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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 6\/27: Eric Spudic (actor, NIGHT OF THE TOMMYKNOCKERS, Gravitas Ventures, Cleveland, OH) \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n PASSINGS | You Will Be Missed<\/strong><\/p>\n 6\/4: Floyd Bundy, 79 (actor, DOGS IN QUICKSAND, Shut Up and Do It Productions, Champaign, IL)<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n FIELD REPORT DU HQ | From Wherever It May Be Said<\/strong><\/p>\n I fear that it\u2019s \u201coh, the horror\u201d week here at MFHQ Deux<\/strong>, so that will inform our sinewy Report<\/strong>. Up first is news from the rising character actor Bishop Stevens<\/strong>, a transplant to St. Louis<\/strong> and former professional wrestler<\/span><\/a><\/span>, who sent out a release on Monday, June 5<\/strong>, about an upcoming film in which he\u2019ll play the starring role. THE BATON ROUGE SERIAL KILLER<\/strong>, a story based on real events involving the late death row inmate Derrick Todd Lee<\/strong>, is scripted by Stevens with the true crime author E. J. Hammon<\/strong> and producer B. J. Mezek<\/strong>, and is billed as the first screen biopic about an African-American serial killer. Attached to direct and produce is Eric Hector<\/strong>, who runs Heroic Age Studios<\/span><\/strong> of Mt. Zion<\/strong><\/span><\/a> with Tim Lynn<\/strong>, and the release implies this may be made in the Decatur<\/strong> area even with the Louisiana<\/strong> origins of Lee\u2019s life and murderous spree. As the announcement came as a surprise, we\u2019ll presumably get some clarity on the details at Stevens\u2019 Facebook<\/strong> account<\/a><\/span> as things progress. He recently appeared in LOCKDOWN<\/strong> from Lionsgate<\/strong>, GIRL ON THE THIRD FLOOR<\/strong> from Dark Sky Films<\/strong>, SLICE<\/strong> from A24<\/strong>, and the Champaign<\/strong>-filmed Armageddon opus REVEALER<\/strong> from RLJE Films<\/strong>, while Heroic Age is long overdue in completing their dark fantasy TRICK AND TREATS<\/strong><\/a><\/span> with Loren Ledesma, Malcolm McDowell, Gary Busey<\/strong>, and Bishop.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n Suburban author and filmmaker S. J. Hermann<\/strong> has taken to central Illinois<\/strong>, it seems. Part or all of his last three genre exercises have been shot in the smaller towns between us, the current example being a Sixties-set shocker called ATTACK OF THE CORN ZOMBIES<\/strong> for which his label, Acrostar Films<\/strong>, is busy raising finishing funds up until next Friday, June 30<\/strong><\/a><\/span>. The bloody mayhem of CORN ZOMBIES<\/strong> was staged in Farmer City<\/strong> and Dewey<\/strong> in the first half of May and plenty of set pictures adorn their Facebook group, which is very active with fans and supporters<\/a><\/span> who help with their needs. They plan to return before the cameras in late 2023 with \u201can extremely dark psychological drama.\u201d Prior to that, their modern Gothic love story DESPERATE SOULS<\/strong><\/a><\/span> was just released on physical media, is scheduled to premiere at the Princess Theater<\/strong> of LeRoy<\/strong> in August, and will presumably debut on the same streaming and VOD services where one can find their quickie confection from last year, IT CAME FROM SOMEWHERE<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, an ode to 1950s sci-fi from the same specialized Petri dish as the work of Larry Blamire<\/strong> (THE LOST SKELETON OF CADAVRA<\/strong>) and Christopher R. Mihm<\/strong> (ANNIHILATE ALL HUMANS!<\/strong>). It\u2019s peachy keen, I\u2019ll give IT<\/strong> that.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n Back to Normal<\/strong>, tra la<\/em>, filmmaker Paul A. Brooks<\/strong> announced that his woodsy thriller, HUNTING FOR THE HAG<\/strong> from Into the Night Motion Pictures<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, will receive its big-city debut on Wednesday, August 9<\/strong>, at the venerable Music Box Theater<\/strong> in Chicago<\/strong>. Showtime is 7 p.m.<\/strong> for the flick, premiered at the Normal Theater<\/strong> last month and produced in the Pontiac<\/strong> area. To close, we\u2019ve seen the first social media prompts<\/a><\/span> from C-U filmmaker John Isberg<\/strong> of Front 76 Films<\/strong> that FINAL SUMMER PART II<\/strong> is apparently on the way with details forthcoming in the fall after FINAL SUMMER<\/strong> debuts on internet platforms. Up next for Isberg and his Workshop Films Collective<\/strong> friends, however, is a segment for Ash Hamilton<\/strong>\u2019s anthology, F\u2019D: TALES FROM THE END TIMES<\/strong>, which will crew up and be cast in the coming weeks for production in our region. All this sanguinary screen action just goes to show that it\u2019s the grue that holds us together!