Calendar: Jan. 26-Feb. 1, 2024
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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PASSINGS | You Will Be Missed
1/10: Peter Crombie, a.k.a. “‘Crazy’ Joe Davola,” 71 (camera operator, SHOT, Cinemaguild, UIUC, Urbana, IL)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
Teasing to please is the game in this week’s Report. All we’re going to do is direct your dearest peepers to the socials of local film producers who have revealed peeks at their upcoming endeavors over the last week. First, C-U filmmaker John Isberg posted an enigmatic image on Facebook tonight, just as we were compiling the Calendar, of the skull-masked creeper from FINAL SUMMER in a setting that clearly is not the campground from the first film, so it must be taken from the teaser that his team filmed recently for FINAL SUMMER 2; the March 22 date alongside the screen grab is presumably when the preview will be unleashed and a new fundraising campaign launched. And then, producer Ann Myrna and her cast and crew lovelies have been sharing nonstop from the set of SORORITY BABES, the none-too-shy horror short coming soon from Acrostar Films; a condensation of the full-length version to be made by creator S. J. Hermann and friends in the spring, BABES was brought to fruition in an undisclosed Decatur location by first-time solo director Angel Nichole Bradford and a nearly all-women staff. Third in this terror triptych is the teaser for a larger production filmed in Decatur as well, THE BATON ROUGE SERIAL KILLER: DERRICK TODD LEE, which premiered on the official Facebook page earlier today. Retired professional wrestler and in-demand character actor Bishop Stevens is directing and starring in this dramatization of the real-life murder spree perpetuated by Lee, who died from heart failure in 2016 after being sentenced and placed on death row, in the fall of last year with a pick-up shoot planned for this spring; the Soy Capital stands in for Louisiana to depict the crime story and familiar names can be seen in the credits list found on the Internet Movie Database. Watch their respective spaces to know when the films can be seen!
LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers
@ Golden Corral, Springfield, IL
Central Illinois Film Commission* meeting (2/1, 6 p.m.)
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
FIGHTER (in Hindi with English sub), GODZILLA MINUS ONE/MINUS COLOR (in Japanese with English sub), ROB N ROLL (in Cantonese with English sub), THE STORM (animé) (in Mandarin with English sub), ALL OF US STRANGERS, AMERICAN FICTION, ANYONE BUT YOU, THE BEEKEEPER, THE HOLDOVERS*, I.S.S., KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, MEAN GIRLS, MIGRATION (animation), PAST LIVES, POOR THINGS, WONKA (1/26 on), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (1/29, 7 p.m.), ARGYLLE, THE CHOSEN: S4, Ep. 1-3 (faith programming), THE ZONE OF INTEREST (in German with English sub) (2/1 on) *single screenings daily
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
AMERICAN FICTION, GODZILLA MINUS ONE/MINUS COLOR (in Japanese with English sub), ANYONE BUT YOU, AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM, THE BEEKEEPER, THE BOOK OF CLARENCE*, THE BOY AND THE HERON (animé) (in Japanese with English sub or English dub), THE BOYS IN THE BOAT, THE IRON CLAW, I.S.S., MEAN GIRLS, MIGRATION (animation), NIGHT SWIM, OPPENHEIMER* (2-D IMAX), POOR THINGS, QUEEN ROCK MONTREAL (concert film, IMAX), WONKA (1/26 on), The Metropolitan Opera: Carmen (1/27, 11:55 a.m., simulcast; 1/31, 1 & 6:30 p.m., recorded), THE WIZARD OF OZ 85th anniversary (1/28, 1 & 7 p.m.; 1/29, 1/31, 7 p.m.), TITANIC (1/28, 3 & 7 p.m.; 1/31, 7 p.m.), ARGYLLE, THE CHOSEN: S4, Ep. 1-3 (faith programming) (2/1 on) *single screenings daily
@ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Spring 2024 Weekend Films” feat. DUMB MONEY, Pine Lounge, 1st floor (1/26-1/27, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)
@ Redbox (streaming), Champaign-Urbana, IL
BAD HOMBRES, PLANETQUAKE, THE SEEDING, more! (1/23 on) Online rentals
@ 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
@ AMC Classic 12, Springfield, IL
Springfield Art Association presents Molly Schlich Independent | International Film Series feat. THE QUIET GIRL (1/28, 1 & 4 p.m.; 1/30, 7 p.m.)
