C-U Biz-en-scène: 01.07.2011
“C-U Biz-en-scène” appears every Thursday/Friday on C-U Blogfidential to give our readers a succinct snapshot of the cinema activity in and near Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA. Please support the artists and their work, attend screenings and events, and otherwise become active in our esoteric little world!
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MFHQ & YOU:
Searching for Innerworld Peace
Boy, did we unload last week! Guess we’ll take it down a notch or two and save our collective strength since the magic MICRO-FILM ball is displaying an ever-increasing plethora of upcoming movie goodness in Champaign, Urbana and the cities beyond. Sadly, this sort of deluge exposes one of our recurring issues – the lack of people-power to adequately cover everything going down – but well-timed overtures from friends and colleagues do help stoke the creative fires. Cases in point, we’d like to introduce two new contributors to C-U Blogfidential! Long-time supporter and local filmmaker Robin Christian has submitted his first articles talking about his interaction with the movie industry outside Champaign County in an effort to distribute and produce Dreamscape Cinema productions. In his first piece run a few weeks ago, Christian describes his experience at the National Association of Television Program Executives conference in January 2010 while in the second, coming next Monday, January 10, he highlights a visit last November to the American Film Market and the American Film Institute (AFI) Film Festival. Also, long-time friend and former MICRO-FILM subject Tyler Tharpe of Innerworld Pictures in Indianapolis will write an as-yet-untitled column offering a unique first-person perspective as both an independent filmmaker and a film exhibitor in the Midwest; the introductory entry will appear at the end of this month. Welcome aboard, gentlemen!
CLASSES
For the next two weeks, CUBlog might resemble “Robin Christian Central” because relevant Dreamscape Cinema news is popping up in coincidental and rapid succession. We just told you about Christian’s articles and recently broke the news about the impending national DVD release of the studio’s first medium-budget feature SHEEBA on Tuesday, January 18, through Questar Home Video of Chicago. We also will discuss in next week’s CUBiz a bit more about Dreamscape’s return to low-budget territory, DISPOSABLE, which will World Premiere on Thursday, January 13, 7 p.m., at the Canopy Club, 708 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL. However, for right now, we’d like to concentrate on a new direction Christian and Dreamscape are taking with the help of filmmaking instructor Johnny Robinson. According to a promotional flier we received, which you can download in PDF format by clicking here, Dreamscape will offer instructional classes this spring. One will cover script development and meet weekly over eight weeks beginning Wednesday, March 16, and the other will highlight all key steps in film production and meet weekly over eight weeks beginning Thursday, March 17. Space in each class is limited to 15 persons and registration is open through Sunday, February 20; enrollment cost per class is $299.00. Interestingly, the flier all but announces that Dreamscape will shoot a new feature later this year so we’ll pass along details soon. Questions on the classes can be forwarded to robin [at] dreamscape [dot] bz.
BROADCAST
Start coordinating those viewing parties, Champaign-Urbana! WILL Channel 12 program director David Thiel was kind enough to confirm for CUBlog that the debut episode of ROGER EBERT PRESENTS AT THE MOVIES will air Friday, January 21, 8:30 p.m., on their primary channel (meaning, the signal that everyone receives including basic cable subscribers) with subsequent episodes airing in the same time slot and repeating Sundays at 9:30 p.m., occasionally being pushed back to 10 p.m. by MASTERPIECE THEATRE. Roger Ebert himself revealed the final hosting line-up for AT THE MOVIES on his Chicago Sun-Times journal earlier this week. Remaining as co-host from the pilot is Christy Lemiere of the Associated Press; replacing Elvis Mitchell across the aisle is the relatively unknown Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, a 24-year-old Windy City film society regular and contributor to the Chicago Reader, Cine-File.info, and MUBI.com, a discussion and streaming site formerly known as TheAuteurs.com. Guest segments will be handled by rotating contributors including Kim Morgan of MSN’s The Hitlist and Omar Moore of The Popcorn Reel, both retained from the pilot, as well as Katarina Richardson of Mirrorfilm.org, Nell Minow of Beliefnet.com, David Poland of Movie City News, veteran television correspondent Jeff Greenfield of CBS-TV, and Ebert himself. One does not have to read very hard between Ebert’s lines to see that his new-look AT THE MOVIES is mostly a friends-and-family affair, going so far as to roost in the original launching pad of Ebert and the late Gene Siskel’s SNEAK PREVIEWS, WTTW Channel 11 in Chicago, so all you budding young film critics and disenfranchised veteran reviewers outside the Eberts’ inner circle can probably direct your resumes elsewhere. Or, launch your own television shows.
