Calendar: Oct. 30-Nov. 5, 2026
Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday-Sunday on C-U Blogfidential and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.
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THE BLOGFIDENTIAL TELETYPE | Film News You Can Use, C-U
Just like with practically anything involving the movies of Champaign, Urbana, and the cities beyond these days, we have to go looking for our Halloween thrills since we simply don’t get costumed visitors here at the house on the edge of an American small town and refrain from marking our territory with frightful decoration as a beacon to draw the kiddies or grown-up revelers. In the course of doing so, we have found a handful of delights to drop in your virtual goodie bags, dearest readers, that we hope you will cozy up to as October expires and daytime hours diminish. Our parameter is we’re sharing things not from the ranks of the horror-heavy efforts that have been dominating our filmmaking scene as of late.
Central Illinois is the strange and unusual in the fall. WTVP-TV, the PBS affiliate in Peoria, premiered the half-hour special HAUNTED HEARTLAND on Thursday, October 29, in which storyteller Brian “Fox” Ellis introduces us to a quartet of tales that contextualize the ghosts of history past at a handful of locations in Peoria as well as Kemp Hall on the Illinois Wesleyan University campus in Bloomington. Coincidentally making the social media rounds is a no-budget, analog equivalent titled HAUNTED INDIANA that first aired in October 1981 on WTTV-TV, a formerly independent station in Bloomington, Indiana; co-creator Steve White and numerous folks who saw it originally have left comments at the YouTube upload and, honestly, it’s a bit heartwarming and gratifying to read. Not to be excluded from the spooky, C-U is part and parcel to a fresh retelling of odd occurrences that have befallen the Natural History Building on the University of Illinois main quad, written by Jake Keister of the School of Earth, Society & Environment and posted today, October 30, which hinge on the author seeking out an explanation for a walled-in, upper floor doorway that would open to nothing were there a door still in place. The findings also involve an encounter with the Mummy, Ted Johnson, rumored to have haunted the NHB halls a generation ago.
Shudder to think we’d not make mention of the last gasps for All Hallow’s Eve fare. Several venues in the area got into the Transylvanian act this year and the final presentation of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW will be at the Virginia Theatre in Champaign tomorrow, October 31, but it is sold out. The impressive first round of “Shocktober” screenings, chosen by Paul Young and friends for Film-Fanatic.Club, will also come to a close tomorrow with a 10:30 p.m. showing of the A24 hit THE WITCH at The Literary a mere two blocks away. On Sunday, November 1, 4 p.m., at the Phoenix Savoy 16 is the concluding selection of “DoctoberFest” from Chambana Film Society, TIME WARP, which is about a drag and queer ROCKY shadow cast being recruited in conservative Wyoming. And, down south in the St. Louis region, the Lincoln Theatre of Belleville will host on Saturday afternoon the half-century-later premiere of DISINTER, an amateur short film begun in the Seventies by then-teenagers Keith Howard and Patrick Voss, who recently exhumed its Super 8 bones and completed it with the help of Belleville’s Nathan Domescik; NPR affiliate St. Louis Public Radio and contributor Chad Davis report on its revival.
