Calendar: December 10-16, 2021
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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MILESTONES | Happy Birthday to You!
11/22: Chase Todd (co-creator, CHASE & SHEP’S SUMMER CAMP OF HORRORS!, Chase & Shep, Savoy, IL)
12/10: Sidney Taiko (editor/publisher, Storm Cellar, San Diego, CA)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
Despite how preoccupied I am right now with yet another Momkoke living situation, I’ve been thinking about the New Art Film Festival. Sometimes it feels like it never happened and I wonder if I just need to slap a “The End” card on the enterprise and let it go. Of course, my removal of self and personal affects from Champaign-Urbana a little less than a year ago is not exactly stoking the old embers, and I didn’t have a choice but to hole up at the house on the edge of an American small town because of unfinished family matters.
Can I retrofit the NAFF for this area? Overall lack of arts culture and an abundance of conservatism aside, I feel no need to do it here. A non-profit foundation in nearby LaSalle launched an arts festival in September and included a program of independent film shorts and features that played the VIP Roxy Cinemas in nearby Ottawa, a community that is larger and offers more breadth of activity than dear ol’ Mendota. Promotion for the event made it clear they were seeking local and Midwest creations as submissions, so NAFF ground is covered in the Illinois Valley.
Should I bring NAFF back to the C-U or take it worldwide on the Web? My opinion on it wavers from day to day although, since hardly anyone has asked me about it in the last two years, I guess it’s high time I drop the poker face and spill. As far as I’m concerned in my end-of-2021 frame of mind, the NAFF proved what we set out to do with it and arguably ran its course. The 2017 and 2018 shows were produced from afar, yes, and the same was to happen in 2019 had the so-called foundation not cracked so quickly and decisively. Given the near-absolute lack of any public or private support for the NAFF ever since, I’ve probably had the answer in my back pocket this entire time: no more NAFF for you, C-U.
Yet, it would have been nice to put a formal exclamation point on it for all the fans, friends, and filmmakers who still care. I could get ornery. Shit may still happen. Beware, then. I have unfinished personal matters as well.
p.s. The following Archive reprint is late but apropos. History has a funny way of…
CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History
15 Years Ago … Saturday, October 28, 2006: Opteryx Press of Champaign hosts a “MICRO-FILM Movie Show” of low-budget horror cinema for Halloween including DRAWING BLOOD, directed by the Wolinski Brothers, and SEX MACHINE, directed by Christopher Sharpe, in the upper level of Mike ‘n Molly’s in downtown Champaign. This is their fourth screening of the year at the popular bar, all curated and hosted by editor/publisher Jason Pankoke, and also the last standalone MF event to date. [R]
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
CHANDIGARH KARE AASHIQUI, THE GREEN KNIGHT (re-release), LAKSHAYA, NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, WEST SIDE STORY, CHRISTMAS WITH ‘THE CHOSEN’: THE MESSENGERS, ENCANTO, ETERNALS, GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, HOUSE OF GUCCI, SWORD ART ONLINE: THE MOVIE (animé) (12/10 on), NIGHTMARE ALLEY (12/15 on), SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (12/16 on)
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
WEST SIDE STORY, CHRISTMAS WITH ‘THE CHOSEN’: THE MESSENGERS, CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG, C’MON C’MON, DUNE, ENCANTO, ETERNALS, THE FRENCH DISPATCH, GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, HOUSE OF GUCCI, KING RICHARD, NO TIME TO DIE, RESIDENT EVIL: WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY, TADAP, VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE (12/10 on), The Metropolitan Opera: The Magic Flute Holiday Encore (2006 performance; 12/11, 12:55 p.m., recorded), UFC 269: Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier, more (mixed martial arts; 12/11, 9 p.m., simulcast), Turner Classic Movies presents ON GOLDEN POND 40th anniversary (12/12, 3 & 7 p.m.; 12/15, 7 p.m.), THE MATRIX (12/12, 3 & 7 p.m.; 12/15, 7 p.m.), MACROSS PLUS MOVIE EDITION (animé; 12/14, 7 p.m., subtitled), SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (12/16 on)
@ Redbox, Champaign-Urbana, IL
COPSHOP, CRY MACHO, DEAR EVAN HANSEN, GOD’S NOT DEAD: WE THE PEOPLE, LAST SHOOTOUT, THE LAST SON, SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS, more! (12/7 on) Online rentals
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
The News-Gazette Film Series presents IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (12/11, 1 & 7 p.m.), “Holiday in Whoville” event feat. HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (1966) (12/12, 1-4 p.m., hourly)
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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NOW PLAYING | The Cities Beyond
@ AMC Classic Village Mall 6, Danville, IL
CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG, ENCANTO, ETERNALS, GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, HOUSE OF GUCCI, KING RICHARD (12/10 on)
@ AMC Peru Mall 8, Peru, IL
WEST SIDE STORY, CHRISTMAS WITH ‘THE CHOSEN’: THE MESSENGERS, CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG, ENCANTO, ETERNALS, GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, HOUSE OF GUCCI, RESIDENT EVIL: WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY (12/3 on)
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL
BEING THE RICARDOS, WEST SIDE STORY, ENCANTO (12/10-12/12)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
HOME ALONE (12/11, 7 p.m.; 12/12, 2 p.m.)