MEDIA LINKS
To start, we have a pair of local theater news items for your perusal. WILL reports that the just-reopened Virginia Theater in Champaign will not undergo its next interior restoration project until 2012, presumably starting right after that year’s “Ebertfest” and finishing well before the end of the world as we know it, while the board of the Champaign Park District intends to select the new Virginia marquee design shortly. Next, the Pantagraph revealed on December 31 that Lincoln, IL, businessman David Lanterman successfully led the charge to purchase that town’s only cinema, the Lincoln Theater 4, from the Carmkie chain to ensure its survival. We now venture into “obsessive video” territory, starting with a profile run by the Herald & Review this Wednesday, January 5, about Decatur odd-job enthusiast Adam White who is actively recording his daily doings for a vlog, “Adam’s Life,” updated 240 days straight and followed by more than 1,000 fans as of this CUBiz! (Wish we could claim the same on all our C-U fronts combined. Grrrr…) Finally, our man Tim Cain, reporter and columnist for the same Herald & Review, has taken up the reins from H&R reader Matthew Francis and launched “365 Days of Cinema II: Electric Boogaloo” during which he will watch and comment about one movie per day in 2011 that he has never seen before; you can read his mini-reviews on Facebook and then start an office pool as to A. whether he pulls it off and B. if he does a victory breakdance on New Year’s Eve to celebrate the accomplishment. Go Tim!
PLAYING THIS WEEK
@ The Art Theater, Champaign, IL: Love’s Labour’s Lost (1/7-1/8, 12 p.m., Shakespeare), THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (1/7, 1/8, 1/10, 1/12), THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE (1/7, 1/9, 1/11, 1/13), THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST (1/8, 1/9, 1/12, 1/13)
@ Savoy 16, Savoy, IL: HOOD TO COAST running documentary (1/11, 7 p.m.)
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL: THE FIGHTER, TRUE GRIT, BLACK SWAN (1/7 on), “Bogart Movies – Part Two” film class 1 of 8 (1/13, 6:30 p.m.)
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL: TOY STORY 3 (1/6-1/9, 7 p.m.)
@ The Lorraine Theatre, Hoopeston, IL: LITTLE FOCKERS, YOGI BEAR (1/7 on)
@ That’s Rentertainment, Champaign, IL: CATFISH, HOWL, MACHETE, THE LAST EXORCISM, DINNER FOR SCHMUCKS, CASE 39, THE YELLOW HANDKERCHIEF, more! (1/4 on)
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Locally produced movies and events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Go see ‘em!
COMING SOON
1/13: ACT YOUR AGE* (new cut)
@ The Canopy Club, Urbana, IL, 5:15 p.m., Free
1/13: DISPOSABLE* (World Premiere)
@ The Canopy Club, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m
NEW! 1/18: Champaign Movie Makers meeting
@ Class Act Interactive, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
1/18: DVD release: SHEEBA*
+ Questar Home Video, Chicago, IL
NEW! 1/20: Central Illinois Film Commission meeting
@ Lake Pointe Grill, Springfield, IL, 7 p.m.