<\/p>\n \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> @ Main Quad, Illini Union, UIUC, Urbana, IL<\/strong> @ Redbox, Champaign-Urbana, IL<\/strong> @ The Virginia Theatre, Champaign, IL<\/strong> Events featuring locally produced movies are marked with an asterisk (*). Additional \u201cNow Playing\u201d and \u201cComing Soon\u201d listings appear after the jump!<\/em><\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n <\/p>\n NOW PLAYING | The Cities Beyond<\/strong><\/p>\n @ The Avon Theater, Decatur, IL<\/strong> @ The Fischer Theatre, Danville, IL<\/strong> @ The Harvest Moon Twin Drive-in, Gibson City, IL<\/strong> @ The Little Lorraine, Hoopeston, IL<\/strong> @ The Normal Theater, Normal, IL<\/strong> @ The Onarga Theatre, Onarga, IL<\/strong> @ The Princess Theatre, Leroy, IL<\/strong> @ The Route 66 Drive-in Theater, Springfield, IL<\/strong> \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n NOW PLAYING | Midwest<\/strong><\/p>\n @ Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago, IL<\/strong> For detailed and curated listings of Chicago-area film presentations and related events, please visit the fine folks at <\/em>Cine-File<\/strong> and subscribe to their definitive \u201cCine-List\u201d weekly blast<\/span><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n
\n6\/27: Joe Sherlock (writer\/director, ODDER NOGGINS, Skullface Astronaut, Corvallis, OR)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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\nASTEROID CITY, NO HARD FEELINGS, THE BLACKENING, THE BOOGEYMAN, ELEMENTAL (animation), THE FLASH, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3, THE LITTLE MERMAID, SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (animation), TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS (6\/23 on), PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH (animation) (6\/24, 6\/28, 12 p.m.), INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY, RUBY GILLMAN \u2013 TEENAGE KRAKEN, SATYAPREM KI KATHA (in Hindu with English sub) (6\/29 on)<\/p>\n
\nASTEROID CITY, NO HARD FEELINGS, THE BLACKENING, THE BOOGEYMAN, ELEMENTAL (animation), THE FLASH, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3, THE LITTLE MERMAID, SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (animation), TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS (6\/23 on), DIRTY DANCING (6\/25, 3 & 7 p.m.; 6\/28, 7 p.m.), THE ROOM \u201cCelebration\u201d (6\/27, 7 p.m.), INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY, RUBY GILLMAN \u2013 TEENAGE KRAKEN (6\/29 on)<\/p>\n
\nIllini Union Board presents \u201cSummer Films on the Quad\u201d feat. PAINT (6\/29, 9 p.m., free)<\/p>\n
\nPOLITE SOCIETY, THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE, more! (6\/20 on) Online rentals<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n
\nIllini Radio Group presents \u201cRewind 92.5 Movie Series\u201d feat. SCHOOL OF ROCK (6\/29, 7 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nELEMENTAL (animation), THE FLASH, TRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS (6\/22-6\/25)<\/p>\n
\nLOVING VINCENT (animation) (6\/23, 7 p.m.; 6\/24, 2 & 7 p.m.; 6\/25, 2 p.m.), TOP GUN (6\/29, 7 p.m.)<\/p>\n
\nELEMENTAL (animation) (Screen 1), THE FLASH (Screen 2) (6\/22-6\/28), INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY (Screen 1), ELEMENTAL (animation) (Screen 2) (6\/29)<\/p>\n
\nPrivate parties and \u201cFamily Movie Packs\u201d<\/p>\n
\nNo movies during \u201cMake Music Normal\u201d outdoor concerts in downtown Normal (6\/23-6\/24, all day, free to attend), THE WICKER MAN (6\/25), HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS (6\/26, 6\/28), YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (6\/29)<\/p>\n
\nELEMENTAL (animation) (6\/23-6\/25)<\/p>\n
\nBOOK CLUB: THE NEXT CHAPTER (6\/23-6\/25)<\/p>\n
\nTRANSFORMERS: RISE OF THE BEASTS, THE FLASH (Screen 1), ELEMENTAL (animation), THE LITTLE MERMAID (6\/23-6\/25, 6\/28-6\/29)<\/p>\n
\nThe Midwest Film Festival presents \u201cAnalog Film Night\u201d in collaboration with Cinema-Luz Collective and the Chicago Film Society (6\/26, 6:30 p.m. reception, 7:30 p.m. screening)<\/p>\n