Calendar: November 10-16, 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!
11/10: Andrew Stengele (organizer, Tabletop Central, Champaign-Savoy, IL)
11/10: Andrew Nygard (filmmaker, THERE WILL BE SOUND, Team Awesome, Champaign-Urbana, IL)
11/14: Ross Snyder (co-owner, Saturn’s Core Audio & Video, Bloomingdale, NJ)
11/16: Kymberly Harris (director/writer, I HEARD SARAH, Cranked Up Films, Ashland, OH)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
Believe it or not – trust us, that’s a loaded phrase in this here Report – there are a pair of locally-made films premiering on consecutive weekends in the area and, since we’ve been sluggish on running our post-Halloween Halloween stories, we’ll have to fold our previews at them into the Calendar. First is AFTERLIFE, which will receive its official public debut at the Avon Theatre in downtown Decatur tonight, Friday, November 10, at 7 p.m. Directed by Ben Harl and produced by his company, Silver Compass Studios, the documentary follows along on his personal exploration to better understand “what it means to die” as a self-described skeptic and possibly help to temper the fear many feel about the inevitable. There is not much detail available on the internet right now about AFTERLIFE, such as the individuals who appear in the film, but Harl opens up to a point with deejay Shyler Kraus of Y103 FM in the Soy City on how the process of talking with professionals and everyday people, coming from all walks of life and with various strengths in their knowledge and experiences, has apparently changed his outlook for the better.
Having begun his own research and investigation for AFTERLIFE more than two years ago when the pandemic was still forcing everyone to be restrictive on gatherings, such as with film sets, Harl can now share the fruits of his self-discovery with the Avon faithful and whomever gets to glean from it next. Not too surprisingly, the movie house happens to be playing the recently released AFTER DEATH from Angel Studios – scheduling will allow for a double feature of both this evening if you’re attending and so inclined – and reviews like these from IndieWire and Variety have been quick to point out its overt proselytizing and foregone conclusions. (You can decide what you’re up for, dearest viewers, we trust you.) Elsewhere, Silver Compass has plenty more on its plate, such as their segment for the upcoming horror anthology F’D: TALES FROM THE END TIMES, and you can learn about it all by listening to Harl’s appearances on the podcasts of Chase & Shep. The 100th “Mondays for the Mind” episode from July is a good time and delves into the storytelling and technical demands of making movies on a budget here in the Midwest.
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AFTERLIFE is a Silver Compass Studios (Decatur, IL) production that is written, produced, and directed by Ben Harl with cinematography by Justin Taylor, editing by Adam Thompson, Tim Lynn, and Harl, music composition by Eric Watkins, sound by Taylor and Harl, and grip work by Kevin Lau.
LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers
@ virtual via Springfield, IL
22nd Route 66 Film Festival (11/3-11/13) Information Tickets
@ The Avon Theatre, Decatur, IL
AFTERLIFE* local premiere w/filmmakers (documentary) (11/10, 7 p.m.)
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
IT’S A WONDERFUL KNIFE *, JAPAN (in Tamil with English sub), JIGARTHANDA DOUBLEX (in Tamil with English sub), JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM (faith film), LAST SUSPECT (in Mandarin with English sub), THE MARVELS, PRISCILLA, THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER, FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, SAW X, WHAT HAPPENS LATER* (11/10), TAYLOR SWIFT: THE ERAS TOUR (concert film) (11/10-11/12), TIGER 3 (in Hindi with English sub) (11/11 on), AX Cinema Nights: GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995) (animé) (11/12, 7:30 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), “An All-Star Tribute to Lee Greenwood” (filmed music concert) (11/12, 2 p.m.), THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES, NEXT GOAL WINS, THANKSGIVING, TROLLS BAND TOGETHER (11/16 on) *single screenings daily
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
THE HOLDOVERS, JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM (faith film), THE MARVELS, AFTER DEATH (religious docudrama)*, ANATOMY OF A FALL, THE EXORCIST: BELIEVER, FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, THE MARSH KING’S DAUGHTER, PAW PATROL: THE MIGHTY MOVIE (animation), PRISCILLA, WHAT HAPPENS LATER (11/10 on), UFC 295: Jiří Procházka vs. Alex Pereira, more (mixed martial arts) (11/11, 9 p.m., simulcast), “An All-Star Tribute to Lee Greenwood” (filmed music concert) (11/12, 2 p.m.), GREMLINS (11/12, 3 & 7 p.m.; 11/15, 7 p.m.), SCARFACE (11/12, 3 & 7 p.m.; 11/15, 7 p.m.), MEDICINE MAN: THE STAN BROCK STORY (documentary) (11/14, 7 p.m.), THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES, THANKSGIVING, TROLLS BAND TOGETHER (11/16 on) *single screenings daily
@ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Fall 2023 Weekend Films” feat. STRAYS, Pine Lounge, 1st floor (11/10-11/11, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)
@ Redbox (streaming), Champaign-Urbana, IL
FOE, HELEN’S DEAD, LION-GIRL, SHARE?, SHOOTING STARS (kiosk), more! (11/7 on) Online rentals
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
Illini Radio Group presents “Mix 94.5 Movie Series” feat. TROLLS BAND TOGETHER sneak preview (animation) (11/13, 7 p.m., free) and “Mix 94.5 Throwback Thursdays” feat. PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES (11/16, 7 p.m.)
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 MARVELS, AFTER DEATH (religious docudrama), FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S (11/10-11/12), AFTERLIFE* documentary local premiere w/filmmakers (11/10, 7 p.m.)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
No movies this week!
@ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL
Closed for the regular season.
@ The Little Lorraine, Hoopeston, IL
Private parties and events
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
STOP MAKING SENSE (concert film) (11/10, 11/12, 11/16), A CANTERBURY TALE (11/11), Severn Films presents … Extreme Horror! feat. MUTILATION MASSACRE* w/filmmaker, NIGHTMARE (1981) (11/11, 7 p.m.), JOAN BAEZ: I AM A NOISE (music documentary) (11/12)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
Closed for business until November.
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
EXPEND4BLES (11/10-11/12)
@ The Route 66 Drive-in Theater, Springfield, IL
Closed for the season.
NOW PLAYING | Midwest
@ Hi-Pointe Theatre, etc., St. Louis, MO
32nd Whitaker St Louis International Film Festival (through 11/19)
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
NEW! 11/18
IRRESPONSIBULL* feature film world premiere
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, 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.
12/21: DIE HARD
UPDATE! Illinois Public Media presents “The Arthouse Experience Film Series”
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
12/1: SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK; 12/15: THE BLACK CHURCH: THIS IS OUR STORY, THIS IS OUR SONG excerpt w/discussion
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
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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