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Our movie and media Calendar appears every Friday\/Saturday on <\/em>C-U Blogfidential<\/span><\/strong> and caters to the downstate region anchored by Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, USA.<\/em><\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n MILESTONES | Happy Birthday to You!<\/strong><\/p>\n 9\/26: Zelda Tindell (event director, Dead in Decatur International Film Festival, Decatur, IL) \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n PASSINGS | You Will Be Missed<\/strong><\/p>\n 9\/15: Michael C. Holloway, 79 (poet and voice-over artist as \u201cgassed-masked politico,\u201d L\u2019s GA<\/span> by Salvatore Martirano, Polydor Inc.\/MCA Music, New York, NY) \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said<\/strong><\/p>\n Today\u2019s three things boil down to long lives and livelihoods, for lack of a more eventful theme. To start, we\u2019d like to posthumously thank the legendary Nick Holonyak, Jr.<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, for his research and development at the University of Illinois<\/strong> and prior employment that led to the creation of light-emitting diode (LED) and semiconductor laser technology. Among the many applications and permutations of these controllable \u201cred lights\u201d over the last several decades<\/a><\/span> is the laser that reads information optically in compact disc (CD) and digital versatile disc (DVD) players; without it, we may never have seen the pre-internet bonanza of high-quality reproduction in audio and media that could be manufactured easily and then owned by the average consumer. Indie labels, musicians, and filmmakers should have raised a glass to Holonyak long ago for the innovation that allowed them to level up how they presented and sold their work to the world.<\/p>\n And then, we\u2019d like to wish a wonderful birthday to genre director Bert I. Gordon<\/strong>, best known for his string of science-fiction, horror, and comedy productions made primarily between the 1950s and 1970s<\/a><\/span> including, of course, the infamous (to us in downstate Illinois<\/strong><\/a><\/span>) big bug romp BEGINNING OF THE END<\/strong>, released in 1957 and starring Peter Graves<\/strong> and Peggie Castle<\/strong>. Hailing from Wisconsin<\/strong> and currently living in California<\/strong>, Gordon hits 100 years old tomorrow, Saturday, September 24<\/strong>. That\u2019s pretty B.I.G.!<\/p>\n To close, Smile Politely<\/strong> reports that Mark Roberts<\/strong>, the Tolono<\/strong>–Urbana<\/strong> native and former television sitcom creator, producer, and writer in the Chuck Lorre<\/strong> camp that TWO AND A HALF MEN<\/strong> built, will make an appearance in the C-U next week to fundraise and promote a pair of upcoming \u201ccomedy albums for kids\u201d that he plans to release soon.<\/a><\/span> In an event scheduled for next Friday, September 30, 7 p.m.<\/strong>, at the Cohen Building, 136 W. Main St.<\/strong>, in downtown Urbana, Roberts will perform a live reading from a collectible newspaper of poems called The Bad Mule Rag<\/span><\/strong>, related to one of the recordings, and be accompanied by local drummer Brian Reedy<\/strong> as well as DJ Nate Jones<\/strong>. Free copies of the Rag<\/span> will be given to attendees, while copies of an illustrated book related to the other recording, The Lonely Banjo<\/span><\/strong>, are on sale at the Bohemia<\/strong> boutique<\/a><\/span> across the street from Cohen. All proceeds from the evening will be donated to the gun safety organization Moms Demand Action<\/strong>, a good choice for support. Is this possibly a new phase in Roberts\u2019 creative career? We\u2019ll see what he makes of it for \u201ckids and grown-ups alike.\u201d<\/p>\n Mysteries abound, however. We\u2019re guessing The Bad Mule Rag<\/span> and its sister record, The Bad Mule Rag Live<\/span><\/strong>, have only a passing relationship with the Bad Mule<\/strong> website that is now defunct; your editor found out about the latter by chance upon spotting a billboard advertisement for it on Broadway Avenue<\/strong> in Urbana a little more than two years ago. Primarily a hosting page for adult-skewing comedy sketches featuring a small troupe that included Roberts, its most curious offering was a stylized graphic novel adaptation of RANTOUL OR DIE<\/strong> \u2013 not<\/em> directly from the blue collar, somewhat funny, and occasionally jarring stage play that Roberts wrote and developed as an artist-in-residence at Urbana\u2019s Station Theatre<\/strong><\/a><\/span> many moons ago, but from the presumably blue collar, somewhat funny, and occasionally jarring screenplay adaptation<\/em> of that stage play by him for a feature film that was announced in 2016<\/a><\/span> and never produced. Ye Ed also never read the comic, alas.