Archive for the 'Business Matters' Category

Indie horror flicks rule Scareplex

Tuesday, October 31st, 2023

For our first article since July – we know, scary, right? – we suggest that you take a look at a new horror media streaming site called Scareplex, founded in downstate Illinois by and for indies.

Indies eye Illinois as filming locale

Thursday, July 6th, 2023

Several indies filmed in part or whole in downstate Illinois during the last few years are finally emerging, and half of them were not initiated by local producers. How do we fare in our visitors’ fields of vision?

Lady MFX artists make MONSTER

Wednesday, June 28th, 2023

In her newest project and Kickstarter push, Decatur-area native Jessie Seitz sets out to course-correct monster movie history in MONSTER GIRLS, a salute to women makeup effects artists.

Ozoners rev it up for Drive-in Day

Wednesday, June 7th, 2023

Get outside this summer and enjoy the pleasures of the drive-in theater, whether on National Drive-in Day or any other time they’re showing movies, serving up goodies, and bringing folks together.

SUMMER run to sunset at Normal

Thursday, November 17th, 2022

The Normal Theater will present the indie feature FINAL SUMMER from Front 76 Films of Champaign on November 17, 2022. See this campground slasher before it goes on a screening hiatus!

Neon REVEALER now on RLJE DVD

Tuesday, November 15th, 2022

Shatterglass Films of Champaign will have its first in-house feature film, REVEALER, distributed across America on DVD on November 15, 2022, through RLJE Films and Shudder. Success!

Morton movie LOVE is now served

Wednesday, December 29th, 2021

Gemelli Films of Brookhaven, NY, has taken a liking to downstate Illinois. The first result of this team-up, BAKING UP LOVE, arrived in stores nationwide in November through SP Releasing, Inc.

Footage finds way into POV redux

Friday, November 19th, 2021

A made-in-southern Illinois micro-budget indie, UNLISTED OWNER, has come back on the market as DIRECTORS CUT. We chat with its realtor, young and upcoming genre filmmaker Jed Brian.

New is NFTy for OWNER director

Monday, November 15th, 2021

The creators of UNLISTED OWNER strike again! This time, they stake out real estate in blockchain territory with their original made-for-NFT short film, TRICK NOT TREAT. Purchase the key today!

Rural fiends take root on Amazon

Tuesday, October 12th, 2021

A new crop of American horror stories from the Prairie State are coming soon to C-U Blogfidential, and here we preview two: C.O.R.N: A FIELD OF SCREAMS and UNLISTED OWNER. Aw, shuck!

SUMMER of Swede seeks final $4K

Wednesday, August 4th, 2021

Swede Films of Urbana, Illinois, is about to embark on making the horror feature FINAL SUMMER. Their Kickstarter campaign needs an infusion of support in its final days. Can you contribute, dearest C-U?

ISU video crew high on ‘Mother’

Wednesday, October 14th, 2020

As an aside to a tangent, we vicariously saunter about Mother Murphy’s of Normal, IL, thanks to another student project born at Illinois State University, ANYTHING BUT NORMAL. Take a trip with us!

August and everything NAFFter

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2020

Ye Ed is rooting for the film culture of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, to rebound from the turbulence of recent years. Not everything will survive, such as the theaters he recently photographed.

Student art doc wins BEA award

Monday, August 3rd, 2020

What is reasonable give-and-take when a city is attempting to improve its central hub? The student project MAKING A MURAL illustrates the issue with an artistic conundrum in Normal, Illinois.

Virus fells Orpheum, shorts Avon

Friday, July 3rd, 2020

Nationwide consensus is that small businesses and organizations will get raked over the coals before the pandemic is over. We look at how a first-run, mixed-use, and former movie theater are doing.