C-U Biz-en-scène: 06.30.2011

“C-U Biz-en-scène” appears every Thursday/Friday on C-U Blogfidential to give our readers a succinct snapshot of the cinema activity in and near Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA. Please support the artists and their work, attend screenings and events, and otherwise become active in our esoteric little world!

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MFHQ & YOU:
Another Fine Mess We’ve Gotten Into?

Spring cleaning usually takes place during the summer at the Secret MICRO-FILM Headquarters – let’s call it “keeping Mr. JaPan time” – such as right now, and it’s become apparent lately that our snazzy confines feel stuffed to the gills with cinema madness even after we restore order to the clutter. Yet, it’s not the accumulated physical matter that bothers us so. (That said, our first-ever “garage sale” might just transpire later this year because we need to make room, make room, and collect some dough to help pay the printer’s bill so stay tuned for the details!) We’re always reviewing or exhuming said matter pertaining to the movies of Champaign, Urbana, and the cities beyond, attempting to make use of it on a constant basis even if we never have enough reasonable hours or man/womanpower to do so regularly. Whether you believe it or not, dearest readers, mountains of original material could be generated from the molehills filled with videos, clippings, press materials, photographs, and so forth littering the MFHQ battlefield, and we’re at the crossroads now (given what we discussed at the head of last week’s CUBiz) where we seriously need to find out whether you, you, or even you are interested in augmenting our output by sharing the load. Down for expanding the breadth and depth of coverage CUBlog provides for our communities and in honor of our movie artists, which happen to also be your friends and neighbors partaking in the incredible if not simply unusual? Hopefully, the more you hear from us on this issue, the more our readership will benefit as our void is filled with a cacophony of your voices belting out vital independent press for independent cinema. Make it happen, people, it’ll be good for you. Onward:

  • Dark Maze Studios of Champaign recently sent out an e-blast highlighting recent news, beginning with the announcement that the “Korean TRON” episode of DEJA VIEW won the group its first Telly Award! Since then, brand-new entries on “Turkish STAR TREK” and “Nigerian TITANIC” have hit the Internet in the name of spreading remakesploitation love; we’ll let you discover which one kicks off with an Ed Glaser happy dance. Dark Maze will also place the DVD of their early effort NIGHT OF ANUBIS on moratorium after today, June 30, while the SPACE NINJA animated series has finally slashed, dashed, and pranced to life now that the PRESS START juggernaut quieted down some;
  • Don’t forget that staff from the University of Illinois’ National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) will introduce THE TREE OF LIFE at the Art Theater tomorrow, Friday, July 1, 7:30 p.m., describing their collaboration with auteur filmmaker Terrence Malick in creating computer visuals for the highly acclaimed feature;
  • In a rare pair of items concerning gear, Robin Christian of Dreamscape Cinema in Champaign has a lightly-used professional Sanyo HD projector he is willing to unload for roughly half off the list price; contact rpeters [at] dreamscape [dot] bz if interested. Also, former C-U indie filmmaker Alaric Rocha is enlisting the popular Kickstarter crowdsourcing site to help reach an atypical goal that will help enhance school projects to be produced for his MFA studies at DePaul University in Chicago – raising seed money to purchase a Steadicam;
  • Finally, Melissa Merli of the News-Gazette filed a report published yesterday on the passing of Warren York, the self-taught organist and caretaker of the classic Wurlitzer installed at the Virginia Theater in downtown Champaign. We send our thoughts and prayers to his family, friends, and loyal fans.

Already have ambitious thoughts on how you might like to contribute to CUBlog? If you’re stuck, re-read our pitch from a few months ago wherein we suggested readers write essays about five key milestones in their C-U movie lives, think it over for a little bit, and keep an eye out for our revised prompt in the next couple of days with all the parameters and deadlines you’ll need to know. Intend to please us, inspire us, thrill us with your stories!!!

MEDIA LINKS

Dumba dee dum, dumba dee dum, dumba dee dum, dumba dee dum, let’s see what’s swimming out there in the virtual ether, shall we Amy Pond? Woooo-eeee-ooooo! Starting off, the press arm of your humble editor’s alma mater, Illinois Wesleyan University, reported on several turn-of-the-century graduates making their way through the Hollywood machine. Our man Troy Michael of Innocent Words Magazine directed everyone’s attention to the brand-new video for the song “Swimmers Can Drown by Chicago/former C-U pop electronic band I:Scintilla. The clip was directed by our other man Chris Folkens, who appears on the cover of the July DV Magazine tied in to a story about the World Vision charitable runners PSA he produced with collaborator Nathan Brown; both are UIUC alumni, as is I:Scintilla lead singer and IWM layout artist Brittany Bindrim. Those in a commercial frame of mind can read up on the UI’s television promos recorded on campus this Tuesday and Wednesday, as reported by the Daily Illini, while the News-Gazette blogs briefly about the second downtown Champaign State Farm shoot in a year, this one “for internal use” and produced by Shawn Alyasiri. To end on a new beginning, Tuesday night’s Champaign Movie Makers meeting started with host and Class Act Interactive founder Natalie Ellis speaking about transforming her ground level space and the floors directly above it at 114 S. Neil St., downtown Champaign, into the SODO [South Downtown] Theatre community arts center; industrious filmmakers may want to keep SODO in mind as an alternative screening space since the ground floor is equipped with sound and seating while it can easily accommodate projection.

