Calendar: October 20-26, 2023
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!
10/20: Lana Wildman (archivist, FIELDS OF GOLD, Spencer Films, Springfield, IL)
10/25: Becca Whitaker (staff cartoonist, Bachelor Pad Magazine, Champaign, IL)
10/26: Frank Kurtz (co-writer/co-director, CARNIVORE, MaderFilm, Los Angeles, CA)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
We take one week off from filing a Report and it feels like we’re backed up times ten in giving you the current lowdown. Ah, well. At the expense of Ye Ed enjoying a low-key, two-night stay in the C-U last weekend for the first time in several years – yes, years – it will all be worth it as long as you keep checking in with CUBlog, dearest readers. Instead of the traditional three items and out, we’ll add one more for four since we missed a step, and expect us to provide a Halloween-themed update next time.
First, CUZine friend Sarah Christensen has organized a new Small Press Fest through her position at UIUC and it takes place between October 26 and 28; set for Thursday is a keynote speech by Ben Denzer at Krannert Art Museum (Room 62, 5:30 p.m.), scheduled for Friday is a meet-and-greet-and-zine at the Prairie Glass House in rural north Champaign (6-8 p.m.) that we didn’t even know was a place to be until now, and arranged for Saturday is the festival itself at Lincoln Square Mall of Urbana (11 a.m.-4 p.m.) where tabling, talks, and walks through a related exhibit at the Art Coop can be enjoyed. And then, producer Bob Zimmerman has been adding segments of his 2012 C-U rock music documentary OUT OF NOWHERE to his “RAZ Films TV” YouTube channel and the first hour is available to watch; you can also view a sampling of his other work that includes concert footage, train videos, and interviews with U.S. military veterans.
Elsewhere, Vinegar Syndrome has moved their 2018 Blu-ray release of SHOT under a “Going Out of Print” menu, so fans of the student-made romp that was filmed on and off the UI campus in 1972-1973 might want to pick it up real soon; amusingly, one of the few other titles on the cusp is the video store staple WITCHTRAP that was recently remade by, of all people, ERASER director and SHOT lead actor Chuck Russell. Finally, twenty- and thirtysomethings gasped collectively within C-U city limits when it was announced earlier this week that Ian Cardoni and Harry Belden would respectively voice RICK AND MORTY in the Season 7 episodes that are starting to air on Adult Swim; the contributions of the actors including Belden, a recent alum of Second City in Chicago and the University of Illinois in Urbana, are discussed by R&M co-creator Dan Harmon and showrunner Scott Marder in a Hollywood Reporter article that artfully navigates the personnel crisis leading to the major recasting effort. Erg. What a fuckin’ pickle, Rick.
And, lucky you, since we were delayed in posting the Calendar until Saturday like usual, we’re adding an item based on a find from very late on Friday. Apparently, bidding will open on Sunday, October 22, and end on Wednesday, October 25, for an auction sale of all the material goods from the Landmark Cinema 10 of Peoria that recently shut its doors; click here for a gallery and a list of goods that goes on for miles. If anyone would want to take one big step towards reopening a certain shuttered art house much closer to home and has a large enough pocketbook to match the ambition, well … it’s never that easy, we know.
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, LEO: BLOODY SWEET (in Tamil/Hindu with English sub), UNDER THE LIGHT (in Mandarin with English sub), THE CREATOR, THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER, THE NUN II, PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE (animation), SAW X (10/20 on), TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR (concert film) (10/20-10/22), THE EQUALIZER 3, A HAUNTING IN VENICE, SOUND OF FREEDOM, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM (animation) (10/23-10/26), CROSSROADS “global fan event” (10/23, 10/25, 7:30 p.m.), AFTER DEATH (religious docudrama), FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S, FREELANCE (10/26 on)
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
BHAGAVANTH KESARI (in Telugu with English sub), KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS 30th anniversary (re-release), BARBIE, THE BLIND (faith film), THE CREATOR, THE EQUALIZER 3, THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER, A HAUNTING IN VENICE, HOCUS POCUS 30th anniversary (re-release), THE NUN II, PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE (animation), SAW X (10/20 on), TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR (concert film) (10/20-10/22, 10/26), BACK TO THE FUTURE (10/21, 7 p.m.; 10/25, 7 p.m.), BEETLEJUICE (10/22, 3 & 7 p.m.; 10/25, 7 p.m.), THE BIRDS (10/22, 1 & 7 p.m.; 10/23, 7 p.m.), BEYOND UTOPIA (N. Korea documentary) (10/23-10/24, 4 & 7 p.m.), DUMB MONEY (10/23-10/26, 9 p.m.), THE DOMINO REVIVAL (religious documentary) (10/24, 7 p.m.), FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S (10/26 on)
@ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Fall 2023 Weekend Films” feat. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – DEAD RECKONING, PART ONE, Pine Lounge, 1st floor (10/20-10/21, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)
@ Redbox (streaming), Champaign-Urbana, IL
DARK HARVEST, THE HARD HIT, LANDFILL, SATAN WANTS YOU, SHAKY SHIVERS, WARRIOR KING, more! (10/17 on) Online rentals
@ Spurlock Museum for World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL
The Roger Ebert Center for Film Studies presents Iranian Cinema film screening (10/26, 7 p.m., free) and Iranian Cinema lecture by Kaveh Askari (10/27, 3 p.m., free)
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
No movies this week!
