C-U Biz-en-scène: 12.16.2011

“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:
We Bounce Right Back Again!

Well, that stomach flu caught him by surprise! Wish your humble editor well as he catches up on business and decorating at the Secret MICRO-FILM Headquarters during the weekend, after which we’ll look ahead to an imagined 2012 that we won’t impose upon ourselves as a trite New Year’s resolution. It must come to pass, no question! Until then, we’ll enjoy and/or endure the remainder of 2011 while counting our blessings including all of you, dearest readers. Happy Holidays!


ITEM OF THE WEEK

On Monday, CUBlog friend Kimberly Conner of Predestined Arts & Entertainment in Springfield posted a call for two Camera Operators on the message boards, presumably for her debut feature film JUMP IN which we first reported about here. Time commitment would be Saturday, March 17, through Monday, March 26, and the location Springfield; Conner will accept reels and resumes through kim [at] predestinedartsandentertainment [dot] com.


LINKS OF THE WEEK

Once again we traverse the Interwebs for interesting items to share with you! Let’s begin with Smile Politely’s report about a “live talk show” called Two Beers with Dylan Heath which will take place Thursday, December 22, 9 p.m., at the Iron Post in downtown Urbana; our main man Sanford Hess of the Art TheatercomeArt Theater Co-Op will join musician Ryan Groff and comedian Andrew Voris as Heath’s inaugural guests. Then, we segue to this industry article posted at Photo District News about the launch of Urbana photographer Jason Lindsey’s new full service production company, Neighborhood Sandbox, offering clients high-quality still and motion assets for their promotional needs. (We’ll reveal the Sandbox’s initial foray tomorrow as an Image of the Week, but if you simply can’t wait…) Without much ado, we move on to Alisha Kirkley’s enthusiastic profile about the Champaign-Urbana Film Society in last week’s issue of the Parkland College Prospectus News. (That said, color us not surprised to see CUFS covered second to local indie music news within the same article, in this case the launch of the C-U Music Collective, but whatever gets the kids to read these days…) Afterwards, we electra glide over to this interview with former “Ebertfest” guest David Gordon Green about his transition from quality indies like GEORGE WASHINGTON and ALL THE REAL GIRLS to crass Hollywood comedies such as YOUR HIGHNESS and THE SITTER. (Warning to indie acolytes, it’s exactly as dispiriting a read as you might think it is, even though Gordon has every right to make the movjes that he wants.) To end, we belatedly note the passing of veteran B-film producer and actor Ross Hagen on May 7 at age 72; it was he who brought low-budget Hollywood to Champaign County in the early Seventies with the production of Prohibition era comedy BAD CHARLESTON CHARLIE, also starring long-gone character actors Kelly Thordsen, Hoke Howell, and John Carradine and directed by former Heidi Fleiss flame Ivan Nagy.


PLAYING THIS WEEK

ACT YOUR AGE* U.S. DVD Release: Tuesday, 12/20, Nationwide via Vanguard Cinema, Los Angeles, CA

@ The Art Theater, Champaign, IL: THE DESCENDANTS (12/16 on), Art Theater Co-Op Kick-Off (12/16, 10 p.m.), O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? (12/16, 12/17, 12/22, 10 p.m.), Sleeping Beauty (12/17, 12/18, 12 p.m., ballet)

@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL: SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS, THE DESCENDANTS, NEW YEAR’S EVE (12/16 on), LOVE ACTUALLY (12/16, 10:30 p.m., free), HOME ALONE w/HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! Animated (12/17, 10 a.m., free), NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION w/A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS animated (12/22, 7 p.m., free)

@ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL: NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION (12/15-12/16, 7 p.m.), A CHRISTMAS STORY (12/17-12/18, 7 p.m.)

@ The Lorraine Theatre, Hoopeston, IL: ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED, SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (12/16 on)

@ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL: ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: CHIPWRECKED (12/16-12/18, 12/21)

@ The Princess Theatre, LeRoy, IL: HAPPY FEET TWO (12/16-12/18)

@ That’s Rentertainment, Champaign, IL: RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, FRIGHT NIGHT, THE DEBT, KUNG FU PANDA 2, COWBOYS & ALIENS, THE BLACK POWER MIXTAPE, more! (12/13 on)

@ Harvest Moon Twin Drive-In, Gibson City, IL: Closed for the season!

@ Route 66 Twin Drive-In, Springfield, IL: Closed for the season!

@ Centerbrook Drive-In, Martinsville, IN: Closed for the season!

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


COMING SOON

12/27, 12/29: WHEN HARRY MET SALLY
@ The Virginia Theater, Champaign, IL, 7 p.m.

NEW! 12/31: Route 66 International Film Festival presents “First Night Springfield Movies”
@ Old State Capitol, Springfield, IL, 8 p.m.

UPDATE! 12/31: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (2004)
@ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL, 9:30 p.m.

4/15, 2012: Buttered Corn on the Cob Film Festival
@ 88 Broadway, Urbana, IL

4/18-4/22, 2012: Wisconsin Film Festival, Madison, WI

4/20, 2012: Issue release: C-U Confidential #6
+ Paper Opteryx, Champaign, IL

4/25-4/29, 2012: Roger Ebert’s Film Festival
@ The Virginia Theater, Champaign, IL

Fall 2012: Issue release: C-U Confidential ‘99
+ Paper Opteryx, Champaign, IL


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.
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 2012
@ The Virginia Theater, Champaign, IL, 1 & 7 p.m.
1/7: CITY LIGHTS; 2/11: THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1939); 3/17: CABARET; 4/7: EASTER PARADE; 6/2: AN AMERICAN IN PARIS; 7/7: CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG; 8/4: THE THIRD MAN; 9/1: THE MALTESE FALCON

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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!

321 awesome (but way too few) peeps dig our Facebook page, while 23 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.73 © 2011 Jason Pankoke/C-U Blogfidential.

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