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL
FREUD’S LAST SESSION, POOR THINGS, MEAN GIRLS (1/26-1/28)
@ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL
OPPENHEIMER (1/26, 7 p.m.; 1/27, 2 & 7 p.m.), THE LEGO MOVIE (animation) (1/28, 2 p.m.)
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
ANATOMY OF A FALL (1/26-1/28), Illinois State University presents “Can You Dig It? Exploring Race, Representation, and Culture in Blaxploitation Films” feat. SHAFT, discussion (2/1, 7 p.m.)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
MEAN GIRLS (1/26-1/28)
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
MIGRATION (animation) (1/26-1/28)
NOW PLAYING | Midwest
@ Chicago Filmmakers, Chicago, IL
Chicago Filmmakers presents “A Night with Chicago Filmmaker Tom Palazzolo” (1/27, 5 p.m.)
@ Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago, IL
Midwest Film Festival presents “Best of the Midwest Showcase” feat. Pemon Randi spotlight (1/29, 6:30 p.m. doors, 7:30 p.m. presentation)
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
2/16
Champaign Movie Makers* 48 hr film contest
@ Lincoln Square Mall, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m. (start time)
NEW! 2/18
Champaign Movie Makers* presents 48 hr film festival
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL, 7 p.m.
3/2
CU International Film Festival*
@ Spurlock Museum of World Cultures, UIUC, Urbana, IL
4/4-4/11
26th annual Wisconsin Film Festival, Madison, WI
4/4-4/14
34th Onion City Experimental Film Festival, Chicago, IL
4/17-4/20
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.
2/8: THE BLUES BROTHERS; 3/21: E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL; 4/25: PITCH PERFECT*; 5/23: FAME (1980); 6/27: HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE*; 7/11: GREASE “sing-a-long” edition
UPDATE! Illinois Public Media presents “The Arthouse Experience Film Series”
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.
2/16: GOSPEL: WHERE SONG AND SERMON MEET excerpt w/discussion; 3/8: PAST LIVES; 5/24: FREE SOLO; 7/19: STOP MAKING SENSE
Illini Union Board presents “Spring 2024 Weekend Films”
@ Pine Lounge, 1st floor, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m. Fri. & Sat, free w/i-card
2/2-2/3: WISH; 2/9-2/10: FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY’S; 2/16-2/17: THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS & SNAKES; 2/23-2/24: THE MARVELS; 3/1-3/2: TROLLS BAND TOGETHER; 3/8-3/9: AMERICAN FICTION; 3/15-3/16: AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM; 3/22-3/23: ANYONE BUT YOU; 3/29-3/30: THE COLOR PURPLE; 4/5-4/6: FERRARI; 4/12-4/13: THE BOYS IN THE BOAT; 4/19-4/20: WONKA; 4/26-4/27: THE BOOK OF CLARENCE; 5/3-5/4: THE IRON CLAW
The News-Gazette Film Series
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
2/10: SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN; 4/13: THE THIRD MAN
Springfield Art Association presents the 30th annual Molly Schlich Independent | International Film Series
@ AMC Classic Springfield 12, Springfield, IL, 1 & 4 p.m. Sunday + 7 p.m. Tuesday
2/4, 2/6: THE OTHER MOUNTAIN; 2/11, 2/13: THE BLUE CAFTAN; 2/18, 2/20: PAST LIVES; 2/25, 2/27: THE INNOCENT; 3/3, 3/5: REVOIR PARIS
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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“Calendar du C-U”
© 2024 Jason Pankoke/C-U Blogfidential