With all that said, it’s dark and cool outside as we finalize this and, eek, we’ve actually heard a throaty owl on our property over the last few days. We think the best thing to do is to not party, not scare, not imbibe, and not overdo it on sweets. It’s time to turn over a newly red, orange, or yellow leaf and raise our hopes, eyebrows, and blood pressure the old-fashioned way … by watching movies regularly from this point forward like we used to do, and not just the creepy choices. Ciao for now…
CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History
20 Years Ago … Saturday, October 28, 2006: Opteryx Press of Champaign hosts a “MICRO-FILM Movie Show” of low-budget horror cinema for Halloween including DRAWING BLOOD, directed by the Wolinski Brothers, and SEX MACHINE, directed by Christopher Sharpe, in the upper level of Mike ‘n Molly’s in downtown Champaign. This is their fourth screening of the year at the popular bar, all curated and hosted by editor/publisher Jason Pankoke, and also the last standalone MF event to date. [R]
110 Years Ago … Friday, October 27, 1916: Proclaimed to be one of the grandest playhouses in Illinois and designed by local architectural firm Aschauer & Waggoner as a completely fireproof structure, the Lincoln Square Theater opens for business in downtown Decatur and hosts a standing-room-only crowd that enjoys a touring production of the Broadway comedy, Hit-the-Trail-Holiday, as recounted in Lincoln Square Theatre by Jasper P. DeVidal. Although constructed to include a roomy backstage area, orchestra pit, and pitch-perfect acoustics for live performances, the Lincoln Square would be retrofit in the coming months to accommodate motion pictures. Managers eventually added a projection booth in June 1917 and played their first films, THE CALL OF HER PEOPLE and THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER, the next month, following with the installation of a pipe organ in January 1919. [R]
LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers
@ The Literary, Champaign, IL
Film-Fanatic.Club, etc., present “Shocktober Horror Film Festival” feat. THE WITCH (10/31, 10:30 p.m.) | Information
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
Chambana Film Society presents “2026 DoctoberFest” feat. TIME WARP (11/1, 4 p.m.) | Information
@ Shake It Up Cocktail Lounge & Eatery, Bloomington, IL
“B-Movie Bingo” hosted by Paul A. Brooks* feat. IF LOOKS COULD KILL, NEVER TOO YOUNG TO DIE (11/5, 7 p.m.)
@ WEFT 90.1 FM, Champaign, IL
“Frame Noise” film music program hosted by Przemek (11/4, 7-8 p.m.) Streaming | Archive
NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area
@ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL
AADARSHA KUTUMBAM – HOUSE NO. 47 (in Telugu with English sub), BREEDER, CHRISTMAS AT THE KRINGLES, FJORD, THE MONGOOSE, THE MOSQUITO BOWL, CLAYFACE, KLARA AND THE SUN, OTHER MOMMY, RESIDENT EVIL, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY*, STREET FIGHTER, WHALEFALL, WICKER, WILDWOOD (animation), YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING (documentary) (10/30 on), Fan Faves: THE CROW (1994) (10/30-10:31, 8 p.m.), AMC “Screen Unseen” (mystery movie) (11/2, 7 p.m.), RAMAYANA (in Hindi with English sub) (11/4 on), THE CAT IN THE HAT (animation), DRUMMER BOY (faith film), GODZILLA MINUS ZERO (in Japanese with English sub), JIMMY (11/5 on) *single screenings daily
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL
AADARSHA KUTUMBAM – HOUSE NO. 47* (in Telugu with English sub), CHRISTMAS AT THE KRINGLES, EVEREST: THE OTHER SIDE (documentary), THE MONGOOSE, THE ONLY LIVING PICKPOCKET IN NEW YORK, PAGING HEZBOLLAH (documentary), CLAYFACE, OTHER MOMMY, PRIMETIME, RESIDENT EVIL, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, STREET FIGHTER, A TALENT FOR MURDER*, WHALEFALL, WICKER, WILDWOOD (animation), YOU CAN SEE EVERYTHING (documentary) (10/30 on), ONCE UPON A TIME … IN HOLLYWOOD (re-release) (IMAX) (10/30-11/2), SCREAM (1996) (10/31, 4:30 & 7 p.m.), HALLOWEEN (1978) (10/31, 7 & 9:45 p.m.), THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION (11/1, 3 & 7 p.m.; 11/4, 7 p.m.), GODZILLA MINUS ZERO “Godzilla Day” sneak preview (11/3, 12, 3, 6 & 9 p.m.; IMAX), RAMAYANA (in Hindi with English sub) (11/4 on), THE CAT IN THE HAT (animation), GODZILLA MINUS ZERO (in Japanese with English sub), JIMMY, WILD HORSE NINE (11/5 on) *single screenings daily
@ Courtyard Café, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL
Illini Union Board presents “Fall 2026 Weekend Films” feat. COCO (animation) (10/31-11/1, 7 p.m.; free w/i-card)
@ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL
Mix 94.5 & Rewind 92.5 present THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW w/shadow cast (10/31, doors 7:30 p.m., event 8:30 p.m.)
