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.

~~~~~

CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History

25 Years Ago … Friday, May 10, 1996: Warner Bros. releases the action film TWISTER, directed by Jan de Bont and starring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, which becomes the second highest grossing release of that year in the United States and Canada after INDEPENDENCE DAY. Many communities across the nation probably did not feel so enthusiastic about the movie because, less than a month before on the evening of Friday, April 19, an extremely volatile storm system produced dozens of tornadoes in the central Midwest and the South. More than 30 funnel clouds were reported in Illinois alone and two of the strongest, rated at the “F3” category, caused serious damage in southwest Urbana and nearly destroyed the small town of Ogden. Amazingly, the only person killed in those Champaign County incidents was a Missouri woman traveling on I-74 near Ogden, according to a CNN report at the time. A chronological chart of the unfolding weather disaster from that night can be found on Wikipedia, an illustrated analysis of why the storm behaved as it did can be reviewed in this report filed by the UIUC Department of Atmospheric Sciences, a compilation of police and storm chaser video that depicts the tornadoes and aftermath can be viewed at The News-Gazette, and storm-by-storm information can be studied at The Tornado History Project, an on-line database of confirmed sightings in the United States that was designed and maintained by Joshua Lietz of Urbana. In the present, dearest readers should refresh themselves on tornado safety every spring by consulting the National Weather Service and other trusted agencies; informed protocol will help save lives way more readily than quoting dialogue from TWISTER while on the run, we imagine. [R] [Rev. 5/7/21]

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
FATIMA, WRATH OF MAN, CLIFF WALKERS, DEMON SLAYER THE MOVIE: MUGEN TRAIN, GODZILLA VS. KONG, MORTAL KOMBAT, NOBODY, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, SEPARATION (5/7 on), TROLLS WORLD TOUR (5/7-5/9), SHREK FOREVER AFTER (5/7, 3:45 p.m.), JURASSIC WORLD (5/7, 4 p.m.), FINDING YOU, PROFILE, SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW (5/13 on)

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
THE COURIER, DEMON SLAYER THE MOVIE: MUGEN TRAIN, GODZILLA VS. KONG, MINARI, MORTAL KOMBAT, NOBODY, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, SEPARATION, THE UNHOLY (5/7 on), DAZN boxing: Canelo Alvarez vs. Billy Joe Saunders (5/8, 9 p.m., simulcast), SPIRAL: FROM THE BOOK OF SAW (5/13 on)

@ Redbox, Champaign-Urbana, IL
EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE, JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH, THE LITTLE THINGS, THE VIRTUOSO, more! (5/4 on) Online rentals

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.

~~~~~

MILESTONES | Happy Birthday to You!

4/30: Eric Sizemore (actor, MAGNETIC FIELDS, Swede Films, Urbana, IL)
4/30: Matt Shivers (voice actor, SUPERZUZZA, WildBrain/DHX Media, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada)
5/1: Mark Rubel (director of education, The Blackbird Academy, Nashville, TN)
5/4: Andrew J. Rausch (co-author, The 100 Scariest Movies Ever Made, BearManor Media, Albany, GA)

CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History

15 Years Ago … Monday, May 1, 2006: Comedian and television writer Mark Roberts, a native of nearby Tolono and former resident of Urbana, begins production this week on his self-financed film WELCOME TO TOLONO. Based on the same-named play, written and directed by Roberts as an “artist-in-residence” production at the Station Theatre in Urbana the previous summer, TOLONO is filmed during a five-week schedule in its small town namesake. Much of the original stage cast appears including Brian Reedy, Mike Trippiedi, David Butler, Kay Bohannon Holley, Gary Ambler, and Barbara Evans, who are joined in this screen adaptation by Mike Harvey, Colleen Klein, Joi Hoffsommer, Anne Shapland Kearns, and Rien Rogers. A premiere of the darkly humorous drama, concerning disparate individuals who attend a weekly support group in the basement of a local church, would take place at the University of Illinois’ Foellinger Auditorium in June 2007 after which it played a smattering of regional festivals. Not unlike WEREWOLF CEMETERY discussed in last week’s Calendar, TOLONO has yet to be issued on consumer formats or via streaming. As reported on 5/4/06, 5/14/06, 7/11/07, 8/19/07 at CUBlog. [R]

