<\/p>\n
~~~~~<\/p>\n
In a rare occurrence, I traveled downstate for a little weekend fun in support of C-U Blogfidential<\/span><\/strong> friend Paul A. Brooks<\/strong>, who premiered his crone-in-the-cornfields thriller<\/a><\/span> HUNTNG FOR THE HAG<\/strong> at the Normal Theater<\/strong> back on Friday, May 12<\/strong>. I enjoyed the low-budget gusto that splattered across the silver screen due to the hard work put in by the team at Into the Night Motion Pictures<\/strong> of Normal<\/strong> in association with Ten Wing Media<\/strong> and Into the Void Films<\/strong>, both based in Chicago<\/strong>. I also felt more in my element as I sat in an auditorium with a movie before me for the first time in more than two years, and had a nice nightcap while talking with old and new friends between the Normal and The Coffeehouse<\/strong> including actors Sierra Renfro<\/strong> and Steve Christopher<\/strong>, producer Seth Chromick<\/strong>, event videographer Jason Huls<\/strong>, and C-U film scene regular Cara Day<\/strong>. I needed it and my thanks go to Brooks for including me in the Haggy hospitality.<\/p>\n Among several aspects in which I was interested, I wanted to see how Brooks and company utilized the forest terrain outside of Pontiac, Illinois<\/strong>, where they filmed; HAG<\/strong> is posited as a found-footage narrative once an investigator, played by Daniel Roebuck<\/strong> of THE MUNSTERS<\/strong>, begins to watch recovered video on his laptop. This is in part because I was invited to the secretive set in mid-2021 but could not go. Although the setting is fictionalized in the conversations between film student Tara (Jasmine Williams<\/strong>), amateur myth hunter Beth (Alexa Maris<\/strong>), and tag-along party gal Candy (Renfro) in the first act, my CUBlog<\/span><\/strong> brain is wired to consider how Pontiac plays a part in it as it did 40 years ago in Randal Kleiser<\/strong>\u2019s studio-backed musical, GRANDVIEW, U.S.A.<\/strong>, and a quarter-century before now in 35 MILES FROM NORMAL<\/strong>, an award-winning Sundance<\/strong> selection in 1997 that has been mired in obscurity ever since. In short, I felt the trek into the Midwest wilds for cast and crew was worth it for what it lent to the aesthetics of HAG<\/strong>.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n Conversely, I\u2019ve had to rewire my CUBlog<\/span><\/strong> brain over the role a real-life place can fill in a reel-life scenario. It is just fine<\/em> if a location in every sense of the definition \u2013 its places, people, landmarks, and resources not necessarily tangible in front of the camera \u2013 functions first to service the storytelling. Audiences should appreciate the settings as plausible and not give them a second thought. So, if filmmakers can wield that ol\u2019 movie magic in order for Champaign, Urbana<\/strong>, and the cities beyond to set the scenes they need, whether or not our municipalities are invited to \u201cplay themselves,\u201d then by all means bring it on<\/em>. Plenty of projects in our indigenous filmography have done this before, and footage that has appeared online in recent weeks from several new projects that have yet to come out is teasing us again on the prospects. Where<\/em> did they film? Who<\/em> did they include? How well<\/em> does it augment the storytelling?<\/p>\n Yes, the anticipation is a killer to see what these visiting productions came up with. Deadly<\/em>, really.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That said, I\u2019ve decided to stagger over the summer my findings about the independent films in question \u2013 BLACK MOLD, YOU\u2019RE OUT!, PROJECT DOROTHY<\/strong>, maybe one or two more \u2013 and not attempt to squeeze it all into this article. We\u2019ll briefly examine the available details and clips of each one and then imagine what the movies have in store for their viewers. Similar to local films, these efforts follow an \u201cout of sight, out of mind\u201d phenomena where they might generate a palpable buzz in the public sphere while being filmed and then seemingly vanish until they\u2019re completed and a \u201cbig thing\u201d again with a festival debut, streaming push, or theatrical opening. The creators of YOU\u2019RE OUT!