Events featuring locally produced movies or organized by local groups 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 Lorraine Theatre, Hoopeston, IL
OTHER MOMMY (10/30-11/1), SENSE AND SENSIBILITY (11/4), THE CAT IN THE HAT (animation) (11/5 on)
@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL
HOCUS POCUS (10/30, 7 p.m.; 10/31 1 p.m.), GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) (10/30, 9:30 p.m.; 10/31, 7 p.m.), BEETLEJUICE (10/31, 4 p.m.), THE LOST BOYS (10/31, 9:30 p.m.), IDIOCRACY (11/1, 7 p.m.), DEAD POETS SOCIETY (11/3, 7 p.m.), “Summer of Bond … in November” feat. CASINO ROYALE (11/4, 7 p.m.), QUANTUM OF SOLACE (11/5, 7 p.m.)
@ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL
VERITY (10/30-11/1)
The Route 66 Drive-in Theater, Springfield, IL
Closed for the season.
NOW PLAYING | Midwest
@ Firehouse Cinema, Chicago Filmmakers, Chicago, IL
READING THE WORLD (documentary) (10/30, 7 p.m., in Portuguese with English sub)
@ The Hi-Pointe Theatre, etc., St. Louis, MO
Cinema St. Louis presents 35th Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (11/5-11/15) | Information
COMING SOON | Area-wide Events
11/8
Film-Fanatic.Club* presents
SHADOWS OF FORGOTTEN ANCESTORS moderated by Sam Veremchuk
@ Pizzeria Antica, Champaign, IL, 6 p.m.
11/13
Inter-Pygmalion* presents
David Cross
@ The City Center, Champaign, IL, 8 p.m.
11/20-11/22
25th anniversary Route 66 Film Festival*
@ Hoogland Center for the Arts, Springfield, IL
12/7
An evening with Peter Billingsly
feat. screening of A CHRISTMAS STORY
@ Prairie Home Alliance Theater, Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, IL, 6:30 p.m.
3/25, 2027
“John Cleese: Still Not Dead (Yet)”
feat. screening of MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL
@ Peoria Civic Center, Peoria, IL, 7 p.m.
4/8-4/11, 2027
37th Onion City Experimental Film Festival
@ Chicago Filmmakers Firehouse, Chicago, IL
COMMUNITY & CAMPUS SERIES | Champaign-Urbana area
UPDATE! Chambana Film Society screenings
@ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL, 7 p.m.
TAKE ME HOME (11/6), MOUSE (11/13), CHRONOVISOR (11/20), WINTER HYMNS (12/4), HEN (12/11), Documentary Short Films (12/27), Public Domain Day (1/1/27) | Information
NEW! Film-Fanatic.Club screenings
@ various locations & times, Champaign-Urbana, IL
11/8: SHADOWS OF FORGOTTEN ANCESTORS @ Pizzeria Antica, C. (6 p.m.), 11/21: ADAPTATION. @ The Literary, C. (TBA), 12/3: DUNE (1984) @ Analog Wine Library, U. (TBA) | Information
Illini Union Board presents “Fall 2026 Weekend Films”
@ Courtyard Café, 1st floor, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 7 p.m. Sat. & Sun., free w/i-card
11/7-11/8: THE END OF OAK STREET; 11/14-11/15: SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY; 11/21-11/22: TOY STORY 5; 12/5-12/6: THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE
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Compiled by Jason Pankoke.
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“Calendar du C-U”
© 2026 Jason Pankoke/C-U Blogfidential
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