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ online
UI College of Media and MACS 464 present the 2021 UIUC Student Film Festival live stream (5/1, 5 p.m.) Webpage

@ online Zoom/Gregory Hall room 100
Illini Film & Video virtual meeting (5/3, 8 p.m.) Join mailing list

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
CLIFF WALKERS, SEPARATION, DEMON SLAYER THE MOVIE: MUGEN TRAIN, GODZILLA VS. KONG, MORTAL KOMBAT, NOBODY, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON (4/30 on), NOMADLAND (4/30-5/2, 5/4, single daily screenings), TROLLS WORLD TOUR (4/30, 3:30 p.m.), SHREK FOREVER AFTER (4/30, 4:30 p.m.), JURASSIC WORLD (4/30, 6:45 p.m.), WRATH OF MAN (5/6 on)

@ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Spring 2021 Film Series” feat. GHOSTBUSTERS (2016), The Courtyard Café, 1st floor (4/30, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
SEPARATION, THE COURIER, DEMON SLAYER THE MOVIE: MUGEN TRAIN, GODZILLA VS. KONG, MINARI, MORTAL KOMBAT, NOBODY, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, THE UNHOLY (4/30 on)

@ Redbox, Champaign-Urbana, IL
COSMIC SIN, NOMADLAND, more! (4/27 on) Online rentals

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 »

~~~~~

Apologies for the near silence, dearest readers. I haven’t had much drive to make an honest Confidential effort in several weeks, but I’ve regained some focus as of late so I can hopefully ride it into the summer and post a fair amount of fresh reading for you. Old and evergreen topics will also become new again, such as the one I have for you today.

Last week on Wednesday, April 21, we passed the 20th anniversary of “MICRO-FILM Verité,” the very first movie presentation that I organized in Champaign-Urbana, so the incentive was all mine to follow through on a promise from a year ago and complete our “Picture Shows du C-U” page. Half the events you will see listed upon scrolling or jumping past the New Art Film Festival took place in the earliest days of C-U Blogfidential while the others occurred even earlier when MICRO-FILM was front and center. This is now a complete record of all the showcases we had a direct hand in producing, branding, and promoting. While in number it pales compared to the volumes of acts and special events brought to our fair Twin Cities over the years by many a booking agent and self-made impresario, we’re proud of how we managed to share our niche with the community even if it had to be tried again and again to make it stick. Will the streak be extended? I don’t think we’ve had a clear answer to that question for some time but, as they say, wonders never cease.

Thoughts are percolating about doing the same sort of information upgrade to “Periodicals du C-U” in June since that month is the 20th anniversary of MF issue 4 and I never got around to adding a detailed account of MF on CUBlog. Soon, I’ll tell you what corners of our online C-Universe we’ll tinker with next. Requests and suggestions are welcome, as always.

~ Jason Pankoke

p.s. Even though the event information is finally available at “Picture Shows,” you can marvel at the original illustrated “Verité” program shared on our Facebook account where Cecilia Lucas challenges you to a film duel outside the Channing-Murray Foundation on the University of Illinois campus. (Yes, I knew going in that “Verité” would be hosted by The Highdive.) Look closely at the chapel’s distinctive announcement board behind Lucas, and you might discover a vintage Freaky Film Festival flier or two.

p.s.2 Below is a display advertisement that I put together to jointly plug “Verité” and “Zineophilia,” the latter event devised by comics artists Dann Tincher and Damian Duffy in collaboration with local arts grand dame Jenny Southlynn; I’m sure it hasn’t been seen since the Daily Illini ran it two decades ago. At the head of the post is a movie still with the cast of GOOD GRIEF, the 16mm indie feature I played at “Verité.” It’s good to see that its director, Portland resident Andrew Dickson, is still quite active with his disparate endeavors such as copywriting, viral coursework on freelancing, and … auctioneering?

p.s.3 The ghost of Marlon Brando reminds us that, “It shoulda been on tha covah!” Damn right.

