Calendar: February 15-21, 2019
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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CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History
10 Years Ago … Thursday, October 30, 2008: HOOPESTON, a documentary created by Thomas Bender and Jacob Bakkila of the New York “art collective” Synydyne, receives its Midwest debut during the 15th annual Chicago Underground Film Festival at the Viaduct Theater in Chicago. Central to its story is the opening of a brick-and-mortar “Witch School” in Hoopeston, IL, due to lower costs of living, and how the relatively Christian citizens accommodate their new Wiccan neighbors. Various individuals from the town as well as Witch School co-founders Ed Hubbard and Don Lewis talk about misunderstandings and controversies, underscored by a melancholy that is emblematic to American small towns past their economic prime. Distinctive in its maize-and-sky blue location photography as well as an evocative “retro” score by Todd Mazierski, HOOPESTON played a handful of public dates before receiving a brief on-line release and fading from sight. The Witch School would be relocated to nearby Rossville, back to Chicago, and finally to Salem, MA, before reverting to a Web-only presence; several branches practice the “Correllian Nativist Tradition” worldwide, including a central “mother temple” in Danville. Synydyne’s interests took a right turn into transmedia territory and alternate reality games (ARGs) with the tourism campaign, “This is My Milwaukee,” the automated poetry generator “@Horse_ebooks,” the comically dry “Pronunciation Book” videos, and the corporate adventure scenario “Bear Stearns Bravo” in quick succession, attracting many thousands of avid followers and inspiring numerous theories about their veracity and meaning. As reported on 4/5/08, 10/29/08, 3/08/10 at CUBlog.
LOCAL FILMS, ETC. | Support Your Media Storytellers
@ Champaign Public Library, Champaign, IL
Champaign Movie Makers* meeting, “48 Hr Screening,” Robeson Pavilion Room A (2/19, 7 p.m., free)
@ Lincoln Hall, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Film & Video* meeting, Room 1022 (2/18, 7 p.m.)
@ Lincoln Square Mall, Urbana, IL (start only)
Champaign Movie Makers 48 Hour Film Competition (2/15, 7 p.m.-2/17, 7 p.m.)
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ The Art Theater, Champaign, IL
CAPERNAUM (2/16 on), The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2019: Documentary (2/15-2/16, 2/20-2/21), Animation (2/16-2/18), and Live Action (2/16-2/17), “Oscar Trivia Night” (2/17, 7 p.m.), THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US (2/19, 7 p.m., free), Late Night: AUDITION (2/15-2/16, 9:30 p.m.; 2/21, 10 p.m.)
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, FALL IN LOVE AT FIRST KISS, HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U, ISN’T IT ROMANTIC, COLD PURSUIT, GLASS, GREEN BOOK, THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART, MISS BALA, PEGASUS, THE PRODIGY, THE UPSIDE, WANDERING EARTH, WHAT MEN WANT (2/15 on), Best Picture Showcase 2019 marathon (2/16) featuring THE FAVOURITE (11 a.m.), BLACKkKLANSMAN (1:20 p.m.), and BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (4 p.m.), FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD, RUN THE RACE (2/21 on)
@ Family Video, Champaign-Urbana, IL
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY, NOBODY’S FOOL, THE FRONT RUNNER, AT ETERNITY’S GATE, POSSUM, WILLIAM THE CONQUEROR, MERMAID: LAKE OF THE DEAD, PIMPED, NIGHTFLYERS (s1), more! (2/12 on)
@ Goodrich Savoy 16, Savoy, IL
ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U, ISN’T IT ROMANTIC, COLD PURSUIT, GLASS, THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART, THE PRODIGY, RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET, SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE, A STAR IS BORN, THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD, THE UPSIDE, WHAT MEN WANT (2/15 on), TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (2/17, 2/20), GUNDAM NT (2/19, 7 p.m.), MISS BALA (2/17-2/10, single shows), HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD (2/21 on)
@ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Weekend Films at the Union” feat. GREEN BOOK, Pine Lounge (2/15-2/16, 7 p.m., free w/i-card)
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
ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U, ISN’T IT ROMANTIC, COLD PURSUIT, THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART, WHAT MEN WANT (2/15 on)
