Calendar: May 16-22, 2025
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!
5/17: Nat Dykeman (founder, Chambana Film Society/The Savoy Lumierè, Sidney, IL)
5/21: Katherine Bokenkamp (actress, AN AFFAIR AT THE END OF TIME, Earth-217 Studios, Fairmount, IL)
FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said
The Report is on hiatus until June. Thank you for your readership, CUvians and Agents! You should pay attention to Smile Politely, The Daily Illini, Champaign Movie Makers, and Chambana Film Festival for breaking news and updates in our scene. CUBlog will also keep in step with our friends and share to Facebook when we come across things you would like. Keep reading!
IMAGERY DU C-U | Picturing My Old Scene on Your Screen
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Yes, it’s a bit of a ruse. We still need one more week before we begin our archive show-and-tell. Sorry. We were torn between writing one or two bonus CUBlog posts this week and didn’t finish any of it, so the Calendar got the short end of the stick. Therefore, as a from-the-hip aside to keep everyone guessing what we have in store, let’s give you another preview starring the closest thing we have to a literal stick figure. This handmade Fighting Guy with (cocktail!) sword was entrusted to Ye Ed many moons ago by our friend and former Urbana resident, John May. We will come back around to them later in the photo sequence and, if you don’t already know why we’re including them, you will soon find out. It’s high time to weekend, don’t you think? Soak it in and be good out there, dearest adventurers and cultural archaeologists du C-U!
LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers
JIMMY IN SAIGON* U.S. streaming release: Tuesday, 5/13, nationwide via Dark Star Pictures, Los Angeles, CA/Peter McDowell Productions, Los Angeles, CA
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
23 (IRAVAI MOODU) (in Telugu with English sub), FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES, HURRY UP TOMORROW, THE RUSE, THE ACCOUNTANT 2, CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD, FIGHT OR FLIGHT, A MINECRAFT MOVIE, SHADOW FORCE, SINNERS, THUNDERBOLTS*, UNTIL DAWN (5/16 on), Studio Ghibli Fest: KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE (animé) (5/17, 4 p.m., 5/18, 4 & 7 p.m., 5/21, 7 p.m., English dub; 5/19-5/20, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), AMC “Scream Unseen” (mystery movie) (5/19, 7 p.m.), FRIENDSHIP, THE LAST RODEO, LILO & STITCH, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING (5/22 on)
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES, HURRY UP TOMORROW, THE RUSE, THE ACCOUNTANT 2, CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD, FIGHT OR FLIGHT*, JULIET & ROMEO*, A MINECRAFT MOVIE, SHADOW FORCE, SINNERS, THUNDERBOLTS*, UNTIL DAWN, WARFARE (5/16 on), Studio Ghibli Fest: KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE (animé) (5/17, 2 p.m., 5/18, 4 & 7 p.m., 5/21, 7 p.m., English dub; 5/19-5/20, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), The Metropolitan Opera: Salome (5/17, 12 p.m., simulcast; 5/21, 1 & 6:30 p.m., recorded), LABYRINTH (5/18, 3 & 7 p.m.; 5/21, 7 p.m.), LILO & STITCH, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING (5/22 on) *single screenings daily (except for THUNDERBOLTS*)
@ 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
@ Clintonia Eagle Theater, Clinton, IL
FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES, THE RUSE, THE ACCOUNTANT 2, CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD, A MINECRAFT MOVIE, THUNDERBOLTS* (5/16 on)
@ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL
THE GOONIES, JUMANJI (Screen 1), FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES, CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD (Screen 2) (5/16-5/17)