~~~~~

~~~~~

[Aaugh. This is post #1500 + 3 on CUBlog. Good grief!]

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.

~~~~~

MILESTONES | Happy Birthday to You!

4/24: Ron Bonk (producer/distributor, SRS Cinema, Syracuse, NY)
4/25: Marty McKee (writer, Johnny LaRue’s Crane Shot, Chicago, IL)
4/28: John Isberg (producer/owner, Swede Films, Urbana, IL)
4/29: Sophie McMahan Berkley (artist, Sophie McMahan, Urbana, IL)
4/29: Shannon Swords (composer, FEATHERS, Moonwish Productions, Eugene, OR)

CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History

15 Years Ago … Saturday, April 22, 2006: The University of Illinois students of Illini Film & Video premiere their feature length horror-comedy, THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS VS. A MUMMY. Involving dozens of undergraduates and taking the better part of two academic years to finish, MUMMY plays at 7 and 9 p.m. in the lecture auditorium of Noyes Laboratory on the UI Main Quad, with an encore set for the following afternoon at the UI Spurlock Museum a few blocks away. The prerequisite DVD of this project, envisioned by IFV president Chris Lukeman as a way to encourage club members to work together as a team and try out multiple roles on a single production, would debut the next month and become a long-standing ice breaker for incoming freshmen unfamiliar with the group. In recent years, MUMMY has been in permanent late-night rotation on UI-7, the broadcasting service of the university. As reported on 4/15/06, 4/21/06, 5/14/06 at CUBlog. [R]

15 Years Ago … Sunday, April 23, 2006: BrainSmart Productions, a townie collective led by lo-fi filmmakers Jason Butler and Mark Peaslee, unleashes “Episode 2” of their action-filled B-movie WEREWOLF CEMETERY. The program introducing this newest creation also features “Episode 1” of the “gravediggers vs. lycanthropes vs. normal folk from the big city” epic, the first installment of smaller-scale series THE ADVENTURES OF THE SCREAMING APE, and a music video for “Serrated Edge” by The Living Blue, playing both this night and the next at the stroke of midnight in the beer garden of Mike ‘n Molly’s in downtown Champaign. Four segments total of WEREWOLF would eventually be made by Butler and company, although one must be tight with participants to access the full episodes as they have never been formally released on home video or uploaded for on-line streaming. This is about as underground as it gets with the films of Champaign-Urbana! As reported on 4/15/06, 4/22/16 at CUBlog. [R]

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ online Zoom/Gregory Hall room 100
Illini Film & Video virtual meeting (4/26, 8 p.m.) Join mailing list

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
DEMON SLAYER THE MOVIE: MUGEN TRAIN, MORTAL KOMBAT, GODZILLA VS. KONG, NOBODY, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, VOYAGERS (4/23 on), BACK TO THE FUTURE (4/24, 3 p.m.), SEPARATION (4/29 on)

@ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Spring 2021 Film Series” feat. INCREDIBLES 2, The Courtyard Café, 1st floor (4/23, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
DEMON SLAYER THE MOVIE: MUGEN TRAIN, MORTAL KOMBAT, THE COURIER, GODZILLA VS. KONG, MINARI, NOBODY, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, THE UNHOLY (4/23 on), UFC 260: Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal, more (4/24, 9 p.m., simulcast)