@ Johnston Center for the Performing Arts, Lincoln College, Lincoln, IL
A HOLIDAY HOMECOMING world premiere hosted by Gemelli Films (12/11, 7 p.m.)
@ The Legacy Theatre, Springfield, IL
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (12/17, 7 p.m.), WHITE CHRISTMAS (12/18, 7 p.m.)
@ The Little Lorraine, Hoopeston, IL
Private rentals for the week.
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
WHITE CHRISTMAS (12/10, 12/14), BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974) (12/10), THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (12/11), MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1947), THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (12/12), NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION (12/15), ELF (12/16)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
Closed for the weekend.
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG (12/10-12/12)
@ Streator Eagle 6, Streator, IL
THE POLAR EXPRESS, WEST SIDE STORY, CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG, ENCANTO, GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, HOUSE OF GUCCI, RESIDENT EVIL: WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY (12/10 on), OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY (12/10-12/15), SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (12/16 on)
@ VIP Lincoln Grand 6, Lincoln, IL
BEING THE RICARDOS, CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG, ENCANTO, ETERNALS, GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, HOUSE OF GUCCI (12/10 on), THE POLAR EXPRESS (12/10-12/12, 11 a.m.), SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (12/16 on)
@ VIP Roxy Cinemas, Ottawa, IL
BEING THE RICARDOS, CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG, ENCANTO, ETERNALS, GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE, HOUSE OF GUCCI (12/10 on), SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (12/16 on)
NOW PLAYING | Midwest
For detailed and curated listings of Chicago-area film presentations and related events, as well as cancellations and postponements due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, please visit the fine folks at Cine-File and subscribe to their definitive “Cine-List” weekly blast.
COMING SOON | Area-wide Events
4/7-4/17, 2022
24th annual Wisconsin Film Festival
@ University of Wisconsin, etc., Madison, WI
4/8-4/10, 2022
Dead in Decatur presents “The Art of Fear”
@ Heroic Age Art Center, Mt. Zion, IL
4/20-4/23, 2022
22nd Roger Ebert’s Film Festival
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
COMMUNITY & CAMPUS SERIES | Champaign-Urbana area
“The Arthouse Experience Film Series” curated by Sanford Hess
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
1/19/22: WILD TALES; 2/23/22: ADAPTATION; 3/23/22: THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS; 4/6/22: BIG NIGHT; 5/25/22: EIGHTH GRADE; 6/1/22: THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI: to be rescheduled: THE ARTIST
Illini Radio Group presents “Rewind 92.5 Film Series”/“Mix 94.5 Throwback Thursdays”*
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
1/13/22: CLUELESS*; 1/20/22: SAY ANYTHING; 2/2/22: GROUNDHOG DAY; 3/21/22: ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK; 4/4/22: FACE/OFF; 5/23/22: MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME; 6/30/22: WAYNE’S WORLD; 7/14/22: STARSHIP TROOPERS
The News-Gazette Film Series
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
12/11: IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE; 1/22/22: ALL ABOUT EVE; 2/19/22: IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT; 4/30/22: DUCK SOUP; 6/25/22: HIGH NOON; 7/29/22: TOP HAT
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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