<\/strong> interacted with the media to stoke interest<\/a><\/span> in Champaign County<\/strong> while they were here in 2021, at the least. MOLD<\/strong> was made in the Rantoul<\/strong> area<\/a><\/span> with involvement by Shatterglass Films<\/strong> and fleeting fanfare, while DOROTHY<\/strong>\u2019s entourage worked in near-anonymity on the outskirts of Normal<\/a><\/span> at what is now the Rivian<\/strong> automotive plant.<\/p>\n Personally, I find it a thrill to see the recognizable up on screen in a new or particular light. Having lived in Aurora<\/strong> before moving to Bloomington<\/strong> for college, I felt a giddy sense of pride to attend a B-N multiplex in 1992 so I could watch Penelope Spheeris<\/strong>\u2019 WAYNE\u2019S WORLD<\/strong> and witness the B-roll shots of several west suburban haunts<\/a><\/span> in the opening \u201cBohemian Rhapsody<\/strong>\u201d car ride sequence. After driving past the barricaded \u201cSmallville\u201d set for MAN OF STEEL<\/strong> several times on Route 34<\/strong> in the late summer of 2011, it was a strange mix of excitement and dread to finally see in 2013 the downtown of Plano<\/strong>, my boyhood home, get pummeled<\/a><\/span> in Zack Snyder<\/strong>\u2019s revisionist Superman<\/strong> epic. I feel an attachment to both, even if I had nothing to do with them otherwise, whereas the C-U\u2019s brush with Hollywood 30 years ago, when the WITH HONORS<\/strong> caravan took over the UIUC Main Quad<\/strong> for two days<\/a><\/span>, only rates as appealing trivia to me since I was not yet living in Champaign. I can tell from online comments that other folks recall it fondly.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n I used to quietly pine for a return trip to Champaign-Urbana by an A-level movie machine from Los Angeles<\/strong> or New York City<\/strong> or even Chicago, yet, is that<\/em> kind of mass entertainment chaos really worth courting for a footnote at best in the local history books? I wonder. CUBlog<\/span><\/strong> loves to root for our friends and neighbors in film, as our dearest readers know well, but we also should have realistic expectations of what it means for outside companies to dominate our spaces and amenities to do their thing; it\u2019s extremely hard hands-on work and organization that is conducted over long hours and ideally not disrupted. We\u2019ve made mention in the past about how the perceived economic and morale boost of such shoots, like Steven Soderbergh<\/span><\/strong>\u2019s THE INFORMANT!<\/strong><\/span><\/a> in Decatur<\/strong> and GRANDVIEW, U.S.A.<\/strong>, in Pontiac<\/a><\/span>, resonated in the moment and may have offered lasting value for those left behind \u201con location,\u201d if mostly in the form of stories and memories<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n That doesn\u2019t mean individuals in our midst wouldn\u2019t have a blast on a live film set or relish the chance to try their hand in a department and gauge whether film is a career path to pursue. My concerns speak more to a bludgeoning Hollywood<\/strong> scale of production and not the modest likes of DOROTHY, MOLD<\/strong>, and YOU\u2019RE OUT!<\/strong> When I previously talked to Paul A. Brooks<\/a><\/span> the week before his group was set to begin HUNTING FOR THE HAG<\/strong>, he made it a point to mention they had found willing accomplices in Pontiac\u2019s tourism and forestry ranks to help them succeed during their week-long residence and shoot. The C-U should try to do the same when approached, and our elected officials and the film office couched within the \u201cExperience Champaign-Urbana<\/strong>\u201d tourism bureau<\/a><\/span> have to be smart enough to deflect any iffy business propositions or promises of bankable glitz and glamor. We can<\/em> negotiate our participation if not the final outcome.<\/p>\n Be sure to watch CUBlog<\/span><\/strong> for when we publish the next entries in this series. Of the three films we\u2019ve mentioned here, YOU\u2019RE OUT!<\/strong> is the closest to the finish line; Gravitas Ventures<\/strong> will release it<\/a><\/span> on multiple U.S. streaming platforms as of Friday, July 28<\/strong>, and Adler & Associates Entertainment, Inc.