C-U Blogfidential

Article in Champaign daily The News-Gazette about the signing of veteran actor Hal Holbrook to appear at LincolnFest in downtown Champaign on March 12-15, 2009. Also, your editor bitches about ill-chosen words by well-meaning people.

Articles in the Chicago Tribune covering the formal departure of Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper from the long-running movie review program AT THE MOVIES, to be replaced this fall by Ben Lyons of E! Entertainment Television and Ben Mankiewicz of Turner Classic Movies.

The College of Media at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has announced the movies to be showcased at the tenth annual edition of Roger Ebert’s Film Festival.

A preview in The Hollywood Reporter covers the upcoming 10th edition of Roger Ebert’s Film Festival in Champaign, IL, revealing that the opening night attraction is a 70mm print of HAMLET (1996), directed by Kenneth Branagh.

On October 18, 2007, local filmmaker Jay Rosenstein and Ebertfest each won an ACE Award, given out annually by the 40 North 88 West arts council of Champaign County.

An Associated Press story in The Los Angeles Times reports that Roger Ebert’s signature “thumbs up/thumbs down” coda has become a sticking point in the film critic’s contract negotiations with his television producer, Disney-ABC Domestic Television. Also, your editor wonders out loud, “If Hef gets a biopic, why not Ebert?”

The College of Communications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has announced the movies to be showcased at the ninth annual edition of Roger Ebert’s Overlooked Film Festival.

An Associated Press story on CNN.com reports that film critic Roger Ebert is in serious condition after emergency surgery to repair complications in the region from which cancerous growth was removed on June 16, 2006.

Roger Ebert waxes psychedelic over BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, new to DVD, while “Sirens of Cinema” magazine runs freelance words by your editor.

The College of Communications at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has announced the movies to be showcased at the eighth annual edition of Roger Ebert’s Overlooked Film Festival.