@ Redbox, Champaign-Urbana, IL
VANQUISH, more! (4/20 on) Online rentals

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.

~~~~~

MILESTONES | Happy Birthday to You!

4/16: Sarah Christensen (visual resources and outreach specialist, University Library, UIUC, Urbana, IL)
4/16: Joe Taylor (producer/fabricator, Studio Extraño, Sturgeon Bay, WI)
4/18: Mike Trippiedi (author, Once Upon an Ending, Shut Up & Do It Productions, Champaign, IL)
4/21: William Kephart (scene shop chief clerk, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, UIUC, Urbana, IL)
4/21: Brian Paris (multimedia producer, City of Champaign administration department, Champaign, IL)
4/22: Chelsea Norton (director of marketing and communications, Champaign Park District, Champaign, IL)

CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History

20 Years Ago … Friday, April 20, 2001: Downtown Champaign establishments are adorned with the work of local artists for The Octopus Gallery Walk, a precursor to the Boneyard Arts Festival. Hosted by Southlynn Studios in the Octopus office space is a unique exhibit called “Zineophilia,” featuring paintings and mixed media pieces from the pages of The Ides of March as well as a table adorned with dozens of ‘zines for visitors to browse. Homegrown efforts include low hug by A.j. Michel, Silly Little Trouser Monkees by Brad Bugos, the aforementioned Ides by Dann Tincher and Damian Duffy, and our own flagship mag, MICRO-FILM. [R]

20 Years Ago … Saturday, April 21, 2001: Less than 24 hours later at The Highdive, located across Main Street from the Lincoln Building where “Zineophilia” reigned, Mr. JaPan emcees his first-ever film show. Dubbed “MICRO-FILM Vérité,” the “official programme” is comprised of eclectic low-budget cinema from near and far. Local selections include student shorts from the University of Illinois and Illinois State University, the early Mike Trippiedi “slasher in rhyme” BUCKY McSNEAD, and a trailer for Hart D. Fisher’s THE GARBAGE MAN. Filmmakers from across the nation, such as Cory McAbee (THE MAN ON THE MOON), Jim Sikora (STAGEFRIGHT CHAMELEON), Rusty Nails (SANTIAGO VS. WIGFACE), and Mike White (WHO DO YOU THINK YOU’RE FOOLING?), also represent. [R]

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ online Zoom/Gregory Hall room 100
Illini Film & Video virtual meeting (4/19, 8 p.m.) Join mailing list

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
CHAOS WALKING, THE COURIER, GODZILLA VS. KONG, NOBODY, PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, TOM & JERRY, THE UNHOLY, VOYAGERS (4/16 on), THE FATHER, NOMADLAND (4/16-4/18), CADDYSHACK, FIELD OF DREAMS, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (1990) (4/16)

@ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Spring 2021 Film Series” feat. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, The Courtyard Café, 1st floor (4/16, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
COME PLAY, THE COURIER, GODZILLA VS. KONG, MINARI, NOBODY, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, TOM & JERRY, THE UNHOLY, VOYAGERS, WONDER WOMAN 1984 (4/16 on)

@ Redbox, Champaign-Urbana, IL
THE PENTHOUSE, PHOBIAS, WILLY’S WONDERLAND, more! (4/13 on) Online rentals

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.

~~~~~

MILESTONES | Happy Birthday to You!

4/9: Nick Alonzo (director/writer, DA BIG ZIP, Cluck Films, Chicago, IL)
4/14: Jeff Machota (host, “Wednesday Morning Prayer Meeting” show, WEFT-FM, Champaign, IL)

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ online Zoom/Gregory Hall room 100
Illini Film & Video virtual meeting (4/12, 8 p.m.) Join mailing list

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
VOYAGERS, CHAOS WALKING, THE COURIER, GODZILLA VS. KONG, NOBODY, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, TOM & JERRY, THE UNHOLY (4/9 on)

@ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Spring 2021 Film Series” feat. PARASITE, The Courtyard Café, 1st floor (4/9, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)

@ Music Barn, Allerton Park & Retreat Center, UIUC, Monticello, IL
“Sunset Drive-In Movie Series” feat. WONDER WOMAN 1984 (4/9-4/10, 8 p.m.) Registration required

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
VOYAGERS, COME PLAY, THE COURIER, GODZILLA VS. KONG, MINARI, NOBODY, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, TOM & JERRY, THE UNHOLY, WONDER WOMAN 1984 (4/9 on)

@ Redbox, Champaign-Urbana, IL
BARB & STAR GO TO VISTA DEL MAR, OVERRIDE, SKYFIRE, SPACE DOGS: TROPICAL ADVENTURE, more! (4/6 on) Online rentals