PLAYING THIS WEEK

@ The Art Theater, Champaign, IL: THE TREE OF LIFE (7/1 on), 13 ASSASSINS (7/1-7/3, 7/7, 10:30 p.m.)

@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL: LARRY CROWNE, TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, CARS 2 (7/1 on)

@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL: THE CIRCUS (6/30-7/3)

@ The Lorraine Theatre, Hoopeston, IL: TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, CARS 2 (6/30 on)

@ Gemini Cinemas, Villa Grove, IL: TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, CARS 2 (6/30 on)

@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL: CARS 2 (7/1, 7/3, 7/4)

@ Princess Theatre, LeRoy, IL: KUNG FU PANDA 2 (7/1-7/3)

@ Harvest Moon Drive-In, Gibson City, IL: TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, CARS 2 (6/30 on), SUPER 8, MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS (7/1-7/3)

@ Route 66 Drive-In, Springfield, IL: TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON, SUPER 8, CARS 2, SOUL SURFER (7/1 on), fireworks display (7/4, 9:30 p.m.)

@ That’s Rentertainment, Champaign, IL: SUCKER PUNCH, BEASTLY, SEASON OF THE WITCH, THE WARRIOR’S WAY, THE EAGLE, TETSUO: THE BULLET MAN, PEOPLE ON SUNDAY (Criterion), more! (6/28 on)

@ Centerbrook Drive-In, Martinsville, IN: MR. POPPER’S PENGUINS, CARS 2, GREEN LANTERN (7/1-7/6)

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Locally produced movies and events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Go see ‘em!

COMING SOON

7/8: THE ST. FRANCISVILLE EXPERIMENT w/Troy Taylor
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL, 10:30 p.m.

7/14-7/24: Indianapolis International Film Festival, Indianapolis, IN

7/15-7/17: G-Fest XVIII (Japanese pop culture), Rosemont, IL

7/19-7/24: Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival, Palatine, IL

8/4-8/7: Gen Con (Gaming), Indianapolis, IN

8/11-8/14: Wizard World Chicago (Comics & entertainment), Rosemont, IL

9/9: COPS and THE KID w/live accompaniment
@ Ellnora: the Guitar Festival, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 6:30 p.m.

9/10: THE GREAT FLOOD w/live accompaniment
@ Ellnora: the Guitar Festival, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, UIUC, Urbana, IL, 1:30 p.m.

NEW! 9/13: DVD release: LEADING LADIES*
+ Wolfe Video, New Almaden, CA

9/15-9/17: IMC Film Festival
@ Independent Media Center, Urbana, IL

9/16-9/18: Route 66 International Film Festival
@ Hoogland Center for the Arts, Springfield, IL

9/23-9/25: B Movie Celebration, Franklin, IN

10/6-10/20: Chicago International Film Festival, Chicago, IL

10/13-10/22: Heartland Film Festival, Indianapolis, IN

10/21-10/23: Dark Carnival Film Festival, Bloomington, IN

10/28-10/30: Freeky Creek Short Film Festival
@ Sleepy Creek Vineyards, Fairmount, IL

11/3-11/12: Reeling Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival, Chicago, IL

11/4-11/5: Drunken Zombie Film Festival
@ Peoria Theater, Peoria, IL

11/10-11/12: Embarras Valley Film Festival
@ EIU campus/Will Rogers Theater/etc., Charleston, IL

11/11-11/13: HorrorHound Weekend (Horror culture), Cincinnati, OH

11/10-11/20: St. Louis International Film Festival, St. Louis, MO

COMMUNITY FILM SERIES

The New Classics: Great Books to Great Films from the Past 50 Years
@ Danville Public Library, Danville, IL, 6:30 p.m.

7/11: THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK; 8/8: INTO THE WILD; 9/12: TRUE GRIT (2010); 10/10: THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS; 11/14: ORDINARY PEOPLE; 12/12: FAIL SAFE 1964); 1/9/12: NEVER CRY WOLF; 2/13/12: AWAKENINGS; 3/12/12: ADAPTATION; 4/9/12: UP IN THE AIR

The News-Gazette Film Series 2011
@ The Virginia Theater, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.

7/23: BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S; 8/6: ARSENIC AND OLD LACE; 9/10: ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT; 10/8: THE EXORCIST; 11/5: THE GODFATHER; 12/3: THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

UNIVERSITY FILM SERIES

Global Lens 2011: International Films
@ The Art Theater, Champaign, IL

7/21: SOUL OF SAND, India; 8/18: STREET DAYS, Georgia; 9/15: THE TENANTS, Brazil; 10/20: A USEFUL LIFE, Uruguay; 11/17: WHITE MEADOWS, Iran

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That’s it for the “business of our scene” this week!

If you have relevant news, opportunities, dates, or promotions that you would like included in CUBiz, please forward the who, what, where, when, and how much to cuconfidential [at] gmail [dot] com.

Compiled by Jason Pankoke

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We welcome your virtual presence in the Confidential scheme!

294 awesome (but way too few) peeps dig our Facebook page, while 19 astounding (yet way way way too few) comrades keep a watchful eye on our YouTube channel, the C-U Confidential Revue! We’d place our bets in a heartbeat that many more would enjoy our social/video outreach if they knew about us! Have you joined us on-line? Will you be ambassadors for our indie film cause and send your recruits in our direction? The more attention we receive, the better we can serve the interests of local artists and the movies of Champaign, Urbana, and the cities beyond!

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“C-U Biz-en-scène” no.49 © 2011 Jason Pankoke/C-U Blogfidential.

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