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
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL
THE CANTERVILLE GHOST (animation), HOCUS POCUS 30th anniversary, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON (10/20-10/22)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
THE LOST BOYS (10/20, 7 p.m.), DRACULA (1931) (10/21, 7 p.m.)
@ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL
TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR (concert film) (Screen 1) (10/19-10/22), CORALINE (animation), HALLOWEEN (1978) (Screen 2) (10/19), HOCUS POCUS, CORALINE (animation) (Screen 2) (10/20-10/22)
@ The Little Lorraine, Hoopeston, IL
Private parties and “Family Movie Packs”
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
THE EXORCIST (10/20-10/21), EVIL DEAD 2 (10/20), BEETLEJUICE (10/21), ISU Honors Program presents “Ethnogothic Film Series” feat. TALK TO ME (10/21, 7 p.m.), GHOSTBUSTERS (1984), CHRISTINE (10/22), JENNIFER’S BODY (10/23), KURONEKO (10/24), CAPTAIN KRONOS: VAMPIRE HUNTER (10/25), THE SHINING (10/26)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
Closed for business until November.
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE (animation) (10/20-10/22)
@ The Route 66 Drive-in Theater, Springfield, IL
TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR (concert film) (Screen 1, 10/19-10/22, 10/26), HOCUS POCUS 2, HAUNTED MANSION (Screen 2, 10/20-10/21), HOCUS POCUS 2 (Screen 2, 10/22, 10/26)
NOW PLAYING | Midwest
@ Music Box Theatre, AMC NewCity 14, etc., Chicago, IL
59th Chicago International Film Festival (through 10/22)
For detailed and curated listings of Chicago-area film presentations and related events, please visit the fine folks at Cine-File and subscribe to their definitive “Cine-List” weekly blast.
COMING SOON | Area-wide Events
UPDATE! 10/26-10/28
Small Press Fest 2023
@ Lincoln Square Mall/UIUC, Urbana, IL
10/27-10/28
THE WOODMEN* local film premiere
@ The Little Lorraine, Hoopeston, IL, 7 p.m.
NEW! 10/27
NAZARBAND screening w/filmmaker Suman Mukhopadhyay
@ Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m.
NEW! 10/31
THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI w/discussion
@ Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 4:30 p.m.
11/3-11/3
22nd Route 66 Film Festival, Springfield, IL (virtual)
11/9-11/19
32nd Whitaker St Louis International Film Festival, St. Louis, MO
11/10
AFTERLIFE* documentary world premiere
@ The Avon Theatre, Decatur, IL, 7 p.m.
12/2
Krampusnacht Freeky Film Festival*
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
3/2/24
CU International Film Festival*
@ Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL
4/17-4/20/24
24th Roger Ebert’s Film Festival*
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
COMMUNITY & CAMPUS SERIES | Champaign-Urbana area
Illini Radio Group presents “Rewind 92.5 Movie Series”/“Mix 94.5 Throwback Thursdays”*
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
11/16: PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES*, 12/21: DIE HARD
Illinois Public Media presents “The Arthouse Experience Film Series”
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
12/1: SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK
Illini Union Board presents “Fall 2023 Weekend Films”
@ Pine Lounge, 1st floor, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m. Fri. & Sat, free w/i-card
10/27-10/28: INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR; 11/3-11/4: GRAN TURISMO; 11/10-11/11: STRAYS: 11/17-11/18: BLUE BEETLE; 12/1-12/2: THE EQUALIZER 3
The News-Gazette Film Series
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
11/25: NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION; 12/2: IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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“Calendar du C-U”
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