<\/strong>, hosted a booth at the Cannes Film Festival<\/strong> in France<\/strong> to attract buyers in non-U.S. territories for numerous titles including this one, directed by Katharin \u201cLadie K\u201d Mraz<\/strong>. By a similar token, Raven Banner Entertainment<\/strong> of Toronto<\/strong> is currently shopping the distribution rights to BLACK MOLD<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, and PROJECT DOROTHY<\/strong> was apparently represented at Cannes as well by the Taylor & Dodge<\/strong> agency of Beverly Hills, California<\/strong><\/span><\/a>. Soon, our lens on these lensed-in-Illinois films will be in sharper focus. Just don\u2019t haggle with me as to when<\/em>.<\/p>\n ~ Jason Pankoke<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n p.s.<\/em> Hopefully, HUNTING FOR THE HAG<\/strong> will follow these pictures closely in sealing deals and finding an audience, for it will be our pleasure to report on a Bloomington-Normal<\/strong> movie that actually makes it out into the world. I could not help but notice a handful of familiar names in the HAG<\/strong> end credits crawl that are connected to more than one AWOL indie filmed in the B-N some time ago. Wha\u2019 happened, folks?<\/p>\n p.s.2<\/em> In this day and age, if a city or town is a (semi?) straight shot from Chicagoland, it might become someone\u2019s next favorite shooting location<\/a><\/span>. This includes itty bitty Oregon<\/strong> on the Rock River<\/strong>, according to a news segment aired in late May<\/a><\/span> on WTVO-TV<\/strong> in Rockford<\/strong>. Who knew? Ma<\/strong> and Pappy JaPan<\/strong> loved to take day trips there to ride the riverboat and eat at the Maxson Restaurant<\/strong> overlooking the Rock.<\/p>\n p.s.3<\/em> Of course, one solution to the conundrum of attracting film business is to offer a central location for productions to be temporarily housed like, say, a fully-equipped soundstage. This very notion is allegedly being explored with the remnants of Octave Chanute Air Force Base<\/strong> in Rantoul<\/strong>. When we<\/em> know more\u2026<\/p>\n p.s.4<\/em> The enthusiasm I\u2019ve expressed above is attuned to the prospect of narrative productions finding their way to our region and leaving on good terms with great material to work from. It does not really apply to indie documentaries, which aren\u2019t beholden to appeasing everyone and presenting everything in a sanitized light. There is<\/em> a Pontiac<\/strong>-related example of this: PONTIAC\u2019S REBELLION<\/strong>, a low-budget look at the threatened closure of the Pontiac Correctional Facility<\/strong> in 2008 by the former Illinois<\/strong> governor (and inmate, tra la<\/em>) Rod Blagojevich<\/strong>. Director Brian Seay<\/strong>, who now works for the weekday morning show on WGN-TV<\/strong>, left an old trailer here<\/a><\/span> and sample scene here<\/a><\/span> on Vimeo while this recent report from CHICAGO TONIGHT<\/strong><\/a><\/span> on WBBM-TV<\/strong> tells how the prison continues to stave off controversy and a very slow death.<\/p>\n ~~~~~<\/p>\n Several indies filmed in part or whole in downstate Illinois during the last few years are finally emerging, and half of them were not initiated by local producers. How do we fare in our visitors’ fields of vision?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[374,2144,376,11,15,10,2264],"tags":[2601,2502,2611,1341,2606,2349,2200,2438,2604,2568,144,2610,2609,279,2603,2612,2607,1820,2608,134,2605,1346,2602],"class_list":["post-15434","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-business-matters","category-documentary","category-gone-hollywood","category-job-opportunities","category-media-coverage","category-production-updates","category-streaming-cinema","tag-black-mold","tag-champaign-urbana-il","tag-film-nostalgia","tag-film-production","tag-gravitas-ventures","tag-hunting-for-the-hag","tag-illinois-filmmaking","tag-location-filming","tag-man-of-steel","tag-normal-il","tag-paul-a-brooks","tag-plano-il","tag-pontiac-il","tag-pontiacs-rebellion","tag-project-dorothy","tag-rantoul-il","tag-raven-banner-entertainment","tag-shatterglass-films","tag-taylor-dodge","tag-the-informant","tag-waynes-world","tag-with-honors","tag-youre-out"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15434","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15434"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15434\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15434"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15434"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.micro-film-magazine.com\/cublog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15434"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"