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.

~~~~~

MILESTONES | Happy Birthday to You!

4/2: Will “the Thrill” Viharo (movie columnist, Bachelor Pad Magazine, Champaign, IL)
4/4: Kamelyan Alexa (business development, Periscope Post & Audio, Chicago, IL)
4/4: Sara Benson (adjunct assistant professor, School of Information Sciences, UIUC, Champaign, IL)

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ online Zoom/Gregory Hall room 100
Illini Film & Video virtual meeting (4/5, 8 p.m.) Join mailing list

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
GODZILLA VS. KONG, THE UNHOLY, CHAOS WALKING, THE COURIER, NOBODY, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, SOUND OF METAL, TOM & JERRY (4/2 on)

@ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Spring 2021 Film Series” feat. MEAN GIRLS, The Courtyard Café, 1st floor (4/2, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
GODZILLA VS. KONG, THE UNHOLY, CHAOS WALKING, COME PLAY, THE COURIER, MINARI, NOMADLAND, NOBODY, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, WONDER WOMAN 1984 (4/2 on), TOM & JERRY (4/3 on)

@ Redbox, Champaign-Urbana, IL
OUR WORLD, THE TOLL, WONDER WOMAN 1984, more! (3/30 on) Online rentals

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.

~~~~~

FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said

It’s getting harder to be self-motivated as I throw the ingredients in the blender when I can barely taste the nectar in the end. Straining it through virtual channels retains next to no nutritional value. Maybe it’s nearly time to take on a different kind of media diet. I’ll let you know what recipes I cook up. Bleh.

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

RUNNING TIME U.S. Blu-ray release w/Freaky Film Festival* footage: Tuesday, 3/16, Limited via Synapse Films, Southfield, MI/Panoramic Pictures, Detroit, MI

@ online Zoom/Gregory Hall room 100
Illini Film & Video virtual meeting (3/29, 8 p.m.) Join mailing list

@ online Eventive
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale presents the 43rd Big Muddy Film Festival feat. film programs, live events (through 3/31, tickets required for films, free or donation) Schedule information

@ online Zoom
Central Illinois Film Commission virtual meeting (4/1, 7 p.m.) Event login at Facebook

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
NOBODY, SOUND OF METAL, CHAOS WALKING, THE COURIER, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, TOM & JERRY (3/26 on), WONDER WOMAN 1984 (3/26-3/27), NOMADLAND (3/26-3/29), BOOGIE (3/26-3/29, 3/31-4/1), THE FATHER (3/26-3/28, 3/30), PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN (3/26-3/28, 3/30-4/1), GODZILLA VS. KONG (3/31 on)

@ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Spring 2021 Film Series” feat. SELENA, The Courtyard Café, 1st floor (3/26, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
MINARI, NOBODY, THE COURIER, CHAOS WALKING, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, TOM & JERRY (3/26 on), COME PLAY, THE LITTLE THINGS, LONG WEEKEND, THE MARKSMAN (3/26-3/30), BOOGIE, WONDER WOMAN 1984 (3/26, 3/28-3/30), NOMADLAND (3/26, 3/28 on), UFC 260: Stipe Miocic vs. Francis Ngannou, more (3/27, 9 p.m., simulcast), GODZILLA VS. KONG (3/31 on)

@ Redbox, Champaign-Urbana, IL
BREAKING NEWS IN YUBA COUNTY, HERO DOG: THE JOURNEY HOME, NEWS OF THE WORLD, PARADISE COVE, PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN, THE SEVENTH DAY, SOUL, more! (3/23 on) Online rentals

