martinsville, OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL, G.I. JOE: RETALIATION (4/19-4/21)

@ various, Chicago, IL: 5th annual Chicago International Movies & Music Festival (through 4/21)

@ various, Madison, WI: 15th annual Wisconsin Film Festival (through 4/18)

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Locally produced movies and events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Also find out what is “Coming Soon” by hitting the jump below. Go see ‘em, C-U!

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With the fifteenth annual edition of Roger Ebert’s Film Festival underway at the restored Virginia Theatre in downtown Champaign, beginning with last night’s emotional presentation of the Terrence Malick classic DAYS OF HEAVEN (1978), our community finally plays its part in the global healing process following the transcendent film critic’s untimely passing on April 4 at age 70. Racked with mounting physical ailments almost since the launch of “Ebertfest” in 1999, the Urbana native reshaped his livelihood through the power of his own writing in new media platforms, engineering an intimate discourse with his audience on top of the massive influence he had already built from decades as a prolific big-city newspaperman and respected entertainment industry icon. Yet, amongst all the awards, perks, and milestones amassed in a nearly 50-year career, he remained a decent, civilized, and passionate human being with hardy Midwestern roots. As many of you have discerned from the public accolades generated since his death, Ebert’s appeal reached heights way more pronounced than any of his peers or fellow celebrities.

For now, we direct your attention to videos past and present which might give you insight into this legacy. The first is a new compilation of old Ebert interviews, EBERT REMEMBERED, scheduled to air tonight, Thursday, April 18, 8 p.m., on WILL-TV 12, the PBS affiliated broadcasting service of the University of Illinois which is also the primary sponsor of Ebertfest through its College of Media. Hosted by Media interim dean Jan Slater, the special weaves together excerpts in which Ebert “talks about his childhood in Urbana, his experience at the University of Illinois, and his role as a movie critic,” per a press release. The hour-long show will repeat on Sunday, April 21, 4 p.m., and a gallery of full-length archival segments from both radio and television, including the critic’s satellite interview with the late science-fiction author Arthur C. Clarke as well as his Ebertfest discussion with actor John Malkovich, can be accessed here.

We have also embedded a pair of recent videos produced by the upstart Champaign firm Shatterglass Studios that directly relate to Ebertfest. The first, created in collaboration with the Champaign Park District, runs about six minutes long and provides up-close images of the beautiful plaster and art work uncovered during the restoration of the Virginia auditorium, particularly the hard-to-reach dome ceiling covered for decades by a dull paint job. This weekend’s Ebertfest audiences are the first to see the Virginia interior in all its vibrant glory during an event, thanks to thousands of hours of intricate work poured into the effort by architectural specialists. The second is a promotional piece commissioned by the College of Media that encapsulates Ebertfest 2012. Running about 11 minutes, it features wonderful time-lapse moments inside the auditorium, numerous testimonials from audience members and festival guests, and all the hazy dreamlike projector shots you can handle.

C-U Blogfidential will offer further thoughts on the current Ebertfest, as well as the passing of Ebert, next week.

~ Jason Pankoke

Ebertfest 2012 Retrospective Doc from Shatterglass Studios on Vimeo.

Starting on Thursday, April 18, special guests of the fifteenth annual edition of Roger Ebert’s Film Festival sponsored by the University of Illinois College of Media will speak at academic panel discussions held on campus in the Illini Union, 1401 Green St., Urbana, IL:

Thursday, April 18

9–10:15 a.m.
“Sustaining a Career in Film”
Moderated by Nate Kohn
Pine Lounge, 1st Floor

10:30–11:45 a.m.
“Reality or Illusion: A False Dichotomy?”
Moderated by Eric Pierson
Pine Lounge, 1st Floor

Friday, April 19

9–10:15 a.m.
“Creative Independence in the Digital Age – How Real Is It?”
Moderated by Nate Kohn
Pine Lounge, 1st Floor

10:30–11:45 a.m.
“Challenging Stigma Through the Arts”
Moderated by Deborah Townsend
Pine Lounge, 1st Floor

Saturday, April 20

9–10:30 a.m.
“The Art of the Video Essay: How to Speak Through Movies”
Moderated by Omer Mozaffar
Pine Lounge, 1st Floor

Admission for all panels is free. The screenings of Roger Ebert’s Film Festival will take place at the newly restored Virginia Theatre, 203 W. Park Ave., Champaign, IL. The official “Ebertfest” Web site features the complete film schedule, individual reviews, and details of other related events. Tickets for individual shows and festival passes are sold out, but you can stand in a “rush line” prior to each show in case seating is available.

~ Jason Pankoke