@ AMC Parkway Pointe 8, Springfield, IL
Molly Schlich Independent | International Film Series
IN THE FADE (2/17, 2/19)
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL
ISN’T IT ROMANTIC, THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART, THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD (2/15 on), ON THE BASIS OF SEX (2/15-2/18), “More Americana at the Movies” classes with Skip Huston (Thursdays, 1/31-3/21, 6:30 p.m., enroll @ Avon)
@ The Lincoln Family Theater & Community Center, Lincoln, IL
ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, HAPPY DEATH DAY 2U, ISN’T IT ROMANTIC, THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART, THE PRODIGY, THE UPSIDE, WHAT MEN WANT (2/15 on), GOD BLESS THE BROKEN ROAD (2/15-2/21, daily show, free), HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD (2/21 on)
@ The Little Lorraine, Hoopeston, IL
PILLOW TALK (2/14), BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (2/15, 2/17), Trivia Night (2/16)
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
The Oscar Nominated Short Films 2019: Animation (2/15, 2/17), Live Action (2/16-2/17, 2/21), and Documentary (2/16), NORM OF THE NORTH “dress up” event (2/16, 1 p.m., free), THE PRINCESS BRIDE (2/17), Tuesday Night Classic: IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (2/19), Six Week Film School: “Stanley Kubrick” feat. THE KILLING (2/20, free)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART (2/15-2/18, 2/20)
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
THE UPSIDE (2/15-2/17), OLIVER & COMPANY (2/18, 11 a.m., free)
NOW PLAYING | Midwest
@ various locations, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
41st Big Muddy Film Festival (2/18-2/24)
COMING SOON | Area-wide Events
2/23
36th Insect Fear Film Festival feat. ALIEN APOCALPYSE
@ Foellinger Auditorium, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7:30 p.m., free
2/24
BORDERLINE silent film w/live score by Chicago Modern Orchestra Project
@ Foellinger Auditorium, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 3 p.m., free
2/28-3/3
15th True/False Film Fest, Columbia, MO
3/21-3/24
29th Onion City Experimental Film and Video Festival, Chicago, IL
4/4-4/7
4th Twisted Dreams Film Festival, Milwaukee, WI
4/4-4/11
21st Wisconsin Film Festival, Madison, WI
4/10-4/13
21st Roger Ebert’s Film Festival
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
4/10-4/14
23rd Kansas City FilmFest International, Kansas City, MO
4/25-4/28
6th Milwaukee Underground Film Festival, Milwaukee, WI
5/2-5/12
16th Indy Film Festival, Indianapolis, IN
6/5-6/9
26th Chicago Underground Film Festival, Chicago, IL
6/29
Laugh and Slash Film Festival
@ Garden Hotel, Urbana, IL
8/1-8/4
11th Gen Con Film Festival @ Gen Con, Indianapolis, IN
NEW! 9/19-29
37th Reeling LGBTQ+ International Film Festival, Chicago, IL
10/26
Dark History & Horror Con’s Screaming Mad Film Festival
@ The City Center, Champaign, IL, 1:30 p.m.
11/1-11/2
18th annual Route 66 Film Festival
@ Capital City Bar & Grill, Springfield, IL
11/1-11/2
3rd Dead in Decatur Film Festival
@ Decatur Area Arts Council, Decatur, IL
TBD
10th New Art Film Festival, Champaign, IL
COMMUNITY & CAMPUS SERIES | Champaign-Urbana area
AEMS presents AsiaLENS Documentary/Film Series
@ Spurlock Museum, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m., free
3/12: THE SONG COLLECTOR; 4/9: FINDING KUKAN
Illini Union Board Presents “Weekend Films at the Union”
@ Pine Lounge, Main Level, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m. Fri., 7 & 10 p.m. Sat., free w/i-card
2/15, 2/16: GREEN BOOK; 2/22, 2/23: CREED II; 3/1, 3/2: SPIDER-MAN: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE; 3/8, 3/9: RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET; 3/15, 3/16: BUMBLEBEE; 3/22, 3/23: ESCAPE ROOM; 3/29, 3/30: AQUAMAN; 4/5, 4/6: MARY POPPINS RETURNS; 4/12, 4/13: HOLMES & WATSON; 4/19, 4/20: WHAT MEN WANT; 4/26, 4/27: THE LEGO MOVIE 2
The News-Gazette Film Series
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
3/9: GASLIGHT; 4/6: METROPOLIS; 5/25: THE THIN MAN; 6/22: ON THE WATERFRONT; 7/13: STAGE DOOR
Springfield Art Association presents
The Molly Schlich Independent | International Film Series 2019
@ AMC Parkway 8 Theatre, Springfield, IL, 1 & 4 p.m. Sundays and 7 p.m. Tuesdays
2/17, 2/19: IN THE FADE; 2/24, 2/26: THE SQUARE; 3/3, 3/5: THE GUILTY
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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“Calendar du C-U”
© 2019 Jason Pankoke/C-U Blogfidential