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.

~~~~~

MILESTONES | Happy Birthday to You!

3/19: Andrew F. Gleason (coordinator of video production, Public Affairs, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL)
3/23: Slava Siderman (producer, ROADSIDE KILLER, Troma Entertainment, New York, NY)
3/24: Brian Krumm (singer/guitarist, The Great Crusades, Chicago, IL)

FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said

Stop the hate. Support our Asian and Asian-American neighbors. Nothing less will do.

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ online Zoom
Illini Film & Video virtual meeting (3/22, 8 p.m.) Join mailing list

@ online Eventive
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale presents the 43rd Big Muddy Film Festival feat. film programs, live events (through 3/31, tickets required for films, free or donation) Schedule information

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
THE COURIER, BOOGIE, CHAOS WALKING, THE FATHER, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, TOM & JERRY (3/19 on), THE LITTLE THINGS, PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN (3/19-3/21, 3/23), NOMADLAND (3/19-3/24). THE MARKSMAN (3/19-3/22, 3/24-3/25), NOBODY (3/25 on)

@ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Spring 2021 Film Series” feat. ABOMINABLE, The Courtyard Café, 1st floor (3/19, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
COME PLAY, BOOGIE, CHAOS WALKING, THE CROODS: A NEW AGE, THE LITTLE THINGS, LONG WEEKEND, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING, THE MARKSMAN, NEWS OF THE WORLD, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, TOM & JERRY, WONDER WOMAN 1984 (3/19 on), NOBODY (3/25 on)

@ Redbox, Champaign-Urbana, IL
AMERICAN SKIN, BROTHERS BY BLOOD, DARK WEB: CICADA 3301, DON’T TELL A SOUL, PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN, SAS: RED NOTICE, SONGBIRD, more! (3/16 on) Online rentals

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.

~~~~~

MILESTONES | Happy Birthday to You!

3/14: Stephen R. Bissette (author, The Brood, PS Publishing, Hornsea, East Yorkshire, United Kingdom)
3/18: Joseph Muskin (co-author, The Art Theater, Champaign Urbana Theater History, Urbana, IL)
3/18: Katrina Catizone (pop culture artist, Studio Art de Katrina, Champaign, IL)

FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said

As I ease back into writing and reporting on C-U Blogfidential, which begins in modest next week, you the dearest readers will probably pick up on disparate shifts within the coverage. Both a more personal and analytical bent may become apparent as I consciously de-stress the timely and jingoistic. I’ll leave the latter to the expected press outlets of Champaign, Urbana, and the cities beyond for that’s what they handle best. Here, it’s finally time to define “what it all means” in the filmic scheme of things. Cheers.

CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History

15 Years Ago … Wednesday, March 15, 2006: The first feature film production from Dreamscape Cinema of Champaign to receive distribution, CRAB ORCHARD, is shown locally at the Virginia Theatre as a Midwest premiere. Producer and writer Robin Christian introduces the 7 p.m. screening to a near-capacity crowd north of 1,300. After appearing first in international markets and undergoing a title change, CRAB ORCHARD would come to U.S. DVD in early 2011 as SHEEBA (Questar Home Video). The cast of this family drama includes Ruby Handler, Dylan Patton, Betsy Zajko, Judge Reinhold, and Edward Asner. Media entrepreneur and photojournalist Michael J. Jacobs directed the film for Dreamscape. As reported on 3/12/06, 3/19/06, 1/27/11 at CUBlog. [R]

LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers

@ online Zoom
Illini Film & Video virtual meeting (3/15, 8 p.m.) Join mailing list

@ online Eventive
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale presents the 43rd Big Muddy Film Festival feat. film programs, live events (3/17-3/31, tickets required for films, free or donation) Schedule information

NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area

@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
THE FATHER, BOOGIE, CHAOS WALKING, THE LITTLE THINGS, THE MARKSMAN, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, TOM & JERRY (3/12 on)

@ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Spring 2021 Film Series” feat. FRIDA, The Courtyard Café, 1st floor (3/12, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)

@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
LONG WEEKEND, BILLIE EILISH: THE WORLD’S A LITTLE BLURRY, BOOGIE, CHAOS WALKING, THE CROODS: A NEW AGE, THE LITTLE THINGS, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (IMAX), THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO TOWERS, THE MARKSMAN, MONSTER HUNTER, NEWS OF THE WORLD, RAYA AND THE LAST DRAGON, TOM & JERRY, WONDER WOMAN 1984 (3/12 on)

@ Redbox, Champaign-Urbana, IL
ADVERSE, IP MAN: KUNG FU MASTER, SILK ROAD, VANGUARD, more! (3/9 on) Online rentals

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 »