@ The Lorraine Theatre, Hoopeston, IL
THE LEGEND OF OCHI (5/16-5/18), LILO & STITCH (5/22 on)
@ Marcus Bloomington Cinema + IMAX, Bloomington, IL
FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES, HURRY UP TOMORROW, THE ACCOUNTANT 2, THE AMATEUR*, CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD*, FIGHT OR FLIGHT, JULIET & ROMEO, A MINECRAFT MOVIE, SHADOW FORCE, SINNERS, THUNDERBOLTS*, UNTIL DAWN (5/16 on), Indian cinema: 23 (IRAVAI MOODU)* (Telugu w/Eng sub, 5/16-5/21), YAMADONGA* (Telugu w/Eng sub, 5/16-5/21), and #SINGLE* (Telugu w/Eng sub, 5/16-5/21), ATTEZ WORLD TOUR – TOWARDS THE LIGHT: WILL TO POWER (concert film) (Korean w/Eng sub) (5/16, 6:40 p.m.; 5/17, 12:20 p.m.), DEMON SLAYER: MUGEN TRAIN (animé) (5/16, 9 p.m., 5/18, 3 p.m., 5/19, 6 p.m., Japanese w/Eng sub; 5/16, 6 p.m., 5/18, 12 p.m., 5/19, 7:50 p.m. Eng dub), The Metropolitan Opera: Salome (5/17, 12 p.m., simulcast), Studio Ghibli Fest: KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE (animé) (5/17-5/18, 3:30 p.m., 5/21, 7 p.m., English dub; 5/19-5/20, 7 p.m., in Japanese with English sub), THE WIZ (5/18, 2:40 & 6 p.m.; 5/21, 4 & 7:10 p.m.), MAD MAX: FURY ROAD 10th anniversary (5/18, 4 p.m.; 5/19, 6 p.m.), Marcus “Mystery Movie” (5/19, 7 p.m.), THE LAST RODEO, LILO & STITCH, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – THE FINAL RECKONING (5/22 on) *single screenings daily (except for THUNDERBOLTS*)
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
WHEN FALL IS COMING (5/16, 5/18), Keg Grove Brewing Company and the Normal present “Out of Your Element: A Big Lebowski Festival” feat. THE BIG LEBOWSKI (5/17, 5 p.m.), THE TROUBLE WITH JESSICA (5/22)
@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL
Closed for the week.
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
THUNDERBOLTS* (5/16-5/17)
@ The Route 66 Drive-in Theater, Springfield, IL
THUNDERBOLTS*, CLOWN IN A CORNFIELD (Screen 1), SINNERS, UNTIL DAWN (Screen 2) (5/16-5/17)
@ VIP Lincoln Grand 6, Lincoln, IL
FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES, THE ACCOUNTANT 2, FIGHT OR FLIGHT, THE KING OF KINGS (faith animation), A MINECRAFT MOVIE, SINNERS, THUNDERBOLTS* (5/16 on)
NOW PLAYING | Midwest
@ Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL
Midwest Film Festival presents “20th Anniversary Film Fair” (5/16, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.)
@ Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, IL
Midwest Film Festival presents “Invisible Ties: Celebrating the Profound Bonds That Shape Us” short film program (5/16, 7 p.m.)
@ Chicago Filmmakers Firehouse Cinema, Chicago, IL
Chicago Filmmakers presents THE DAY ICELAND STOOD STILL documentary and discussion (5/16, 7 p.m.)
@ Chicago Filmmakers Firehouse Cinema, Chicago, IL
Chicago Filmmakers presents “Picture ReStart” series, “Rapid Eye Movements” program (5/17, 6 p.m.)
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. And for northern Illinois industry news, be sure to read Reel Chicago and Screen Magazine.
COMING SOON | Area-wide Events
5/29-6/2
Champaign Film Society presents
the first Savoy Lumierè* film festival
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
6/25
“Jay & Silent Bob Aural Sects Tour” starring Kevin Smith & Jay Mewes
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL, 7:30 p.m.
9/21
Champaign Film Society presents
the first CineSonic* music film festival
@ TBA, Champaign-Urbana, IL
NEW! 11/8-11/9
Dark History & Horror Con 2025
@ The Orpheum Theatre, Champaign, IL
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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“Calendar du C-U”
© 2025 Jason Pankoke/C-U Blogfidential
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