NEW! 1/21: ROGER EBERT PRESENTS AT THE MOVIES premiere broadcast
@ WILL-TV 12, Urbana, IL, 8:30 p.m.
NEW! 1/23: ROGER EBERT PRESENTS AT THE MOVIES repeat broadcast
@ WILL-TV 12, Urbana, IL, 9:30 p.m.
2/12: THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
@ The Canopy Club, Urbana, IL, Midnight
2/18-2/27: Big Muddy Film Festival
@ Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
UPDATED! 3/11: DVD release: PRESS START 2 CONTINUE*
+ Dark Maze Studios, Champaign, IL
3/22-3/27: Ann Arbor Film Festival, Ann Arbor, MI
3/30-4/1: Wisconsin Film Festival, Madison, WI
4/27-5/1: Roger Ebert’s Film Festival
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
NEW! 9/16-9/18: Route 66 International Film Festival
@ Hoogland Center for the Arts, Springfield, IL
COMMUNITY FILM SERIES
“Real Vs. Reel” Movie Series
@ Danville Public Library, Danville, IL, 6:30 p.m.
1/10: SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS; 2/14: HOOSIERS; 3/14: A PLACE IN THE SUN; 4/11: THE FUGITIVE
The News-Gazette Film Series 2011
@ The Virginia Theater, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
1/22: TOP GUN; 2/5: SOME LIKE IT HOT; 3/12: THE MATRIX; 4/23: TOY STORY; 5/14: REAR WINDOW
WILL-TV/Independent Lens “Community Cinema” series
@ Champaign Public Library, Champaign, IL, 6:30 p.m.
1/27: FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE; TBA: ME FACING LIFE, PUSHING THE ELEPHANT, BHUTTO, WELCOME TO SHELBYVILLE, TWO SPIRITS
OUTRO
Since our work load is about to skyrocket here at the Secret MICRO-FILM Headquarters, we could use your help! If interested in any of the following activities – writing, proofreading, graphic design, promotions, ad sales – please contact us at cuconfidential [at] gmail [dot] com and pitch what you can offer! Resumes are welcome. Writers and designers should have sample pieces available to submit electronically if we request them. Please be familiar with the content and mission of C-U Confidential beforehand by reviewing this Web site and the print issues. Cheers!
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That’s it for the “business of our scene” this week!
If you have relevant news, opportunities, dates, or promotions that you would like included in CUBiz, please forward the who, what, where, when, and how much to cuconfidential [at] gmail [dot] com.
Compiled by Jason Pankoke
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MF FIRE SALE!
We ask that you consider purchasing back issues of MICRO-FILM and C-U Confidential to help erase our outstanding print bill before we return to the printer with files for not only CUZine no.5 but our delayed special issues, C-U Confidential ’99 and MICRO-FILM 2000. You can order by using the “Donate” PayPal button here or sending cash/check/money order/cashier’s check to: Jason Pankoke, Editor, MICRO-FILM, 401 N. Prairie, Suite 3D, Champaign, IL, 61820. Documents should be made payable to “Jason Pankoke” and personal/business checks will have to sit 4-6 weeks to clear. The sale is good for MICRO-FILM issues 1-7 (do not use the old PayPal buttons if you want sale prices) and C-U Confidential issues 1-4 until further notice. For any single order: 1st copy MF, $5 ppd; 2nd copy MF, $4 ppd, 3rd copy MF, $3 ppd; 4th+ copy MF, $2 ppd each; 1st copy CUZine, $4 ppd; 2nd copy CUZine, $3 ppd, 3rd+ copy CUZine, $1 ppd each. If you have trouble figuring out a total price, simply write us at cuconfidential [at] gmail [dot] com for help. We need to nail this by the end of February 2011 or nefarious decisions will have to be made in the bowels of the Secret MICRO-FILM Headquarters. Thanks in advance for your support!
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“C-U Biz-en-scène” no. 24 © 2011 Jason Pankoke/C-U Blogfidential.