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n CONFIDENTIAL ALMANAC | Dates in Film Culture History<\/strong><\/p>\n 15 Years Ago<\/strong> \u2026 Week of Monday, September 24, 2007:<\/em> Champaign<\/strong> radio producer and \u201catomic age culture\u201d fan Jason Croft<\/strong> releases the first edition of Bachelor Pad Magazine<\/span><\/strong>, emulating the \u201cmen\u2019s digests\u201d of the Fifties and partly inspired by the first print issue of C-U Confidential<\/span><\/strong>. Croft\u2019s quarterly publication packs in the hallmarks of the era \u2013 pulp stories, pin-up photography spreads, cocktail recipes, and so on \u2013 as remembered and practiced by the worldwide subculture keeping it alive. Various topics known beyond the neo-burlesque circuit that would appear in the pages of BPM<\/span><\/strong> include Bettie Page<\/strong>, the ultimate 20th century pin-up model, Tura Satana<\/strong>, the memorable leather-clad actress at the fore of Russ Meyer<\/strong>\u2019s feature FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL!<\/strong>, and Shag<\/strong>, the popular illustrator loved for his colorful mid-century aesthetic. Also notable is the long-running movie column by Seattle<\/strong> novelist Will Viharo<\/strong> of the “Vic Valentine” private investigator series. Croft has kept BPM<\/span> on the press ever since<\/a><\/span>, reaching its 15th anniversary with issue 61 and cover model Agent Tease<\/strong>. As reported on 10\/7\/07 at<\/em> CUBlog<\/span><\/strong>. [R] [Rev. 9\/24\/22] 25 Years Ago<\/strong> \u2026 Friday, September 19, 1997:<\/em> Warner Bros.<\/strong> releases the Regency Enterprises<\/strong> production of L.A. CONFIDENTIAL<\/strong>, based on the James Ellroy<\/strong> crime novel of the same name, to more than 750 theaters nationwide. The stylish neo-noir<\/em> is directed by Curtis Hanson<\/strong> and stars Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell, David Strathairn, Danny DeVito<\/strong>, and Kim Basinger<\/strong>, the latter of whom would win an Academy Award<\/strong> for her work along with Hanson and Brian Helgeland<\/strong> for their screenplay adaptation. It is rumored this genre classic\u2019s title, style, and apropos mise-en-sc\u00e8ne<\/em> might possibly have influenced the identity of a certain film digest published far from the City of Angels, mired somewhere in the middle of the mysterious Midwest, beginning a decade later. [R]<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n LOCAL FILMS & EVENTS | Support Your Media Storytellers<\/strong><\/p>\n @ The Brass Rail, Champaign, IL<\/strong> @ Materials Science and Engineering Building, UIUC, Urbana, IL<\/strong> @ Landmark\u2019s Century Centre Cinema, Chicago, IL<\/strong> \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n NOW PLAYING | Champaign-Urbana Area<\/strong><\/p>\n @ AMC Champaign 13, Champaign, IL<\/strong> @ Phoenix Savoy 16 + IMAX, Savoy, IL<\/strong> @ Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL<\/strong>
\n9\/27: Robert Hubbard (script supervisor, JAYHAWKERS, 9th Street Studios, Lawrence, KS)<\/p>\n
\n9\/18: Nick Holonyak, Jr., 93 (professor, electrical and computer engineering and physics, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, retired)<\/p>\n
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\n\u201cSkid Fest\u201d tribute concert for Aaron Davidson* feat. Kayla Brown, Yap Trap, The Falbonauts, Dave Pride & the East Side Five, and The Dirty Feathers (9\/25, 7:30 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nIllini Film & Video* meeting, Room 119 (9\/26, 7 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nThe 40th Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival presents JIMMY IN SAIGON* (9\/28, 7 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nDON\u2019T WORRY DARLING, KRISHNA VRINDA VIHARI (in Telugu), MOONAGE DAYDREAM, BARBARIAN, BRAHM\u0100STRA \u2013 PART ONE: SHIVA (in Hindi), BULLET TRAIN, PEARL, SEE HOW THEY RUN, TOP GUN: MAVERICK*, THE WOMAN KING (9\/23 on), NOPE* (9\/23-9\/25, 9\/27-9\/28), DC LEAGUE OF SUPER-PETS (9\/23, 1:30 p.m.), SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME (re-release) (9\/24, 12:30 p.m.), BROS, PONNIYIN SELVAN: PART I (in Tamil), SMILE, VIKRAM VEDHA (in Hindi) (9\/29 on) *single shows daily<\/p>\n
\nAVATAR (re-release, 3-D\/IMAX 3-D), DON\u2019T WORRY DARLING, BARBARIAN, BRAHM\u0100STRA \u2013 PART ONE: SHIVA (in Hindi, Tamil, or Telugu), BULLET TRAIN, LIFEMARK*, MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, PEARL, RUNNING THE BASES*, SEE HOW THEY RUN, TOP GUN: MAVERICK, THE WOMAN KING (9\/23 on), THE INVITATION (9\/23-9\/24, 9\/26-9\/27, 9\/29), CLERKS III (9\/23-9\/24, 4:20 & 7 p.m.; 9\/25, 7 p.m.), Studio Ghibli Fest 2022: HOWL\u2019S MOVING CASTLE (anim\u00e9; English dub: 9\/25, 3:30 p.m.; 9\/28, 7 p.m.; in Japanese with English sub: 9\/26-9\/27, 7 p.m.), Turner Classic Movies presents POLTERGEIST 40th anniversary (9\/25, 4 & 7 p.m.; 9\/26, 9\/28, 7 p.m.), THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (9\/25, 3 & 7 p.m.; 9\/28, 7 p.m.), SAINT MICHAEL: MEET THE ANGEL (religious documentary; 9\/29, 7 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nIllini Union Board presents \u201cFall 2022 Weekend Films\u201d feat. MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU, Pine Lounge, 1st floor (9\/23-9\/24, 7 p.m.; free w\/i-card)<\/p>\n